The Three Blind Men and the Statue of the All-Maker

The following is one of several Skaal stories and teachings recorded and transcribed into Modern Cyrod by Tharstan of Solitude, in 4E200. Most of Tharstan’s original works were donated to the Bard’s College to study the unique Skaldic storytelling style of the Skaal.

In the beginning, long before the Skaal, and long before we felt warmth of the All-Maker, there lived only three blind men on this world. They lived as prisoners to their overseers. One day, they were prodded into a room with a statue. They were instructed to observe it with their sense of touch. After they were finished, each was taken into separate rooms and questioned.

The first man felt the scales and the fangs and the claws and was sure the statue was of a Dragon. He named it “Alduin.”

The second man felt the muscles and the skin and was sure the statue was of a Man. He named it “Auriel.”

The third man was indecisive. He admitted he didn't trust his hands to see what his eyes couldn’t.

The process was repeated several times. Each time, the first two men gave differing accounts of what they felt. And each time, the third man refused to commit to an answer.

At the end of the day, the three men were gathered to discuss what they felt. The first two men argued and fought over what the statues were. They both insisted that what they felt was real, and were too brash to trust the other one’s account.

After a while, each man tried to persuade the third man to take his side. The third man refused and smiled. He said:

“You fools! You were so absorbed into what you felt that you paid no attention to your other senses. If you had counted your steps and minded your direction, you would have realized we felt the same statue each time. I have felt many things, from a bear’s claw, to a man’s face, to a dragon’s fang. And each time we returned to that room, I got one step closer to mapping out the statue. And I have determined after nine visits, that I will never know and can never hope to know what it might be because I cannot comprehend with my hands what my eyes must see. Therefore, I name the statue “All-Maker.”

The overseers smiled, but the two other men still refused to listen to reason. They named the third man “Skaal,” for he was the wisest of the three men, and understood the test they were put through. He was taken far away, to live in peace, while the other two men (who were named “Man,” and “Elf,”) were left to fight for eternity about what they thought they felt that day.