A Theory about the sigil of the Rift

[NOTE: I'm very enthusiastic about vexillology and heraldry, so this is gonna be pretty long.]

 

Almost all of symbols of the Holds of Skyrim are easily recognizable and meaningful. The sigil of Whiterun Hold is a horse, symbolizing Whiterun's central location as the trading hub of Skyrim, and its geography of flat plains perfect for horseback riding. The sigil of Hjaalmarch is a triple-headed swirl which is a visual representation of Morthal's swampy environment. But the one that perplexes me the most is that of the Rift, which is two crossed daggers or short swords. There is no clear geographical connection (note the emphasis on "clear;" I'll get back to that), nor any collection to local animals. It's just a seemingly basic heraldic symbol. Why would the Rift have a symbol that is so common in coat of arms and flags?

My first thought was that it is a sly nod to the heavy presence of the Thieves' Guild in Riften, meaning that the two weapons would definitely be daggers, rather than the current ambiguity that they have, where they could also be a gladius of some kind. But why would a governmental organization associate themselves outright with a criminal organization? Unless the Black-Briars have Illuminati-level control over the city and have orchestrated the whole thing, the amount of corruption required for a sigil like that to be approved would be ridiculous even by Rifted standards. So I'd rule out the Thieves' Guild connection because it would be the equivalent of Tokyo changing their sigil to this, which is strategically stupid.

My second thought was an association with Hosgunn Crossed-Daggers, who was Jarl of the Rift in the mid-4th Era, most famous for being just an all-around asshole, heavily overtaxing his citizens and imposing a strict curfew (he was killed thirty years after he became Jarl in a house fire caused by rioters). Now, the connection may seem obvious at first, considering his name is literally "Crossed-Daggers," but as with the problem with the Thieves' Guild idea, there is no logical reason why Riften's people would desire to keep a symbol directly associated with one of their worst rulers. That would be the equivalent of Germany keeping the Nazi flag after their overthrow, or if the revolutionaries of France kept the coat of arms of the royal family after their executions during the French Revolution. People get rid of symbols because they have been associated with bad people. They don't keep them because they look cool. So just because Hosgunn's family sigil was probably his namesake, doesn't mean there is a direct connection there.

I'd like to propose an entirely different symbolism for the Rift's symbol, one that I have never seen mentioned on either the Elder Scrolls wiki or this very subreddit. And it involves going back to geography. If we take a look at a map of Skyrim, and we look at the Rift, there is something quite peculiar about the Rift's location. It borders both Morrowind and Cyrodiil, making in the only majority Nord Hold in Skyrim that borders two other provinces, and the "majority Nord" thing is important, because the Reach also borders two provinces, but it is very ethnically distinct from the rest of Skyrim, so the Rift would be considered a "true" hold of Skyrim by most Nords. Both Cyrodiil and Morrowind have always caused trouble for the Nords; the Imperials always want Skyrim to be part of their empires (with the exception of Tiber Septim, of course, who lived in Skyrim anyway), and the Dunmer have always been enemies of the Nords. So the Rift is in a geographic hotbed, always having to defend the homeland from pesky invaders, both men and mer alike. So, what better way to show your status as the border province than a sigil that symbolizes defense and protection?

So this is my proposal: the symbol of the Rift is a representation of the Hold's role in Skyrim, as being the first line of defense in any sort of invasion. The warriors of the Rift are Skyrim's most important, because if they fall, then the rest of the land is open to attack. But rather than put traditional Nordic weapons on the sigil like battle-axes, short swords are placed on their shields, because if you're darting through a dense forest (which is what most of the Rift is), you don't want to be carrying a big heavy two-handed blade. You want something quick, fast, and reliable, so daggers and gladii are perfect for that.

And now with this explanation, we also have an explanation for the name "Rift" itself, as the Hold is both a "rift" geographically, having a radically different environment from the rest of Skyrim, and a "rift" between Skyrim and her enemies, acting as a divider and buffering zone.

In conclusion, this may not be 100% correct, and there is definitely a lot of speculation in this post, but I did have a lot of fun making it, and I feel this theory does hold up with all the reasons I gave. At least now the Rift's sigil isn't just "boring old swords," right?

TL;DR The warriors of the Rift are Skyrim's first line of defense against Imperial and Dunmer invaders, so their Hold sigil reflects this with crossed short swords.