Era of the Goddess Hylia

The Triforce

For some time after the Creation, the people worshiped the Triforce and its guardian Hylia. However, the Demon King Demise sought the Triforce for his own, aiming to take control of the world.

The Ancient Battle

Demise led the Demon Tribe from the depths of the earth in an assault on the peoples of the surface, aiming to take the Triforce from Hylia. Fearing for the safety of her people and the security of the Triforce, Hylia gathered them on a small plot of land and sent it to the sky, beyond a barrier of clouds, to protect them from the invading demons.

Then she joined forces with the remaining surface dwellers - among which were the Ancient Robots, Parella, Kikwi, Gorons, and Mogmas - to combat the demons. After a long and fierce battle during which Hylia sustained grave injuries, the evil forces were sealed away.

Hylia's Two Plans

"And if the demon king were to free himself, it would mean the end of the world for all beings of this land.

In order to put an end to the demon king, Hylia devised two separate plans and set them both into motion. First, she created Fi. She made the spirit that resides in your sword to serve a single purpose: to assist her chosen hero on his mission. Her second plan...was to abandon her divine form and transfer her soul to the body of a mortal. ...She made this sacrifice, as you have likely guessed, so that the supreme power created by the old gods could one day be used. For while the supreme power of the Triforce was created by gods, all of its power can never be wielded by one.

Knowing this power was her last and only hope, the goddess gave up her divine powers and her immortal form."

— Zelda

References

1. ↑ ^{1.1 1.2} "The old gods created a supreme power that gave anyone who possessed it the ability to shape reality and fulfill any desire. They called it the Triforce. In his thirst to make the world his own, Demise readied a massive army of monsters for war. He sought to take the Triforce for himself by force. The goddess feared for her people. She used her power to send both them and the Triforce into the sky on a slice of earth she cut away from the land. This floating rock became the new home of our people. In time, it came to be known as Skyloft." — Zelda, Skyward Sword.
2. ↑ "[Demise's] ultimate goal is to obtain the Triforce and take over the land with his demonic minions.", Hyrule Historia
3. ↑ "One dark, fateful day, the earth cracked wide and malevolent forces rushed forth from the fissure. They mounted a brutal assault upon the surface people, driving the land into deep despair... They burnt forests to ash, choked the land's sweet springs, and murdered without hesitation. They did all this in their lust to take the ultimate power protected by Her Grace, the goddess.", Skyward Sword.
4. ↑ "To prevent this great power from falling into the hands of the evil swarming the lands... the goddess gathered the surviving humans on an outcropping of earth. She sent it skyward, beyond the reach of the demonic hordes. Beyond even the clouds.", Skyward Sword.
5. ↑ "After a long and fierce battle, the goddess, Hylia, succeeded in sealing away Demise. However, soon after the demon king was imprisoned, it became clear that the seal would not hold long against his fearsome power. Hylia had suffered grave injuries in her battle with the demon king. She knew that if he broke free again, there would be no stopping him.", Skyward Sword.
6. ↑ "With the humans safe, the goddess joined forces with the land dwellers and fought the evil forces, sealing them away.", Skyward Sword.
7. ↑ "The goddess and the remaining tribes on the Surface battled for their lives against Demise. They were victorious, and they sealed him away.", Hyrule Historia
8. ↑ Skyward Sword.