Lore:Butterfly

A monarch butterfly

Butterflies are diurnal insects with colorful wings. Their larvae are known as caterpillars.^[1] Nets are sometimes used to catch them.^[2] Migratory monarch butterflies are a common sight across all of southern Tamriel, and are seen in the northern provinces during summer. In contrast to the Ancestor Moth, which represents the past, monarch butterflies are said to represent the souls of the present.^[3] Blue butterflies are common in Skyrim.^[4] Butterflies are often associated with Sheogorath, and serve as a sign of his influence.^[5] The buildings of his Shivering Isles are essentially sentient as they are actually made out of butterflies.^[6]^[7] Pyandonean swallowtails once swept through and sung in the Imperial Palace.^[8]

The Argonians of Black Marsh are known to eat butterflies. Live butterflies are served in a woven tray with a netted lid (referred to as "ajum"). They are best served with the wings intact, though many outsiders that try butterflies opt to remove the wings before consumption. The art of Iuheeez ("wing folding") is a culinary practice wherein Argonian chefs use their claws to bend and fold a live butterfly's wings into tiny, edible sculptures. Green Slipper-Tails are described as the sweetest species of slipper-tail butterflies, and taste like honey-grass with a sweet but chalky finish.^[1]

Azura's cult of Lepidopterans was known for their butterfly-themed masks.^[9]