Sithis

For other uses, see Sithis (Disambiguation).

Sithis, also known as SITHISIT,^[1] Psijii,^{[UL 1]} the Dread-Father,^[2] the Original Creator,^[3] and sometimes Padomay,^[3] is a deity representative of emptiness and the Void. Other sources say that he is also a representation of utter misanthropy.^{[UL 2]} He is worshipped by the Dark Brotherhood and many other cults.

Background[]

Sithis is neither an Aedra nor a Daedra. Sithis is the birthed soul incarnate of Padomay and the equal yet opposite force to Anui-El, who is the birthed soul incarnate of Padomay's opposite force, Anu.^{[UL 3]} The conditions Sithis and Anui-El placed on each other in their interplay would bring about the creation of what is known as the Aurbis, in which the realms of Aetherius, Oblivion, and Mundus would form.^[3] Sithis is regarded as the one who initiated his interplay with Anui-El, and for that he is held in high esteem.^[3] When Anui-El birthed his soul, Auri-El, to stabilize the then confusing and turbulent Aurbis by creating time, Sithis birthed his own soul, Lorkhan, as well.^{[UL 3]} Sithis is believed to have created Lorkhan to destroy the universe through trickery and deceit, and return the universe to the Void.^[4]

Popular opinion and worship[]

According to some sources, the name "Sithis" is actually a corruption of the term "Psijii" which is derived from the prevailing concept of PSJJJJ, that being Padomay. Some believe that Sithis was actually born when a cult of nihilistic, Mephala worshiping, Chimer merged Daedric influences with the essence of Padomay. This concept of Sithis eventually evolved into a cult that wished to "murder the world."^{[UL 1]}

The worship of Sithis is rejected by most cultures, most likely because of his association with death. During the First and early Second Eras, little is known about the worship of Sithis. However, the Dark Brotherhood, which formed sometime during the Second Era by the Night Mother, became the main known cult dedicated to the worship of Sithis. The Crimson Scars, an all-vampire group of assassins, worships Sithis as well. Additionally, some of the Argonian culture revolves around Sithis. Though the main religious figure within the Argonian Pantheon is the Hist, the Hist as well as the Argonians accept Sithis as the original creator. In fact, Argonians born under the sign of The Shadow are given to the Dark Brotherhood at birth, where they are trained as assassins and spies such that one day they may earn the rank of Shadowscale and serve Argonia and Sithis. Vampires have been known to worship Sithis as well, with many claiming allegiance to the Crimson Scars or the Dark Brotherhood. Vampires that are not a part of these organizations will often worship either Molag Bal, one of the Daedric Princes, or Sithis instead of the Nine Divines. Mortals often represent Sithis as a skeletal being, to signify His relationship to death. In truth, the Dread Lord is formless, and infinite as the Void.^[5]

Sithis, in the eyes of the Altmer, is nothing but an embodiment of all the limitations Anui-El used to ponder himself after his creation. But according to Sithis worshipers, Anuiel was actually one of many ideas created by Sithis that refused to die and enslaved the universe.^[4] Sithis is described as the embodiment of everything evil, but at the same time, he is described as being nothing at all: a Void. He is appeased through death (although he himself is not a god of death) and other acts of suffering and strife.^[6]

In the belief of the Dark Brotherhood, Sithis visited a Dunmer woman who gave birth to five children of Sithis. The Dunmer woman then claimed to hear the voice of Sithis in her head, telling her to send their children to him. However this could not be achieved easily, so she sacrificed her five children, thus sending them to the Void to reunite with their father. Following this, many angry citizens killed the Dunmer lady for her actions and burnt down her house. It is said that this action created the Night Mother. At least 30 years after this, a man heard voices in his head, much like the Night Mother heard Sithis. He followed the voices to her tomb and it was there the first Listener of the Dark Brotherhood was created.^[6] Following this and the establishment of the Dark Brotherhood that worships Sithis, he became much more publicly worshiped throughout all of Tamriel than he was before. The Dark Brotherhood believe that Sithis is "married" to The Night Mother, and the Dark Brotherhood are their metaphorical children.^[7] According to some sources, the Night Mother may actually be the Daedric Prince Mephala.^[8][9]

Theories[]

According to the book Sithis, Anu is described as not being a deity of any kind, but is rather a static force without consciousness, personality, or intent or will, being depicted as immutable static light that does not change. It is Sithis, according to this book, that created all things. Sithis is said to have sundered the Eternal Anu to create new ideas. However, Sithis unintentionally created Anui-El who became Aetherius and the Aedra. Sithis then created Lorkhan (which the book describes as neither Aedra nor Daedra) to destroy these "false" creations. The book greatly downplays any involvement by Anu and differs from the other known documentation detailing the origins of the worlds, as such its validity is questionable considering that the book was written by worshipers of Sithis.^[4]

Interactions with mortals[]

Second Era[]

Sometime after the assassination of Potentate Versidue Shaie in 2E 324, Sithis came to the Night Mother in a village on the future site of Bravil. He visited her in her bed chamber, and begat to her five children. After two years passed, the Night Mother killed her children and sent them to the Void to be with their father.^[6]

In 2E 582, a being claiming to be an aspect of Sithis appeared to the Vestige in Shadowfen during the Three Banners War. After reclaiming the Fangs of Sithis from Khajiiti pirates, if the Vestige refuses to hand them over to a group of Shadowscale assassins, a being in the shape of a large red serpent will appear. It claimed to be a "minuscule piece of Sithis, a jolt of intellect and will, contained within this shadowed form." The Vestige must then hand over a Fang, but the "Aspect of Sithis" allowed them to keep the other, believing the relics had been too long hidden away from the world.^[10]

Later on during the war, a defected Dark Brotherhood member known as The Black Dragon retreated to Knightsgrave, awaiting the Vestige and Shadowscale Green-Venom-Tongue. Sithis assisted the two assassins by sending out a Wrath of Sithis, and in his dying moments after being struck by the Black Dragon's blade, Green-Venom-Tongue believed that Sithis too was hunting the Dragon. Once the Black Dragon was killed, the Wrath of Sithis shackled her soul and brought her to the Void.^[11]

Organizations[]

• Argonian/Shadowscale culture
• Crimson Scars
• Dark Brotherhood

Representations[]

• Sithis – Altmer Pantheon
• Akel – Yokudan Pantheon

Gallery[]

An Argonian depiction of Sithis in the Blackwood Borderlands in Dark Brotherhood.

A Wrath of Sithis in Oblivion.

Appearances[]

• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (mentioned only)^[4]
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (mentioned only)^[4]
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (mentioned only)^[4]
• The Elder Scrolls Online (Aspect of Sithis)
  • The Elder Scrolls Online: Dark Brotherhood (mentioned only)
  • The Elder Scrolls Online: Murkmire (mentioned only)
  • The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood (mentioned only)

References[]