Zenithar

Zenithar
Religious information
Religion	Imperial Cult
Pantheon	Nine Divines Bretony Pantheon
Type of deity	Wealth Labor Commerce
Physical description
Physical form	Men
Chronological and political
Area of influence	Cyrodiil
Affiliation	Nine Divines Imperial Cult

"Zenithar says: Work hard, and you will be rewarded. Spend wisely, and you will be comfortable. Never steal, or you will be punished."

―Ten Commands: Nine Divines

Zenithar is the Divine of work, commerce and trade. He preaches that his followers should work hard, be wise in their spendings, and never steal. He is almost always portrayed as male, and is associated with the Bosmeri/Breton god Z'en, as well as with a blue star that sometimes shines over Tamriel.

Overview and worship

Like his Aedric brethren, he cannot directly interact with Nirn, however he can influence it in his own way. Zenithar teaches to work hard, not for the material wealth it provides, but for the spiritual benefits. The fruits of hard labour praise Zenithar, according to his priests. In the Empire, he is mainly worshipped as a god of merchants and middle nobility, appearing to give him a diverse group of followers. A common phrase spoken by his worshipers is that Zenithar is the god 'that will always win'.

Zenithar is often said to be closely associated with Kynareth, as the materials required for Zenithar's craftsmanship must be derived from Kynareth's natural world. Thus, one cannot revere Zenithar without acknowledging the power of Kynareth. This bond is shown when the Divine Crusader could only acquire the Mace of the Crusader, Zenithar's only known artifact, when wearing the Boots of the Crusader, which are associated with Kynareth.

Artifacts

Zenithar's only known artifact is the Mace of the Crusader. During the Alessian Slave Rebellion, each of the eight divines granted Pelinal Whitestrake a holy relic, together known as the Relics of the Crusader. Zenithar's gift to Pelinal was the mace. It is said that upon Pelinal's death, a messenger brought the mace to Leyawiin. Centuries later, visions of the mace would start appearing to people who prayed to the tomb of St. Kaladas, the architect of Leyawiin chapel. Many have since tried and failed to get the mace, including Sir Ralvas of the Knights of the Nine. Eventually, the Hero of Kvatch figured out that one needs to wear the Boots of the Crusader to successfully reach the mace, and thus succeeded at retrieving the item.

Representations

• Zenithar – Nine Divines and Bretony Pantheon
• Zeht – Redguard Pantheon
• Z'en – Bosmeri Pantheon and Kothri Pantheon

Verse

"Come to me, Zenithar, for without you, like a child, I might fiddle and fret when only through struggle and labor may I craft a work worthy of your name and the name of my patron."

Gallery

Zenithar's symbol on stained glass.

Trivia

• In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the Amulet of Zenithar improves prices by 10%.
• Zenithar was named after Arena beta tester Stephen "Zen" Zepp.

See also

• Amulet of Zenithar
• Altar of Zenithar
• Chapel of Zenithar
• Shrine of Zenithar
• Wayshrine of Zenithar

Appearances

• The Elder Scrolls: Arena (mentioned only)
• The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall (mentioned only)
• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (Manifested as Jon Hawker)

• • The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal (mentioned only)
  • The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon (mentioned only)
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (mentioned only)
  • The Elder Scrolls IV: Knights of the Nine (mentioned only)
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (mentioned only)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Dragonborn (mentioned only)
• The Elder Scrolls Online (mentioned only)

References

Notice: The following are unlicensed references. They are not copyrighted by a ZeniMax Media company, but can still be considered part of The Elder Scrolls lore and are included for completeness.