Hyrule
|
|
The Kingdom of Hyrule is a fictional land portrayed in The Legend of Zelda video game series created by Nintendo and industry legend Shigeru Miyamoto.
| Contents |
Hyrule in the series
The land of Hyrule, first depicted in The Legend of Zelda, released in February of 1986 for the Famicon, was the mythical backdrop for the adventures of a boy-to-hero character, Link. Link battles his way through different areas and terrains of Hyrule and through nine levels. Your quest in Hyrule was to reassemble the Triforce of Wisdom and rescue Princess Zelda who was being held captive by the evil thief Ganon.
In later editions of the Zelda series of games (for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, Nintendo GameCube, and Game Boy Advance) more characters and mysteries of the land of Hyrule were unveiled and explained.
Although the original The Legend of Zelda was the first game to depict the land of Hyrule, it was not the first chronologically. A later game in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, was set in Hyrule as well, but before the events in the original.
Also, it is important to note that as described in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, the land of Hyrule was flooded by "the gods" after Ocarina of Time. The few survivors that remained did so by seeking refuge on the mountaintops of Hyrule, which appear to be islands in The Wind Waker. At the end of the game, Link sails off to find another Golden Land—another Hyrule. Therefore, there may in fact be more than one Hyrule, just as there are more than one Zelda and Link throughout the series.
Many of the designated areas of Hyrule have appeared through the series, notably The Lost Woods, Death Mountain, and Lake Hylia. Several games in the series take place away from Hyrule: Link's Awakening (Koholint Island), Majora's Mask (Termina), and Oracle of Ages/Oracle of Seasons (Labrynna and Holodrum respectively).
Hyrulean history
Formation of Hyrule
Hyrule was formed by the goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore (see The Three Goddesses). According to Hyrulean legend, Din created the physical geography of the realm, Farore was believed to have created the flora and fauna, and Nayru is believed to have given the laws of physics. Once the goddesses had completed their tasks, they departed for the heavens, and left behind them three golden triangles. Into these, they gave their power to govern all things; this became known as the Triforce.
Hyrulean Geography
In Ocarina of Time
HyruleMap.jpg
Physical Geography
The land of Hyrule in the time of Ocarina is very varied. The landscape is dominated by a large volcanic mountain range and its principle volcano, Death Mountain, in the northeast of the country.
To the far west, is a large area of desert, known as the Haunted Wasteland, bordered by a canyon, named Gerudo Valley, that is a feeder river for a large lake, Lake Hylia in the southwest.
Immediately east of Lake Hylia is a large woodland area, known as the Lost Woods. The river feeding Lake Hylia loops around the country to a corrie lake and waterfall in the far east, known as Zora's Domain.
The remainder of the country is taken up by a flat valley floor known as Hyrule Field, with a large hill in the centre of the field, where Lon Lon Ranch is located.
Human Geography
Human activity in Hyrule has been somewhat limited. There is no evidence of farming on Hyrule Field (perhaps there was farming there at one point, but it is no longer fertile), but there is a windmill, located in Kakariko Village, suggesting farming somewhere in the kingdom. The Hyrulean economy, judging from the state of Hyrule Castle, seems fairly strong, but dependant on fisheries and trade.
Several settlements have sprung up around Hyrule, the capital being Hyrule Castle Town, with the other major settlements being Goron City, Gerudo's Fortress, Kakariko Village, Kokiri Forest and Zora's Domain. There is a great amount of trade between three of the settlements, however Gerudo's Fortress and Kokiri's Forest are mainly secular. Goron City is also separated from the other settlements, being high atop Death Mountain and unreachable by many citizens.
The major human landmarks in Hyrule are Hyrule Castle and the temples that have been constructed around the kingdom.
Races and governments
There are several separate races in Hyrule; however, most of them swear allegiance to the Royal Family of Hyrule.
Gerudo
The wasteland to the west is governed by the Gerudo, an almost purely female race. Despite this, (implied by a Gossip Stone outside of the Temple of Time) Gerudo manage to populate by coming into Hyrule Market Town to have one-night stands. Only one male is born every hundred years. This male is then proclaimed King of Thieves by the Gerudo, but the Gerudo are really more of a dictatorship.
Gorons
To the northeast lies the Goron City. The workers mine rocks below the city for the race to eat, and thus get a portion of the rocks for themselves. The city itself is an intricate labyrinth set inside Death Mountain itself, and is connected to the Fire Temple. The strongest Goron usually becomes the leader, and in Ocarina of time, it is Darunia. The Goron government is a monarchy, with the King ruling over the other Gorons who build passages throughout Death Mountain.
Kokiri
The forest to the southeast is governed by the Great Deku Tree, who watches over a realm of children who will never grow up. The Kokiri and the Great Deku Tree are pacifists.
Zora
The Zora govern an underground cavern, beneath a corrie lake to the east. They are ruled by a King who goes by the same name, and are completely self-sufficient. The Zora worship a great fish who resides in the lake above their cavern, known as Lord Jabu-Jabu, and believe their fate is tied to his.
Hyrule Royal Family
The Hyrule Royal Family itself rules the land to the north of Hyrule, and has a large army of soldiers to protect itself. The King rules the land, and his daughter, Princess Zelda, is next in line for the throne.
In The Legend of Zelda
Zelda1OverworldMapSmall.png
Physical Geography
By the time of The Legend of Zelda the features of Hyrule have been significantly rearranged. Death Mountain is located in the north, as before, but Lake Hylia is now in the center of the land, the Lost Woods is in the southwest, a graveyard is in the far west, and the desert is just east of Lake Hylia. A large portion of the map in the southeast is woods; there are no plains. The large tree at the entrance to the first dungeon may be the Deku Tree (or rather, the Deku Tree may have been based on it), and is found on an island in Lake Hylia.
Human Geography
Curiously, there is little sign of human habitation in the Hyrule of this age. There is no Hyrule Castle, and all the people Link encounters are elderly and live in caves or dungeons. This is probably simply because at the time this game was released, they chose not to spend effort including such elements; in Zelda II, which occurs immediately afterwards chronologically, towns were introduced.
Races and governments
The only friendly creatures encountered in The Legend of Zelda are humans. There is an enemy, the Zola, resembling the Zora people of ancient times. There is no evidence of government.
In The Wind Waker
Physical Geography
By the time of The Wind Waker, Hyrule is beneath the ocean, and only a collection mountaintops are visible above the water. Hyrule is an archipelago known as the Great Sea.
Each island is fairly varied, the largest of which are Outset Island, Dragon Roost Island, Windfall Island, Greatfish Isle, Forest Haven and the Forsaken Fortress. There are large expanses of empty ocean between each island, but not much else. Underneath the ocean, however, Hyrule is still intact.
Human Geography
As Hyrule is imprisoned beneath the ocean, there is no activity on the sea bed.
Above the ocean however, Hyrulean commerce has improved considerably. Most of the food is gathered from fishing and small farms. There is also a large trade boom with the Gorons, who seemed to have moved off elsewhere.
There is only one major town on the ocean, Windfall Island. However, a large pirate base did exist in the extreme north-west, up until recently. A large tower is erected someway throughout the game in the centre of the ocean, but barring that, there is not much else, except the small settlements on Outset and Dragon Roost.
Races and governments
The governments of this time are not very powerful, as there are now very little people to form powerful nations. However, there are many diverse races living in and around the Great Sea.
Koroks
The Koroks live on a small island with the Great Deku Tree, who may be related to the same character in Ocarina of Time. Under the orders of the Great Deku Tree, they move throughout the ocean, planting forests in the hope that it will allow the expansion of the mountaintops to create larger islands. The Koroks are an evolved form of the Kokiri. The Great Deku Tree claims their appearance changed to adapt to living on the Great Sea.
Humans and Hylians
Humans are now much more common in Hyrule, differentiated from Hylians by the fact that they do not have pointy elf like ears. They work and live in small merchant vessels around the ocean, but are mainly based in Windfall Island, where they enjoy trade with the other races around the Great Sea. However, on Outset Island, the Hylian blood breeds true often, as is an example with Link and Aryll.
Gorons
The Gorons now live in some unspecified place on the Great Sea and trade with the Hyruleans left after the flood.
Hyrule Royal Family
The Hyrule Royal Family still exist, but have no influence whatsoever on day-to-day affairs, as Princess Zelda is unaware of who she is, and the King of Hyrule is sealed at the bottom of the ocean, though he can possess a boat known as the King of Red Lions above the ocean, that, or the King is able to transfer his essence to and from the boat itself. Reguardless of how he inhabits the King of Red Lions, the King is chained to Hyrule. The King of Hyrule and Princess Zelda do, however, still hold the parts of the Triforce of Wisdom.
Rito
A strange race of avians, the Rito, have developed a strong culture on Dragon Roost Island. They mainly serve as the postmen of the Great Sea, but are fairly populous. They have a strong relationship with the Hyruleans. They were normal beings until they were given scales by the Wind Spirit Valoo. Once a Rito receives its scale from Valoo, they grow wings. They possibly evolved from the Zora.
Pirates
Several pirate groups have sprung up around Hyrule. They did have a large base in the north-west of the Great Sea before this was taken from them by Ganon. They plunder the ocean in search of treasure, of which there is certainly an abundance. One group of pirates is led by a young girl named Tetra. She has some knowledge of the ancient past of Hyrule and is searching a way to recover these ancient relics.
Ganon
Ganon seems to have somehow broken free from the seal which the sages placed on him in Ocarina of Time. He still has control of the Triforce of Power, and is actively seeking the other two pieces, with a large army of moblins and other minions. He has taken over the Forsaken Fortress, and is searching the ocean for Princess Zelda.