You should really do a deep dive into the Rorikstead mystery as a whole, because there is a LOT of absolutely sus stuff going on in that village that merits investigating with details that just don’t add up and possibly one of the most sinister backstories for a place in all of Tamriel, if you believe the theories are true.
they have a deal with the Daedra It's a well known one! i don't think he will unearth anything new but the dwemer going missing or the mage in morthal Falion?
@@Manic_player got bored one night, installed Skyrim and started modding then decided I'd like to try my hand at producing meaningful content for a game I've lost so many hours to.
Nice we have a Headless Horsemen Myth in my Town very Cool Myth. Have you done a Video on The History of Pickmen from Fallout 4 ? could you even do a one is there anything to go on i would love to see that. Respect and keep up the epic work.
I like to think that the headless horseman was a nord from Whiterun or nearby, but died far from home. And maybe his head was all that could be brought to his ancestral burial ground, which is why the ghost is non hostile as its a barely sentient spirit trying to reconnect with a disembodied part of himself.
unlike our world, it really seems like people of skyrim are really used to seeing ghost... like there is a ghost hanging out in Old Hroldan Inn and everyone is chill about it...
Yeah, most of the stuff seen as supernatural here is pretty much natural there. Their gods actively interact with the world and the people, the different afterlives are confirmed, the undead wander the crypts, ghosts keep showing up. Oh, and obviously magic exists, including necromancy.
i feel it’s pretty noteworthy that Ragnar is a name commonly associated with Viking culture. a culture that the nords of Skyrim clearly take most inspiration from. that being said the headless horseman is specifically riding to a nordic burial site, rather than any other old burial site. something to chew on i suppose.
Saw him once - I felt privileged! That's in three playthroughs, totalling about 800 hours. So not that often. However, I rarely played when it was night time in the game world - I like to enjoy the scenery!
@@normalhuman9878 Yesterday, I saw Deacon in Fallout London! I laughed out loud! But that was more of an Easter Egg than a random encounter. Just wanted to tell someone. My friends (and me) are old age pensioners, they don't know or care about any of that stuff. He was just casually leaning against a wall near the London Eye.
I may have seen the Staffordshire Moorlands headless horseman. I mean, I'm not stupid, I'm aware it's far far far more likely it was my mind playing tricks on me. However if ghosts do somehow turn out to be real, I might have seen one.
Skyrim a smart choice for these style of videos of how much stuff there are in Bethesda games like the dragon grave yards and other things in Skyrim and fallout
I think it's entirely possible he was originally supposed to be Ragnar and there was originally supposed to be an associated quest to find the truth of the song. But like all sorts of other interesting and fun ideas, it was shortened in the final game to following him to a gravesite with a wink and a nod reference to the headless horseman myths and some leveled loot. I also am convinced the Ragnar from the song was a bard born on Rorik's Stead (making him "from ole Rorikstead" regardless of where he was actually traveling from) who made this song up as a bit, and would replace "Whiterun" with whatever town he was currently in. He may have been very popular in Whiterun. To sort of fanfiction a way to make this work: Hamvir's Rest could be his family crypt. And in a twist of fate he really was beheaded for some reason, maybe even in Whiterun. He was actually killed fighting a war, hence the horse and armor and weapon that can be used from horseback. That's why only his head is at Hamvir's Rest, it was the only part of him found after the battle. I mean, usually a Headless Horseman is carrying their head or a head replacement. This one has no head in its possession. It's possible this is the ghost of specifically the body trying to reunite with the head, of which has been properly put to rest. Which also would be why he's not hostile, he was properly put to rest at least in part. Of course we can all be boring and say the song was written about this headless horseman ghost and explains why each night he travels to this location west of Whiterun. Then he really could be some guy named Dave.
He goes to a place named "Hamvir's Rest". One of the things the Headless Horseman's quotes is, "Who dares disturb my rest?" It's pretty obviously Hamvir. The real question is, who was Hamvir?
I like the Ragnar the Red theory. I don’t think the Hamvir’s Rest name debunks it, the cemetery doesn’t have to be named after the Headless Horseman, especially if it predates him. Besides, Hamvir is probably the Draugr that re-animates, and he has a head. It could also be who is buried in the other sarcophagus that’s behind bars, the one that doesn’t have the skull and axe.
That's wild... I've played through the main story twice and all the side content once and encountered him like 6 times but that was also on Xbox. I haven't downloaded it on pc yet
First note: If Ragnar was as contemptible as the ballad claims, then there is no way he would be honored with his own burial ground. Second: Obviously there are over a dozen people buried at Hamvir's Rest, and two others entombed. Hamvir could be any one of them. Third: Hamvir may not even refer to the first person buried there. It could refer to the person -- or people -- who built the place. In fact, considering the place is a burial ground and not a gravesite, this is more likely. Fourth: A battleaxe is a more appropriate mounted weapon than a sword. It's likely that his axe was left with his horse and he carried a sword while dismounted. Fifth: He did claim to be very wealthy in the ballad. This is likely true, considering how much mead he was said to have consumed. If so, then while he would not be given any burial honors, his sarcophagus would likely be fancier than most. Hence he is likely the person entombed in the more extravagant of the two at Hamvir's Rest. Supported by the skull and his axe sitting outside of it, probably as an insult.
The first time I encountered the headless horsemen I was just south of Rorikstead. The horsemen got stuck on a rock and ended up getting launched into the sky.
I think it is Ragnar. I think that's the reason they put that bard song in the game. Who else is it gonna be referring to? Why he's presumably buried in Hamvir's Rest is anyone's guess, maybe that was the closest cemetery.
One correction: the first verse says "ole Rorikstead". Ole doesn't refer to age in most songs and is only used to add a syllable to make the lyrics fit the rhythm, so the song most likely isn't referring to an Old Rorikstead. The popularity I would say is explained by the inn goers enjoying a song about that annoying guy at every inn from a few years ago dying for being too annoying.
I like to think Hamvir is the leveled Draugr at the tomb, and the headless horseman is someone he killed. The horseman travels to the Tomb to avenge himself, or rather, get those that follow him to try.
I just had this sudden realization, that in the Song it says "Old Rorikstead", which can be interpreted, that the Rorikstead we see in the game could be "new" Rorikstead. And then, just a few moments later you said the same. There's the possibility, that Old Rorikstead was destroyed some time before Skyrim, maybe during the time of the simulacrum, or during the Oblivion Crisis, and then Rorik started a new settlement and called it after himself, Rorikstead. Before, I had the theory, that there was another settlement, and later Rorikstead was built on the previous settlements ruins, and the name of the previous settlement was then chaged to Rorikstead in the books, so later people, who would have no idea about the previous settlement, would know where said settlement was located.
My own little theory is that the Headless Horseman was an unnamed (or maybe he is Hamvir) warrior that died via decapitation (this part is obvious) and laid to rest in Hamvir's Rest. But you can't really rest if the dead keep rising up around you, and as a noble warrior you wouldn't want your fellow contrymen to be assailed by the undead, so his spirit manifests to guide other warriors to Hamvir's Rest in hopes that they'll kill the skeletons and draugr, allowing his spirit to finally depart and also keeping the area safe in the process.
Having these in time for my like 500th playthrough (rogue archer of course cuz I've NEVER done that before 🙄😅) is just perfect. Just like with your red dead videos I just love having these on in the background, makes my adventures feel like I've got a companion that just likes to tell me in depth facts about the different areas we pass and people we meet 😆😆
The fact that he can appear anywhere in skyrim could still make sense for Ragnar the Red assuming he *actually* was an adventurer that made money by going out and doing jobs. My only hesitation on that is the song refers to him as a liar which makes me think he's more the type to take credit for other people's adventures rather than a real hero. Also as you pointed out he's described wielding a "blade" and axes aren't typically described as "a blade."
I look forward to it myself - I’m easing myself in with the more superficial ones to begin with as that way I can come to understand the lore better before I tackle some deeper topics - my understanding isn’t horrid as is but it’s certainly lacking compared to others who do this calibre of content so I have to catch up
22:02 min That could be due to being a song. The sharp part of an axe is still called a "blade", so it could be, that Ragnar brandished an axe, and the bards changed it from the blade of an axe to just a blade, so it rhymes. As for why this ghost can be encountered everywhere in the province and leads to Hamvir's Rest... maybe this is where he got all the gold he bragged about? Or maybe he hid his treasure there? Maybe it's the grave of one of his ancestors, and that's why he rides to that grave? Maybe he seeks for a way to atone for his life, and that's why he tries to find someone to give this gift, seeking all over the province, and you're just the first to follow a ghost? Or he's a vengeful spirit and tries to lead people to their doom?
I'm excited as hell to see you delving into the lore of the Elder Scrolls, either surface level or the deep stuff. Such a lore rich environment, and I can't wait to see more from you! Do you have plans on delving into either Morrowind or Oblivion, as well as Skyrim?
I mean for now I'm clinging to Skyrim as my entry point - if the videos do well over time and ideas dry up for Skyrim itself I think then I'll work my way backwards to Oblivion and then perhaps Morrowind as the lore in the older titles is a lot more extensive and I'm still building up my understanding to competently handle the more deep concepts of The Elder Scrolls universe.
The reason why the headless rider cannot be found anywhere else in the game is because the Developer made him in secret😂. The Developer said that himself that it was a nice little easter egg that we put him hoping nobody will notice it😂
I mean, it does make sense it's Ragnar the Red. Also why he's buried in a random burial ground? Is it really random though? One can clearly see new graves on the site, so it might just be a popular burial place, simply named after Hamvir, perhaps Hamvir wanted a graveyard for the area and people named it after him? And Ragnar the Red was entombed there because... well he was kinda disliked but greedy people do often accrue some money. So probably enough to earn him a burial. Entire place isn't exactly luxurious though, and seeing how his supposed skull and axe is just tossed on the ground, it might not even be that much of a burial at all. Just put there as a cautionary tale? Which was forgotten.
Think it's just a cut character/quest they left in as a mystery. That being said, I always feel good when I see him during a playthrough. It's a good omen.
I really doubt it has any connection, but there's another headless ghost in Skyrim. The Spirit of the Ancient Traveler appears at Wayward Pass in the north, but only if restored from status as cut content. The files all exist in the game and it's available using the Cutting Room Floor mod which does nothing but activate pre-existing bits of cut content. Unmodded, the Ancient Traveler's Skull is there already, but modded, taking the skull summons a headless ghost wearing armor and using a sword. I don't think this nameless ghost is Ragnar either because it's too far north and deliberately isn't named Ragnar, but the fact that BGS originally intended two headless ghosts in the game is interesting.
My ridiculously modded Skyrim is so dangerous at night that I haven't seen this guy in an age. Maybe ill camp along that road for a while and see if i can find him.
I actually thought Ragnar the Red could have been a reference to "The 13th Warrior". Vladimir Kulich who voices Ulfric Stormcloak in Skyrim portrays Buliwyf, (Beowulf), in that film and one of the warriors who accompanies Buliwyf's is a man named Ragnar who, spoilers, is killed via decapitation. While on the topic of "The 13th Warrior", I thought the Nords being obsessed with the curved swords carried by warriors from Hammerfell was a reference to the film. Antonia Banderas' character, Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan, has trouble wielding a Viking sword and customizes it by curving it like a Scimitar, which the Vikings poke fun at.
It is possible Hamvir's Rest was simply where Ragnar and Matilda had their fight, and when he died there nobody bothered to move or bury his body. If you wanna stretch a bit, Matilda could have taken his sword as a trophy leaving him with only the axe available. Or it's Matilda's axe and she didn't bother taking it with her (or the duel was a draw where both died but the story doesn't mention that because nobody liked him).
"History is written by the victor." What if Matilda is the true agressor and villian in the song? Perhaps because of her victory, a song was composed in her honor. Perhaps Ragnar is truly heroic, while Matilda was simply tired of his boasts.
The biggest problem with identifying the headless horseman with Ragnar the Red is that it hints an an older Rorikstead. Which the song even explicitly implies by calling it OLD Rorikstead. So we have to wonder where exactly old Rorikstead was, and if it has any relation with modern day Rorikstead. The name Rorikstead implies that it's a farmstead named after someone Rorik, so it might be a completely unrelated farm. But I like the idea of it being the ghost of Hamvir. Because not all mysteries are for us to decipher. Not every name has to be connected to a story told to us.
If Ragnar really was from Rorikstead, then maybe the local dealings with the daedra have something to do with him lingering after his haircut by Matilda
About the "Old" Rorikstead. 1- Rorik is lying; 2- He simply rebuilt a new town at the same place of the older one; 3- There aren't a lot of probable places around that could be the ruins of the O old town, one of them it's just to north, close to the border with the Reach, that huge fort runned by bandits, however the other ruins are too far, specially a nearby mining village, the other ruins are just Draugr dungeons, including the vampire lair close to the town itself.
I played Skyrim on Xbox back in the day... haven't played it in a long time though. After Saturday I'm off for 2 weeks from work so I may fuck around and download it and some mods on my pc and have a nice little walk down memory lane lol
I L-O-V-E this video, and well done 👍on making the whole thing interesting and entertaining all the way through, with laughs too! I thoroughly enjoyed it, I love 💗 Skyrim, I am a dedicated fan of this game, and seen lots of videos, But yours is by far my fave! Thank you for explaining the whole headless horseman theory, Because he showed up for me on the map waaay out of context or region of my quest line , and I thought he’d prompt a hidden quest, and deliver some kind of awesome weapon or armour, but I followed him around for countless minutes , he took me all around the dang map.. for real…(🤣) only to be disappointed by what I found, so then prompted my search on the tubes for an explanation, (To which I didn’t find one) until I found yours, and now, I know , I didn’t miss anything in particular! Haha 🤣 But your video helped put my head to rest (no pun intended 😅😂) So I know now he is there just for fun Too bad though, it would’ve been fun if Bethesda had made something interesting for the game with him, since he’s such a cool addition to the story line. I’m of the opinion that he might just be Ragnar the Red who became headless by his scorned lady /shield maiden He should’ve bought her flowers or massaged her feet once in a while 😂 Anyway, Thanks for the video, Anything Skyrim- I’m there! Good job 👏 Cheers 🥂 (I’m a New sub now )
I have actually had a second encounter with the Headless Horseman, there is a second location he can randomly be encountered and that is Wayward Pass. I was randomly passing through it and the Headless Horseman randomly appeared and attacked me, I fought and killed him, he drops just a plain steel battle axe from the ghostly remains puddle left behind. I have only ever had this encounter once and it was at night at Wayward Pass. I’ve seen him multiple times even after going to Hamvir’s Rest. But after I fought and killed him at Wayward Pass I never saw him again on that character. Has anyone else had this encounter?
Rorikstead appears in arena which is set roughly 240 years before skyrim so its either a retcon or the towns leader is just flat out lying. Some books in game mention it from 1000's of years a go so the latter is most likely true.
likely they die, got buried in the fields, then resurrect to work on those fields and die again, its a cycle. one villager will have an option in which he says theres no mystery to their crops, but theres a vampire lair north of the village, and vampires always appear at signs of necromancy. moreover, i cant kill any of the villagers. they are set essential for nothing, which i cant understand.
Whoever he is, I think the horseman wants help reuniting his head w/ the rest of his body so he can rest. But we can't open up the bars, so I guess he's going to be asking a lot of people for a long time.
i definitely think this easter egg is just that, a easter egg with no real reason behind it, but i like to accept the more fun version that it is indeed ragnar the red
I too logically view easter eggs as superficial references but love when a decent theory is proposed. The Ragnar the Red theory is, in my opinion, unlikely to have been intentional but it's not a bad theory.
I used to think he might be Ragnar the Red, then I followed him to Hamvir's Rest and had no clue. You pronounce Chaurus perfectly, a lotta youtubers don't do that.
Wow, apparently I'm one of the poor souls who didn't know there was a Headless Horseman in Skyrim until today! Never seen him, never heard of him :O Now I'll keep an eye out for any signs of a ghostly apparition on my nightly travels! Really enjoying all your lore/theory videos!
Oh, there once was a hero named Ragnar the Red Who came riding to Whiterun from ole Rorikstead And the braggart did swagger and brandish his blade As he told of bold battles and gold he had made But then he went quiet, did Ragnar the Red When he met the shieldmaiden, Matilda, who said: "Oh you talk, and you lie, and you drink all our mead Now I think it's high time that you lie down and bleed" And so then came clashing and slashing of steel As the brave lass Matilda charged in full of zeal And the braggart named Ragnar was boastful no more When his ugly red head rolled around on the floor
Whiterun is a curious hold isn't it? I've always wondered if balgruufs wife's death is connected to the rorikstead conspiracy well assuming she's even dead
Honestly scared me the first time I saw it. I had to stop playing and look it up because it was just so bizarre and it didn’t have a quest, so I was like “oh my god….everything I think might be wrong and ghosts might be real and my Arcade Model Xbox 360 is haunted….why did mom have to get the cheap one??!” But thankfully it was 2012 and so I looked it up (well, I texted a friend about it and he had seen it and looked it up. I didn’t have a personal laptop and did not have a smartphone yet….and realized it was a little fun Easter egg….)
It is possible that there was something there before The new village formed but it was so long ago that nobody actually remembers the name of it. So they just called it the Old village keeping the name the same since everybody already knows what it is and where it is in current day
You should really do a deep dive into the Rorikstead mystery as a whole, because there is a LOT of absolutely sus stuff going on in that village that merits investigating with details that just don’t add up and possibly one of the most sinister backstories for a place in all of Tamriel, if you believe the theories are true.
I am aware of it and I’ll work my way up to it in good time
@@Fizhy : D
Oh come on, I _just_ inherited a farm nearby from a family of ghosts after my house near Pinewatch was overrun by giants and reiklings.
they have a deal with the Daedra It's a well known one! i don't think he will unearth anything new but the dwemer going missing or the mage in morthal Falion?
Yes! Definitely an awesome video idea!
You wanted more, and I wanted to make more. Enjoy!
Not complaining or anything but what inspired this sudden Skyrim kick? Whatever the reason still great content
@@Manic_player got bored one night, installed Skyrim and started modding then decided I'd like to try my hand at producing meaningful content for a game I've lost so many hours to.
Nice we have a Headless Horsemen Myth in my Town very Cool Myth.
Have you done a Video on The History of Pickmen from Fallout 4 ? could you even do a one is there anything to go on i would love to see that.
Respect and keep up the epic work.
Now I want you to come up with stuff that just doesn’t exist in other games. Like: just make shit up for a week.
Thank you kindly. Appreciate you mate
I like to think that the headless horseman was a nord from Whiterun or nearby, but died far from home. And maybe his head was all that could be brought to his ancestral burial ground, which is why the ghost is non hostile as its a barely sentient spirit trying to reconnect with a disembodied part of himself.
They put him into an ossuary.
Honestly the headless horse man is one of if not my favorite random encounters there's just something so special about it.
unlike our world, it really seems like people of skyrim are really used to seeing ghost... like there is a ghost hanging out in Old Hroldan Inn and everyone is chill about it...
Yeah, most of the stuff seen as supernatural here is pretty much natural there.
Their gods actively interact with the world and the people, the different afterlives are confirmed, the undead wander the crypts, ghosts keep showing up. Oh, and obviously magic exists, including necromancy.
Well the woman who owns the place was noticeably frightened
i feel it’s pretty noteworthy that Ragnar is a name commonly associated with Viking culture. a culture that the nords of Skyrim clearly take most inspiration from. that being said the headless horseman is specifically riding to a nordic burial site, rather than any other old burial site. something to chew on i suppose.
I live on the welsh border and I can say that pronunciation was almost spot-on. The "dd" is softer, more like a "th", but you pretty much nailed it.
i think the welsh language is so fascinating, the double d sounding like th with the accent is so cool to me
I remember watching your video many years ago about The Headless Horseman in AC
I remember making it
I remember that as well
@@ghostwarrior3878 I remember you guys remembering Fizhy remembering it.
Hell yeah, just sat down with food and now I have the perfect thing to watch!
Enjoy the video and the scran
Got a head and shoulders ad halfway through the video. Very fitting
Saw him once - I felt privileged!
That's in three playthroughs, totalling about 800 hours. So not that often. However, I rarely played when it was night time in the game world - I like to enjoy the scenery!
Random chances are funny. I once encountered him twice in the same play through after I didn’t catch him the first time
@@normalhuman9878
Yesterday, I saw Deacon in Fallout London! I laughed out loud!
But that was more of an Easter Egg than a random encounter. Just wanted to tell someone. My friends (and me) are old age pensioners, they don't know or care about any of that stuff.
He was just casually leaning against a wall near the London Eye.
I may have seen the Staffordshire Moorlands headless horseman. I mean, I'm not stupid, I'm aware it's far far far more likely it was my mind playing tricks on me. However if ghosts do somehow turn out to be real, I might have seen one.
Skyrim a smart choice for these style of videos of how much stuff there are in Bethesda games like the dragon grave yards and other things in Skyrim and fallout
I think it's entirely possible he was originally supposed to be Ragnar and there was originally supposed to be an associated quest to find the truth of the song. But like all sorts of other interesting and fun ideas, it was shortened in the final game to following him to a gravesite with a wink and a nod reference to the headless horseman myths and some leveled loot.
I also am convinced the Ragnar from the song was a bard born on Rorik's Stead (making him "from ole Rorikstead" regardless of where he was actually traveling from) who made this song up as a bit, and would replace "Whiterun" with whatever town he was currently in. He may have been very popular in Whiterun.
To sort of fanfiction a way to make this work: Hamvir's Rest could be his family crypt. And in a twist of fate he really was beheaded for some reason, maybe even in Whiterun. He was actually killed fighting a war, hence the horse and armor and weapon that can be used from horseback. That's why only his head is at Hamvir's Rest, it was the only part of him found after the battle. I mean, usually a Headless Horseman is carrying their head or a head replacement. This one has no head in its possession. It's possible this is the ghost of specifically the body trying to reunite with the head, of which has been properly put to rest. Which also would be why he's not hostile, he was properly put to rest at least in part.
Of course we can all be boring and say the song was written about this headless horseman ghost and explains why each night he travels to this location west of Whiterun. Then he really could be some guy named Dave.
He goes to a place named "Hamvir's Rest". One of the things the Headless Horseman's quotes is, "Who dares disturb my rest?"
It's pretty obviously Hamvir.
The real question is, who was Hamvir?
I like the Ragnar the Red theory. I don’t think the Hamvir’s Rest name debunks it, the cemetery doesn’t have to be named after the Headless Horseman, especially if it predates him. Besides, Hamvir is probably the Draugr that re-animates, and he has a head. It could also be who is buried in the other sarcophagus that’s behind bars, the one that doesn’t have the skull and axe.
In the thousands of hours I've put into Skyrim, I've only encountered this guy, maybe 4 times
That's wild... I've played through the main story twice and all the side content once and encountered him like 6 times but that was also on Xbox. I haven't downloaded it on pc yet
So is it any good? I never played it.
Same, I’ve played through the game many times and have only seen him 2 times
@@KillbotSware you asking if Skyrim is a good game?
i never knew he was a thing until i bought skyrim for my switch lite, at which point he was among the first 15ish npc's i encountered after the intro.
Hell yes! Glad you continued this series, fell in love with the first episode- perfect sleep aid
Oh aye, rest well soldier
First note: If Ragnar was as contemptible as the ballad claims, then there is no way he would be honored with his own burial ground.
Second: Obviously there are over a dozen people buried at Hamvir's Rest, and two others entombed. Hamvir could be any one of them.
Third: Hamvir may not even refer to the first person buried there. It could refer to the person -- or people -- who built the place. In fact, considering the place is a burial ground and not a gravesite, this is more likely.
Fourth: A battleaxe is a more appropriate mounted weapon than a sword. It's likely that his axe was left with his horse and he carried a sword while dismounted.
Fifth: He did claim to be very wealthy in the ballad. This is likely true, considering how much mead he was said to have consumed. If so, then while he would not be given any burial honors, his sarcophagus would likely be fancier than most. Hence he is likely the person entombed in the more extravagant of the two at Hamvir's Rest. Supported by the skull and his axe sitting outside of it, probably as an insult.
The first time I encountered the headless horsemen I was just south of Rorikstead. The horsemen got stuck on a rock and ended up getting launched into the sky.
Average Skyrim moment
18:55 Missed opportunity, bub:
"That it's time for Ragnar the Red to become Ragnar the Dead."
I've been getting into Skyrim a lot lately, so these videos are fantastic! Hope to see more!
You shall!
This Video really made my day, exactly what I was needing after work, love your content, and look forward to more!
I think it is Ragnar. I think that's the reason they put that bard song in the game. Who else is it gonna be referring to? Why he's presumably buried in Hamvir's Rest is anyone's guess, maybe that was the closest cemetery.
One correction: the first verse says "ole Rorikstead". Ole doesn't refer to age in most songs and is only used to add a syllable to make the lyrics fit the rhythm, so the song most likely isn't referring to an Old Rorikstead. The popularity I would say is explained by the inn goers enjoying a song about that annoying guy at every inn from a few years ago dying for being too annoying.
Imagine if Ragnar was the ancestor of Rorik
Im absolutely loving these skyrim dives. Please keep at them
I like to think Hamvir is the leveled Draugr at the tomb, and the headless horseman is someone he killed. The horseman travels to the Tomb to avenge himself, or rather, get those that follow him to try.
I just had this sudden realization, that in the Song it says "Old Rorikstead", which can be interpreted, that the Rorikstead we see in the game could be "new" Rorikstead. And then, just a few moments later you said the same.
There's the possibility, that Old Rorikstead was destroyed some time before Skyrim, maybe during the time of the simulacrum, or during the Oblivion Crisis, and then Rorik started a new settlement and called it after himself, Rorikstead.
Before, I had the theory, that there was another settlement, and later Rorikstead was built on the previous settlements ruins, and the name of the previous settlement was then chaged to Rorikstead in the books, so later people, who would have no idea about the previous settlement, would know where said settlement was located.
keep branching out into the Elder Scrolls series on the Gods and creation myths and you have my full attention Fizhy. already catching it right now.
I’m really enjoying your Skyrim videos!
So glad you’re making skyrim videos it’s my favorite game, love the channel!
I think this is the first Easter egg I ever stumbled upon in a game, really cool.
My own little theory is that the Headless Horseman was an unnamed (or maybe he is Hamvir) warrior that died via decapitation (this part is obvious) and laid to rest in Hamvir's Rest. But you can't really rest if the dead keep rising up around you, and as a noble warrior you wouldn't want your fellow contrymen to be assailed by the undead, so his spirit manifests to guide other warriors to Hamvir's Rest in hopes that they'll kill the skeletons and draugr, allowing his spirit to finally depart and also keeping the area safe in the process.
Having these in time for my like 500th playthrough (rogue archer of course cuz I've NEVER done that before 🙄😅) is just perfect. Just like with your red dead videos I just love having these on in the background, makes my adventures feel like I've got a companion that just likes to tell me in depth facts about the different areas we pass and people we meet 😆😆
The fact that he can appear anywhere in skyrim could still make sense for Ragnar the Red assuming he *actually* was an adventurer that made money by going out and doing jobs. My only hesitation on that is the song refers to him as a liar which makes me think he's more the type to take credit for other people's adventures rather than a real hero. Also as you pointed out he's described wielding a "blade" and axes aren't typically described as "a blade."
Damn this is a good vid, can't wait to see some deeper elder scrolls mysteries on this channel, I already know they're gonna be great.
I look forward to it myself - I’m easing myself in with the more superficial ones to begin with as that way I can come to understand the lore better before I tackle some deeper topics - my understanding isn’t horrid as is but it’s certainly lacking compared to others who do this calibre of content so I have to catch up
22:02 min
That could be due to being a song. The sharp part of an axe is still called a "blade", so it could be, that Ragnar brandished an axe, and the bards changed it from the blade of an axe to just a blade, so it rhymes.
As for why this ghost can be encountered everywhere in the province and leads to Hamvir's Rest... maybe this is where he got all the gold he bragged about? Or maybe he hid his treasure there?
Maybe it's the grave of one of his ancestors, and that's why he rides to that grave?
Maybe he seeks for a way to atone for his life, and that's why he tries to find someone to give this gift, seeking all over the province, and you're just the first to follow a ghost? Or he's a vengeful spirit and tries to lead people to their doom?
I'm glad you're taking on this game lore now
I excitedly await any further videos you want to make in this series
I'm excited as hell to see you delving into the lore of the Elder Scrolls, either surface level or the deep stuff. Such a lore rich environment, and I can't wait to see more from you! Do you have plans on delving into either Morrowind or Oblivion, as well as Skyrim?
I mean for now I'm clinging to Skyrim as my entry point - if the videos do well over time and ideas dry up for Skyrim itself I think then I'll work my way backwards to Oblivion and then perhaps Morrowind as the lore in the older titles is a lot more extensive and I'm still building up my understanding to competently handle the more deep concepts of The Elder Scrolls universe.
The reason why the headless rider cannot be found anywhere else in the game is because the Developer made him in secret😂. The Developer said that himself that it was a nice little easter egg that we put him hoping nobody will notice it😂
Absolutely love these types of videos, please keep them coming!
Keen for you to get into the elder scrolls lore, hoping for more, cheers mate
Headless horseman is one of my favorite folklore legends.
I found him once in 2012 and never saw him again, my family thought I lied about seeing him for years until 2019 when my dad encountered him
I've not played as much as most, admittedly, but I'd never even so much as heard of him before.
i would just die of excitement if you did a giant deep dive into the dwemer, later on after the smaller stuff :)
Loving your new elder scrolls stuff and can't wait to see what you're on with next!
My theory is that he was luring the Dragonborn to Hamvir’s Rest to quiet the dead, who were disturbing his resting place.
I mean, it does make sense it's Ragnar the Red.
Also why he's buried in a random burial ground? Is it really random though?
One can clearly see new graves on the site, so it might just be a popular burial place, simply named after Hamvir, perhaps Hamvir wanted a graveyard for the area and people named it after him?
And Ragnar the Red was entombed there because... well he was kinda disliked but greedy people do often accrue some money. So probably enough to earn him a burial.
Entire place isn't exactly luxurious though, and seeing how his supposed skull and axe is just tossed on the ground, it might not even be that much of a burial at all. Just put there as a cautionary tale? Which was forgotten.
Think it's just a cut character/quest they left in as a mystery. That being said, I always feel good when I see him during a playthrough. It's a good omen.
I really doubt it has any connection, but there's another headless ghost in Skyrim. The Spirit of the Ancient Traveler appears at Wayward Pass in the north, but only if restored from status as cut content. The files all exist in the game and it's available using the Cutting Room Floor mod which does nothing but activate pre-existing bits of cut content. Unmodded, the Ancient Traveler's Skull is there already, but modded, taking the skull summons a headless ghost wearing armor and using a sword. I don't think this nameless ghost is Ragnar either because it's too far north and deliberately isn't named Ragnar, but the fact that BGS originally intended two headless ghosts in the game is interesting.
Maybe Hamvir’s rest isn’t where the headless fellow is buried, but perhaps the one who slayed him ? Hmmm…
I had him spawn outside of Markarth on the roads eastward at 3 AM, and funny enough, i couldnt follow him, he was quick.
Maybe Ragnar was visiting a friend, one he swore to never forget even in death
My ridiculously modded Skyrim is so dangerous at night that I haven't seen this guy in an age. Maybe ill camp along that road for a while and see if i can find him.
I actually thought Ragnar the Red could have been a reference to "The 13th Warrior". Vladimir Kulich who voices Ulfric Stormcloak in Skyrim portrays Buliwyf, (Beowulf), in that film and one of the warriors who accompanies Buliwyf's is a man named Ragnar who, spoilers, is killed via decapitation. While on the topic of "The 13th Warrior", I thought the Nords being obsessed with the curved swords carried by warriors from Hammerfell was a reference to the film. Antonia Banderas' character, Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan, has trouble wielding a Viking sword and customizes it by curving it like a Scimitar, which the Vikings poke fun at.
I enjoyed this a lot. More! Give me more.
Didn't expect Elder Scrolls content. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.
Yessir
It is possible Hamvir's Rest was simply where Ragnar and Matilda had their fight, and when he died there nobody bothered to move or bury his body. If you wanna stretch a bit, Matilda could have taken his sword as a trophy leaving him with only the axe available. Or it's Matilda's axe and she didn't bother taking it with her (or the duel was a draw where both died but the story doesn't mention that because nobody liked him).
I believe it could be Ragnar, but most likely it’s just an Easter egg without a clear answer
Been playing this game sense it came out and never encountered this ghost
I had entertained a thought that Rorik was a sort of family name, and he was only mostly full of himself. I forgot the other details, though.
"History is written by the victor." What if Matilda is the true agressor and villian in the song? Perhaps because of her victory, a song was composed in her honor. Perhaps Ragnar is truly heroic, while Matilda was simply tired of his boasts.
The biggest problem with identifying the headless horseman with Ragnar the Red is that it hints an an older Rorikstead. Which the song even explicitly implies by calling it OLD Rorikstead.
So we have to wonder where exactly old Rorikstead was, and if it has any relation with modern day Rorikstead.
The name Rorikstead implies that it's a farmstead named after someone Rorik, so it might be a completely unrelated farm.
But I like the idea of it being the ghost of Hamvir. Because not all mysteries are for us to decipher. Not every name has to be connected to a story told to us.
I have 5 to 6 thousand hours in skyrim across PC, xbox360 and ps3, yet ive seen the horseman event only once.
I first encountered it while helping a certain dog reunite with its master. Was certainly a fright.
If Ragnar really was from Rorikstead, then maybe the local dealings with the daedra have something to do with him lingering after his haircut by Matilda
These videos are absolutely amazing!!!
Love that you doing Skyrim
Skyrim glitches Are the Funniest Glitches in Gaming History 😂
Wdym? It's an easter egg :/
@@vladdietheladdie7345 Just Saying Skyrim has Funny Glitches
@@ARTHUR-MORGAN5 that it does 🗿
About the "Old" Rorikstead. 1- Rorik is lying; 2- He simply rebuilt a new town at the same place of the older one; 3- There aren't a lot of probable places around that could be the ruins of the O
old town, one of them it's just to north, close to the border with the Reach, that huge fort runned by bandits, however the other ruins are too far, specially a nearby mining village, the other ruins are just Draugr dungeons, including the vampire lair close to the town itself.
I played Skyrim on Xbox back in the day... haven't played it in a long time though. After Saturday I'm off for 2 weeks from work so I may fuck around and download it and some mods on my pc and have a nice little walk down memory lane lol
100% worth it, just remember that no matter how unrecognisable the game, it's still Skyrim.
@@Fizhy ill definitely have to keep that in mind
I L-O-V-E this video, and well done 👍on making the whole thing interesting and entertaining all the way through, with laughs too!
I thoroughly enjoyed it, I love 💗 Skyrim, I am a dedicated fan of this game, and seen lots of videos,
But yours is by far my fave!
Thank you for explaining the whole headless horseman theory,
Because he showed up for me on the map waaay out of context or region of my quest line , and I thought he’d prompt a hidden quest, and deliver some kind of awesome weapon or armour, but I followed him around for countless minutes , he took me all around the dang map.. for real…(🤣) only to be disappointed by what I found, so then prompted my search on the tubes for an explanation,
(To which I didn’t find one) until I found yours, and now, I know , I didn’t miss anything in particular! Haha 🤣
But your video helped put my head to rest (no pun intended 😅😂)
So I know now he is there just for fun
Too bad though, it would’ve been fun if Bethesda had made something interesting for the game with him, since he’s such a cool addition to the story line.
I’m of the opinion that he might just be Ragnar the Red who became headless by his scorned lady /shield maiden
He should’ve bought her flowers or massaged her feet once in a while
😂
Anyway,
Thanks for the video,
Anything Skyrim- I’m there!
Good job 👏
Cheers 🥂
(I’m a New sub now )
“ a good chance” my ass I’ve played Skyrim for thousands of hours and I’ve seen him twice
I have actually had a second encounter with the Headless Horseman, there is a second location he can randomly be encountered and that is Wayward Pass. I was randomly passing through it and the Headless Horseman randomly appeared and attacked me, I fought and killed him, he drops just a plain steel battle axe from the ghostly remains puddle left behind. I have only ever had this encounter once and it was at night at Wayward Pass. I’ve seen him multiple times even after going to Hamvir’s Rest. But after I fought and killed him at Wayward Pass I never saw him again on that character. Has anyone else had this encounter?
These videos are absolute peak content!
Rorikstead appears in arena which is set roughly 240 years before skyrim so its either a retcon or the towns leader is just flat out lying. Some books in game mention it from 1000's of years a go so the latter is most likely true.
likely they die, got buried in the fields, then resurrect to work on those fields and die again, its a cycle. one villager will have an option in which he says theres no mystery to their crops, but theres a vampire lair north of the village, and vampires always appear at signs of necromancy. moreover, i cant kill any of the villagers. they are set essential for nothing, which i cant understand.
The headless guy isn't always on horseback, i've seen him running behind the horse several times lol
There's no doubt he's Hamvir. Now we just must investigate who was Hamvir.
I remember I saw the Headless Horseman but forgot where it was. Never saw it at all on PS3 or PS5 but only once on PS4. I was very creeped out
What worse punishment for a braggart, than to wander the land after death without the greatest symbol of their name and "fame"...
Their face.
Literally never saw this guy until 15 minutes after seeing this video lmao
Whoever he is, I think the horseman wants help reuniting his head w/ the rest of his body so he can rest. But we can't open up the bars, so I guess he's going to be asking a lot of people for a long time.
i definitely think this easter egg is just that, a easter egg with no real reason behind it, but i like to accept the more fun version that it is indeed ragnar the red
I too logically view easter eggs as superficial references but love when a decent theory is proposed. The Ragnar the Red theory is, in my opinion, unlikely to have been intentional but it's not a bad theory.
I used to think he might be Ragnar the Red, then I followed him to Hamvir's Rest and had no clue.
You pronounce Chaurus perfectly, a lotta youtubers don't do that.
I had to narrow it down to 2 possible ways to say it and kinda coin-tossed on which pronunciation to go for.
Wow, apparently I'm one of the poor souls who didn't know there was a Headless Horseman in Skyrim until today! Never seen him, never heard of him :O Now I'll keep an eye out for any signs of a ghostly apparition on my nightly travels!
Really enjoying all your lore/theory videos!
I totally thought it was a mod when I first encountered him.
Is Ragnar perhaps the guy on the bannared mare sign? iirc there's also a guy in the loading screen wearing the same armor.
What if it’s Ragnar the red? Riding toward Whiterun from ole Rorikstead, possibly still searching for his head…
I didn't know this was a thing. I'm glad I learned about it here, because I'd hate to come across it in the game and freak myself out, lol.
Oh, there once was a hero named Ragnar the Red Who came riding to Whiterun from ole Rorikstead
And the braggart did swagger and brandish his blade As he told of bold battles and gold he had made
But then he went quiet, did Ragnar the Red When he met the shieldmaiden, Matilda, who said:
"Oh you talk, and you lie, and you drink all our mead Now I think it's high time that you lie down and bleed"
And so then came clashing and slashing of steel As the brave lass Matilda charged in full of zeal
And the braggart named Ragnar was boastful no more When his ugly red head rolled around on the floor
How did we get so lucky to get two elder scrolls videos so close together thank you fizhy lol
I hope you make a video discussing the horseless headsman next! :^)
Whiterun is a curious hold isn't it? I've always wondered if balgruufs wife's death is connected to the rorikstead conspiracy well assuming she's even dead
Carrying a "blade" isn't really a contradiction though. Axes have blades!
Honestly scared me the first time I saw it.
I had to stop playing and look it up because it was just so bizarre and it didn’t have a quest, so I was like “oh my god….everything I think might be wrong and ghosts might be real and my Arcade Model Xbox 360 is haunted….why did mom have to get the cheap one??!”
But thankfully it was 2012 and so I looked it up (well, I texted a friend about it and he had seen it and looked it up. I didn’t have a personal laptop and did not have a smartphone yet….and realized it was a little fun Easter egg….)
It is possible that there was something there before The new village formed but it was so long ago that nobody actually remembers the name of it. So they just called it the Old village keeping the name the same since everybody already knows what it is and where it is in current day
With the mentions of rorikstead i think a video based on rorikstead would be nice as it's believed rorikstead is cursed.
Homie is a vampire I think, he's lying to you