Lore:Cult of the Ancestor Moth

The Cult's banner, depicting an Ancestor Moth

"The priests of the Ancestor Moth are devoted to veneration of those who came before us, for the wisdom of the ancestors can sing the future into the present. As such, we alone have the privilege of interpreting the Elder Scrolls." —Sister Terran Arminus

Before the Cult of the Ancestor Moth (sometime stylized as Ancestor-Moth, Order of the Ancestor Moth, Scrollkeepers of the Imperial City), the Cyro-Nords had long exported ancestor-silks, simple but exotic shawls woven with the silks of the gypsy moth and inscribed with the genealogy of the buyer. For the cult, the ancestor and moth became synonymous. Members of the Order of the Ancestor Moth honor and celebrate their ancestors, whose spirits are embodied in the Ancestor Moths, and possess the knowledge to weave this essence into their creations. Fjyrons can be sung into the silk produced by the Ancestor Moths. When the silk is spun into cloth and embroidered with the genealogy of the appropriate ancestor, it creates garments of extraordinary power. The singing and hymnal spirits of one's forebears are caught in the special silk-gathering ritual. The swishing of the silk material during movement reproduces the wonderful ancestral chorus contained in the silk. It became a sacred custom among the Nibenese, which persists to this day. The silk is highly prized throughout the Empire and is exported alongside other valuable goods. The higher order Monks of the cult are able to forgo the magical ritual needed to enchant the silk and instead merely wear the moths themselves. They are able to attract the ancestor-moths through the application of ground bark from the moth's favorite tree, and through chanting inaudible mantras which they must constantly maintain to keep the moths in contact with them.

The Elder Scrolls and the Cult of the Ancestor Moth

An Ancestor Glade where the Ritual of the Ancestor Moth is performed

Ancestor Moths, believed to carry Fjyrons which enable one to read the Elder Scrolls

The members of the cult are, by tradition, the only people allowed to read the Elder Scrolls, a privilege which eventually strikes them blind. They care for the Imperial Library (also called the Elder Library) within the White-Gold Tower in the Imperial City. According to the Cult of the Ancestor Moth, mortal souls are the Aedric essence at the core of every mortal's existence. They can be likened to the wings of a butterfly, scaled and full of vessels which become filled with the experiences of mortal existence. It is said that upon death a process of dissipation whereby some of these accumulated contents disperse. These essences, the Fjyrons or "will to peace", are believed to retain a connection to both the grand fabric of creation and to all aspects of the soul in all their destinations. Thus because, all aspects of a soul remain connected, tapping into the Fjyrons allows one who knows how to receive the erudition of the ancestors. Knowledge and guidance from beyond mortality, from the existence beyond the present and the past and the known world, where time is irrelevant, thus allowing one to glimpse the cosmic tapestry and its threads. The Ancestor Moths of the Order are said to imbibe the Fjyrons, described by some as the memories of the dead, becoming animated by the Fjyrons of the ancestor spirits, shepherding that wisdom and passing it through the generations. Thus their trilling forms a sort of primal augur which allows the Order to read and interpret the contents of the Elder Scrolls which contain knowledge said to exceed even the gods. The monks use special cleansing bowls to remove impurities from their fingers before, during, and after they read the Elder Scrolls. This leaves a residue in the bowls that has been suggested to be aetherial residue that could deaden their fingers like the scrolls deaden the eyes. They are known to be reclusive and have hidden, or at least out of the way, sanctuaries scattered throughout Tamriel.

In 4E 175, the Elder Scrolls mysteriously disappeared from the Imperial Library and were scattered across Tamriel by forces unknown. Members of the Cult set out to search for them and return them to the White-Gold Tower.

Gallery

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  The Temple of the Ancestor Moths (ESO)

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  The Temple of the Ancestor Moths (Oblivion)

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  An Ancestor Moth (Skyrim)

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  A Moth Priest (Skyrim)

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  Moth Priest concept art

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  A Moth Priestess with impaired vision and an Elder Scroll (ESO)

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  Abbot Crassius Viria (ESO)

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  A Moth Priest trapped in the Deadlands

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  A blind Moth Prelate attacks with a katana (Oblivion)

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  Depiction of an Ancestor Moth Priest (Legends)

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  Blind Moth Priest (Legends)

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  Reading room of the Imperial Library where the Elder Scrolls are kept

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  Teleportation sigil used by Moth Priests, note the ancestor moth in the middle

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  Moth Priest's cleansing bowl

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  Kellen, a 4th era Moth Priest (Legends)

Notes

• Monastic orders founded by Tiber Septim and dedicated to Julianos are the keepers of the Elder Scrolls.
• In early unofficial lore, some members of the order were known as the Libromancers. The Elder Scrolls were blank, but if a Moth Priest libromancer were to cut themselves and dribble their blood onto the Scroll, a prophecy would be revealed. The more blood a Scroll was given, the more words and letters it would spell out.

See Also

• For game-specific information on the cult, see the Oblivion and Elder Scrolls Online articles.
• For game-specific information on the temple, see the Oblivion and Elder Scrolls Online articles.

Books

• An Accounting of the Scrolls by Quintus Nerevelus, Former Imperial Librarian — An author's report on the Elder Scrolls and his subsequent entry into the Cult of the Ancestor Moth
• Effects of the Elder Scrolls by Justinius Poluhnius — A thesis on the four different types of readers of the Elder Scrolls
• Pension of the Ancestor Moth — A Temple novice's initiatory pamphlet on the Cult of the Ancestor Moth
• Source of Chaos by Nohept dir'Kamal — Serious Scholars Only

References

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.

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