The game has generated an extensive meme culture and has a devoted fanbase, who are still creating mods for the game on an ever-widening scale, adding worlds and races, clothing, characters, weapons, music, settlement upgrades and graphic innovation. In my article on Viking warriors, I referenced the success of Valheim and For Honor, but as regards to games with a Norse and Anglo-Saxon theme, Skyrim tops them all, with over 30 million copies sold to date. Beautiful graphics, an immersive world and a gorgeous musical score are all factors in its success, but I believe there is more to it than that. Skyrim is an open-world RPG, with a focus on customization, exploration and individual experience. Colloquially known as Skyrim, the game soared instantly to a popularity it has enjoyed for nearly a decade. However, this is from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a videogame released in 2011 by Bethesda Softworks.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this to be from some ancient Eddic poem or prophecy, correlating as it does to the words of the Seer in Norse mythology. That when brothers wage war come unfurled,Īlduin, bane of Kings, ancient shadow unbound, “And the Scrolls have foretold, of black wings in the cold,

Thane – from the Old English thegn, a man of wealthier standing, with a position of military or civil authority in a community, often chosen or appointed by a monarch or Ealdorman, a shire-level leader.

RPG – an acronym for Role-Playing Game, this refers to computer or tabletop games where the player interacts with the world through a created character, exercising some choice over their skills, race, gender and other characteristics, as well as having agency over choices that affect the world.

This is opposed to ‘corridor-games’, where the player moves from one scenario to another in a linear sequence

Open-World –called ‘sand-box’ in the US, this is a gaming term referring to a game world with a great amount of freedom of movement for the player.

Mod – short for ‘modification’, this refers to extra content generated for a game, often by the fans.

Jarl – A Scandinavian local leader, equivalent to the Old English Earl.

Housecarl – From the Old English huscarl, meaning originally a close personal servant, and later evolving into a term for the elite bodyguards of a monarch or leader.

The DM presents them with choices on which they must act One person is the Dungeon Master, controlling the world, the enemies and its inhabitants, while the others play as characters in the world.

Dungeons & Dragons –abbreviated to ‘D&D’, this is a cooperative tabletop role-playing game.

DLC – An acronym for Downloadable Content, this is additional content released by a studio after the game’s release.

Skyrim nord hero arrow