Do Skaven Worship Nurgle? Unraveling the Ratmen’s Complex Relationship with Chaos
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The question of whether the Skaven, the infamous ratmen of Warhammer lore, worship Nurgle, the Chaos God of plague and decay, is a complex one. The short answer is not primarily. While Skaven are beings of filth and decay and therefore have an affinity for Nurgle, they are overwhelmingly devoted to their own unique deity: The Horned Rat. However, the relationship between Skaven and Nurgle isn’t completely devoid of interaction. There are nuances that make their association more intriguing than a simple black-and-white answer would suggest. While the vast majority of Skaven follow the Horned Rat exclusively, some exceptions exist, particularly amongst those that live in the depths of the Under-Empire. Let’s delve into the details to better understand their association.
Skaven Devotion to the Horned Rat
The Horned Rat: A Unique Chaos Deity
The Horned Rat stands as the primary focus of Skaven worship. He is a deity of chaos, yes, but not one of the four great Chaos Gods like Nurgle, Khorne, Tzeentch, or Slaanesh. The Horned Rat is a lesser Chaos God, a powerful entity nonetheless, deeply woven into the fabric of Skaven society and existence. His symbol, a rough equilateral triangle, is pervasive among Skaven architecture, weapons, and even their fur markings. The number 13 is sacred to him, and his followers often conduct rituals and machinations in multiples of this number.
The Horned Rat is a god of destruction, disease, and insatiable hunger, reflecting the core desires and nature of the Skaven. While he is a Chaos god, he is also fiercely jealous and doesn’t appreciate his followers worshipping other deities. This makes the Skaven, in general, highly resistant to becoming outright devoted to Nurgle despite their shared themes of decay.
Skaven and the End Times: An Exception
The established Skaven faith is to the Horned Rat, but during the catastrophic period known as the End Times, a significant shift occurred. The Horned Rat, through an act of ambition and sheer power, ascended to become a full member of the Chaos Pantheon, joining the ranks of Nurgle, Khorne, Tzeentch, and Slaanesh. This dramatic event blurred the lines, officially bringing the Skaven into the larger sphere of Chaos. This event is important to note as it is outside the norm of regular lore, and is only relevant to the end times.
Prior to this, Skaven had only been considered to be corrupted by chaos, which is why they are Skaven. The physical form of chaos energy is called Warpstone, which heavily influences the Skaven race, and gives them their unnatural drive for destruction and malice.
Skaven Secret Cults and Nurgle’s Appeal
While widespread devotion to Nurgle is rare, there are instances of Skaven secretly worshipping Nurgle. These are typically Skaven living in the deepest reaches of the under-empire, those who deal with sickness and decay constantly, and may be exposed to it. This deviation from their strict religious adherence to the Horned Rat stems from a few factors:
- Shared Themes: The Skaven are beings of filth, disease, and decay. Nurgle, as the god of these things, has a natural pull on Skaven due to their corrupted and filth laden nature,
- Pragmatism: Some Skaven see Nurgle’s blessings of plague and resilience to disease as a practical advantage. They may seek his favor for survival or to gain power in their brutal society.
- Secret Rebellion: In their cutthroat society, where even religion is a matter of power play, some Skaven may turn to Nurgle as a form of rebellion against the Horned Rat’s absolute dominance.
These Nurgle-worshipping Skaven are often seen as outliers and are not representative of the broader Skaven populace. Such Skaven may have a physical appearance that is not usual among the Skaven, such as green tinges to their skin, or signs of mutations gifted by Nurgle.
The Skaven and Chaos Alignment
While Skaven are corrupted by Chaos and their god is a Chaos deity, they haven’t traditionally been overtly aligned with the four major Chaos Gods until The End Times. Skaven are more concerned with their own schemes and internal struggles. The Skaven are much more likely to war with each other, than any other race in the Warhammer setting. Skaven are kept as a secret by the various empires of the Warhammer world, due to the fact that an empire that is focused on hunting down the under empire is a threat to all Skaven-kind.
The Horned Rat’s Jealousy
The Horned Rat is depicted as a jealous god who desires total devotion from his followers. He would likely not tolerate widespread worship of other Chaos gods among the Skaven, and would seek to punish those that stray from his path. The constant infighting and backstabbing nature of Skaven Society is often attributed to the influence of the Horned Rat, who encourages this.
No Notable Accord
There isn’t any notable accord or alliance between the Skaven and Nurgle’s forces. Skaven have more in common with Beastmen, who are also products of chaos corruption, than the Daemonic legions of Nurgle. The Skaven are primarily self-serving and tend to pursue their own ambitions, which don’t often align with the goals of Nurgle or any of the other great Chaos Gods, outside of The End Times.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while the Skaven are creatures of filth and decay that share some thematic overlap with Nurgle, they do not primarily worship him. Their allegiance lies firmly with their own unique Chaos deity, The Horned Rat, who is jealous and demands their sole devotion. Some Skaven might secretly engage in Nurgle worship out of pragmatism, rebellion, or due to their environment, but these instances are isolated and not reflective of the entire Skaven species. The Skaven-Nurgle relationship is one of complex shared themes and very occasional secret deviation, rather than an overt religious allegiance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Who is the Horned Rat?
The Horned Rat is the primary deity of the Skaven. He is a lesser Chaos God, a powerful being that embodies the Skaven’s lust for destruction, disease, and conquest. He is usually depicted as a giant rat with curved horns.
2. What is the symbol of the Horned Rat?
His symbol is a rough equilateral triangle, and his sacred number is 13.
3. Are Skaven aligned with Chaos?
Yes, Skaven are corrupted by Chaos, and their god, the Horned Rat, is a Chaos deity. However, they only became officially aligned with Chaos during The End Times.
4. What is Warpstone?
Warpstone is the physical form of pure Chaos energy. It heavily influences the Skaven race, giving them their unnatural drive for destruction and malice.
5. Why are Skaven kept a secret?
Skaven are kept secret because an empire that focuses on the Under-Empire is a threat to all Skaven-kind. It’s more efficient for other factions to let Skaven kill each other than to unite them against a common foe.
6. Do Skaven have red eyes?
Yes, Skaven have glowing red eyes that can be seen in the dark.
7. Why do Skaven worship bells?
Skaven worship bells, most notably the Screaming Bell, because they are a symbol of their creation legend. The Grey Seers preach their plans of total domination from these unholy altars.
8. Who is the richest Skaven clan?
Clan Moulder is one of the wealthiest Skaven clans due to the demand for their mutated war-beasts.
9. What are the main traits of Skaven?
Skaven are rat-like humanoids with fur, claws, a snout, a tail, and a penchant for backstabbing and war. They live in a cutthroat society.
10. Who does Nurgle hate?
Tzeentch and Slaanesh are the gods that Nurgle hates the most. They represent change, sensation, and new experiences which clash with his nature.
11. Is Nurgle a nice guy?
In a twisted sense, Nurgle is the most “friendly” of the Chaos Gods. He cares for his followers and embraces them no matter how ugly or afflicted they are. Nurgle is the only one that will love you even if you’re the ugliest thing alive, in a twisted, warped way.
12. Who is Nurgle in love with?
Nurgle is often associated with Isha, a goddess of life and rejuvenation whom he holds captive and subjects to constant plagues, knowing she will recover.
13. How does Khorne feel about Nurgle?
Khorne and Nurgle have a tense relationship, though not as outright hateful as with Slaanesh and Tzeentch. They clash on a fundamental level, with one being a warrior of rage and the other a god of plague and stagnation. Of the main 4 gods, Nurgle is the one that Khorne hates the least.
14. Who is the weakest Chaos God?
Slaanesh is generally considered the weakest of the Chaos Gods, as his very nature is chaotic and unfocused.
15. Who is the youngest Chaos God?
Slaanesh is also the youngest of the Chaos Gods, born from the fall of the ancient Aeldari empire.