Symbols of the Holds

So each hold has a symbol/logo that is either an animal or object...

Whiterun: A horse
Winterhold: A crown (or towers?)
Riften: Two daggers
Windhelm: A bear
Solitude: A wolf
Markarth: A pair of horns (from a goat or ram I assume)
Falkreath: A deer or stag
Dawnstar: A star
Morthal: A swirly three point pattern

I don't quite get the Morthal symbol. It doesn't look like it resembles any particular animal or natural thing, it just looks like a shape that might appear on a brooch or something. Does any body know what the Morthal logo represents? Fog or swamp water or something?

Morthal's symbol is a type of triskelion. I only know that because the Isle of Man uses one as their symbol, but according to that article a lot of places use it, and have done for a very long time. The Wikipedia article also suggests that it's a common symbol in BDSM communities, which is... erm... news to me. It's probably news to the Manx too!

I'm not sure what significance it holds in Morthal. This article goes into some detail about what the symbol means in Celtic traditions, at least (and to be honest, both the environment and the Jarl of the hold do make me think of Celtic mysticism, so maybe that's why they went for it), but its primary meanings of 'competition' and 'progress', as according to that piece, don't really sound very 'Morthaly' to me.

DarkBeckyhood said:

Morthal's symbol is a type of triskelion. I only know that because the Isle of Man uses one as their symbol, but according to that article a lot of places use it, and have done for a very long time. The Wikipedia article also suggests that it's a common symbol in BDSM communities, which is... erm... news to me. It's probably news to the Manx too!

I'm not sure what significance it holds in Morthal. This article goes into some detail about what the symbol means in Celtic traditions, at least (and to be honest, both the environment and the Jarl of the hold do make me think of Celtic mysticism, so maybe that's why they went for it), but its primary meanings of 'competition' and 'progress', as according to that piece, don't really sound very 'Morthaly' to me.

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Thanks! I thought I had seen the symbol used in Celtic art, but wasn't sure if there might be some sort of Norse version as well. Any way it seems the designers used it because it looks pretty and mystical, rather than it actually serving any significance.

You'd think they'd use some sort of swamp creature like a mudcrab, but then a water creature might make more sense for a seafaring folk living near the ocean. And the main quest we do for Morthal is liberating the town from a coven of vampires, so the designers probably thought they should avoid using an animal symbol and just went with something pagany that suits the superstitious theme, I guess.

Solitude's wolf symbol seems quite fitting, as we do battle with the wolf queen and her cult. And Dawnstar's star symbol is in the name. Whiterun's horse seems quite fitting for its wide open fields and plenty of farms. Windhelm's bear could represent the ferocity of the Stormcloaks or something (and high ranking stormcloak soldiers actually wear bearskins) Morthal was probably a bit more tricky to pick a symbol for.

Yeah, I think you pretty well articulated why it has an ancient Celtic vibe to me. Seems completely out-of-place compared to all of the other holds in Skyrim, but I think that's how the Morthalians... erm... Morthalis... Morthal people like it.

Not sure what alternative symbol they could use. Maybe a gnarly old swamp tree?

In all honesty, the Morthal banner symbol reminds me of swirling fog. It is in the middle of a swamp that is often misty, and the brown and green banner colors go along with it pretty well too, seeing as how it's very mossy and dull looking.

Triskelion is also the symbol for the Illusion school of magic in Skyrim, so perhaps that also comes into it somehow...