Ocarina of Time The Kokiri: Nice Kids or Twisted Maniacs?

[Epona]

I don't think they're really children, they're a different species first of all so it's weird to even compare them to humans (or Hylians). Aren't they really old too? They look like children because they don't age, but aren't they really centuries old or something? That's gotta affect their attitudes and stuff.

 

[Frigidblade]

I never thought of it that way! Now that you mention all of that... God these kids have problems! Maybe they will make a return someday... As serial killers.

 

[Epona]

I started a new game a couple days ago of OoT. They are a bit weird, but there's a lot of Zelda themes that are.

 

[Djinn]

Actually the Kokiri being mischievous and relatively mean fits fairly well with woodland sprites of European folklore. The elves of mythology were nothing like the modern depiction on Tolkien or RPGs where they tend to be a well meaning and generally friendly people. People of medieval times were terrified of running into any elf folk in the woods or accidentally offending them. As offending any would normally mean curses or madness. There are a few stories of random people being forced to dance until their death.

The elves of Norse mythology have survived into folklore mainly as females, living in hills and mounds of stones{{mn|Hellström 1990:36|He-1}} (cf. Galadriel's account of what would happen to the Elves who remained in Middle-Earth). The Swedish älvor{{mn|Schön 1986|S-1}} (sing. älva) were stunningly beautiful girls who lived in the forest with an elven king. They were long-lived and light-hearted in nature. The elves are typically pictured as fair-haired, white-clad and like most creatures in the Scandinavian folklore can be really nasty when offended. In the stories, they often play the role of disease-spirits. The most common, though also most harmless case was various irritating skin rashes, which were called älvablåst (elven blow) and could be cured by a forceful counter-blow (a handy pair of bellows was most useful for this purpose). Skålgropar, a particular kind of petroglyph found in Scandinavia, were known in older times as älvkvarnar (elven mills), pointing to their believed usage. One could appease the elves by offering them a treat (preferably butter) placed into an elven mill ? perhaps a custom with roots in the Old Norse álfablót.

What remained of the belief in elves in German folklore was that they were mischievous pranksters that could cause disease to cattle and people, and bring bad dreams to sleepers. The German word for nightmare, Albtraum, means "elf dream". The archaic form Albdruck means "elf pressure"; it was believed that nightmares are a result of an elf sitting on the dreamer's chest. This aspect of German elf-belief largely corresponds to the Scandinavian belief in the mara. It is also similar to the legends regarding incubi and succubi.

http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/elf/characteristics-of-traditional-elves.html

People took plenty of measures to protect themselves from the sprites of the woods and always be sure never to cause any offense to them when venturing into the wilderness.

 

[Hylian_Monolith]

Just so you know, the creepy Trading Sequence girl is named Fado.
You brougt up some great points, but I feel that the Kokiri just don't share our view on the world. They don't really understand death, so the "punk kid"'s fate would be humorous to Fado. I don't really feel that the Koiri's minds work quite like ours, with a view of what is evil and what is good. I think that they do not have memories that function like a human's or Hylian's. That's why everyone believed that Link was a Kokiri--they don't truly "remember" when he was a baby, and since they never were, they cnnot connect to him. Even Navi was different from the Kokiri's silent guardians, for having a will of her own and no Kokiri to watch over. They were unfamiliar with danger, but I think they also had an extrasensory ability. They know that Kokiris cannot survive beond the woods, where the Deku Tree's blessigns of eternal life do not apply to them. But they also cannot die like humans or Hylians- they simply fade when they go beyond the Deku Tree's power. Mido teases Link, and I may be mistaken, but he's one of the only few Kokiri left later on. This is because the veil of innocence that hid Link's true idenitiy from them was not affecting Mido, whcih is why he always teased Link about not having a fairy. Saria, being who she is, also knew that you were diferent, because she also was...well, more mature than the others. Fado and the creepy humping guy, however, had this curtain from the real world. Without the Great Deku Tree, they faded, but Mido and Saria didn't because they understood. The humping guy, having no need of reproductional organs, did not understand what his movements suggest.
I hope I got all the typoes(I make a LOT of them) and that my little theorizing thing helped you understand the Kokiri. They aren't really easy to...comprehend, and I could be wrong, but this is how I think all of this happened, and why.

 

[Dragoncat]

You forgot about the guy humping the rock. That kid has issues.

Lol he looked like he was constipated to me. Obviously he was trying to lift it...kokiris wouldnt know what humping is. They're children...

 

[Amazing Link]

Actually, I think a little bit of both. They're phsycopaths to outsiders, but the nicest people(with the exception of Mido) to each other. It makes you wonder why one of them didn't murder Link while he was a baby.

 

[Ventus]

First I'll talk about Saria:

One of her most....unusual tricks is appearing out of nowhere, saying how she always knew that Link was different, yada yada. Then afterwards she stares after him with a weird expression.

The next incident is what she says after Link helps her awaken as the Sage of Forest, talking to Link as if he's a stranger then all of a sudden she says "but I know you" and says some other stuff in the Chamber of Sages. Seriously, if a close friend of yours was acting this weird wouldn't it creep you out a little?

Appearing out of nowhere is natural; if you hearken back to the days of those high school drama shows in the 90s, kids would always graduate and leave without saying goodbye, because it is too sad for them to do. Somehow, the target they were supposed to say goodbye to is actually right behind them, trying to say goodbye but inadvertantly being ignored. This would be a somewhat similar case with Saria and Link--they're best friends but it's clear that Link has to go, so he wouldn't say goodbye for it'd cause a break down for him. He even takes two slow steps back and runs away, presumably to keep the emotions from flowing in. Afterwards, Saria stares at him with a cold expression because it was also hard for her. Can you imagine, saying your what seems to be final goodbyes to the person you spent so many years with? I couldn't. It'd be too sad.

Oh my goodness....Need I bring up that messed up gal from the Biggoron Sword trade sequence(The one on the left)?

Standing there laughing, saying that if you remain in the Lost Woods for too long, you'll become a Stalfos(or a skull kid if you're a kid). I don't think a kind-hearted(and not to mention sane) person would take joy from people transforming into hideous monsters...."I wonder....will you....too?" Yeah.....I just want to smack that creepy 64-bit smile off her face.

Doesn't it seem somewhat of a stereotype in different forms of recreational media(including gaming) to make child-only communities make the inhabitants freaky? Children are supposed to have pure hearts and minds....not creepy little things.

Well, I think this is really the playful-side of the Kokiri. I know many kids, and I'm actually one of them, who played around with words like "die", "disappear", and other such things. Children and sometimes even adults don't understand what it means to disappear forever, or die, and I wouldn't expect Fado to really grasp the meaning of 'turn into a Stalfos'. I'd mark it off as playful behavior. The game we all play, Tag You're It, involves inadvertently making fun of someone by calling them 'it' and avoiding from them. So I would say that's a somewhat similar case with Fado and the punk-kid.

What are your thoughts on the Kokiri? What did you first think about them? I understand that recalling such feelings could seem next to impossible considering the game was released in 1998, but try your best =P.

My thougths on the Kokiri race as a whole? I think they're playful beings that really are children, but don't physically (or mentally, at that) age bar Saria who is a special case. I first thought they were all annoying (bar Saria, whom I loved to death and still do).

 

[Dragoncat]

It makes you wonder why one of them didn't murder Link while he was a baby.

Because the deku tree taught them that killing is bad?

 

[Castle]

What gets me about the Kokiri is how they manage to live with each other. The Kokiri never display any sort of wisdom or intelligence beyond their apparent age, so if they possess the mentality of a child, children need discipline in order to figure out how to behave in an acceptable manner. Read Lord of the Flies if you want a solid portrayal of what happens when children are left to their own devices.

Saria never weirded me out. Mido is just your standard bully. Fado is the only one who ever creeped me out. She seems unstable. Of course a society of children is difficult for us to comprehend and Nintendo is quite nondescript as to details of their nature. Given that they spend all eternity isolated in the forest, I assume that they do possess the mentality of a child. Without exposure to the outside world, they would remain innocent and ignorant as children are. I think that is why the Deku Tree gives them their guardian fairies in order to keep them on good behavior with each other (Mido's fairy must not be very good at this).

I think this is also why the Deku Tree prohibits them from leaving the forest, which is obviously a ruse since they do so at the end of the game during the credit sequence to no ill effect. Heck, the stories about Stalfos and Skull Kids in the Lost Woods might just be another ruse. Just cautionary tales fabricated by the Deku Tree to keep the Kokiri safely within the forests borders, unharmed and untainted by the world at large.

 

[A Link In Time]

I never found anything strange about the Kokiri. Despite their shunning Link from the forest society, the Kokiri are generally amiable and easy going folk especially as a result of their protracted youth. Their reverence for the area's Kami, the Great Deku Tree, suggests a cultured people with a clear social hierarchy and generally stable morals. While Mido may initially appear an outlier, his reactions towards Link are normal given he perceives the young Hylian as a vying force for Saria's love and a valid cause of the Great Deku Tree's demise as Link was the last person seen in its meadow.

This is also an example of the environment influencing and defining its residents. Kokiri Forest is stunning in its serenity and grandeur. No other region of Hyrule is quite as vivid. The lush scenery encourages strolling the neighborhood and engagement in flirting and gossip. Due to its proximity with nature there are less taboos in the Kokiri Forest than crowded urban areas. The ideology of "What's mine is yours" is highly regarded and embraced as villagers form strong often permanent bonds with nature.

Saria's unexpected appearances may be explained by her being the Sage of Forest. While her encounter with Link in the Lost Woods occurs seven years before he becomes the Hero of Time, both already appear to partially possess the supernatural abilities required to someday fend off powerful opposing forces. Knowing his death is soon at hand, the Great Deku Tree easily could have informed Saria prior to passing away of the fate she would share with Link. His fabricated lie is a fatherly attempt to keep the denizens of the forest safe from exterior hazards after he withers away and is no longer able to protect them.

 

[Amazing Link]

Because the deku tree taught them that killing is bad?

You never know. I mean, I could see Mido killing Link......or worse.........*shiver*

 

[Norm]

You never know. I mean, I could see Mido killing Link......or worse.........*shiver*

Dear God...

I always thought of the Kokiri as nice kids, although, from what I interpreted in the game, they are nearly immortal, and if you want to see what near-immortality can do to someone, I suggest you read "The Jaunt" in Stephen King's novelSkeleton Crew. 'Nuff said.