Myths and legends

[Archiosaurus]

Good day, I was hoping if anyone had seen a few weird goings on. I came across a book in riften today, in the orphanage, it was called the woodcutters wife. Here's the story.

 

 

Legend tells of a woodcutter who built a shack deep within the pine forest. There, he hoped to live in peace with his family.

The woodcutter's family lived well for a time, but without warning, the weather turned bitterly cold and spoiled the harvest. Before long, with their meager supply of food all but gone, the family was starving.

 

Late one snowy night, a traveler knocked on the cabin door seeking shelter from the biting cold. Always generous of heart, the woodcutter welcomed the stranger into his home, apologizing that he had no food to offer.

 

With a smile, the traveler cast off his cloak to reveal the garments of a mage. As the woodcutter and his family looked on, the mysterious visitor reached into his satchel and withdrew a scroll tied with a silver ribbon. No sooner had the wizard unfurled the scroll and read the words aloud, when a great feast appeared from out of thin air. That night, nobody in the woodcutter's cabin went hungry. Day by day, the snow piled up. Every night, the mage produced another scroll from his bag and read the words, each time summoning a new feast. On the fifth night, the woodcutter's wife awoke her husband to confess her mistrust of their magical guest. Surely, she argued, there was some price to pay for the magical feasts that everyone enjoyed night after night.

 

The woodcutter would have none of it. After nearly dying from the lack of food, his family was eating well. The Divines had sent them a gift, he explained, and it was foolish to question their wisdom.

 

But the woodcutter's wife would not be persuaded. Every night, she grew more fearful and more desperate. She was certain that the family had entered into a Devil's bargain, and the time would soon come when the mage would ask for something unspeakable in return for his gifts.

 

While everyone in the cabin slept, the woodcutter's wife snuck out of bed and took her husband's axe in hand. She crept into the traveler's room and with one swing, lopped off his head.

 

Suddenly, the wizard's disembodied head awoke. His eyes opened wide and when he beheld his maimed body, he let forth a terrible cry.

 

Awakened by the horrified scream, the woodcutter and his children rushed into the room and gasped at the terrible sight of the decapitated mage.

 

With his last gasp of breath, the traveler laid a fearful curse on the woodcutter's wife. After her mortal death, she was damned to rise once again and walk the woods alone only to burn at the rising of the sun.

 

To this day, those who walk the pine forest late at night tell tales of a weeping woman glimpsed between the trees. She carries a bloody axe, the stories say, and is terrifying to behold.

 

Now, it is possible to find the cabin, thus inside it hints of the story, a bloodied axe stuck into wood is there, and a atmospheric tune is played. It has been recorded that some players in the rift, around 11 or clock or so, see a woman, a apparition to be more precise, stumbling around with a bloody axe. This woman is mostly introduced with a horrendous screech. I must say I have never seen the woman, but I have heard screams, and these screams aren't like any I've ever heard.

 

So I was wondering, do you have weird sightings, or myths we should go exploring for, ready for you to tell. I want full stories, no rubbish. And maybe we can find out what this is...also, to add, the headless horseman, maybe this is the Mage in the story, with no head, traveling on his horse for eternity...also on the fith night of the skyrim time range, is the summoning date for the woman to wander around riften...

 

 

 

Edited May 12, 2013 by Archiosaurus

[KMAGames]

The story itself is very interesting. I looked up a video on youtube and it revealed a second book that has a similar reference. After trudging through Pine Forest for 30 minutes I found no cabin nor a pale lady. it would have been really nice if Bethesda shed more light on this and maybe some mods about it.

[dubbad29]

She might actually be there. The Pine Forest is in Falkreath (it basically comprises the hold). The Rift is different. Next time I'm in the neighborhood, I'll check it out.

 

Since we're talking about ghosts and headlessness, what's the deal with the headless horseman that rides around at night every once and a while?

[daventry]

Heres a Mod that makes her appear

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/12740/?

Edited January 9, 2014 by daventry

[EgoAltar]

In addition to the Headless Horseman, I've run across a Ghost Sabrecat on the road near Windhelm. It was not the Guardian Spirit from the Trials quest, as I've come across it on more than one character who was uninvolved in that quest.

It was non-hostile, though it did attack wolves and goats.

[chanchan05]

The headless horseman leads you to a cemetery with some skeletons and loot if you follow it. I think it was a Master level chest.

 

If you enable Cutting Room Floor, you will fight the Ancient Traveler near that mountain pass above Nightgate Inn.

Edited January 12, 2014 by chanchan05

[daventry]

The other day i was running around Skyrim when i noticed a small ground settlement with a Headless Skeleton, so i think thats the place where he died, because the Draugr at the Graveyard with the Skeletons isent Headless, so why is the Horseman going there.

[Moshadawg]

There is a myth that every guard in all of Skyrim at one point or another used to be an adventurer and was shot in the knee by an arrow ;)

 

Note: There is a mod on the Nexus that makes it so when a guard speaks of arrows to the knee he is blasted by divine lightning and killed on the spot. It becomes blasphemy to speak of such things. It is hilarious, you should check it out. I think it is called Divine Punishment for Arrows to Knee or something like that.