It's been almost six years since The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim first made its debut. In that time, millions of people all over the world have spent hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of hours exploring this vast open-world that Bethesda created. Despite how meticulously the world of Skyrim has been scoured over these years, players are still managing to discover new things and extrapolate new theories. It's enough to wonder if all of the game's secrets will ever be sussed out.

There is, however, an interesting side effect that comes with the game having been explored so thoroughly: In order to still bring something new to the community, fan theories have been forced to become more outlandish and wild over time. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it's a great thing. It helps color the world, painting it with more detail and giving it extra depth. It's much easier to immerse yourself into a game when you know that there's a possibility of discovering something that even the game's creators hadn't considered. It gives the world of Skyrim an added sense of realism.

Of course, that doesn't mean that every theory exists in order to add to the world. Sometimes people are just looking to have a little fun; to mess around with certain oddities in order to get a laugh. I've collected a batch of theories ranging from well thought out and serious to absurd and hilarious with the hope that someone reading this will learn something new, or at least chuckle a little. Prepare yourself for a wild ride.

[It should go without saying that the following list contains many, many spoilers.]

15 You Are The Reason That Enemies Get Stronger

In the beginning of the game, the enemies you encounter are low-level with sub-par weapons. As the game progresses, various enemies (even in previously low-level areas) obtain more powerful weapons and armor. Of course, this is quite normal for a video game. The difficulty increases based on your skill and how much of the game you've completed. But what if there was an explanation for it in-game? Reddit user wererat2000 posits exactly that.

As you play, you're constantly traipsing about ancient dungeons, fighting enormously powerful and mystical enemies, and treasure hunting. In those encounters, one often walks away with a plethora of mythical and magical weapons, armor, and items. And what is done with all of this booty? Except for the best of the bunch, it's all sold to the first shopkeeper you run into. Economics takes care of the rest.

“The sudden influx of rare merchandise, in this case, armor and weapons, devalues the market to the point that bandits can equip themselves better, either through legitimate means or theft.” So the next time you die in an encounter with a bandit, just remember that you only have yourself to blame.

14 Falmer Cut Off Their Ears To Create Poisons

If you've killed a Falmer before, then odds are you've noticed that they often carry a pretty strange item: ears. If you're the daring type, you may have even eaten one of those ears. However, I highly recommend that you don't because they damage your health. So why are Falmer carrying around Falmer ears? For the same reason that Falmer often use poisoned arrows; their ears are uniquely useful for the creation of poisons.

Falmer aren't stupid, but they're not very intelligent either. I believe that the question isn't 'why are they cutting off their ears?', but rather 'who's been teaching the Falmer about toxicology?'

13 Mammoths Are The Females Of The Giant Species

Something you might notice if you've wandered around Skyrim long enough is that there are no female Giants. There are male Giants, and there are the herds of mammoths that those Giants take care of. That's about it. So how is the Giant species propagated? Reddit user Rhadamanthus2020 suggests that this might be a case of sexual dimorphism. Sexual dimorphism is when the male and female of a species differ in size, color, or shape. It's even possible that they might look like entirely different species.

Given the complete lack of female Giants anywhere in Skyrim, and considering how protective Giants are of their mammoths, sexual dimorphism is a surprisingly reasonable conclusion. Of course, one can also assume that male and female Giants just happen to be indistinguishable, but where's the fun in that?

12 There Was A Spell That Could Cure Baldness — Lost In Oblivion

Reddit user LordLoko stumbled upon an interesting discrepancy. In Arena, the emperor Uriel Septim VII has hair, years later in Daggerfall he is bald, and years after that in Oblivion he has hair again. The conclusion is obvious: There used to be a cure for baldness, but the knowledge was lost during the Oblivion Crisis. After all, Skyrim has its fair share of bald citizens and I can't imagine that all of them wish to be without hair, especially in such a frigid climate.

Some might think that such a spell would be easy to rediscover or invent, but Reddit user GawainsNiceHips points out that it's difficult to determine what school of magic one would even have to utilize. Is it Restoration? Alteration? Conjuration? Illusion? I guess that sometimes the simplest concepts, in theory, are the most difficult concepts in practice.

11 Alduin First Appears At Helgen Because Lokir Prayed To Akatosh During The Ride There

This one is pretty intriguing, brought to my attention by reddit user MY_NAME_IS_SITHIS. At the beginning of the game, you awake to find yourself in a cart with a group of criminals on their way to being executed. One of them is a horse thief named Lokir who is particularly despondent concerning his predicament. At one point during the ride, he begins to pray to the Nine Divines, specifically naming Akatosh (head of the pantheon and god of dragons and time).

Lo and behold, Akatosh's first child, the ancient dragon Alduin, appears at Helgen in the midst of the execution and subsequently lays waste to the entire town, allowing for almost all of the criminals to escape. Is it possible that Akatosh heard and heeded Lokir's plea for help? I don't see why not. Although, if he did, then he must have an interesting sense of humor. Almost immediately before Alduin makes his appearance, Lokir attempts to make a run for it and is shot dead by nearby archers. The lesson here is probably something about patience being a virtue.

10 The Silver Hand Is A Faction Of The Companions That Went Rogue

The Order of the Silver Hand is a group of warriors in Skyrim who have dedicated their lives to expunging every trace of vampirism and lycanthropy from the face of Tamriel. Despite this commitment to killing all monsters, the Silver Hand seem to be particularly interested in the famously noble mercenary force known as the Companions. You and I know that the inner circle of the Companions is comprised entirely of werewolves, but how does the Silver Hand know? To say it's not common knowledge would be an understatement. Many of the Companions themselves don't even know this secret.

Members of the Silver Hand can be overheard talking about how they will kill someone if they're wearing Companion armor and the Silver Hand hideout contains multiple books on the history of the Companions. A theory that has cropped up in recent years postulates that, upon learning of the ritual required to join the Companions' inner circle, a member or members abandoned the group and formed their own that would be devoted to hunting down such creatures.

Of course, after your induction into the Companions, you end up helping to carry out a mission that involves wiping out every last member of the Silver Hand. Bet they wish they'd stayed with the Companions after that fiasco.

9 The One Sending You 'Letters From A Friend'

One of the most important aspects of Skyrim is learning Thu'um, also referred to as the Voice, which allows one to use the ancient language of dragons to perform immensely powerful feats of magic. The only way to learn a new word or syllable is to travel the land and discover ancient and well-hidden structures known as Word Walls. It might be almost impossible to find all of them on your own. However, throughout your journey, you keep receiving letters telling you where new Word Walls can be found. Each of these letters is signed anonymously by “a friend.”

There are many characters in Skyrim that have been accused of being this mysterious “friend,” but there seems to be only one that makes sense. For starters, whoever is sending these letters must be omniscient, or at least very close to omniscient. How else could they have heard you use Thu'um when you're on your own in the depths of an ancient, abandoned dungeon? And now that we've narrowed it down to probably being a deity, whom but Hermaeus Mora would have motive for wanting your knowledge to increase? He sees all those that seek knowledge as his servants and in the Dragonborn DLC questline, he explicitly tells you that he desires you to join forces with him.

Hermaeus Mora seems to be the only character in the game who has the knowledge, power, and motive to send these letters. Just try not to think about a large, tentacled monster covered in eyes watching you all the time.

8 The Emperor Called The Dark Brotherhood Hit On Himself

While working for the insidious group of assassins known as the Dark Brotherhood, you are given an incredibly important mission: Assassinate the emperor of Tamriel. However, when the emperor finds you in his private chambers, he is calm and dignified. It's also surprisingly easy to gain access to his room. Could this be a hint of something more at play? Reddit user Scotscin certainly thinks so.

For starters, Titus Mede II is a reviled figure in Skyrim. It's his fault that Tamriel lost the war with the Thalmor, it's his fault that Talos worship is outlawed due to his signing of the White-Gold Concordant, it's his fault that Hammerfell seceded, and it's his fault that Skyrim was thrust into a civil war. His name no longer means what it once did. His successes have been forgotten in light if his failures, and another war is looming on the horizon. He is not the right leader for the job. He cannot unite the people.

Martyrdom may have been the only solution to unite Tamriel under a leader who doesn't already have a large laundry list of failures. The one who is supposedly responsible for the assassination, Amaund Motierre, is the emperor's trusted adviser and close friend. It makes sense for him to have been in on it. When all is said and done, my main takeaway from this is that I shouldn't get involved in politics.

7 Fear Of What Happened To The Dwemer Is What Keeps Technology In Tamriel From Advancing

In the land of Tamriel it is a widely known fact that the Dwemer were the most technologically advanced peoples in history and that some sort of failed experiment caused the entire race to disappear in a single moment. It's been thousands of years since then, yet many Dwemer ruins remain standing and most of them are untouched. People fear the ruins and the mechanical monstrosities contained within. It doesn't help that the Dwemers' ancient defense systems are still active.

People know that untold knowledge and treasure lie within those ruins. Yet few dare brave them. Few care to even attempt to recreate or study their technology. Reddit user STRiPESandShades suggests that the same reason that people avoid Dwemer ruins is also why they avoid Dwemer technology: No one has any idea what made the Dwemer disappear and they have no desire to accidentally do the same thing to themselves. If it's a common belief that technological advancement is dangerous for everyone alive, it makes sense that technology in Tamriel has been relatively unchanged for millennia.

Besides, it's difficult to be upset about this fear when it means that you can raid Dwemer dungeons with impunity. More gold and treasure and ancient technology for me.

6 We, The Gamer, Are The Dwemer

Speaking of the Dwemer, what exactly happened to them? We know they all disappeared in a single night some thousands of years ago, but where did they disappear to? There are a ton of theories; some plausible, some outlandish, and all unconfirmed. Given the frequency with which interdimensional travel occurs in The Elder Scrolls, it's most likely that the Dwemer were transported to a different plane of existence. The question is which one. Reddit user morvis343 thinks he knows the answer: this one.

Before the Dwemer disappeared, they were already favoring technology over magic. The only magic they still utilized was soul gems, which they used to power most of their machinery. Certain ancient civilizations on Earth, such as the Aztecs and Incas, were surprisingly advanced for their time in terms of lifestyle and agriculture. They weren't Dwemer-level advanced, but that makes sense given that there are no soul gems, or magic of any kind, on Earth.

It's a fun idea and I believe it allows for even greater immersion. After all, if this theory is reality, then so is Skyrim. Let's just hope that we never accidentally send ourselves back.

5 Draugr Wake Up Every Day To Reset Traps And Light Torches

I've always taken it for granted that torches are already lit whenever I enter a dungeon just as I've always been befuddled by the fact that all traps are still active despite it being obvious that others have passed through before. These crypts generally range from hundreds to thousands of years old; how is it that they are so clean (relative to their age)? The answer might actually be fairly simple: The draugr, cursed skeletal warriors who are doomed to haunt their crypts for eternity, are regularly maintaining them.

The reason for this is pretty interesting: they are all still worshiping the Dragon Priest with whom they were buried alive. This is the part where we can actually discuss facts instead of theories. In Skyrim, there is a book called Amongst the Draugr, written by a mage of the College of Winterhold named Bernadette Bantien. She lived in a draugr barrow for months to study their behavior. She discovered that they still worship at the resting place of the Dragon Priest buried within. We can extrapolate from this knowledge that the dungeons are maintained out of a sign of respect for the one who the entire crypt was built for.

This is, of course, rather inconvenient when it means having to sidestep and disable all the traps every time you revisit a dungeon.

4 Despite Originally Being Mortal, Talos Is The Only One Of The Nine Divines Who Is Truly Immortal

The Nine Divines, the Aedra, are not exactly immortal. Their existence depends on the belief and worship of their followers. If not one person believed in them anymore, they would die. This is not true of the Daedra, and it's possible that it's also not true for the Ninth Divine, Talos. The Nine Divines were the Eight Divines before Talos, a mortal man, achieved godhood (which is why the Nine are sometimes referred to as the Eight and One).

Given that Talos is not an original Aedra, it's possible that he does not need worship in order to maintain his existence. In spite of being late to the pantheon party, it seems like Talos is the most godly of the bunch. It's funny to think that a mortal is more immortal than the immortals.

3 Ma'iq The Liar, A Wandering Khajiit, Is Actually The God Lorkhaj

Ma'iq the Liar is an interesting fellow. He wanders around Skyrim and appears to be fairly good-natured. He does have a penchant for untruths, but that's no secret, it's in his name. Interestingly enough, Ma'iq has been present as a character in several Elder Scrolls games: Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. However, these games take place hundreds of years apart, so how is it possible for Ma'iq to still be alive?

Ma'iq himself offers an explanation for this, telling you that his father, his father's father, his father's father's father, etc. were all named Ma'iq the Liar. This would normally be an open and shut case if it weren't for the fact that Ma'iq is known for, well, lying. It's also worth noting that the Khajiit believe that the god Lorkhaj was cursed to walk the lands of Nirn "for many phases." Is this definitive proof that Ma'iq is Lorkhaj? No, but it's certainly compelling.

2 The Elder Scrolls And Fallout Might Be Set In The Same Universe

In Fallout 4 there's an airship called the Prydwen that contains a research station filled with various flora and fauna. Most of them are already known to you, having encountered them in the wasteland. However, there's one plant that's different from the others. It isn't encountered in the wild and it looks remarkably similar to a plant found in Skyrim called Nirnroot.

This by itself doesn't really mean much; perhaps Bethesda just copied over the design. That all changes when you check the airship's computer log to see the plant's details. The log explains that this experimental plant is found at “the mouth of a river.” In Skyrim, Nirnroot only grows by water. The log says it has bioluminescent properties. Nirnroot also glows. The log says it was discovered to contain healing properties. Nirnroot is also used to restore health. And lastly, the experimental plant is labeled under “NRT”, which can easily be read as an abbreviation of Nirnroot.

1 The Elder Scrolls Video Games Are Literally The Elder Scrolls Themselves

Now bear with me 'cause this one's a doozy. The Elder Scrolls games are named after a type of artifact in the game called an Elder Scroll. Elder Scrolls contain an ever-changing history of all events; past, present, and future. They are incredibly rare and have likely existed since the beginning of time. They are knowledge incarnate. However, it could take decades of study before one has the ability to read one, and even then, such a person cannot read an Elder Scroll more than a handful of times before going blind, going mad, or dying. The only way to read one without harm, and even then it's risky, is with technological aid.

Reddit user korrt106 builds on the popular theory that the Elder Scrolls' purpose is to cover all possible outcomes, "anything that could have happened, is happening, and may happen are all a reality within the Scrolls." He continues by pointing out that when you purchase a copy of The Elder Scrolls you are able to enter the world and change it in whatever manner you please. It's also interesting that, technically speaking, the games can only be played with technological aid, such as a computer or game system. On top of that, every person plays them differently and no person can ever perfectly replicate a previous playthrough. Almost as if the game contains an infinite amount of versions of the same world...

In conclusion, the games aren't just named after the Elder Scrolls, the games ARE the Elder Scrolls!