On the Ram of Markarth

If one travels to any of the cities of The Reach, they are quite likely to encounter any number of carvings that represent sheep or rams. It isn’t uncommon in Tamriel to see animal reverence, after all, they are responsible for the livelihood of the vast majority of the empire’s citizens. Generally, however, the animals represented are symbolic of lone of the Nine Divines. In the Reach this is not the case. So why is it they are present?

It is well known that the history of the Reach is filled with nigh uncountable wars and even more leaders, but ask the Farmhand if he prefers the rule of the Nords or Bretons, and you’ll likely get no more than a quizzical glance. The common people care little for leaders. So long as their family and property is left alone, they are happy.

This idea of ideological separation likely applies to religion as well; The ancient people of Skyrim worshiped animal totems, rather than Divines or Daedra. Simply walk through a Nordic burial hall and look to the walls, and you know this to be true. The common people are a stubborn lot, and many of them likely still keep the old ways, unphased by priests and temples.

In retrospect, this is rather rambling, but let me weave the threads together for a moment. We have three essential things. We have an abundance of sheep in the reach, and an abundance of sheep carvings. Second, we have a people stubborn and resistant to change. Third, we have the ancestors of the common folk, who worshiped animal totems of nature. When placed side by side, it is rather clear what likely happened.

Farmers in The Reach would probably have worshiped a god of livestock and farming, perhaps analogous to the Imperial god Zenithar. The sheep is still kept as livestock in all of The Reach, being one of the only farm animals that can survive in the harsh terrain. This means that an ancient group of men would likely have worshiped a god with an aspect that is a sheep. As wars wage on and aristocrats stab each other in the back, the people of Skyrim continue to pray to their primitive gods, refusing to change simply because some puffed up noble says so. I would imagine the practice continues to this day. In these terrible times, it is not hard to see the similarities to the members of the Forsworn Uprising and these simple folk. The only real difference being that one couldn’t keep to themselves.

-Fadril Tistar, Dunmeri Scholar of Tel Naga.

(This is first piece I've written in quite a while, as well as being the [almost] first draft. Please do not hesitate to criticize it in any way, I only ask that you do so constructively.)

Edit 1: Format Edit 2: Changed perspective of Zenithar