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==Possible Origins of the War==
{{Infobox Event
The Hyrulean Civil War or Unifying War was a conflict that occurred shortly before the events of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]''.  While not much concrete information is known about this conflict, its history can be pieced together with careful study of the texts and cutscenes that appear throughout the series.  What is definitely known is that it resulted in the unifying of the country of Hyrule under one banner and that it occurred shortly before the outbreak of the [[Imprisoning War]], orphaning the child that would grow up to become the [[Hero of Time]] and leaving him under the guardianship of the [[Great Deku Tree]].  It can be surmised from [[Link]]'s age at the time of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'' that it occurred about ten years prior to ''OoT'''s events, as Link was noted to have been born during the war and orphaned as a result of it.  It can also be surmised that [[Ganondorf]]'s service in the war earned him some standing with the [[King of Hyrule]] (which he put to good use at the opening of the Imprisoning War), as the King was not so quick to believe [[Princess Zelda]]'s accusations concerning Ganondorf's treachery without concrete proof, seemingly trusting him.  It was noted in the opening cutscene of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past]]'' that there was a war between the tribes of Hyrule over the Triforce at some point in Hyrule's distant past, and seeing as this war lead almost directly to "evil power flowing from the [[Golden Land]]," it can be surmised that this particular conflict it was describing was the Hyrulean Civil War that took place shortly before Ganondorf unleashed the [[Great Cataclysm]] and sparked the Imprisoning War. It was noted that the Triforce had become a desireable object amongst Hyrule's tribes in ''ALttP'', and that somehow the fierce fighting broke out amongst them over it, meaning that at some point one of the tribes most likely threatened to seize it for their own.  We know from ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]]'' that the ancestors of the [[Twili]], the Dark Interlopers, tried to do just that, which would make perfect sense as to what catalyst triggered the civil war.  The presence of the [[Temple of Time]] in ''TP'' also suggests that the game occurred within a century following ''OoT'', lending credence to the possibility that the story of the Twili's banishment to the Twilight Realm occurred around the time of ''OoT''.  With this information, it is possible to discern just about when, how and why the war took place and under what conditions.  A possible (although not certain), more collective synopsis of the conflict, as pieced together from information gathered throughout the series, follows:
|image=  
{{Media
|Screenshot OoT= File:OoT Hyrulean Civil War.png
|Screenshot OoT3D= File:OoT3D Hyrulean Civil War.png
}}
|caption=
|game= OoT
|other= OoT (Nintendo Power)
|location= [[Hyrule]]
|participants= {{New Line}}
: [[Kingdom of Hyrule]]
: • {{Term|OoT|Sheikah|link}}
: • {{Term|OoT|Zora|link}} {{Small|(Ally)<ref name="Allies">{{Cite|An aquatic race, they are longtime allies of Hyrule's Royal Family.|Kaepora Gaebora|OoT3D}}</ref>}}
: {{Term|OoT|Goron|link}}
: {{Term|OoT|Gerudo|link}}
|occurrence=
|resolution= Unification of Hyrule under the banner of the [[Royal Family of Hyrule|Royal Family]]
|theme=
}}
The {{Term/Store|Hyrulean Civil War||Series}} refers to the war that occurred prior to the events of {{OoT}}.<ref name="E 10">{{Cite Book|quote= |book= E |publisher= |page= 10}}</ref> Little is known about this conflict, apart from the fact that it lasted for a very long time.<ref name="HH 84">{{Cite Book|quote= |book= HH |publisher= |page= 84}}</ref>{{Note|[[Zelda.com]] originally stated that the {{Term|Series|Hyrulean Civil War}} lasted for 50 years of ceaseless combat.<ref>{{Cite Web|quote= As time passed, the Triforce became a legend, and the different people of Hyrule forgot the laws and wisdom that the goddesses had left behind. Warfare and strife became common in Hyrule, as the armies of the Zora marched on the Hylians. The Gorons fought the Gerudo. It seemed every race of Hyrule was at the other's throat. Only the secluded Kokiri, sheltered by their magical forest and the Great Deku Tree, were spared the destruction of Hyrule's civil wars.</br>


Ten years before the events of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'', a group of Dark Interlopers (the [[Twili]]) attempted to use their dark magic (in the form of a relic known as the [[Fused Shadows]]) to seize control of the [[Sacred Realm]] and the [[Triforce]] that was held within it. Upon learning that one tribe was trying to take the Triforce for themselves, the other tribes of the land of [[Hyrule]] began to quarrel and fight, as depicted in the opening sequence of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past]]'', leading to a massive civil war that engulfed the entire land.  The three [[Goddesses of Hyrule]] sent the [[Light Spirits]] to drive the Dark Interlopers into a realm known as the [[Twilight Realm]], as depicted in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]]''. They also sealed away the Fused Shadows within the [[Great Deku Tree]] (later to become a successor [[Forest Temple]]), the [[Fire Temple]] (later known as the [[Goron Mines]]), and the [[Water Temple]] (later known as the [[Lakebed Temple]]). As the civil war raged across Hyrule, the Gerudo King of Thieves, a man named [[Ganondorf]], came to help the [[King of Hyrule]] unify the land and to quell the destructive war that was tearing the land apart.  As a result, the Hylians were able to end the war with Ganondorf's help, and Ganondorf won the King's trust.  It was due to this war that Ganondorf learned of the sacred Triforce and the power it represented, which he would covet not so long afterward in another even greater war known to legend as the [[Imprisoning War]].  During the course of the war, a Hylian mother tried to escape the fighting with her infant son, but was gravely injured in the process.  As she fled to the [[Kokiri Forest]], her time grew short, and her only choice was to entrust the child to the [[Great Deku Tree]], the guardian spirit of the forest. The Deku Tree could sense this was a child of destiny, whose fate would affect the entire world.  After the mother passed away, the child was raised as a [[Kokiri]], completely unaware of his lineage as a Hylian and descendant of the [[Knights of Hyrule]] or of his destiny as the [[Hero of Time]] that would come to pass in due time when Ganondorf returned to Hyrule a decade later.
After 50 years of ceaseless combat, there arose a Hylian King of great wisdom, courage and power. Through his brilliant military campaigns and wise diplomacy, he was able to bring the varied people of Hyrule into a tenuous harmony. Treaties of peace were signed, and prosperity once again seemed to bloom in Hyrule. But no sooner had people declared peace in Hyrule than trouble once again stalked the land. |author= |title= The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time|url= |archive=http://web.archive.org/web/20011214122700/http://www.zelda.com/lib_hist_oot.html |published= |retrieved= |site= zelda.com|type= }}</ref>}}
 
==The War==
The war was first referenced by the [[Deku Tree Sprout]] to explain Link's origins after he lifted the curse on the {{Term|OoT3D|Forest Temple|link}}.<ref name="war">{{Cite|Some time ago, before the king of Hyrule unified this country, there was a fierce war in our world. One day, to escape from the fires of the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden forest. The mother was gravely injured... Her only choice was to entrust the child to the Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the forest. The Deku Tree could sense that this was a child of destiny whose fate would affect the entire world, so he took him into the forest. After the mother passed away, the baby was raised as a Kokiri. And now, finally, the day of destiny has come!|Deku Tree Sprout|OoT3D}}</ref> To escape from the fires of the war, a [[Hylian]] mother and her baby boy went to the [[Kokiri Forest]]. Before passing away, the mother left her child under the guardianship of the [[Great Deku Tree]]. The Great Deku Tree proclaimed that the child was fated to save the world.<ref>{{Cite Book|quote= |book= E |publisher= |page= 19}}</ref> The child, named [[Link]], was raised as a Kokiri and a few years later became the [[Link#Ocarina of Time|Hero of Time]].<ref name="war"/>
 
After many Hyruleans had perished,<ref name="E 68">{{Cite Book|quote= |book= E |publisher= |page= 68}}</ref> finally the war ended and resulted in the unification of [[Hyrule]] under [[Hyrule Royal Family|one banner]].<ref name="war"/><ref name="HH 84"/> [[Ganondorf]] once again swore fealty to the King of Hyrule,<ref name="HH 84"/> placing the [[Gerudo Desert]] under Hyrule's control, though Ganondorf only did so to secure the king's trust so he could move freely in Hyrule while enacting his plans.<ref>{{Cite Book|quote= |book= E |publisher= |page= 20}}</ref> Races such as the [[Zora]], [[Goron]]s, and [[Kokiri]] became rare sights in central hubs like [[Kakariko Village]] and [[Castle Town]], but contact was generally limited to diplomatic reasons. Many regions were inaccessible without the Royal Family's permission, and cultural exchange was essentially nonexistent.<ref name="E 68"/> The peace was short lived however, as some years later, Ganondorf acquired the [[Triforce of Power]] and the conquest of Hyrule began.
 
 
==Nomenclature==
{{Nomenclature}}
 
==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:OoT Comic War.jpg|[[Link's Father]] describes the {{Term|OoT (Nintendo Power)|Imprisoning War}} in {{OoT|-}} (Nintendo Power)
</gallery>
 
==See Also==
* [[Imprisoning War]]
* [[Interloper War]]
 
{{Notes}}
{{Ref}}
 
{{Categories
|Wars
}}

Latest revision as of 10:30, 19 April 2024

The Hyrulean Civil War refers to the war that occurred prior to the events of Ocarina of Time.[2] Little is known about this conflict, apart from the fact that it lasted for a very long time.[3][note 1]

The War

The war was first referenced by the Deku Tree Sprout to explain Link's origins after he lifted the curse on the Forest Temple.[5] To escape from the fires of the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy went to the Kokiri Forest. Before passing away, the mother left her child under the guardianship of the Great Deku Tree. The Great Deku Tree proclaimed that the child was fated to save the world.[6] The child, named Link, was raised as a Kokiri and a few years later became the Hero of Time.[5]

After many Hyruleans had perished,[7] finally the war ended and resulted in the unification of Hyrule under one banner.[5][3] Ganondorf once again swore fealty to the King of Hyrule,[3] placing the Gerudo Desert under Hyrule's control, though Ganondorf only did so to secure the king's trust so he could move freely in Hyrule while enacting his plans.[8] Races such as the Zora, Gorons, and Kokiri became rare sights in central hubs like Kakariko Village and Castle Town, but contact was generally limited to diplomatic reasons. Many regions were inaccessible without the Royal Family's permission, and cultural exchange was essentially nonexistent.[7] The peace was short lived however, as some years later, Ganondorf acquired the Triforce of Power and the conquest of Hyrule began.


Nomenclature

Names in Other Regions
LanguageNames
This table was generated using translation pages.
To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference.

Gallery

  • Link's Father describes the Imprisoning War in Ocarina of Time (Nintendo Power)

    Link's Father describes the Imprisoning War in Ocarina of Time (Nintendo Power)

See Also

Notes

  1. ↑ Zelda.com originally stated that the Hyrulean Civil War lasted for 50 years of ceaseless combat.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "An aquatic race, they are longtime allies of Hyrule's Royal Family." — Kaepora Gaebora (Ocarina of Time 3D)
  2. ↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 10
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 84
  4. ↑ "As time passed, the Triforce became a legend, and the different people of Hyrule forgot the laws and wisdom that the goddesses had left behind. Warfare and strife became common in Hyrule, as the armies of the Zora marched on the Hylians. The Gorons fought the Gerudo. It seemed every race of Hyrule was at the other's throat. Only the secluded Kokiri, sheltered by their magical forest and the Great Deku Tree, were spared the destruction of Hyrule's civil wars.
     After 50 years of ceaseless combat, there arose a Hylian King of great wisdom, courage and power. Through his brilliant military campaigns and wise diplomacy, he was able to bring the varied people of Hyrule into a tenuous harmony. Treaties of peace were signed, and prosperity once again seemed to bloom in Hyrule. But no sooner had people declared peace in Hyrule than trouble once again stalked the land." — The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time (web archive), zelda.com.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Some time ago, before the king of Hyrule unified this country, there was a fierce war in our world. One day, to escape from the fires of the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden forest. The mother was gravely injured... Her only choice was to entrust the child to the Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the forest. The Deku Tree could sense that this was a child of destiny whose fate would affect the entire world, so he took him into the forest. After the mother passed away, the baby was raised as a Kokiri. And now, finally, the day of destiny has come!" — Deku Tree Sprout (Ocarina of Time 3D)
  6. ↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 19
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 68
  8. ↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 20
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