General:Ancient Tales of the Dwemer Translator’s Notes

Book Information
Writer(s):	Ted Peterson

Ancient Tales of the Dwemer

by Gor Felim

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The Ancient Tales were first mentioned in TESA: Redguard as a serious scholarly tome. Later, designer Ted Peterson wrote the actual series for to be included in TES3, however his writing of the tales was rather lighthearted in nature and did not mesh well with the new Dwarven lore conceived for Redguard and TES3 much at all. According to Michael Kirkbride, the Dwemer History and Culture book of TES4 was originally Kurt Kuhlmann’s commentary on these stories written in an email, proposing that the so-called Ancient Tales were neither ancient nor authentic, but immensely popular works of Second Era fiction in an exotic Dwarven guise. Subsequently, the books were reframed as works of in-world fiction, rather than true depictions of Dwarven myths. What were originally called "Translator’s Notes" (as the books have been supposedly Dwarven translations) were rewritten into "Publisher’s Notes" by Peterson. The Translator’s Notes, however, were preserved in the French and German translations of the game, which for whatever reason, utilized earlier drafts of game text during the translation process.

Credit to user Tyermali for all related research, including the translation of the "Translator’s Notes" from German and French to English, and for authoring the framing description above.

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Volume I: The Ransom of Zarek

French Draft

Final Draft

Translator’s Note "The Ransom of Zarek" is not the oldest of the Dwemer tales. Although this version is certainly the most authentic we have discovered, the reference to the Dunmer proves that it was written after the great Velothi migration. I decided to include this story at the beginning of my anthology for two reasons: the first is cultural. Despite its simplicity, it shows certain aspects of Dwemer culture: the importance of order, as seen in Jalemmil's garden; the disregard for Nordic intelligence (in other tales, we will see that the Dunmer and Orcs do not fare any better); and despite Zarek gaining his freedom by his intelligence, the Dwemer love of the game. Sports as we know them today owe much to the Dwarves, who placed more emphasis on technique and strategy than on skill and brute strength. Strategy, games and puzzles are often mentioned in Dwemer tales. Many scholars have devoted their lives to trying to answer the greatest riddle of all: the disappearance of this great and fascinating people. Some believe that because of the Dwemer love of games, it is possible that all the clues to their disappearance are in their tales and in their ruins. Linguists are trying to discover mathematical formulas in the texts and even in the number of stones in the great cities. But no one has been able to solve this mystery until this day. The other reason why "The Ransom of Zarek" serves as an introduction is quite personal. It is the first tale I remember my nurse telling me as a child. The hero's name was not Zarek and he was not a Dwemer. The villains were Ayleids, not Nords, and the action took place at home in Cyrodiil, but the rest of the tale was the same. As an adult, looking back, this old story is terribly simple. The kidnappers are idiots and Zarek is not the genius strategist I imagined him to be as a child. But I owe it to him that I began searching for the ancient tales of the Dwemer, and I'm grateful for that.

Publisher's Note I was reluctant to publish the works of Marobar Sul, but when the University of Gwylim Press asked me to edit this edition, I decided to use this as an opportunity to set the record straight once and for all. Scholars do not agree on the exact date of Marobar Sul's work, but it is generally agreed that they were written by the playwright "Gor Felim," famous for popular comedies and romances during the Interregnum between the fall of the First Cyrodilic Empire and the rise of Tiber Septim. The current theory holds that Felim heard a few genuine Dwemer tales and adapted them to the stage in order to make money, along with rewritten versions of many of his own plays. Gor Felim created the persona of "Marobar Sul" who could translate the Dwemer language in order to add some sort of validity to the work and make it even more valuable to the gullible. Note that while "Marobar Sul" and his works became the subject of heated controversy, there are no reliable records of anyone actually meeting "Marobar Sul," nor was there anyone of that name employed by the Mages Guild, the School of Julianos, or any other intellectual institution. In any case, the Dwemer in most of the tales of "Marobar Sul" bear little resemblance to the fearsome, unfathomable race that frightened even the Dunmer, Nords, and Redguards into submission and built ruins that even now have yet to be understood.

Volume II: The Seed

French Draft

Final Draft

Translator’s Note "The Seed" is an Argonian story, but because the central characters in the story are Dwemer, I chose to include it in my anthology. We have many documents describing how the Dwemers were viewed by the Velothi and Nords but few that outline the viewpoint of their neighbors, the lizard people of Black Marsh. It is clear that the nature worship of the Argonians often clashed with the technological civilization of their northern neighbors. Lorikh could be any Dwemer ruin in the desert called Dejayste [sic], between Morrowind, the Black Marsh and Elsweyr. Thanks to the note about the discovery of resin, the date of this story can be estimated to be around the third century of the First Era. Of course, the nature of the Argonians' relationship with their sacred Hists could be the subject of another anthology, but one can assume that this is more like another ghost story (of vegetal nature) than a historical account.

Publisher's Note "The Seed" is one of Marobar Sul's tales whose origins are well known. This tale originated from the Argonian slaves of southern Morrowind. "Marobar Sul" merely replaced the Dunmer with Dwemer and claimed he found it in a Dwemer ruin. Furthermore, he later claimed that the Argonian version of the tale was merely a retelling of his "original!" Lorikh, while clearly not a Dwemer name, simply does not exist, and in fact "Lorikh" was a name commonly used, incorrectly, for Dunmer men in Gor Felim's plays. The Argonian versions of the story usually take place on Vvardenfell, usually in the Telvanni city of Sadrith Mora. Of course the so-called "scholars" of Temple Zero will probably claim this story has something to do with "Lorkhan" simply because the town starts with the letter L.

Volume III: The Importance of Where

French Draft

Final Draft

Translator’s Note This is certainly one of the oldest traditional myths of the Dwemer. It is impossible to date it, but the story certainly goes back to before the First Era. The stronghold of Othrobar, which was a Dwemer site even in our era, has still not been fully explored because of the dangerous creatures that dwell there. The Great Mountain is clearly Red Mountain, or Dagoth Ur. And it is no mystery that the path from the fortress to the mountain was forested, although it is no longer the case today. The volcano did not destroy the vegetation of Vvardenfell until much later. Many fundamental elements of the Dwemer stories do not appear in "The Importance of Where." Technology does not appear, and agrarian civilization has not yet been replaced by industry. At this stage of Dwemer civilization, the most primitive weapon, the club, is still predominant. It is important to note that this was not a simple piece of wood. Fangbith says that his mentor taught him how to forge it from Zolia, which implies that it was, as we would say today, dwarfmade. A powerful weapon indeed. Although there is no mention of technology in this text, the art of forging is mentioned even if it remains in the background. The repetitive and tedious style of this story, poor in narrative or descriptive passages, is typical of early Dwemer stories that were told at banquets. One might assume that the bards made the narration more exciting by acting while reading. The anonymous "monsters" could be trolls, giants, dragons or any other creatures. This usually depends on the audience. The play on words that forms the lesson of the fable -- that it is as important to know where the monster should be slain, at the stronghold, as it is to know where the monster must be struck on its body to be slain -- is typical of Dwemer tales. Riddles, even ones as simple as this one, are loved by this vanished race. A characteristic that their successors, the Dunmer, seem to have in common with them.

Publisher's Note: This tale is another, which has an obvious origin among the Ashlander tribes of Vvardenfell and is one of their oldest tales. "Marobar Sul" merely changed the names of the character to sound more "Dwarven" and resold it as part of his collection. The Great Mountain in the tale is clearly "Red Mountain," despite its description of being forested. The Star-Fall and later eruptions destroyed the vegetation on Red Mountain, giving it the wasted appearance it has today. This tale does have some scholarly interest, as it suggests a primitive Ashlander culture, but it talks of living in "strongholds" much like the ruined strongholds on Vvardenfell today. There are even references to a stronghold of "Othrobar" somewhere between Vvardenfell and Skyrim, but few strongholds outside of sparsely-settled Vvardenfell have survived to the present. Scholars do not agree on who built these strongholds or when, but I believe it is clear from this story and other evidence that the Ashlander tribes used these strongholds in the ancient past instead of making camps of wickwheat huts as they do today. The play on words that forms the lesson of the fable -- that it is as important to know where the monster should be slain, at the stronghold, as it is to know where the monster must be struck on its body to be slain -- is typical of many Ashlander tales. Riddles, even ones as simple as this one, are loved by both the Ashlanders and the vanished Dwemer. Although the Dwemer are usually portrayed as presenting the riddles, rather than being the ones who solve it as in Ashlander tales.

Volume V: Song of the Alchemists

French Draft

Final Draft

Translator’s Note The year of composition of this enjoyable courtsong is estimated to be between 1E 120 and 1E 210, i.e. during the reign of King Maraneon, who actually existed. Maraneon Bogh was not a nobleman but a rich landowner with many strongholds. The ruins of one still exist and bear a name reminiscent of his: Maranonelus. It seems certain that this song was written and performed for one of the salons of Bogh’s Dwemer intelligentsia. The very simple rhyming scheme, AA/BB/CC, the lack of respect for the number of feet, the jokes in the text and the ridiculous names, Umphatic Faer and Ianthippus Minthurk, must have pleased the Dwemer, whose sense of humor was sometimes rather strange, especially from our modern point of view. I have tried to make my translation as faithful as possible to the original. The preparation of potions is a recurring theme in a culture that invented the science of alchemy. Notably, another Dwemer invention is also mentioned: stained glass. Of course, the final joke, that the alchemist becomes smarter by mistake, is typical of the Dwemer sense of irony. Over the millennia, the song became popular in the tavern before vanishing with the disappearance of the Dwemer.

Publisher's Note: This poetry is so clearly in the style of Gor Felim that it really does not need any commentary. Note the simple rhyming scheme of AA/BB/CC, the sing-song but purposefully clumsy meter, and the recurring jokes at the obviously absurd names, Umphatic Faer and Ianthippus Minthurk. The final joke that the stupid alchemist invents a potion to make himself smarter by pure accident would have appealed to the anti-intellectualism of audiences in the Interregnum period, but would certainly be rejected by the Dwemer. Note that even "Marobar Sul" refuses to name any Dwemer gods. The Dwemer religion, if it can even be called that, is one of the most complex and difficult puzzles of their culture. Over the millennia, the song became a popular tavern song in High Rock before eventually disappearing from everything but scholarly books. Much like the Dwemer themselves.

Volume VI: Chimarvamidium

French Draft

Final Draft

Translator’s Note The story of Chimarvamidium is fairly plain by the standards of our time. None of the characters are developed and there is no narrative description. The battles are less important than the final revelations of Jnaggo, whose skill at maneuvering the dwarven armor is even greater than his skill at forging. Of course, in addition to a myriad other technological advances, the Dwemers supposedly invented armor. While other mer and men were half-naked barbarians in the legends, the Dwarves did not only know how to create armor, but also how to move and attack with it. Anyone who has ever donned armor knows that it takes skill to use it. It should be noted that the Chimarvamidium surprised the Chimer who thought it was a golem. Although golems and atronachs are quite rare in our time, it is interesting that it was easier for the Chimer to believe it to be a golem rather than a man in armor. One aspect of this legend that scholars like myself find interesting is the notion of "the Calling". In this legend and others, there is a suggestion that the Dwemer race as a whole shared a telepathic link - a link that could extend across the continent of Tamriel, connecting the Dwarves of Hammerfell to their cousins in Morrowind. The Cyrodiil historian Borgusilus Malier cited this fact to explain the disappearance of the Dwemer. He theorized that in 1E 668, the Dwemer enclaves were called together by one of their powerful philosopher-sorcerers to embark on a great journey, a journey so sublime that they eventually abandoned their cities and lands in search of a foreign land. As we will see in the following text, many support this theory.

Publisher's Note This is one of the few tales in this collection, which can actually be traced to the Dwemer. The wording of the story is quite different from older versions in Aldmeris, but the essence is the same. "Chimarvamidium" may be the Dwemer "Nchmarthurnidamz." This word occurs several times in plans of Dwemer armor and Animunculi, but it's [sic] meaning is not known. It is almost certainly not "Hope of the Chimer," however. The Dwemer were probably the first to use heavy armors. It is important to note how a man dressed in armor could fool many of the Chimer in this story. Also note how the Chimer warriors react. When this story was first told, armor that covered the whole body must have still been uncommon and new, whereas even then, Dwemer creations like golems and centurions were well known. In a rare scholarly moment, Marobar Sul leaves a few pieces of the original story intact, such as parts of the original line in Aldmeris, "A Dwemer of eight can create a golem, but an eight of Dwemer can become one." Another aspect of this legend that scholars like myself find interesting is the mention of "the Calling." In this legend and in others, there is a suggestion that the Dwemer race as a whole had some sort of silent and magickal communication. There are records of the Psijic Order which suggest they, too, share this secret. Whatever the case, there are no documented spells of "calling." The Cyrodiil historian Borgusilus Malier first proposed this as a solution to the disappearance of the Dwemer. He theorized that in 1E 668, the Dwemer enclaves were called together by one of their powerful philosopher-sorcerers ("Kagrnak" in some documents) to embark on a great journey, one of such sublime profundity that they abandoned all their cities and lands to join the quest to foreign climes as an entire culture.

Volume X: The Dowry

French Draft

Final Draft

Translator’s Note Welyn Naerillic was a very popular character in Dwemer mythology. In this and other stories, he always wins because of his intelligence and skills. The fact that Ynaleigh swears by invoking the manipulative god, Lorkhan, demonstrates the respect the Dwemers had for clever deceptions. The romantic aspect of this story makes it quite unique. Welyn does not steal for profit but to win his wife's hand. It is rare for Dwemer stories to mention love as a motivating factor. While these pragmatics might have appreciated a talented thief, the same was not necessarily true for the reasons that motivated him. The Dwemer love for thievery and espionage, for sneaking unrecognized into a place, as seen here or in other stories such as "Chimarvamidium" or "The Flight of Menith," is the basis for another theory about their disappearance. If they did not embark on their ships to leave Tamriel, as the historian Borgusilus Malier believes, some consider it possible that they never left. Their skill at subterfuge suggests that they never actually left the continent and are still with us. Why would they abandon their cities to go into hiding? The answer may be found in our next story, which suggests that the Dwarves had a far more formidable enemy than the Velothi or the Nords. The goddess and daedra princess Azura hated the Dwemer. Could it be that out of fear of her and her servants they chose to hide instead of fleeing? We will come back to this point in the next chapter.

Publisher's Note The tale of a man trying to win the hand of a maiden whose father (usually a wealthy man or a king) tests each suitor is quite common. See, for instance, the more recent "Four Suitors of Benitah" by Jole Yolivess. The behavior of the characters is quite out of character for the Dwemer. No one today knows their marriage customs, or even if they had marriage at all. One rather odd theory of the Disappearance of the Dwarves came from this and a few other tales of "Marobar Sul." It was proposed that the Dwemer never, in fact, left. They did not depart Nirn, much less the continent of Tamriel, and they are still among us, disguised. These scholars use the story of "Azura and the Box" to suggest that the Dwemer feared Azura, a being they could neither understand nor control, and they adopted the dress and manner of Chimer and Altmer in order to hide from Azura's gaze.

Volume XI: Azura and the Box

[UESP Editor's Note: Character names were changed for the final version of Azura and the Box: Nynolar/Nylonar -> Nchylbar | Falefic Aogoth -> Athynic | Balag-Zaram -> Bthalag-Zturamz]

French Draft

Final Draft

Translator’s Note Such are the implications of this certainly dubious and arguably blasphemous tale that it was buried in obscurity for millennia. A similar tale can be found in many Dunmeri children's books, but twisted in such a way that Azura outwits the foolish philosopher and proves her omnipotence and omniscience. The discovery of this scroll in the archives of the University of Gwilym five years ago caused a notable uproar in scholarly and theological circles. Described by many as a fraud, careful analysis of the Dwemer language used in this document has revealed it to be a genuine document. The character of Nylonar is an unmistakable paragon of Dwemer virtues. Even his daring skepticism, which would no doubt bring a curse upon the Dwemer and the unnamed House of the poor priest, is praised. The structure of the story is similar to a Symbolic Fable of the ancient Altmer. It may be assumed that the actual event did not take place as described, and that the box and the flower are to be understood as metaphors. Dwemer theology is undoubtedly complicated for a modern student. As the story ends, it seems that Azura was right, her power was mighty, but she seemed to doubt her own superiority. She could even be fooled by a ruse used by pickpockets for ages - the old something-up-sleeve trick. The scholar Nylonar dies at the end, satisfied that humanity and mer have some degree of self-determination, that the gods and daedra are omnipotent but not omniscient. Whatever the true nature of the Gods, and how right or wrong the Dwemer were about them, this tale might explain why the dwarves vanished from the face of Tamriel. Though Nylonar and his kind may not have intended to mock the Aedra and Daedra, their skepticism certainly offended the Divine Orders. Perhaps Azura, still angry at the sage's cunning, caused the dwarves' deaths, or perhaps fearing her, they decided to flee. Fear is certainly a powerful motivator. Whether cultural pride is, too, is something we will examine in the next story.

Publisher's Note This is another tale whose origin is unmistakably Dwemer. Again, the words of some Aldmeris translations are quite different, but the essence of the story is the same. The Dunmer have a similar tale about Nchylbar, but in the Dunmer version, Azura recognizes the trick and refuses to answer the question. She slays the Dwemer present for their skepticism and curses the Dunmer for blasphemy. In the Aldmeris versions, Azura is tricked not by an empty box, but by a box containing a sphere which somehow becomes a flat square. Of course the Aldmeris versions, being a few steps closer to the original Dwemer, are much more difficult to understand. Perhaps this "stage magic" explanation was added by Gor Felim because of Felim's own experience with such tricks in his plays when a mage was not available. "Marobar Sul" left even the character of Nchylbar alone, and he represents many "Dwemer" virtues. His skepticism, while not nearly as absolute as in the Aldmeris version, is celebrated even though it brings a curse upon the Dwemer and the unnamed House of the poor priest. Whatever the true nature of the Gods, and how right or wrong the Dwemer were about them, this tale might explain why the dwarves vanished from the face of Tamriel. Though Nchylbar and his kind may not have intended to mock the Aedra and Daedra, their skepticism certainly offended the Divine Orders.