Goddess of Time
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The Goddess of Time is a character first mentioned in Majora’s Mask as being the one responsible for assisting in the quest of the Hero of Time, Link, by allowing him to relive his three days in the land of Termina many times over on his quest to stop the Moon from crashing into Termina. This apocalyptic situation is due to the evil power of the demon Majora, whose evil essence overtakes the Skull Kid when he puts on the powerful Majora’s Mask, which he had previously stolen from the Happy Mask Salesman, and is possessed by the demonic presence residing within the mask, causing him to attempt to destroy Termina by means of pulling the Moon from its orbit. Link is first told of the Goddess of Time by Princess Zelda shortly before leaving Hyrule on his quest to find his fairy companion Navi. Zelda tells Link that if he should play the Song of Time on the Ocarina of Time (which she gave to him as a parting gift) in a time of great need, the Goddess of Time would come to his aid. This is proven true whenever Link plays the mystical song on the ocarina, where he is sent back through time and finds himself right back where he began on his first day in Termina. With the aid of the Goddess of Time, Link is able to manipulate time and traverse Termina in search of the mythical Four Giants, who are capable of stopping Termina's coming doom.
Appearances
Majora's Mask
The Goddess of Time is officially mentioned in only one game of the series to date, that game being Majora's Mask. While she is never physically seen, her presence is very apparent as the force behind Link's time-travel abilities. She can be called upon by playing the mysterious Song of Time upon the sacred Ocarina of Time, and she will answer the one holding the Ocarina of Time by sending them back through time. She is only ever mentioned by Princess Zelda when Link leaves on his adventure to locate Navi following the end of Ocarina of Time. This encounter is reflected upon by Link when he reclaims the Ocarina of Time from the Skull Kid's possession atop the Clock Tower in South Clock Town on the night of the Final Day, the eve of the Carnival of Time. Zelda speaks of the Goddess's great power and that, with the Ocarina of Time in hand and knowledge of the Song of Time, she will come to Link's aid should he need her. When Tatl remarks upon the impending doom of the Moon's descent upon Clock Town and exclaims that they need more time, she calls out for the help of the Goddess of Time after Link remembers his encounter with Zelda. Using the power of the Ocarina of Time, Link plays the Song of Time and is surprised to find himself speeding back through time, landing in front of the Clock Tower at the dawn of the First Day. Link makes use of this power granted to him by the Goddess of Time countless times throughout his adventure to save Termina and eventually succeeds in his efforts of freeing the Four Giants, something he could not have possibly hoped to accomplish without the time-travel power granted him by the Goddess of Time.
Associations
Only those items and places that include the word “time” in their names can be safely associated with the Goddess of Time, such as the Song of Time, the Door of Time, the Pedestal of Time, and the Temple of Time as well as the ubiquitous Ocarina of Time. All other connections, however well-founded, can only be fan speculation. Nevertheless, some of these less direct connections can lend insight into the true identity of the Goddess of Time.
Candidate: Nayru
One such less direct connection is Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, from the game of the same name.
- Nayru herself is named after the Goddess of Wisdom, and has the power to travel through time at will.
- Nayru’s instrument, the Harp of Ages, enables Link to travel through time as well.
- It is Princess Zelda, holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, that tosses Link the Ocarina of Time and semi-teaches the Song of Time.
By virtue of her time-travelling abilities, Nayru may represent the link between the Goddess of Time and the Goddess of Wisdom as the same deity. As the Goddess of Wisdom created science and gave order to nature[1], it is conjectured that time is a part of science and the natural order, thereby supporting this theory. Template:Spoiler
Counterpoints
The possibility of Farore as the Goddess of Time derives from:
- Ciela, a fairy in Phantom Hourglass. She is revealed to be the Spirit of Courage and Time[2]
- Link, the aforementioned Hero of Time, but also the bearer of the Triforce of Courage[3].
Secondly, there is a non-canon possibility; the Goddess of Time is a yet undisclosed entity to herself, and is none of the Golden Goddesses. As there are more than three deities in the Legend of Zelda series (see), it stands to reason that the Goddess of Time would not necessarily have to be one of its creators. Adherents of this belief have well observed smaller details of the games to show how another goddess could exist.
See Also
References
- ↑ "The God of Wisdom created science and wizardry and brought order to nature." — n/a (A Link to the Past Game Manual)
- ↑ "Link, I remember it all now... Link, I'm Ciela the Spirit of Time and Courage..." — Ciela (Phantom Hourglass)
- ↑ "The one who holds the Triforce of Courage is...You, Link!" — Sheik (Ocarina of TIme)