The Skaal are the only people with a clearly monotheistic faith I've encountered so far in Tamriel. However, I'm confused about their afterlife belief because of contradictory statements. Shaman Storn Crag-Strider says the following:
"I also remind the Skaal to live as one with nature and to honor the will of the All-Maker, so that we'll be worthy to join him in death."
So according to Storn's statement it seems the Skaal believe in eternal life with God in Heaven. But when I read "Children of the All-Maker" I read the following statement:
"When a creature dies, its spirit returns to the All-Maker, who shapes it into something new and returns it to Mundus."
The author, Tharstan of Solitude, told me he studied the Skaal almost a year now. In Morrowind Bloodmoon I so far never went far enough to have deep conversations with the Skaal, since Bloodmoon Skaal aren't as open-minded as described by Tharstan (I can only talk to the Skaal man whose son I have saved). Is there any clear final information on whether the Skaal believe in reincarnation or in eternal life in the hereafter?
Best Answer
Well, if you take a closer look the statements aren't contradictory at all, in fact they tell the whole story.
The Shaman makes the statement of what to do to be worthy of joining the All-Maker when they die, but there's nothing being said about what happens after joining Him, so you can't conclude anything about eternal life, as it is not mentioned (if you do, that would be an assumption, which you actually assumed when you said it seemed that way).
The other statement actually talks about what happens after you die, i.e., after you join the All-Maker, by saying He re-shapes you and returns you back to Mundus.
So the first statement covers the path you have to take to be worthy and join the All-Maker, and the second one covers the next part, after joining Him you get to be shaped and sent back. So to answer your question, yes they do (assuming those statements/sources to be true and reliable).