Tribes of Tamriel, Volume I: The Skaal of Solstheim

This series deals with the various tribes and cultures of Tamriel which are normally left out of the books due to their size, political climates, them being considered "split-off" from the rest of their race, or the general disinterest of the Imperial sanctioned scholars. With this series, I will try to shed some light on these fellow Tamrieliens.

The Skaal of Solstheim are some of the more interesting groups of Nords on the continent. While many of the other races in this series are either holding on to older traditions, or left the main group due to conflicts (sometimes both), the Skaal seem to be a independent development of Nordic culture, and their relation with the neighbouring people is a lot better than with the other groups in this series. This is mostly due to the lack of contact and conflict in their histories.

The history of the Skaal and how they became separated from the mainland Nords is unknown. The Skaal themselves hold that they have always been on the island of Solstheim, put there by the All-Maker, a religious figure often tied to the conflict of Anu and Padomay. Modern scholars reject this idea, as there are no archaeological remains found from before the middle-Merethic, which fits with the first contact theory of the Atmoran arrival in Tamriel. Nordic sagas and annals seem to lack any information on the Skaal until the First Era, which already mentions them as settled people.
With this in mind, many scholars have proposed alternate theories as to how the Skaal came to be.
One of the earliest theories is the famous, albeit antiquated theory of the Second era scholar Sjorn Sharp-Wit, associated with the royal court of Windhelm. In his now rejected work, History and customs of the Skaal of Solstheim (Royal Windhelm press, 2E 65), Sharp-Wit points towards the earlier myths surrounding the Wanderers leaving Tamriel. According to him, the Skaal were a group of Wanderers that left Tamriel, but remained on Solstheim, apart from the Atmoran tribes. The theory is now mostly rejected, due to the lack of early-Merethic finds and the similarity in the Skaal language and the Nordic language (changes which do not fit the long isolation), as well as the strong genealogical similarity between the two peoples.
The renowned Imperial scholar Marcus Flavi claims that the Skaal did come from Atmora, just as the Atmoran tribes that formed Skyrim. In his work Expedition and Findings into the Skaal Culture, Custom, and Religion (Royal IGS Press, 4E 160). Flavi bases this theory on the shared religious imagery of the Skaal and the early Nords, namely the animal symbolism. According to the Imperial, the Skaal were parts of the Atmorans making way to Tamriel, but were stranded on the northern shores of Solstheim. This is further strengthened by the fact that the Skaal still predominantly live in the frozen wastes of the northern shore, and not in the more temperate southern forests. Indeed, most archaeological finds are from the Northern Gletsjers, and not from the southern forests.
While it is commonly accepted that the Skaal were an Atmoran tribe settling the island, a lot of Flavi's theory is now rejected, as the animal imagery seemed to be mere coincidence.
The Skaal do acknowledge a lot of the historical happenings in Skyrim and Atmora, and Skaal myth does feature the Dragon Cult, as well as hints towards Atmora and the origin of the Nordic race.

Most of the confirmed facts of the Skaal date from the late third and early fourth era.
In the late Third Era, the East Empire Company decided to exploit the local ebony deposits, and founded the Raven Rock colony on the southern shore of the island. This saw increased contact with the Skaal, albeit still little. In the same year, the Bloodmoon happened, and the Daedric Prince Hircine targeted the Skaal this era. The tribe survived, though, and in the Fourth Era, after the Red Year and the Dunmer migration to the island, the Skaal experienced a increased prosperity and protection, as they were allowed into the higher echelons of Dunmeri politics (which was one of the conditions the Nords put in when the island was given to Morrowind). The peace was disturbed in the third century, however, when a long forgotten Dragon Priest was resurrected, and shortly controlled the island.

The day to day life of the Skaal is rather simple, yet hard. Every Skaal is expected to be able to hunt and recognise edible plants, as berries and meat are the core of their diet. The most prominent prey of the Skaal are the horkers, which are numerous on the island, as well as fish caught in the summer months when the lakes, streams, and the sea aren't frozen solid. Bears and wolves are rarely eaten, except under extreme circumstances. The Skaal don't perform agriculture, as the climate is not fit for the growth of many of the core crops of mainland Tamriel.
Skaal society knows a strong separation between roles in the community, while also a peaceful collaboration between the roles. The most important figure in the tribe is the chieftain, who oversees every action in the group, is the commander of the guards of the tribe, as well as the one who greets every stranger stumbling upon the tribe.
The hunters are some of the most important people in the tribe, as they are the ones responsible for the daily nourishment. Hunters are bound by strong religious laws, which will be dealt with further on.
The religious practises of the tribe is directly overseen by the Shaman. He is responsible for the recollection of the many tails of the people, as well as the many rituals and ceremonies held.
An important part in Skaal religion and day to day live is respecting nature and the surroundings of the environment. Hunters are obliged to only kill the necessary, and use as much of the animal as possible. Furthermore, when cutting wood and berry plucking, it is important that the Skaal do not harm any more plant life than required, as that will bring down the furry of the All-Maker.

The Skaal religion is interesting, in that it deviates greatly from that of the other people of Tamriel. Instead of revering the Aedra or Daedra, the Skaal have an almost monotheistic religion, focussing solely around the All-Maker and the Adversary. According to the Skaal, the world was created by the All-Maker, but the Adversary tried to corrupt the people of it, and destroy the world. All the myths of the Skaal revolve around a hero who serves the All-Maker, and defeats an aspect of the Adversary.
Many scholars have tried to place these myths in the standard representation of the Aurbis, but not yet successful.
Marcus Flavi stated that the All-Maker and the Adversary do not resemble attested deities, but are representations of Good and Evil, putting the religion in an even weirder light, as it means it is the only one with true morality rules. Many scholars have rejected this theory, as it is not realistic that no deity had influence over the island at one point. Also, the confirmed presence of the Dragon Cult makes this impossible, as the Time-Dragon was important in the tradition.
Morvyn Draineth, a Dunmer scholar from the late third era, states in his work Religion Throughout Tamriel and Parallels Therein (Mournhold press, 3E 305) that the All-Maker and the Adversary might represent the different views towards Lorkhan, who is represented by Men as a father spirit, who would appear when Man was in danger, and by the Elves as a force of destruction and change (these, as Draineth points out, are synonyms in Aldmeri culture). This theory is now rejected, mostly due to lack of Elven influence on the island until the late third era with Dunmer miners in Raven Rock (a culture which does not share this attitude towards Lorkhan).
Many scholars hold that the All-Maker and the Adversary are representations of the chief forces of the Aurbis, Anu and Padomay. Still, some notes should be made, as neither are normally associated with Creation or Destruction, but merely Stasis and Change. It is entirely possible that these two characters have a more complicated background than assumed.

The Skaal of Solstheim are a tribe which does not receive the scholarly attention that it deserves. Many mysteries still surround this group of Nords, and the future will only know if they are ever solved.