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Elder Scrolls

Not to be confused with Kyn.

Kyne or Kaan (Dragon Language: KAaN), also called the Mother of Men,[1] the Mother of Nords,[2] and the Widow of Shor,[2] is the Nordic Goddess of Storm. She is considered the widowed warrior-wife of the god Shor by the Ancient Nordic Pantheon, and is held in the highest esteem by Atmoran and Nord hunters. It is believed by Nord tradition that Kyne leads souls to the afterlife of Sovngarde, earning her the moniker of Kiss at the End.[2] She has most commonly been referred to as Kynareth, her name in the Imperial Pantheon, since the end of the Merethic Era.

Ancient lore

According to ancient Nordic legends, the "Elven Giants", harboring bitterness against the god Shor for having created the mortal plane of Nirn, conspired against Kyne's husband and brought about Shor's demise at the end of the Dawn Era, dooming the god to the underworld.[3][4] Storms and rainfall, natural phenomena associated with the goddess, are said to have first begun to occur after these legendary events.[3]

Kyne is deemed the Mother of Men, as her breath upon the Throat of the World is said to have formed the races of Men from the remaining Wandering Ehlnofey at the end of the Dawn Era.[5] Together with her daughters,[3] or together with Paarthurnax,[6] she is believed to have bestowed upon the first Nords the gift of the Thu'um, or Storm Voice, granting them the ability to wage war against Alduin and the Dragons in ancient times.[6]

In Skyrim

Kyne's Sacred Trials

Although she is uniformly known as Kynareth of the Eight Divines by the Fourth Era, the Dragonborn learns that the goddess is still revered by her ancient name of Kyne among traditional Nordic hunters, such as Froki Whetted-Blade. When questioned about his insistence on referring to his goddess as Kyne, the elderly woodsman states:

"Those sycophants in the Temple would call her Kynareth. Just a pale shadow of the truth, like all the Temple Divines. Kyne! Blessed Warrior-Wife. Shor's widow, sacred to any true Nord hunter. She's the mother of men and beasts, and her veil is the storm."

This dialogue will prompt Froki to offer the "Kyne's Sacred Trials" quest, an ancient Nord hunting ritual:

"It's an old Nord Tradition, a test to prove your worth in the eyes of Kyne. Show that you're a hunter and no simple butcher. Kyne teaches us to respect the beasts and blesses the hunter who will face their champions. True Nord hunters are those who survive the Trials."

Completing the Trials will result in Froki bestowing Kyne's Token unto the Dragonborn.

The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller

At the conclusion of "The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller" quest, the Greybeards formally recognize the Dovahkiin as being of the Dragonblood. In the greeting ceremony, the Greybeards utter the following words in the Dragon Language:

"Long has the Storm Crown languished with no worthy brow to sit upon. By our breath we bestow it now to you in the name of Kyne, in the name of Shor, and in the name of Atmora of old. You are Ysmir now, Dragon of the North. Hearken to it."

Kyne's Peace

Kyne's Peace is one of the Dragon Shouts the Dragonborn can learn while journeying Skyrim and is notable for directly invoking the name of the goddess. The Dovahkiin articulates the full shout as "Kaan Drem Ov" (translating to "Kyne Peace Trust"). This Thu'um will cause nearby wildlife to neither attack nor flee from the Dragonborn.

Representations

Trivia

Sovngarde

The winds at Sovngarde's threshold, reaching for Shor's Hall in the distance

  • Kyne's moniker, Kiss at the End, represents the ancient Nord belief that the Goddess of Storm is the one who leads souls to Sovngarde, the realm of her "deceased" husband Shor.[2] This legend appears truthful, for when the Last Dragonborn first enters into the Nordic afterlife, they are embraced by gale winds guiding them towards the Hall of Valor.
    • The Hall of Valor's interior walls feature massive stone reliefs which depict the visage of a female hawk. These seem to represent Kyne as the warrior-wife of Shor.
  • Kyne's motif as mother goddess of the Nords and the personification of Skyrim is expressed repeatedly in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; from guards telling criminals they have "committed crimes against Skyrim and her people", to the Daedric Prince Boethiah describing Skyrim as "a beautiful and harsh mistress".[7]
  • "Kyne's Peace" is used as the name for both a shout and a track in the Skyrim soundtrack by Jeremy Soule.
  • Kyne is Old English (Anglo-Saxon) for "kin."

References

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