Fan Video Reflects on How Majora’s Mask Aides Us Through Life’s Traumas
Posted on October 10 2023 by Josh Wittmershaus
There has been a wealth of content and discussion on Majora’s Mask and its themes of grief and trauma. Just a few months ago, in fact, another intriguing video on the topic was released. I found this video by The Creepy & The Cozy (TC&TC) refreshing, as it brought a unique spin to the subject that got me once again thinking about the impact this game has had on our personal and collective psyche. After all, as the creator states, the game’s psychological implications are far more deep and profound than a simple analysis of the five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. Instead, TC&TC utilizes a less-familiar trauma model by Harvard University’s Dr. Judith Herman: Safety & Stabilization, Mourning & Remembrance, and Reconnection & Integration.
The Terrible Fate
Okay, I’m going to get this out of the way: I have always pronounced it ee-POH-nah, so hearing it pronounced eh-POH-nah really throws me off.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way… the beginning of the video discusses the most integral part of trauma and recovery: the trauma itself. TC&TC connects Majora’s Mask to its famed predecessor, Ocarina of Time. While Link experiences a full dose of trauma in Ocarina, what makes this an individualized trauma, the video suggests, is that all of his achievements are undone in the end, leaving Link – and only Link, since Navi leaves him – to cope, somehow, alone. The video likens Link to a soldier, whose life was defined by war, only for him to have to reckon with a new life meaning in the absence of war. Sometimes it’s not just the event that causes trauma, but how we pick up the pieces of ourselves afterward.
Safety & Stabilization
Immediately following a traumatic event, the most important part, according the Herman’s model, is seeking safety. TC&TC equates the initial moments in Clock Town with this step, where Link and the player find their footing, their meaning in a new world (literally here, but metaphorically for us), and how to relate to others again. It’s a crucial step in righting one’s ship on the path to recovery.
Mourning & Remembrance
Once we feel safe again, we look up, only to be reminded that the world has not healed with us. The video goes through a list of turmoil and conflict in the region, and notes that hitting the reset button on a three-day cycle – often out of necessity – just resets all this strife and pain in the existence of others. It’s a reminder that the work we do in life can often feel like, “two steps forward, three steps back,” and that we often have to look places outside of material successes to continue our progress in resolving trauma.
Reconnection & Integration
This video does a great job at highlighting something so unique about Majora’s Mask that is important to remember through our own suffering: you are not alone. The beautiful, tangled side quests that make up this game are a perfect example of ways that we can break the curse of isolation that often accompanies trauma. The role Link plays in the lives of others – and the role we play with others in our personal lives – show the necessity of us in the world.
Towards the end of the video, TC&TC points out that many don’t handle trauma through the appropriate channels, often resorting to resentment, or even outright aggression, in its own tortured model. In Majora’s Mask, this is represented by the Skull Kid, who reacts to traumatic events with isolation and revenge. This model, rather than a pathway, is a circle that requires one to break free.
I encourage you to watch this video and explore the elements in it. In times where we feel so stuck, looking at things with a new lens can be just what we need. Majora’s Mask, through its unyielding repetition, ironically forces us to do exactly that. Let me know what you think of this video in the comments below!
Source: The Creepy & The Cozy
If you are struggling with the mental health concerns that come with trauma, please utilize resources available to help you through tumultuous times. You are not alone.
If you live in the United States: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help
If you live in Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/mental-health-services/mental-health-get-help.html
Josh Wittmershaus is a writer at Zelda Dungeon. Originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, he now resides in Northern California. Aside from Zelda, Josh enjoys playing music, seeing live music, music history, and all other things music. He also enjoys skating, hockey, and the occasional political or philosophical thought exercise.
