Where is Tamriel in Relation to Skyrim?

As a passionate Elder Scrolls fan, I‘m delighted to provide some mythic history and cosmic cartography to answer a common question new wanderers ask: where exactly is the storied continent of Tamriel in relation to the frigid northern lands I explore in Skyrim? Read on for legends, maps and lore to situate yourself in this endlessly fascinating world…

The Continental Scope: Tamriel as ES‘ Mythic Motherland

Let‘s start big picture – Tamriel is the central continent where all Elder Scrolls games have occurred in ES‘ meticulously crafted fantasy setting. Home to 10 races of man and mer (elves), Tamriel spans frozen tundra to the north in Skyrim, tropical jungles down south in Valenwood and everything in between. It‘s akin to ES‘ version of Europe – a massive, varied landmass whose history, cultures and landscapes provide endless adventures.

I‘ve mapped out some key supercontinent/continent comparisons below:

So when embarking on epic quests in the cold, mountainous North, recall you‘re just in one frostbitten fraction of Tamriel‘s full expanse!

A Creation Myth for the Ages: How Tamriel Came to Be

Now, zooming out cosmic scale, how did Tamriel come to occupy its space within Nirn‘s orbited heavens? The answer lies in turbulent clashes between wandering Ehlnofey and their settled kin – a theological tug of war between stasis and change that forged the very soil of Tamriel.

Here‘s my summary of the key events in this Dawn Era mytho-genesis:

• Wandering Ehlnofey came to Nirn after their home realm collapsed, and claimed Tamriel as their new home
• Old Ehlnofey, who had settled Tamriel ages before, fought the newcomers in a reality-rending magical conflict
• Their discordant energies mixed and stabilized into the lands, waters, skies and lifeforms of Tamriel as we now know it
• Though no mortal witnessed this, scholars have pieced together oral histories into this accepted Creation myth

So with violent cosmic convulsions, Tamriel coalesced into habitable form – mountains, forests and all. Pretty epic origin story for ES‘ central continent, establishing themes of conflict and theology that still shape events eons later!

Having situated Tamriel‘s cosmological location, let‘s zoom back in to examine Skyrim‘s home within its mythic motherland…

Skyrim Defined: Northernmost Reach of Tamriel

As fans know well, Skyrim comprises Tamriel‘s northernmost reach – a snow strewn realm whose hardy Nords thrive amid windswept peaks, ancient ruins and shadowed pine forests.

Let‘s examine some key stats:

• Size: At roughly 15 square miles, Skyrim offers 130+ dungeons across diverse biomes
• Capital: Solitude, seat of the High King boasting soaring archways and stonework
• Settlements: Cities like Windhelm, Dawnstar, Morthal and more dot the rugged landscape
• History: From the ancient Dragon War to conflicts like the civil Skyrim Civil War, this land has seen much bloodshed
• People/Culture: Hardened Nords, steeped in tales of valor, mead and fighting the good fight against elvenkind

Given such details, we can summarize Skyrim thusly:

Skyrim – Northernmost region of Tamriel, cold and mountainous home to the warrior-people Nords, ruled by High King in capital Solitude

Hopefully this gives readers a clearer sense of how Skyrim fits into the sprawling continental jigsaw that is mythic Tamriel!

Digging Deeper: Obscure Tamrielic Lore Bits Revealed

As a devoted ES scholar, I can‘t resist sharing some more obscure morsels of cosmology and metaphysics surrounding Tamriel‘s origins. Consider these tantalizing lore tidbits my treats for equally ravenous fans!

• Mundus (Nirn‘s cosmic mini-realm) may have formed from the slain body of Lorkhan, a trickster god. Tamriel arose amid the gore and sinews!
• The Ehlnofey War marked the "death of the first world" – some scholars believe early Nirn was a pure, idyllic realm before its fall let Mundus manifest.
• Lost history suggests Tamriel hosted a prior Amaranth civilization – Tonal Architects who ascended into godhood and left remnants of numinous Engineering!

Such arcana send my imagination alight – hopefully sharing it invokes readers‘ sense of mystery too! We‘ve barely scratched the eternity-spanning layers of reality-shaping lore underlying even simple questions like Tamriel‘s cosmic address.

To conclude, I sincerely hope this guide has provided richer context, maps and creation legends around where exactly mythical Tamriel – and Skyrim within it – reside in the Elder Scrolls firmament! May readers journey between snow capped peaks to tropical coasts in their own adventures across ES‘ unmatched fantasy realm!