I'm just speculating, but maybe the big statue in Cyrodiil is Alduin. Think about it. Akatosh and Alduin are two sides of the same coin, right? Maybe at the climix the avatar of Alduin/Akatosh reawakens.

I don't think so, I just can't see Alduin saving the world from Dagon just to come back later and wipe it out/reset it. I think they're separate entities. He's the nord counterpart of Akatosh, but that doesn't mean he's related to him, just that he is the dragon of time for the nordic religion

Hm, I think there's only one group of gods and that they're called differently in different cultures so the OP may be right.

I don;t think its ever been said that the 9 divines are the only gods in tamerial, except in in game, in character books, and of course an author who believes in a certain pantheon would say its the correct one, and all other cultures are just ripping off them.

They are different aspects of the same God. Akatosh didn't exist until Alessia made enough people believe that he existed. I think Alduin existed before that.

Alduin = Akatosh

Akatosh = name of the God in Cyrodiil
Alduin = name of the God in Skyrim

He just have a new avatar, more terrible, this time. And not that avatar of a golden dragon on fire.

I just don't think it quit works out like that. Alduin is according to in game lore, nothing like Akatosh other thanhe's a dragon, and has something to do with time. Whether they started as the same entity and worship some how created to seperate entities out of them, or if they were always two separate entities, Alduin and Akatosh are most definitely not the same entity.

Here you go: http://www.imperial-library.info/content/morrowind-varieties-faith-empire

And here: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Akatosh See the first line.

Think of it as being split personalities, as opposed to simply having another name.

That's actually the same thing I got my info from hahaha.I don't know, I just don't see how they can be the same entity. Akatosh saves the world at the end of Oblivion, and now he's just going to get rid of it?

I can deffinitly see where that can be taken as they are the same entity, and before Alduin was said to be the villain of Skyrim, I always assumed the Nords where just wrong in their idea of Alduin/Akatosh...but apparently they are both right? Alduin the World Eater is also the god who has helped found the Empire and formed the covenant with the Septims to protect it from Oblivion.

I just can't easily swallow Akatosh and Alduin being the same god, with such wildly different ways of handling things/beliefs about them. I'm probably wrong, and hopefully if I am the reasoning is explained in game, but I guess in till then I'm just going to be a hold out, haha.

Edit edit edit edit edit: Bah, so, scouring the UESP wiki more, specifically the Aedra page, I came upon this here quote "Since that act at Convention, the identities of the Aedra have changed greatly and become subject to disruption and even modification by the actions of mortals." If the nords believe Akatosh is an apocalyptic monster of resetting the world, and the Imperial believe he is the nice chief god, he has to be both, because Lorkhan made it so they are pretty much changed by whatever mortals think of them.

So much for being a hold out....

I stand down, humbly admit I was dead wrong.

Nope. Split personlity.

Also, very important: Akatosh came after Alduin. Akatosh didn't exist until Alessia, whilst Alduin has existed since the beginning on Mundus.

Yeah, I edited my post after I read the Aedra page on the UESP wiki. Turns out the Aedra are forcibly changed depending on what mortals beleive they are, resaulting in things like split personalities.

I was wrong, and am glad to have my explanation!

That was Martin in the form of Akatosh... in Oblivion Akatosh takes on the form of a much less sinister-looking Dragon because thats how people want to see him at that moment, in Skyrim when the ACTUAL Akatosh/Alduin returns, he will be in the form of something much more sinister due to people being afraid of his return.

Alduin was the one that created Tamriel and know he wants to do the same thing destroy the *old* world and creat a knew one but know we have Dovahkiin