Skyrim is one of the greatest video games in RPG history, landing comfortably among the ranks of timeless classics like the original Diablo and The Legend of Zelda. The game was released in 2011 as the fifth game in the Elder Scrolls franchise, and rabid fans are still playing the game and modding it up years later.
It’s the freedom that players love. Run in any direction and they’ll discover a new town, a mysterious cave, or a hidden quest. For players that enjoy intricate designs and compelling lore, there’s a lot to stop and take note of in Sovngarde. This zone is unique because it’s only accessible through a magical portal at a certain point in the main quest, and the player can’t just return there whenever they want. Players will want to keep a sharp eye when they get the chance to visit. Otherwise, some rare and wonderful things will go unseen — and there won’t be a second chance until the next playthrough.
Updated by Kristy Ambrose on February 21st, 2021: The wonder of Bethesda’s flagship series continues to impress experienced players and draw in new ones, and that’s why more players have discovered Skyrim and also the mysterious realm of Sovngarde. That means we have a few more secrets to add to the existing places, things, and phenomena that you can only find in this unique zone. Make the most of your limited time in the Nord afterlife and enjoy some features you might have missed earlier.
15 Where It’s Located
The realm of Aetherius is where Sovngarde is located. Aetherius is just one small corner of Elder Scrolls lore, and it’s extensive, which is why most players don’t even consider it let alone know about it. Those of the arcane persuasion would likely know more since this is the part of the universe from which all arcane magical energies flow. Once you see the place it’s also obvious where the term “Shor’s Bones” originated.
14 The Northern Lights
The whole zone has a Nordic aesthetic, so this isn’t exactly a shock, but players never look up and nobody seems to notice this. Everyone’s too busy trying to pick out the constellations. There’s no cycle of day or night in Sovngarde, and the northern lights are perpetually dancing in the purple sky. The whole zone seems trapped in a natural twilight that has patchy sunlight occasionally depending on exactly where you are, so they’re always visible.
13 The Arctic Flora
Who has time to stop and smell the flowers when there’s a dragon that needs to die? For those that do take a moment to observe the landscape of Skyrim itself, the Arctic flora has been carefully, and for the most part accurately, recreated and designed, right down to the sparse grass, rock lichens, and colorful flowers. It’s one of the details that helps put together the immersive atmosphere that makes this game so great. The ethereal nature of Sovngarde takes these already gorgeous details and elevates them to breathtaking, so don’t rush through and miss it.
12 No Animal Life
Sovngarde is one of Skyrim’s most beautiful zones. It is the afterlife, so it has to be impressive. The flora is lush and beautiful, including trees, lichens, and a variety of wildflowers, which is why most players don’t notice there are no animals at all, not even birds or insects. It’s nice to not have to deal with angry, large animals like bears or wolves, but since we have to fight dragons here maybe that’s enough. Maybe that’s all the wildlife anyone needs.
11 The Story of Shor
In the realm of the Aedra, few deities reign as high as Shor. He’s the benevolent god that rules the realm of Sovngarde, and he’s the one that makes the rules about who gets in and who doesn’t. He’s been compared to the deity Akatosh when it comes to his power and influence among the gods of Nirn, but he never appears in person. That’s not the only mystery that players walk past in their quest to slay Alduin.
Despite the time that players spend in Sovngarde, they never find out where the realm came from or what it’s doing there. It’s actually a long and dramatic story, going all the way back to the creation of Nirn and Mundus, and a group of Mer known as the Wandering Ehlnofey. However, there’s little time for ancient mythology when there’s a dragon that needs killing.
10 The Animal Totems
Why are there bird motifs all over Shor’s realm? There’s a certain iconographic theme that you might notice in Sovngarde, but even if you do, it doesn’t seem to make sense. There are totem animals that look like birds throughout the zone, starting with the stairway with the so-called “Weeping Angels.” The fox is the animal symbol of Shor, the god of this realm, so why this bird thing? This could be a tribute to his wife Kynareth, who has a hawk as her symbol, but it’s a strange detail that often goes overlooked.
9 It’s Not How You Lived
The Nord tradition related to Shor as the god of the afterlife doesn’t weigh your deeds or behavior in life when determining whether or not a soul gains access to Sovngarde. The god is only interested in how a person met their end, which was part of the deal that the famously philanthropic Aedra made with the ancient Mer. On the other hand, those who didn’t worship Shor, also known as Lorkhan, spend eternity in the realm of their chosen deity. The player wouldn’t notice this because their status as the Dragonborn allows them entry into Sovngarde regardless of their race or class.
8 The Constellations
When a player is studying where and how to spend their skill points, they’ll notice that the charts use constellations in the night sky to illustrate the skill trees and how they work. These constellations are clearly and obviously set in the sky in Sovngarde, where clouds or light rarely, if ever, obscure them from view. During the quest, part of the sky is obscured, but a handy Shout can take care of that. This reminds the player that their skill trees aren’t just designed for the view but are part of a much larger, mythical world.
7 The Weeping Angel Statues
This is one of the creepiest things you can find in this whole game. There are several eerie hooded figures that are reminiscent of the Dragon Priests and their hallowed mountain peak which line the stairs on the way to Sovngarde. They’re nicknamed weeping angels after a similar creature that exists in the Dr. Who universe and doesn’t move when you look at it. When you look away, they move, and these statues do the same thing. Most players never take note of this, but once you know, it’s both fascinating and terrifying.
6 The Reference to Sleep
Players that are familiar with certain Nordic languages would have noticed this already, but given that Skyrim is an international sensation, that’s a relatively small group. It’s a cool name and it sounds like a mystical Nord term for the afterlife.
“Sovngarde” is actually the combination of two words, “sovn” and “garde,” that resemble words in Scandanavian words that mean “sleep” and “place.” Translated into vernacular English, that can mean “place of rest” or “sleeping area.” It could refer to a simple bedroom or the land of the dead, depending on the context!
5 Nordic and Atmoran Only
Not everyone gets into Sovngarde. It’s not only restricted to those who died in glorious battle, but also to those of Nordic or Atmoran descent. The Atmorans are an ancient race that includes both Nords and Imperials among their descendants and it’s also the name of a realm north of Skyrim. That doesn’t mean that everyone else wanders the earth for eternity since there are plenty of Aerdra and Deadra that get their own realms to receive their worshippers in the afterlife. The Dragonborn gets in no matter what, so this doesn’t get noticed.
4 Detect Life
Luckily, Skyrim is the type of game where every class is a potential spellcaster. That allows everyone to learn how to cast magical spells, so even the most hardcore melee fighters can learn at least one or two rudimentary ones. Whether the player has chosen a spellcasting or a fighting class, they should learn the basic Detect Life spell and cast it while in Sovngarde just for fun to see what happens. Everyone’s supposed to be dead, right? Don’t be so sure.
3 Where are the other Dragonborn?
Granted, those who are into the lore would notice this, but unless players have the idea to look for other Dragonborn they would never notice this odd quirk. There’s only one other hero in the zone claiming to be Dragonborn, and he doesn’t even have a name other than his generic title, “Hero of Sovngarde.” But he appears to be the only one. This might have something to do with Sovngarde being limited to certain races, but did only two Nord or Atmoran Dragonborn exist throughout history? It’s disappointing there’s not more to this story when you notice what’s missing.
2 The Word Wall Ruins
Players search high and low throughout the vast area of Skyrim for the coveted Word Walls. There are maps, guides, and whole forums dedicated to finding all of them and determining which Shout each one can teach you. yet, there’s one in Sovngarde that most players never notice or find.
It’s not surprising, because this Word Wall is in ruins, and the path to access it is blocked off by rubble. There’s no information about what Shout it teaches or the story behind it, so most players barely take notice.
1 Check The Quests
A player’s experiences and interactions in Sovngarde will depend on whether or not they’ve completed other quests. When a player notices that they might have missed a feature, person, or location in Sovngarde, it might be because they haven’t finished the related quests yet. The conversation with Tsun, for example, changes vastly depending on the player’s previous actions. They don’t need to be completed for a player to reach Sovngarde and finish the main quest, which is why most players don’t even notice their absence.
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