Divine Oversouls: A compilation of the sources for and against

A concept that often comes up in discussion is that of divine 'oversouls', the idea that divine forces/spirits ( ones of sufficient 'stature' at least) can manifest in multiple semi-autonomous identities with different traits and motivations simultaneously (thus explaining the variations in perception of those forces among the various Tamrielic cultures).

More recent lore (chiefly from the release of TESV onward) generally tends to frame the situation as one of one spirit interpreted in various ways due to cultural differences.

We have a number of sources which: a) acknowledge Akatosh as being interchangeable with conceptions like Alkosh and Auri-El (even identifying him as being the same as Satakal in the original and french versions of the Monomyth). and b) describe him as a more celestial figure that supercedes (arguable) aspects like Alduin.

This being the way dragons themselves (Alduin included), the high priest of Mehrunes Dagon (whose knowledge comes from a mental connection with the Prince) and the majority of religious texts/figures frame the situation (dragons like Paarthurnax going as far as to describe themselves or even Alduin as being creations of Akatosh, as their *'father made'* them).

In the same vein, especially important champions of the Time God such as Ja'darri (founder and leader of the Pride of Alkosh, who was taken to a place beyond even Aetherius/both outside and across all time to safeguard the tapestry of time) also speak of one foundation of time without whom the whole tapestry of history/reality would unravel, and imply artifacts like the Amulet of Kings and Mask of Alkosh to fall within the sphere of the same divine figure.

Both pre-Riddle'Thar Khajiiti mythos, the journal of Ra'Khajin (who was trained with the Pride of Alkosh to become it's Mask of Alkosh wielding champion due to having been a Forgotten Mane) and the description of the Mask of Alkosh itself also refer to one spirit (Alkosh/Akatosh) as the sole ruler of the Many Paths (of Time), the king of the dragons, and the original time spirit who was scattered to the winds (but than put back together and revived by Khenarthi).

Even the Marukhati Selectives, through all their metaphysical research and access to extremely potent metaphysical foci like the Staff of Towers/White-Gold/Ada-Mantia couldn't but conclude the existence of a single Time Spirit (even though their religious inclination was directly opposed to the very idea).

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Alduin](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Alduin)

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Paarthurnax\_(dragon)](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Paarthurnax_(dragon))

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Nahfahlaar](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Nahfahlaar)

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Kaalgrontiid](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Kaalgrontiid)

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Vonos%27\_Journal](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Vonos%27_Journal)

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Knight-Paladin\_Gelebor](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Knight-Paladin_Gelebor)

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Artorius\_Ponticus\_Answers\_Your\_Questions](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Artorius_Ponticus_Answers_Your_Questions)

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Akatosh](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Akatosh)

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ja%27darri](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ja%27darri)

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Pridehome:\_A\_Place\_Outside\_Time%3F](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Pridehome:_A_Place_Outside_Time%3F)

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ra%27khajin%27s\_Journal,\_Page\_25](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Ra%27khajin%27s_Journal,_Page_25)

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:The\_Wandering\_Spirits](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:The_Wandering_Spirits)

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Vindication\_for\_the\_Dragon\_Break](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Vindication_for_the_Dragon_Break)

***You may not be a Dragon, but this mask reverberates with the fierceness and majesty of the king of these mighty creatures.***

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Mask\_of\_Alkosh](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Mask_of_Alkosh)

Cultural conceptions like Sheggorath the Skooma Cat essentially being one form/identity Sheogorath adopts (rather than a separate identity in truth) is also something seen directly in ESO, and we've never witnessed any real divergence in identity when it comes to the Daedra in general (outside of cases tied to specific events like Sheogorath/Jyggalag or Clavicus Vile/Barbas/Umbra).

Indeed, identities Azurah and Azura are likewise used interchangeably by their champions and priests.

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Skooma\_Cat](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Skooma_Cat)

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Sheogorath](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Sheogorath)

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Vastarie](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Vastarie)

[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Mazza-Mirri](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Mazza-Mirri)

A model where aspects emanate from a (original or 'higher') source would, than, seemingly integrate such sources better (indeed, Alduin himself is described as an aspect of Akatosh) than the original idea of multiple manifestations of identical role/stature.

That said, sources that could potentially suggest a variation of the common oversoul idea also exist (the most direct/unambiguous ones tend to be older sources, but there are some more recents ones that can arguably be read as supporting a somewhat similar model).

These arguably have their own quirks which could potentially not quite fit or present a more ambiguous view the common oversoul idea (the first is framed as a possibility through *'notice all the coulds',* the second speaks of mirror-brothers but also describes Tosh-Raka as an *'Akaviri avatar of Akatosh',* the terminology of aspects being 'shed' is curious and potentially brings to mind the idea of a main presence and shed 'skins') and so on) but, more than that and whichever relationship we assume to exist between the 'reflections' themselves what (I think) is staggering is the sheer scale of what they imply.

Cumulitavely these sources suggest:

1. all Et'Ada,major ones or 'gods' at least, (*not* just the Time God, even though he is the one commonly associated with the idea in discussion) are *'quantum figures'* which continuously refract/manifest new instances of themselves through all individual aspects of their identities as those aspects of the self come into focus/gain awareness 2. that Mantling of the being can likewise add new facets to the overall spirit,so the refraction process takes place both from the celestial and earthly ends simultaneously (this potentially tying into what Mannimarco says in 'Where Were you When the Dragon Broke', that the one to originally Break the Dragon was the *'High King of Alinor'*, and into the Marukhati belief that the Time Spirit had been artificially tainted by the elves through the insertion of some sort of metaphysical *'corruption'* and needed to be *'restored*' to it's original self as a *'spirit of humanadic purity'*, the implication seemingly being that the elvish facet, Auri-El, is actually perceived by these parties as an Aldmeri 'addition'). 3. That all narratives concerning the spirits and events of Dawn have been rendered 'absurd' due to the complete disintegration of even the basis of reality due to the War of Manifest Metaphors, to the extent that an *'objective reality'* even existing is suggested not to apply.

The potential impact of the phenomena described above is perhaps described in the Pridehome text, which suggests that in that Dawn state outside time (where the Pride of Alkosh, Pridehome/the Spilled Sand and even dragons exist/extend), neither linear progression nor even being bound to a single outcome through a causal chain apply (so Laatvulon/dragons, for example, were defeated and slain within the world of time but outside it they still exist, and so will continue to resurface and threaten the world, forever, Ra'Khajin failed to become a champion, betrayed the Pride and was slain, but outside time an instance of him did succeed).

Likewise Alkhan (who might be either Alduin or, going by the sources in this section, a reflection with similar traits to Alduin) is suggested to be able to return from the Many Paths even if slain.

TES metaphysics often reference the idea of boundlessness of course (Aurbic regions such as Aetherius or Oblivion, the number of dimensions within them and even individual realms have been described using such terms, time itself is said to be *'not* *a* *road* *upon* *which* *you travel, but rather* *a* *rope, or* *a* *cable. Many threads, all bound together with no beginning or end'* in *Greymoor* and so on) but, the idea of the greater spirits that shape Aurbis manifesting through multiple identities (which, for example, would mean interacting with Mehrunes Dagon is actually interacting with but one of the facets of the Et'Ada of destruction) would arguably have greater impact than a simple question of scale.

None of the above is certain of course, multiple readings can be applied to the available sources and, given the subject, I'm not sure there can be a confirmed answer.

Really, the frequency with which the topic has come up lately made me think it'd be interesting to gather the relevant sources (for each commonly used model, as far as I'm aware) and see what everyone's thoughts on this (probably one of the older concepts in TES metaphysics discussions) are.

Either way, that's about it. Thoughts ? Which model do you personally think more likely/prefer ? Any sources which might add to or recontextualize the above ?

***All of the akaspirits, like all of the etada, are quantum figures that shed their skin as each aspect of them becomes more and more self-aware.***

*The Aka-Tusk is a particularly old and needed version of the Time Dragon from the days of the Ehlnofey.*

[*https://www.imperial-library.info/content/michael-kirkbride-reddit-ama*](https://www.imperial-library.info/content/michael-kirkbride-reddit-ama)

***Don't forget that gods can be shaped by the mythopoeic forces of the mantlers-- so Tosh Raka could be an Akaviri avatar of Akatosh with a grudge against his mirror-brother in Cyrodiil.***

***Just like Akatosh-as-we-usually-know-him could time-scheme against his mirror-brother of the Nords, Alduin, to keep the present kalpa-- perhaps his favorite-- from being eaten.***

***Notice all the coulds.***

[*https://www.imperial-library.info/content/forum-archives-michael-kirkbride*](https://www.imperial-library.info/content/forum-archives-michael-kirkbride)

*Are you really the Thief constellation?*

***"In a way. Just as you might look at a picture of the star signs and say "That's the Thief" or "That's the Warrior." Just so, I'm the Thief, or one way of seeing the Thief."***

[*https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:The\_Thief\_(Celestial)*](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:The_Thief_(Celestial))

*Others (it is always Others) contend that the Moons are literally the rotting corpses of Lorkhan himself, spinning in eternal dual ellipses above but ever beyond that creation for which he gave his Heart.* ***But the War of Manifest Metaphors has rendered this (and all narratives) absurd.***