The races ofThe Elder Scrollsoften have interesting backgrounds and lore that only grows weirder the more someone looks into it. Some of the bigger events like the complete disappearance of theDwemer (or Dwarves)and the very existence of Akavir, a country filled with monstrous races, are mostly shrouded in mystery. Yet, for races like the Khajiit, Dark Elves, and even Wood Elves (or Bosmer), a lot of it is rather defined.
The Green Pact Bosmer, specifically, have some of the most interesting lore in all of Tamriel. Essentially, in Valenwood, The Green Pact was an oath made by the Wood Elves to Y’ffre, the forest deity, and it has defined their culture inside and outside of Valenwood. It’s likely manyreligions inThe Elder Scrolls, though, and players will find some who take it more seriously and others who don’t. Yet, there’s even a reason for this: the Green Pact only applies to the woods of Valenwood.
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The Elder Scrolls, Valenwood, Wood Elves, and Cannibalism, Oh My!
InThe Elder Scrolls, The Green Pact prevents followers from consuming anything but meat and prohibits the use of wood or vegetation as building materials, food, and smokable substances. Green Pact Bosmer cannot harm tree or plant life, nor can they alter its form in any way. Perhaps the wildest aspect of The Green Pact is the Meat Mandate, which dictates a fallen enemy—even humans, beastfolk, or other elves—must be completely eaten by the killer and his family.
Notably, again, the Green Pact only applies in Valenwood and is only followed by clans found deep in the jungle. Many still follow its tenets or have found workarounds for these, such as using imported, non-Valenwood materials for building things. The Meat Mandate is one of the least followed by theFourth Era inThe Elder Scrolls, but there are tribes in Valenwood who hold to it strictly. Still, many of The Green Pact’s influences are still felt.
For example, Bosmer use fermented meat and milk to create alcoholic beverages, which are not likely to taste anywhere near good.Bows they use inThe Elder Scrolls, even among non-Green Pact Wood Elves, are generally made of treated and/or imported wood or bone, and the use of stone/imported wood for construction is a result of the Green Pact.
The Green Pact is Odd, but It Has a Point
Back whenthe Green Pactwas formed, some Wood Elves refused to be bound to it and became known as Oathbreakers. They were defeated and buried in something known as “Ouze,” which is a mysterious component of the Green Pact. In general, there is the Ooze and the Ouze, with the former being an afterlife of stasis. By burying these Oathbreakers in Ouze, a physical manifestation of Ooze (or something like that), their spirits go to Ooze instead of elsewhere.
As gruesome as that sounds, the results of the Green Pact are not all cannibalism and death. Indeed, one bit of lore suggests that Green Pact Bosmer suffer from a lot of flatulence because they eat their enemies, even calling it “feeding the fire.” If that sounds more insulting, some Bosmer do assert this much as well and claim that it is inaccurate.
Either way, the Green Pact may be odd and some of its mandates may have fallen to the wayside by the Fourth Era, but its impact onWood Elves, their image in general society, their culture at home and abroad, and their beliefs, not just some Wood Elves' eating habits, cannot be understated. TheweirdestElder Scrollslorestill serves a point, and it’s something hopefully fans will get to see more of someday.
