Holds are the nine administrative divisions of Skyrim, different from each other both in climate and local government.
Each of the nine Holds is governed by a Jarl who resides in the Hold's capital city. The Jarls are largely independent, but swear fealty to Skyrim's High King, who in turn swears fealty to the Emperor.
Each Hold also employs their own guards, who can be identified by the color of their uniform and the Hold symbol they bear on their shields.
Given the independent nature of governance, crimes are tracked independently by each Hold, and a criminal who is wanted in one Hold may have no bounty in another.
Old Holds
Winterhold, Eastmarch, The Rift and The Pale are known collectively as the "Old Holds," and have remained more isolated—not only from a geographic standpoint, but a political one as well, given that they are all initially aligned with the Stormcloaks during the civil war.[1] The Old Holds are bound together in history, as these holds were inhabited by the ancient Nords.
The Holds of Skyrim
Hold | Capital | Jarl | Allegiance[note 1] | Potential Jarl |
---|---|---|---|---|
Eastmarch | Windhelm | Ulfric Stormcloak | Stormcloak [note 3] | Brunwulf Free-Winter |
Falkreath | Falkreath | Siddgeir | Imperial | Dengeir of Stuhn |
Haafingar | Solitude | Elisif the Fair | Imperial | - |
Hjaalmarch | Morthal | Idgrod Ravencrone | Imperial | Sorli the Builder |
The Pale | Dawnstar | Skald the Elder | Stormcloak | Brina Merilis |
The Reach | Markarth | Igmund | Imperial | Thongvor Silver-Blood |
The Rift | Riften | Laila Law-Giver | Stormcloak | Maven Black-Briar |
Winterhold | Winterhold | Korir | Stormcloak | Kraldar |
Whiterun | Whiterun | Balgruuf the Greater | Neutral, later Imperial | Vignar Gray-Mane |
Footnotes
Trivia
- When taking a carriage to a hold, holds that have no stables (Falkreath, Morthal, Dawnstar, and Winterhold) cost 50 , whereas those with stables (Windhelm, Solitude, Markarth, Riften, and Whiterun) cost 20 .