Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-95.94.124.138-20130922100323/@comment-24583995-20140421031140

Purely on the topic of the original question, you don't need to be a Nord. Very simply put, Ysgramor is in Sovngarde. You meet him, you can talk with him, that's not debated, he is there. He is also not a Nord. He;s an Atmoran, and since all races of men were desended from Atmorans, Ysgramor is not a Nord in just the same way that he's not an Imperial or Breton or Redguard. He also didn't pray to Shor or believe in the Nordic Pantheon, he, and all the other original Atmorans had a religion based on 9 Totem Animals, (Dragon, Fox, Bear, Wolf, Snake, Moth, Whale, Owl, and Hawk). It's thought that these reflect the Divines, but Shor isn't even one of the 8/9 divines. Clearly race and religion have nothing to do with those that get into Sovngarde, just whether or not you're judged worthy.