newest entry: The Bards College of Haafingar ( 2024)

This page shows how I want to combine my illustrations with handwritten text in the book „Instruments of Tamriel“. As you can see, I envision a very antique and above all handmade look for the book. Unfortunately, the text is not very close to what I had set myself as a goal, namely a form like in a manuscript from the Renaissance period: these were written incredibly evenly and finely; as an inexperienced writer, I can not imitate this without long practice. But for a first attempt, I’m content with the result!

“All music enthusiasts in the North know all about the ancient & famous Bards College, which should not be confused with the College of the Voice in Markarth, where the Thu’um, the Voice of the Nords, is taught. Haafingar, on the other hand, is dedicated to the training of bards, known as skalds in these parts. It is therefore perhaps not surprising that this place is home to the largest collection of ancient musical instruments in the entire mainland of Tamriel!
The cold vaults of the present archive feature almost every conceivable class of instrument - with the exception of magiphones, which have only recently become common among the rarely magic-loving Nords.
What is particularly impressive, however, is that students and guests are allowed to perform on them regularly without any regard to the age of an object! What is evident here is a lively approach to music that even the proud High Elves could take as their model. One could argue that it is not enough to merely freeze the old instruments: For us to understand our ancestors, their music must resound! Amnidemescani mesarquis opes summaedrescani!”