Of Gods:
Hyrule is Born
The myths of Hyrule are frankly kind of fascinating.
There is a divine creator myth with hints of the earth diver motif, with idea of balance inscribed from the very first – a standard feature to myths. There are legends, prophecies, Heroes, protector spirits and more.
However, many ideas have not entered into the mythology. There are many elements but half of them are not ascribed to the gods. The origins of the people themselves are never explained. And neither are any natural phenomena. Which is weird, since cults form around them.
Anyway, it's as good an excuse as any to build on the mythos.
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Before time began, before spirits and life existed... Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule... Din... With her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru... Poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore... With her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law. The three great goddesses, their labors completed, departed for the heavens. And golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the world. Since then, the sacred triangles have become the basis of our world's providence.
This is the canon creation myth told to the Hero of Time by the Deku Tree. So far as I am aware, this is the only creation myth we are given in the entire series – there are other origin myths, but they are specific origins of peoples or objects. (Even the Hylia related tales in Skyward Sword are specific origin, not creation myths.) This passage is the making of the world.
The only other mention of an alternate version is the idea that the Oocca created Hyrule after being created by the Gods (re: Shad, Twilight Princess). Personally, I think this is bung. For starters: how could they have built anything? They have no hands, their feet aren't equipped to be prehensile, and they show no abilities past the warp-thing. Admittedly they know the technology of their homes – but not enough to fix it. They make no real effort towards self defence when the dragon invades nor do they try to repair anything as Link wanders the city – they just wander aimlessly. Even Ooccoo, an emissary, is useless when the Dominion rod runs out of power: she just throws it back at Link and gives up! Great wind tribe? I don't think so. More likely the city was abandoned by an earlier more advanced people (Wind Tribe/Skyloft) and the Oocca took up squatting there. So created a world or other race? Veeery doubtful. The Wind Tribe may have populated/built a new nation however. Still not creation or making a 'new' race – just a new tribe of the old one.
Back to the Ocarina of Time myth, I picked at it quickly:
Presumably during this process time began – but who made time? Does it simply happen as soon as the goddesses arrive and with change the moments begin to separate? Nayru is often associated with the flow of time, especially since her Oracle is the Oracle of Ages. But is manipulation of seasons or the keeping of histories (with the oracles of Din and Farore respectively) not time related as well? The Hero of Time (and all his pretty time bending tunes) and Ceilia, the Spirit of Courage and Time are connected more strongly to Farore. Due to the contradiction, however, I am more inclined to say that while they can all manipulate time, its governance belongs not to them, but rather to the Goddess of Time mentioned by Zelda and Tatl.
Gods appear: created, pulled selves from the ether, or arrived from elsewhere, we don't know.
Din, right off, is given strength, earth, fire, and oddly enough, farming. It says, specifically, "cultivation," and nuances are important. It is surprising here since agriculture and wildlife are usually attributed to Farore or other minor powers. On the other hand it does illustrated quite nicely the idea that few gods are actually restricted to what they are acknowledged patrons of, even in real world religion. (There's always jockeying in stories related to the Greek and Roman pantheons – even the supreme ruler can be overturned or faked out in his/her own domain.) It does lend some nice imagery however - Din is not just earth and fire: she's volcanoes. And FYI? Volcanic waste is great for crops.
Nayru has wisdom, water ('poured'), and law, from which we can infer morality. (Neither heroes nor villains are ever primarily tied to Nayru, since both can act counter to morality, although for Heroes ends probably justify the means. Usually.) As law also has connotations of balance we can also add in any other dualities that may apply, (the first being right and wrong, good and evil) such as light and dark, day and night.
Farore has courage ('spirit' referring both to courage, energy, the soul [incidentally implying a karmic universe, all individuals originally being from the one, and even nearly confirmed reincarnation – do mostly-former goddesses count?] and wind [as breath and wind are often regarded as the movement of the soul]) and life. This could include wildlife since Din has agriculture, but mostly it is just Life and the flip-side Death. This makes Farore the 'Mother Goddess" and gatekeeper/boatman of Hyrule.
The gods left, leaving behind a very powerful relic which by presence alone influences the world.
(Providence: noun. Chance, fate, luck, divine intervention; God or some natural force that some believe controls human lives.)
The Triforce as an aspect of a Karmic force driving the events of Hyrule is a notion that sits well with me, especially since the idea of the Triforce as an obtainable item does not permeate the stories. It occurs, but it is not a requirement. The Triforce's greatest power, since it is so rarely all in one place, is not the absolute power that comes from the united relic, but from it marking individuals and drawing them together to drive history.
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Problem: the Golden Goddesses left. So who are the gods that people pray to and who are active within the world?
Besides which, if you're going to have a pantheon, four gods seems a little thin. They usually seem to average out around eight, plus umpteen minor gods and spirits, plus one or two omnipotent gods. And hey, how many aspects do we have? Nine? From Chaos and Time: Nine? Roll with it.
As always there are other ways to do this: this is where my fiction really starts.
KNOWN GODS:
Nine gods descended into the chaos...
Farore, Goddess of Wind and Courage
Beloved Farore... with her great soul breathed life into the land...
Farore has two major aspects, Air and Forest/Life, both very strong, especially as they are explicitly canon (Farore's Wind and 'produced all life forms'). There is however a viable alternative and that breath of soul, life and courage is a very strong one – minor gods like Cyclos and Zephos (wind direction and storms – lesser deities) can't claim to anything so grand. No god is actually limited to anything – this is mortals attributing to gods, or noting their preferences.
It's said the soul grows, so animi (Latin: breath, wind, soul, courage, spirit...) in place, she has no need to remain, although it is said she left and aspect of herself behind: Preta, (Sanscrit for 'spirit, spirit of the dead') the Gate Keeper, who guides souls of the dead to their next destination.
Din, Goddess of Fire and Strength
Fierce Din... with her strong flaming arms forged the red earth...
She may have made the red tilled earth, but her fire seems a little more personal, so we compromise – in 'Fire Goddess' includes mountains, earthquakes and especially volcanoes. She's an angry goddess, but fire is the main thing. Her worshipers would put emphasis on metalwork and burning offerings. She left, but individual mountain spirits are her daughters - such as the fairy on top of Death Mountain.
Nayru, Goddess of Spirit and Wisdom
Wise Nayru... poured her wisdom into the land and gave to it the spirit of law...
Nayru seems ethereal with strong water, spirit, and order. She would have water, but the primary aquatic race worships someone else! But Law and Order isn't a magical aspect, but Spirit, as in the spirit of the law or the idea behind a gesture, is. Nayru is more about concepts than physical elements.
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NEW GODS:
Their work complete, the three sisters Din, Farore and Nayru, departed from the world...
Their siblings remained to watch over and guide their children...
Dekan, God of Life
Dekan... from his great boughs created all things which grow...
No, not Deku. While Deku guards over life eternal and is very long lived himself, he is actually mortal – grows old and dies. (He had help on the dying, but he was looking kind of rickety anyway. The Sprout has his knowledge, but is a child in personality – effectively a new being with racial memory, a different kind of life eternal.
The original Life God Dekan came with the Golden Goddesses and created living beings which Farore gave souls. He did not leave like the Golden Goddesses but diminished instead, creating a new generation of lesser tree gods, among whom were the Deku (OoT, WW), Maku (OoA, OoS) and Bagu (Manga-verse), who guarded the forests and fields of the world. There may be other spouts, and the Great Trees always grow back.
Ujaal, God of Light, and Amcher, God of Shadow
Twins Ujaal and Amcher... gave the passing of days and their trickster ways...
Ujaal [ujAl] and Amcher [aMXer], the Hindi words for light and shadow. They brought shadow and light, night and day, and all such balances – and the illusion of them. Light illuminates and warms, distracts or dazzles while shadow comforts and cools, conceals and misconstrues. They also represent minor active destruction (Ujaal) and decay (Amcher – passive destruction).
Ujaal and Amcher, like Dekan, diminished: they are the sun and moon.
Uruisg, God of Water
Proud Uruisg... rained his will upon the land...
Uruisg (Gaelic for 'water-god') is proud – he meets challenges with force and with patience. Water wears everything down, eventually. Din's rival, he rages at her mountains.
Like with Dekan, he diminished, leaving a legacy of lesser gods: Jabu-Jabu the River God, Jabun the Harbour God, the Turtle the Seafarers God, Oshus the Ocean King, and Linn-Bruadar (Gaelic for 'dreamer') the Dreamer on the Seas. They are all notably calmer than their father, though Oshus less so, and Jabu can be moody in the Spring and Fall.
Pehtey, Goddess of Earth
Pehtey... humble in heart, gathered to her the rich soils...
Semi-agricultural deity, semi-mountain goddess. Hill and sand goddess really. Where Din is anger, Pehtey is calm and patience – the slow rise and fall of mountains, drifting dunes and the cultivation of soils.
Pehtey gave her spirit to the world and her body became a temple – later the home of some Earth and Spirit Sages.
Hayet, Goddess of Energy
Hayet... in her joy set the world in motion...
Hayet (Arabic for 'life') is goddess of motion and discord – her joy is in frenetic action. Neither a malevolent nor peaceable goddess, when the time came to either diminish or leave, she relinquished some power and walked the world immortal. She's made a nuisance of herself ever since. She starts things for others to finish.
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TITULAR GODS:
The Lady/The Lord of the Hourglass, Time
Nine gods, the children of Time, descended upon their sire's enemy and overcame Chaos to make the world anew...
Time is an entity, aware of all within its borders. Time is Order, even when that Order is rearranged – Chaos is ergo its enemy. It is unknown if Time is male or female or neither, but as a god is most commonly referred to as The Lady.
Mawt, God of Chaos
But their world had come from Chaos, and Mawt, its lord, ever desired his dominion returned...
Mawt (Arabic for 'death' a pair to Hayet) is the god of Chaos, Darkness, violent death and destruction. Mawt desires the return of his realm, but well ordered things are most easily destroyed if they are unsettled within – not acted on from without, so Mawt often tries to sneak into the world. He is known most commonly to mortals as Ganon.
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In the Beginning...
Nine gods, the children of Time, descended upon their sire's enemy and overcame Chaos to make the world anew...
Fierce Din... with her strong flaming arms forged the red earth...
Proud Uruisg... rained his will upon the land...
Kind Pehtey... humble in heart, gathered to her the thick soils...
Wise Nayru... poured her wisdom into the land and gave to it the spirit of law...
August Dekan... from his great boughs created all things which grow...
Beloved Farore... with her rich soul breathed life into the land...
Twins Ujaal and Amcher... gave the passing of days and their trickster ways...
Wily Hayet... in her joy set the world in motion...
This done each god fashioned its own chosen peoples, taught and guided them that they might stand alone and pound, and the gods knew joy at their success...
Their work complete, the three sisters Din, Farore and Nayru, departed from the world...
Their siblings remained to watch over and guide their children...
But their world had come from Chaos, and Mawt, its lord, ever desired his dominion returned...
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And so was born Hyrule.
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Next up, Of Lesser Gods, a list