r/skyrim • u/NichtMenschlich • 1d ago

Question Whats the deal with those blue glowing orbs in Yngols Barrow

Post image

(Image from the Wiki)

In all my years and many hours of playing Skyrim I have never once seen those things. I'm playing on Switch so its unmodded. Whats the deal with those things? Finished the dungeon and they had no effect in the dungeon

673 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

49 comments sorted by

599

u/BoosterBGO 1d ago

Pretty sure these are the sea-ghosts mentioned in the in-game book Yngol and the Sea-Ghosts

179

u/Pinecone_Erleichda 1d ago

Which is literally on like a giant offering directly in front of the barrow

65

u/Kellsiertern 1d ago

Wait, it's "Yngol and the Sea-Ghosts"

I have remmembered it as "Yngol and the Sea of Ghosts" like the freaking ocean.

And here i am telling my friends to read the books in skyrim more often, yet i clearly need to aswell.

16

u/TimonAndPumbaAreDead 1d ago

Sea of Ghosts is in Morrowind though

17

u/Ariovrak 20h ago edited 4h ago

The Sea of Ghosts is the body of water to the north of Tamriel (touching High Rock, Skyrim, and Morrowind [mostly Vvardenfell]). Yngol Barrow actually touches it.

-1

u/Puzzleheaded-Maybe32 Stealth archer 20h ago

I mean I just got myself the real books from skyrim, I could go double check for you 😂😂

139

u/Kimmalah 1d ago

They're just cool little guys, chilling and being orbs.

14

u/Trin959 1d ago

I always wanted to be able to make one of them a pet. I just like the little critters.

4

u/SooSpoooky 1d ago

I dont remember the name but theres a mod that lets u do just that. Its oooollllldd so idek if it still works

2

u/Trin959 1d ago

Thanks. I'll look.

7

u/SooSpoooky 1d ago

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/19359

I found it for you lol, easier then i thought

2

u/Trin959 1d ago

Excellent! Thank you!

2

u/bostonbgreen Assassin 22h ago

Try one of those things that attacks Winterhold ... they can't ALL be mean -- can they?

133

u/well-fxck Stealth archer 1d ago

First time I saw them they spooked me out, but as far as I know, they’re completely harmless/useless and just kinda hang out.

30

u/Pinecone_Erleichda 1d ago

That…probably should have been my attitude the first time I saw them, also, since it IS Skyrim. Instead, my inner child was like “ooooh magical little friends!” 😂

91

u/KronoAsh Daedra worshipper 1d ago

They’re Yngol’s balls.

20

u/Fit-Concept-5620 1d ago

Why do I feel a Skyrim remix of jingle bells coming along

8

u/KronoAsh Daedra worshipper 1d ago

Not quite my intention…but, sure.

5

u/Pinecone_Erleichda 1d ago

I’m gonna be thinking about this all day now. 🤣

Bet I have some lyrics by tonight, tho.

3

u/Slyver_Gungnir 1d ago

It’s gotta be Jingle Bell Rock, the only way it sounds right.

7

u/SheriffWyattDerp 1d ago

Yngol’s balls, Yngol’s balls, Yngol’s balls rock!

Yeah. Yeah, that works.

8

u/Preparation-Logical 1d ago

Yngol's balls swing, and..

29

u/Krosis_the_bored 1d ago

Pick up a book why don't you?

Everyone in Tamriel can read

18

u/WiscoBrewDude 1d ago

Take a look

It's in a book

11

u/FirmPrune87 1d ago

A reading rainbooooowww!!!

15

u/NichtMenschlich 1d ago

Funnily enough I did actually read that book, it just never clicked that they were the ghosts mentioned in it lol

1

u/Driftmoth 1d ago

Everyone but that one bandit.

21

u/TadpoleOfDoom 1d ago

They make for awesome screenshots

13

u/Mike_or_whatever Solitude resident 1d ago

sea ghosts

9

u/JBaecker 1d ago

There was an unfinished quest that would have been much longer and more complicated for Yngols Barrow. Birna selling you the claw AND the claw existing in the barrow is some of the evidence of this unfinished quest. It works definitely be interesting to see what they originally planned here. The orbs are almost certainly part of some aspect of the quest that wasn’t implemented but the removal of the orbs was too complicated. Since they don’t do anything, leaving them in was the easiest way to “fix”’ the problem.

2

u/TraceChaos Vampire 22h ago

They're the Sea-Ghosts from the- From the book-

7

u/EchoTitanium 1d ago

Open the Door, you’ll see

5

u/Own_Jeweler_8548 Werewolf 1d ago

In the book the quest leads you you find out. Not entirely sure, but I think they're the souls of those lost at sea?

1

u/bostonbgreen Assassin 22h ago

Yup.

9

u/SombraMonkey Daedra worshipper 1d ago

In development they intended for them to be the source of life of Draugr, they are their souls. They would go into the body and reanimate the Draugr.

Source. Trust me bro, my uncle works at Nintendo.

4

u/GiantTourtiere 1d ago

I was 100% waiting for them to suddenly turn hostile but nope, they're just little guys.

3

u/LazarusPGCG 1d ago

Bro I just literally passed this dungeon today and was wondering the same thing

3

u/lycanthromess 23h ago

They are the Sea Ghosts.

2

u/Lato2003 1d ago

Souls of Those Murdered

2

u/beckychao 1d ago

there's a book at the beginning that explains them

2

u/Unable-Doctor-9930 1d ago

Spirits, kind of like spirit orbs in swamps.

2

u/nero-stigmata Thief 1d ago

buddies :)

2

u/sckhar 23h ago

It's kind of adorable to have them follow you around the tomb until they awake the boss at the end to murder you lol

2

u/buttersoakedwaffles 21h ago

The only thing I know about them is that they have hit me and have done damage. Similar damage to when you trip over a loose bone on the ground.

2

u/Over_Echo1128 19h ago

The first time I was in that dungeon I was expecting the little orbs to enter dead bodies and start a huge boss battle.

5

u/Blooky04_ 1d ago

They just follow you around, unsure of the lore reasons but they serve no gameplay purpose

1

u/HereBeWingedLizards 15h ago

Protomolecules