On Nedes and Nords
Okay people, this is just a very brief “PSA” kind of post on an issue which seems to come up quite often and cause some confusion — Nedes, Nords, Bretons and Imperials. Who were they and where did they come from?
Contrary to popular belief (both in Tamriel and in the real world), the Nedes did not come from Atmora, and were not Nords or proto-Nords. To quote eminent scholar of history Hasphat Antabolis (the in-character forum account of developer Kurt Kuhlmann):
The usual Imperial arrogance. The hoary old “Out of Atmora” theory has been widely discredited (no reputable archaeologist would publicly support it these days), but the Imperial Geographers continue to beat the drum of the Nordic Fatherland in the best tradition of the Septim Empire. They seem to think that the imprimature of officialdom gives their outdated scholarship added weight — which, unfortunately, it appears to in the eyes of the ever-gullible public which continues to snap up the latest Pocket Guides along with the rest of their Imperial Certified pablum.
There is a very distinct difference. I think the easiest way to explain it is to explain the origins of each of these confusing races.
The Nords
The Nords come from Atmora, the cold, frozen continent to the north of Tamriel. In the Merethic Era, the “proto-Nords” (ancestors of the modern Nords, following the Dragon Cult), like Ysgramor and his Five Hundred or Thereabouts Companions, sailed from Atmora to Tamriel, where they landed in Skyrim, which they called Mereth (land of the elves).
They did not know that they were not the first men on Tamriel, and neither, apparently, does the Imperial Geographical Society. According to an old text referenced in the 1st Edition PGE, they first encountered Nedic people (specifically early Bretons) in High Rock. They mistook them for elves and set about killing them until one spoke to them in Nordic.
The Nedes
The Nedes were Tamrielic aboriginal humans, or one tribe of aboriginal humans. They were always there, not brought from Atmora. The Nedes were enslaved by the Ayleids in Cyrodiil, and by the Direnni clan in High Rock (where they interbred with the elves to become early Bretons). The Adabal-A lists the Nedes as but one tribe of men, alongside the Kothri, the Keptu, the Men-of-Ge, the Men-of-‘Kreath, and several others.
Nedes already lived in Cyrodiil and Direnni High Rock when Ysgramor and co. landed in Skyrim.
It is my view, due to the way the term is used, that “Nedes” or “Nedic people”, despite really referring to a specific tribe of aboriginal proto-Cyrodiils, is used as an umbrella term for all of these aboriginal races, so the Keptu and Al-Gemha, while not actually of the Nede race/tribe, were “Nedic people”.
The Bretons
The 1st Edition PGE claims Bretons were the descendants of Nord slaves captured at Saarthal, but as Antabolis writes, the PGE is not to be trusted. In any case, the 3rd Edition PGE perhaps corrects this, stating that “the Aldmer coming from Summerset Isle were the first to settle and form permanent communities. The early Nedic people who arrived next were stumbling upon a highly sophisticated culture, and were quickly overwhelmed and absorbed”. Of course, the IGS was probably still of the opinion that “Nedic people” were Nords, but who knows.
In any case, yes, Nedes (or “Nedic people”) came to High Rock, where the Direnni were well-established as a culture, and were absorbed into what became known as the Direnni hegemony. It was these post-absorption “Manmeri” that the confused Nords encountered in the Reach.
Nowadays, “Breton” is a loose term that describes all the people of High Rock, who despite remarkable cultural similarity (With the exception of the Reachmen), are fractious and sectarian. But back on topic…
The Imperials
This is where it is a little more confusing, perhaps because of the central (geographically and politically) location of the Imperials, and their role in shaping scholarship (for instance the bias of the IGS). The Imperials are the descendants of the aboriginal tribes who were enslaved by the Ayleids. These “proto-Cyrodiils” were likewise already in Tamriel when Ysgramor arrived, toiling under the Ayleids.
Alessia (/Perrif/Al-Esh/etc.), the Slave Queen, led a revolt of these proto-Cyrodiils against their elven masters. In this endeavour, they had considerable assistance from their new northern neighbours, the Nords (who hated elves due to the Night of Tears and the associated conflicts). Morihaus, the Bull of Kyne, and Alessia’s consort, came from Skyrim. When the Ayleids were overthrown (circa 1E243), the Nords and proto-Cyrodiils found that they had essentially inherited the continent, and went on to found the First Empire (not to be confused with the slightly earlier “First Empire” of the Nords, referring to their conquests in High Rock and Morrowind). This led to some interbreeding, and a lot of cultural transfer, so the proto-Cyrodiils (now “Imperials”, I suppose) had a lot of Nord culture and blood.
The modern day Imperials are divided into two broad groups, the eastern Nibeneans, and the western Colovians. Exactly when and how they became distinct is uncertain. It is interesting to note that in the Adabal-A, the Ayleids are said to have ” herded in men from across all the Niben”, so perhaps not the early Colovians. The Ayleids definitely ruled Colovia, however; it is just as littered with their ruins as Nibenay.
The Redguards
The Redguards are probably feeling pretty left out, but that’s because their relationship to Tamriel’s other men is the simplest. Basically they don’t have one, that’s why they look so different and have such a different culture. The Ra Gada came from Yokuda, a continent to the West of Tamriel. It was destroyed in a cataclysm of debated origin, and in 1E 808, they came to Tamriel in a deadly invasion, brutally conquering what is now Hammerfell. Over time, their need to trade and communicate meant that they effectively lost their native language of Yoku, and picked up many cultural traits from the neighbouring Nedic people.
The Starry Heart of Dawn’s Beauty
There is one more thing to bear in mind when tracing human ancestry in Tamriel. The Nu-Mantia Intercept puts forward the theory that “All mortal life started on the starry heart of Dawn’s beauty, Tamriel”.
Now as far as I’m aware, this theory (which most lore scholars hold to be true) does not invalidate what I just spent half an hour typing out. But it does mean, that before any of that, everyone started out in Tamriel, and divided in the earliest days of history.
Conclusion
So that’s that. I hope this helps, and that I haven’t made any horrible errors (please point any out).
Oh shoot, I forgot the Akaviri!