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The Dragonborn is fated with the ultimate destiny of defeating the dragon Alduin, the main antagonist of the game who acts as the God of Destruction in the Nordic pantheon. On the other hand, the Dragonborn, the main playable protagonist of the fantasy role playing game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ( TESV) is a mere mortal born with the unique power to permanently kill dragons and to quickly learn their runic language of Thu’um. In Norse mythology, Odin serves as the king of the gods, the Aesir, as well as a god who grants victory in battle and serves as the ruler of the dead in the hall of Valhalla. The Links between the Dragonborn and Odin-An Essay by Ben Warrenįrom first impressions, the two characters Odin and the Dragonborn appear to be very different in their nature. The essay also contains significant spoilers for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
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These arguments cannot necessarily be applied to characters who do not follow this main quest, though one can argue in turn that these characters cannot accurately be called Dragonborn. This essay will mainly focus on the events of the primary quest and storyline of TESV, that of defeating the dragon-god Alduin. The term ‘Norse’ will be used to refer to the peoples of medieval Scandinavia and Iceland, while the terms ‘Nord’ and ‘Nordic’ will refer to the inhabitants of the fictional nation of Skyrim, the Nords.
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