Lore:Jagged Crown

Maw unleashing razor snow,

Of dragons from the blue brought down,

Births the walking winter's woe,

The High King in his Jagged Crown. — Ancient Nordic verse

The Jagged Crown is a symbol of office for the High King of Skyrim, a symbol of the might and power of the ruler of the Nords going back to the time of High King Harald (1E 143-221), or even before. Legend holds that it was forged from the bones and teeth of ancient dragons by Harald himself. A portion of the power of every king who has worn it is said to be contained within.

The Jagged Crown heralds back to a time before there were Moots, when the High King reigned by right of arms and collective adulation. But in 1E 369, High King Borgas was killed by the Wild Hunt when he traveled to Cyrodiil to urge for a joint war against the Bosmer of Valenwood. His body was secretly returned to Skyrim, and the Jagged Crown was interred with him in Korvanjund. While legend held that the crown was buried with Borgas, the resting place of the last in the line of the Ysgramor dynasty was lost to history in the ensuing War of Succession which engulfed Skyrim. Thousands of years would pass before the Jagged Crown would again see the light of day. Due to the instability that occurred following the War of Succession, the Crown of Verity was created in the Second Era to succeed the Jagged Crown. Its goal was to help unify Skyrim behind a new monarch.

In 4E 201, during the Stormcloak Rebellion, possessing the Jagged Crown became a key point of contention between the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloaks, as it was believed that the crown would serve as a potent symbol of legitimacy, and so both factions sought to reclaim the crown for their claimants, Elisif the Fair and Ulfric Stormcloak respectively. Eventually, Ulfric's housecarl, Galmar Stone-Fist, learned of the location of Borgas' tomb from sources that he refused to divulge, and when spies for the Empire learned of this discovery, a race to reclaim the crown began.

Gallery

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  The Jagged Crown (Skyrim)

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  High King Borgas wearing the Jagged Crown (Skyrim)

See Also

• For game-specific information, see the Skyrim article.
• Diadem of Diagna
• Red Dragon Crown