I am an avid Elder Scrolls fan and a history student. Recently I noticed some similarities between the fictional gods in the story line and the depictions of ancient gods in historical texts. For example, Molag Bal in TES is based on the horned god of the ancient Canaanite people. The same god the Hebrews worshiped underneath Mt Sinai with the golden calf, and the same god Moses destroys when he descends the mountain. So when players kill Molag Bal in the video game, they are fighting the same battle Moses fought in the Old Testament! How cool is that?
I'm willing to bet little nuggets of historical information have been hidden in countless RPGs and I think it would be a really cool topic for an article.
This would take a lot of research but it sounds so cool! You could take a look at the mythological structure of some of the theologies in these games and see which mythologies they are based off of. – LaRose9 years ago
It wouldn't have to just be limited to theologies; most game lore can be read like a history book. I'm sure there are a lot of ties to actual historical events as well. – GameGoose9 years ago
I am positive that TES interpret true historical events just as other RPG games. For example, Assassin's Creed and Fallout 3 (about slavery). In addition to your example. you could go a bit further and discuss how Elder Scrolls reflects Norse mythology. For instance, the northern lights, the scenery is equivalent to that of Northern Europe (specifically Sweden and Norway), and they use Northern names in the game. So just some suggestions there, but I like where this is going! I hope this transpires into an article. I'd love to read it. – breeyabrown9 years ago
Want to write about Literature or other art forms?