Hidden in Plain Sight: Emblem of the Hylians
Posted on September 01 2011 by Alex Plant
Ever since we first saw the Skyward Sword logo back at E3 2010, I’m sure a lot of you have wondered why the Hylian crest is featured so prominently. Later, of course, it was revealed that Skyward Sword is a precursor to Ocarina of Time, meaning it should shed some light on the flourishing Hylian civilization we see in that game. As I mentioned in my last Tribes of Skyward Sword article, which discussed the various sky peoples throughout the series, there’s also the possibility that we’ll see the “ancestors of the Hylians” mentioned in Twilight Princess – and that the people of Skyloft are these ancestors.
Today I want to focus on one thing in specific, though: the Hylian crest. How does it tie in to Skyward Sword‘s plot? Where does it show up, and how can we compare these appearances to what we’ve seen so far in the other games? There’s not too much to go by right now, but what we have seen is pretty telling.
This is the Hylian crest as we usually see it: a bird proudly stretching its wings, with the Triforce emblem display prominently above. The symbol’s most commonly associated with the Hylian Royal Family but also with the civilization in general. It’s been spotted in castles and temples, atop cities and in royal tombs. No matter where it’s found, though, it always seems to appear with some weight behind it. Twilight Princess‘s Arbiter’s Grounds, for example, were the place where we learned of what befall the great thief Ganondorf.
For a long time theorists have speculated what the bird crest represents. One theory suggested it might be an eagle; others believed it was a phoenix or its Hyrulean equivalent. Now Skyward Sword has given us some additional content to connect the bird emblem to: the Loftbirds of Skyloft. The bird-crest as seen on the Hylian Shield (perhaps its most famous appearance) is red – and the Loftbird Link rides in Skyloft is red as well! Could this be the secret of the Hylian bird?
What’s more, bird crests seem to be commonplace among the people of the sky. Take a look at the ones worn by the characters in the image at left – the instructor’s in particular looks almost identical to the traditional Hylian emblem! Given that many if not most of Skyloft’s residents have the long ears common among Hylians, this isn’t particularly surprising. It may be that all the “Hylians” currently in existence dwell up in the skies, which would mean the bird-culture probably has something to do with the symbol.
Note also that this crest, unlike the traditional Hylian emblem, lacks any connection to the Triforce. What could this mean? We’ve already heard from series producer Eiji Aonuma that the Triforce is going to take on a different role in this game – could this have something to do with what he meant? In any case, this isn’t the only such case we’ve seen in the series so far. Check out this shot of one of the doors in the boss chamber of the Sky Temple.
This one’s unmistakably the same bird symbol we’ve grown to love, but it too lacks the Triforce! What’s more, this one appears on the surface, not in the sky. Granted, it’s in the Sky Temple, which means it must have some relationship to the Skyloft culture – we even see bird statues scattered throughout – but still…it’s really hard to tell what we should make of it. Given that the people of the sky seem to know nothing of the surface world, this temple probably predates Skyloft – but then that would suggest that the bird-centric culture may have as well. What does that say about the emblem’s origins? I’m not quite sure myself.
There’s one more place I can think of where the bird emblem has shown up, but with a distinct lack of any Triforce imagery: and that’s in the Temple of Time in Twilight Princess. Take a look at the “Time Door” you use to enter the sealed-off section in the past:
Now this is strange – we know the Temple of Time was constructed as a gateway to the Sacred Realm, the resting place of the Triforce. Why then would the Triforce emblem be missing from the Hylian crest we see here? Well, let’s take a look at the expanded origin story of the temple as seen in Twilight Princess…
The ancestors of the Hylians created the temple… Signs of their civilization—ancient, but very sophisticated—are everywhere.
– Rusl, Twilight Princess
Aha! The Temple of Time was built by the ancestors of the Hylians! So perhaps the Triforce-incorporated crest simply didn’t exist yet when the temple was originally made. Of course, this doesn’t explain why the Triforce-included version appears deeper in the temple… but still! Perhaps this is some headway!
If I had to hedge my bets, I’d say it’s the forging of the Master Sword and perhaps the construction of the Temple of Time that lead to the Hylians being so closely tied with the Triforce. It could be that they’re already connected to it in some way and just don’t realize it yet – I’ve suggested before that Skyloft might very well be an ancient version of the Sacred Realm – but I think it’s pretty likely that the Triforce’s differing role involves it being revealed somehow through the events that lead to the protective measures we see in Ocarina of Time.
And if my observations are correct, it’s that event that associates the Triforce with the Royal Family of Hyrule and results in that Hylian crest that’s become such an iconic part of the series.
The Skyward Sword Speculation Series is a column that focuses on speculated possibilities for Skyward Sword‘s gameplay and storyline. The idea came from a general speculation article we published in the wake of E3 2010, and I’m bringing it back in the wake of E3 and Comic Con 2011! While I try to make my guesses based on confirmed or suggested facts, bear in mind that they are still just that – guesses – and may or may not prove to be true, or even at all accurate. I’ll be dealing with all kinds of other possibilities in future articles, so stay tuned for upcoming installments!
You can check out the full lineup of Skyward Sword articles at our Skyward Sword Article Archive.
