The Divines are the Aedric deities which make up the official pantheon of the Cyrodilic Empire, and thus have been worshiped all across Tamriel. Their membership was defined by Saint Alessia at the founding of the First Empire in the aftermath of the rebellion she led. Her now-emancipated people had long ago adopted the Aldmeri religion of their Ayleid captors, but the rebellion had only been won with the aid of armies from Skyrim, who adhered to the Nordic pantheon.
Alessia could not force either group to adopt the religion of the other, for fear of starting another war which would tear apart the newborn Empire. Instead, she developed an elegant synthesis of both traditions, combining common archetypes (mother goddess, god of death, etc.) and avoiding drastic changes. This new pantheon was the Eight Divines, commonly called simply the Eight.
This pantheon would stand for thousands of years, until Tiber Septim's reunification of Tamriel and declaration of the Third Era. Upon his death, so great were his deeds that he achieved apotheosis and joined the ranks of the Divines. Known as Talos, the ascended emperor was accorded a lofty position among the gods, who now numbered the Nine Divines.
known as Auri-El (or Auriel) to the Aldmer, and Bormahu (Father) to the dragons, and Alkosh to the Khajiit is the chief deity of the Eight or Nine Divines
He is present in most Tamrielic religions.His avatar is a golden dragon, and he is often called the Dragon God of Time. He is generally considered to be the first of the Gods to form in the Beginning Place.
Arkay, Lord of the Wheel of Life, is a member of the Divines, and also a popular god in other cultures. Arkay is often more important in those cultures where his father, Akatosh, is either less related to time or where his time aspects are difficult to comprehend by the layman. He is the god of burials and funeral rites, and is generally associated with cyclical occasions, such as the seasons and life/death. His priests are staunch opponents of necromancy and all forms of the undead, and are empowered to bestow Arkay's blessings which prevent the forceful misuse of a mortal soul.
Dibella, as Goddess of Beauty, is the embodiment of beauty and teaches mortals to seek truth through beauty and worship. Those who follow the teachings of Dibella, and propagate beauty and promote harmony, are granted charm and grace.
The Goddess teaches that mortals should give themselves to love, and commands them to open their hearts to "the noble secrets of art and love. Treasure the gifts of friendship. Seek joy and inspiration in the mysteries of love".
She teaches that, "No matter the seed, if the shoot is nurtured with love, will not the flower be beautiful?", and blesses the love of those which is pure and untainted.
Julianos, Aedric God of Wisdom and Logic, governing the realms of literature, law, history, and contradiction. He is usually associated with magic, and thus is often revered by wizards. Jhunal, the Nordic father of language and mathematics, fell out of favor in the Nordic pantheon, after which he became Julianos of the Divines. Monastic orders founded by Tiber Septim and dedicated to Julianos are the keepers of the Elder Scrolls. He is particularly venerated among many Imperials and Bretons. As a Divine, he represents the virtue of learning, scholarship, and justice. He is said to "incant the Damned Equation". His symbol is a triangle.
Kynareth is the goddess of the heavens, the winds, the elements, and the unseen spirits of the air. She is a member of the Eight/Nine Divines and Patron of sailors and travelers. Kynareth is often invoked for auspicious stars at birth and for good fortune in daily life. In some legends, she is the first to agree to Lorkhan's divine plan to create the mortal plane, and provides the space in the void for its creation. Furthermore, she is associated with rain, a phenomenon that is said not to have occurred before the removal of Lorkhan's divine spark.
Mara, also known as Mother Mara, Mother Mild, and the Divine Mother, is the Goddess of Love, Fertility, Agriculture, and Compassion. She is also acclaimed as the Mother-Goddess, and is one of the Divines.
In the Merethic Era, Mara was originally worshipped simply as a fertility goddess, but the sphere of the Divine later extended to agriculture and love. Nir, the female principle of the cosmos credited as the mother of creation, is occasionally associated with Mara as a result of her role as the goddess of fertility and agriculture. Mara is considered a near universal deity as the Divine is featured in the pantheons of all the races of the continent of Tamriel.