Elder Scrolls
Register
Advertisement
Elder Scrolls
Not to be confused with Amu.

Anu, also known as Anu the Everything,[1] is one of the two primordial concepts that have existed before Aurbis and the Void.[2] Anu is an equal and opposite force to his counterpart, most commonly called Padomay, and is often considered to exist within all things and personifies order, stasis, and light.[3][4] According to some, most notably those who worship Padomaic beings, Anu was nothing but a static force incapable of consciousness, personality, intent or will, being depicted as an immutable static force that does not change.[5] Other accounts of Anu testify to him as encompassing everything.[3]

History[]

Anu is neither an Aedra nor a Daedra; he predates the creation of both groups and played a part in their creation with his counterpart Padomay. In The Annotated Anuad, it is stated that, when Anu and Padomay came into being, they both engaged in combat over Nir, who was "created from their interplay" and birthed the Twelve Worlds of Creation. Anu and Padomay fought over Nir, who died in the process. Anu then created Nirn out of the remainder of the Twelve Worlds. Padomay, who Anu already thought dead, stabbed him through the chest, resulting in Anu pulling himself and Padomay out of time forever.[4]

According to this account, the et'Ada were created when Anu and Padomay's blood was spilled. Their mixed blood supposedly gave birth to the Aedra, while Anu's blood became the Magna Ge and Padomay's blood would end up giving birth to the Daedra. However, the authenticity of this clash is still debatable.[4]

In Aldmeri belief, Anu birthed his own soul after his battle with Padomay, so that he could understand himself and self-reflect. This reborn soul was known as Anui-El and, in turn, became the soul of all things. However, as Anu created Anui-El, Padomay birthed his own soul, Sithis,[UL 1] who represented all the limitations of Anui-El. Anui-El then noticed that the world created in their conflict, the Aurbis, was turbulent and chaotic. In order to stabilize the Aurbis and further his self-reflection, Anui-El birthed his own soul in the same way as Anu before him. Anui-El's soul was known as Auri-El and began a new force known as time. Time allowed the realm of Aurbis to realize its natures and limitations, and thus the et'Ada born from the blood finally began to take forms and names.[3]

Representations[]

Trivia[]

  • Anu, known more commonly as "An," is the name of the Mesopotamian creator deity.
    • In Sumerian, Anu means "heaven," "sky," or "god."
  • The deities that are on the side of Anu or reflect similar character traits are often referred to as "Anuic." The most well-known ones are the Aedra who followed Auri-El.
  • The story of Anu and Padomay mirrors the concept of Taoism's yin yang, the concept of contrary forces are complementary, and interact with each other.

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.
Advertisement