Summary
While Dragons are the focus ofSkyrim, the titular kingdom is inhabited by a variety of creatures, big and small. These range from normal animals like deer and wolves to fantasy creatures like giants and Spriggans. A few animals also closely resemble real-world creatures but with a fantasy twist. These include the mammoths, gorilla-like trolls, andthe walrus-like Horkersinhabiting the icy northern coast.
Morrowindplayers first encountered Horkers in theBloodmoonexpansion, and they later appeared in Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls Online. However, the creatures change radically from game to game. While theSkyrimandESOHorkers could be the same creature in different art styles, theMorrowindversion looks nothing like its later counterparts. While one might be tempted to write it off as a retcon, there is a canon in-universe explanation.
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The Different Horkers in The Elder Scrolls
Horkers look and act so differently from game to game because they aren’t the same creatures in each installment. This detail isn’t revealed anywhere in the games but comes from The Art of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, theofficial art book included in 2011’sSkyrim: Collector’s Edition. Page 115 features several pieces of concept art and an untextured 3D model of a Horker. In the bottom right corner of the page, the book explains, “The Horkers in Skyrim more closely resemble a walrus than the seal-like bodies from Solstheim. The truth is that Nords call any sea mammal a Horker.”
While that might seem strange, these overly broad names are common in real life. For example, in old English, the word “corn” used to simply mean “grain.” Or, to use a more modern example, “bug” technically refers to a specific category of insects. However, people often use it as a generic word to describe insects, arachnids, centipedes, and other arthropods. Notably, the book was written long before ESO came out, and thus only talks about the differences between Horkers inBloodmoonandSkyrim. However, being a different species would explain the appearance and behavior of Horkers inThe Elder Scrolls Online.
Bloodmoon Horkers
Bloodmoon’s Horkers are perhaps the strangest of the bunch. Native tothe island of Solstheim, their bodies resemble a harp seal or similar creature and have white or black fur. However, their most distinct physical feature is the long, tube-like snout with two large tusks at the bottom and a third, smaller on the top. Their forepaws are also quite large relative to the rest of their bodies and end in three long fingers.
Skyrim Horkers
SkyrimHorkers resemble walruses but are noticeably wrinklier than their real-life counterparts. Another difference betweenBloodmoon’s andSkyrim’s Horkers is that the latter’s tusks are all the same size. Their stubby forearms end in four-fingered flippers rather than hands. This species of Horker can be found all along Skyrim’s coast, the offshore ice flows in the Sea of Ghosts, and on Solstheim.
Skyrim’s in-game book “Horker Attacks” references a story of a Horker saving a girl from drowning, but friendly Horkers never appear in-game.
ESO Horkers
Found on the coasts of theDLC areas Wrothgar and Western Skyrim,Elder Scroll’sOnline’s Horkers are the largest of the three. Plumper and less wrinkly than theSkyrimHorkers, they bear the closest visual resemblance to real-world walruses. Another difference is that their top tusk is larger than the bottom two, and they cross each other instead of all bending toward the same point.
The Horkers in ESO are also friendlier than the other two varieties. While Horkers inBloodmoonandSkyrimdon’t actively hunt the player, they won’t hesitate to attack ifthe Nerevarine or Dragonborndraws too close. Meanwhile,ESO’s Horkers are docile and allow players to walk right up to them.
One fan theory suggests that the Horkers inESOandSkyrimare the same species, having gone through a process of natural selection due to a mix of overhunting and competition from the Chub Loon.
