An Overview of Gods and WorshipBrother HetchfeldèÒ) <dž ùýAn OverviewýOfýGods andýWorshipýIn Tamrielöùýý Editor's Note: Brother Hetchfeld is an Associate Scribe at theImperial University, Office of Introductory Studies Gods are commonly viewed by the evidence of their interest inworldly matters. A central belief in the activeparticipation of Deities in mundane matters can bechallenged by the evidence of apathy on the part of Godsduring times of plague or famine. From intervention in legendary quests to manifestations incommon daily life, no pattern for the Gods of Tamrielactivities is readily apparent. The concerns of Gods inömany ways may seem unrelated or at best unconcerned with thedaily trials of the mortal realm. The exceptions do exist,however. Many historical records and legends point to the directintervention of one or more gods at times of great need.Many heroic tales recount blessings of the divinitybestowed upon heroic figures who worked or quested for thegood of a Deity or the Deity's temple. Some of the morepowerful artifacts in the known world were originallybestowed upon their owners through such reward. It has alsobeen reported that priests of high ranking in their templesmay on occasion call upon their Deity for blessings or helpin time of need. The exact nature of such contact and theblessings bestowed is given to much speculation, as thetemples hold such associations secret and holy. This directcontact gives weight to the belief that the Gods are aware ofthe mortal realm. In many circumstances, however, these sameGods will do nothing in the face of suffering and death,seeming to feel no need to interfere. It is thus possible toconclude that we, as mortals, may not be capable ofunderstanding more than a small fraction of the reasoningand logic such beings use.ö One defining characteristic of all Gods and Goddesses istheir interest in worship and deeds. Deeds in the form of holyquests are just one of the many things that bring theattention of a Deity. Deeds in everyday life, by conformingto the statutes and obligations of individual temples arecommonly supposed to please a Deity. Performance ofceremony in a temple may also bring a Deity's attention.Ceremonies vary according to the individual Deity. Theresults are not always apparent but sacrifice and offeringsare usually required to have any hope of gaining a Deity'sattention. While direct intervention in daily temple life has beenrecorded, the exact nature of the presence of a God in dailymundane life is up to great speculation. A traditionalsaying of the Wood Elves goes "One mans miracle is anothermans accident." While some gods are believed to take anactive part of daily life, others are well known for theirlack of interest in temporal affairs. It has been theorized that gods do in fact gain strength fromsuch things as worship through praise, sacrifice and deed. Itmay even be theorized that the number of worshippers a givenöDeity has may reflect on His overall position among theother Gods. This my own conjecture, garnered from theapparent ability of the larger temples to attain blessingsand assistance from their God with greater ease than smallerreligious institutions. There are reports of the existence of spirits in our worldthat have the same capacity to use the actions and deeds ofmortals to strengthen themselves as do the Gods. Theunderstanding of the exact nature of such creatures wouldallow us to understand with more clarity the connectionbetween a Deity and the Deity's worshipers. The implication of the existence of such spirits leads to thespeculation that these spirits may even be capable ofraising themselves to the level of a God or Goddess. Motusuoof the Imperial Seminary has suggested that these spirits maybe the remains of Gods and Goddesses who through time lost allor most of their following, reverting to their earliestmost basic form. Practioners of the Old Ways say that thereare no Gods, just greater and lesser spirits. Perhaps it ispossible for all three theories to be true. ö