Silksong Theory: Grand Mother Silk is from the Lands Serene
Welcome to my (crack?) theory where I posit that the Pale Monarch's place of origin is the fabled Lands Serene, the homeplace of Grey Mourner (Mysterious Ze'mer) and the Delicate Flowers/Everblooms.
GMS is distinctively not from Pharloom. We are told directly the land of "Pharloom" has existed in a form much before she and the Weavers settled at the kingdom and colonized it, this is what the Old Hearts quest is all about. She is not a native to the kingdom.
"Pharloom was not born of that monarch, Old One. Power existed in these lands even before she bound them beneath her." - Bell Hermit
The game never really says where GMS is from, just that she came to Pharloom to conquer it. But I think there's some connections that point to her relation to the Lands Serene specifically.
Evidence 1: Aesthetic resemblance to Ze'mer
This could be purely coincidental, but there is a lot of specific connections here
Tall slender figure, doesn't exactly resemble any bugs in Hallownest/Pharloom at all
Antennae-adjacents of sorts (very common amongst bugs in HK but these two types are not really seen anywhere else. GMS' seems artificial and more of a regal/higher being decor - an obvious point of reference is Radiance's spike things on top of her head or Pale King's similarly spiky head)
All that alone is a bit suspicious but it's shaky evidence, the main thing here is their faces.
They share a rough sharply curved face that points back into their "hair" and... do not have eyes. We see this exact shape on Phantom, spun from GMS, but they are wearing a mask. Lace's base is also this black curved form, but also with some form of additional mask/headgear (Lace has eyes unlike GMS or Phantom). GMS is maskless. Ze'mer I would wager is also maskless.
Masks are an extremely important part of the culture and society of both Hallownest and Pharloom. Both kingdoms have a mask maker you can find, with very similar if not often identical dialogue. So a "mask" is not exactly native to those cultures, but it is an augment of the common bug and a practice shared amongst these kingdoms. Nothing about Lands Serene points to masks being important with what we know of the kingdom, and, infact, something in Silksong suggests quite the opposite.
Evidence 2: White/Pale Flora is a common motif of Lace, and Shellwood.
I had suggested in a pre-release post that Pharloom was Lands Serene and that the Lace Two arena we saw as early as the February 14th 2019 trailer was filled with Everblooms. This has since been deconfirmed. But since the game actually coming out, that "Shellwood" I alluded to in that post sure as hell became important in another way.
I think it's important to note it's very likely Everbloom's purpose in the world was re-evaluated for Silksong, and Godmaster DLC was heavily foreshadowing this. It's Godmaster, after all, that gave us Embrace the Void, where we first learned Everbloom can repel the Void to such a powerful degree. And it's in this DLC the "romance options" (what became the extra Everbloom NPCs) were added. And this is where Lands Serene was first mentioned, from White Lady if you try to give her an Everbloom.
"Not of me that flower, nor of this kingdom. Far it travelled to reach this place, brought by one beloved, fair knight of lands serene." - White Lady
Originally they probably just wanted it to be a mysterious heirloom that Ze'mer just had a comically large amount of. Silksong suggests Hornet can't transport one cross-kingdoms easily, so Ze'mer just having her infinite Delicate Flower collection is a bit dissonant but it's whatever.
Nevertheless, Everbloom is the item effectively needed to get True Ending, and it would make sense to be so given I am suggesting GMS would know what an Everbloom is, so there's an irony in using an Everbloom to save a child connected to Lands Serene. But GMS wouldn't bring Delicate Flowers with her to Pharloom... But she seems to have brought other native Lands Serene flora to Pharloom.
There's the mysterious roses in Lace 2's Cradle arena. These don't really do anything, but I think they're meant to signify the regality of GMS and her homeland. And that heir she wants Lace to embody as well.
The other prominent white flowers appear in Shellwood. We know that Nyleth had a begrudging compromise with the Citadel. She is the heart of Shellwood. Shellwood is a direct political/religious opponent of the Citadel, and I think that's what these flowers are doing here. They are flowers from Lands Serene that have invaded the natural flora of Shellwood. They're almost a mini Infection/Haunting that has infested the plant life of Shellwood.
The white flower imagery appears throughout Shellwood, but most strongly in Nyleth's arena. As if she has been overtaken by the flowers like how THK was overtaken by the infection, and this is the core of that takeover. Nyleth is said to connect to all living things within Shellwood. Never specifies they have to be Pharloomian living things.
Nyleth, I would suggest, was not born apart of these pale flowers. Her heart is the pollen heart, her attacks are all pollen, beneath her face is pollen. Pollen seems to be the strongest native motif with Nyleth, not the white flowers. She doesn't attack with her white flower parts besides the parry, when she is most vulnerable to being attacked. But I think this reflect Nyleth fighting off the white flowers because these are not exactly her kin by choice.
Also, Nyleth is actually never seen in the present. We see Karmelita's withering old self, we see a crust form of Khann, we never actually see Nyleth. We see her shrine, featuring a statue that's monochrome.
The petals are there, but perhaps they were not always the white petals. I'm not entirely sure what they could've been before - maybe the violet pollips, but those too can be an invasive plant (The splinters seem to be an invasive species as well, I imagine Shellwood looks a lot different since this statue was made, so who knows what's 100% native and what's invasive).
That and, the Citadel made the statue.
"We'd heard the Citadel once made grudging accord with that creature, sent their servants in reverence, even built a shrine up there somewhere." - Chapel Maid
I don't think it's a logical leap to suggest the servants would take creative liberties with Nyleth's image. Adorn her with those flowers that GMS holds dear. And with Nyleth nowhere to be seen, Elegy of the Deep is working with the shrine image more than anything.
That, plus memories are not absolute with Elegy of the Deep. The Verdania memory is rather incomplete at first, so I can see the Nyleth one being distorted in a similar way as her true form is forgotten to time by the Citadel's dominion.
A potential thought: has Seth ever seen the statue? He's been sitting for so long that you can hear him crack as he gets up. Has anyone else important? It's in a very specific spot you can only reach in Act 3. What really was its functional purpose besides a technicality to fulfill an agreement? Is it really honoring Nyleth or did they just do it to get Shellwood out of the picture?
Of course, there's also the three white flower enemies in Shellwood, they each have some unique traits that I think further suggests they are indicative of being from Lands Serene.
Now first of all, this just looks like an Everbloom. And I think Hornet agrees!
"Quite a beautiful creature. In my own kingdom's court, it would have been highly favoured as an ornamental pet." - Hornet commentary in Hunter's Journal
Her immediate thought is that it's beautiful and Hallownest's Pale Court would enjoy it as a pet. You know, the Pale Court that includes Ze'mer. Pale King and his subjects are of course just generally affiliated with paleness, but like, c'mon. We know White Lady and Ze'mer know about Everblooms, Eternal Emilitia suggests it's "faint" and the Pale King would not appreciate it. However, I think Emilitia is a stuck up liar, so I will ignore any implications this gives to the Everbloom. Everblooms remind Hornet of Hallownest because of their resemblance to pale creatures and Ze'mer.
This is a bug disguised as a flower, I think this means it's either 1) that this unique flora is a defense mechanism of a native Shellwood bug 2) a bug overtaken by this flora
I'm not sure about this one, but there is a potential vague connection here.
What exceptional senses it possesses. It detects me with ease, even when not a single sound is made." Hornet commentary in Hunter's Journal
So Pollencias have a very good instinct and do not need sound to use this. This reminds me of two things.
1 ) Pale King's power of foresight, potentially inherited by Hornet (she does just magically have knowledge of stuff like people's gender that seems suspiciously convenient unless like, pheromones). Possibly this foresight is a commonality amongst pale beings, and a trait the Everbloom somewhat exhibits. Ergo, maybe other Lands Serene flora is similar, but I kind of doubt it.
2) Elderbug has a weird line about his Everbloom, though it should be noted that this interaction has existed before Godmaster, before I suspect its role in the HK/Silksong universe was re-evaluated.
"These petals… so white. Can you see them too… watching me from wherever you are?" - Elderbug Dream Nail dialogue if he has Delicate Flower/Everbloom
Watching??? What do you mean watching Elderbug. Can an Everbloom just like, vibe someone's presence out by instinct? Does this extend to other flora of the Lands Serene?
This one is a stretch, and perhaps just a metaphorical line of thought comforting Elder Bug in the solace of Hallownest's current state.
Don't take the Pollencia analysis as Gospel. I think it's the weakest link here, if it means anything at all.
What a creature. And one that Hornet notes has a "false" mask, and one the general Hunter's Journal says has a "core shaped to mimic a mask".
So it looks like it's masked, but it's infact not. We can infact see what a similar flora looks like masked with Nyleth.
Could just be her face, but the sharpness of it is very masky. I think this suggests Nyleth has a mask as a Pharloomian but, Gahlias, an extension of Lands Serene flora, do not really have that same cultural inclination (Lands Serene has no suggestion of mask-weariing). But it wants to blend in, so it'll make a fake one.
So, to recap, these white flower enemies
Remind Hornet of the Pale Court, likely because of Ze'mer and the Everbloom
Might have some nebulous foresight fuckery going on
Mimic masks but are not wearing masks (Ze'mer has a very specific face shape and no visible eyes, just like GMS.)
All of those tie back either to Everbloom, potential pale creature stuff, or Ze'mer herself. I imagine that these flowers were brought over by GMS upon her first arrival to Pharloom, and then would decor the way to the Citadel... which Shellwood is right before. Shellwood leads into what once was the Karak dominion that now leads into the present day Citadel/Blasted Steps.
And also! They all share common Needolin dialogue.
They're directly referencing GMS and a potential nod to Greyroot in the lower part of Shellwood. In fact it seems these flower enemies want GMS to wake up. Greyroot I'll touch on later, but very interesting these enemies have a specific reference to GMS - and a positive one at that. Most enemies either don't mention GMS at all or instead mention yearning for the citadel, not for her awakening.
Evidence 2.5: Ze'mer/Traitor's Daughter and Hornet/Lace parallels
Another point that's more of a thematic parallel than anything textually. I had suggested in another post that the Everbloom is the in-universe to the lavender flower.
The TLDR of that post being, Everbloom is both connected to royalty and queer love (Ze'mer/traitor's daughter).
And, if you want to make a case for Lacenet, I think Everbloom is your best bet. Everbloom is what you use to save Lace, a traitor daughter. Not a traitor's daughter, but a daughter who is nevertheless a traitor. Someone fighting off a void possession, as I imagine a then non-infected traitor daughter was doing similarly. Interesting...
Lace 2's achievement is called "White Knight", Caretaker also calls her this ingame. Interesting wording but, this gives her a similarity to Ze'mer, a Knight adorned by the Pale Court, probably a 'white' knight all the same.
And I think this parallel is further strengthened if you assume Lace as a child of the Lands Serene. She was made in Pharloom certainly, but spun by a hand from Lands Serene at least. So you're using what could not be brought over from GMS's homeland to save Lace. Hence the irony suggestion earlier.
You can also optionally do the Clover Dancers for the Everbloom, you know, the mlm/achillean couple. This item is canonically linked to queer love and sacrifice/grief even if you don't assume Lacenet and ignore Hollow Knight. But if you do assume, I would wager Lace would naturally have an affinity for a flower like that given her origins.
Evidence 3: What's going on with this Grey stuff?
The color grey comes up a lot in a few places in Silksong. The extrapolation here being, "greyness" may suggest a connection to Lands Serene because of Ze'mer's title, the Grey Mourner.
I am ignoring Zote here. He is called Grey Prince Zote and does wield Life Ender, made of shellwood. But, I think it's fair to assume he's a joke character that doesn't 100% contribute to lore. Why does Zote look so much like a vessel? It's not really worth engaging with Zote here in that regard, but there is of course the fabled "Zote is a Greyroot son" crack theory if you're interested. I don't think White Lady and Greyroot are related, though.
Shellwood, the material, not the Pharloom area, is also brought up in source code comments of Hollow Knight, suggesting it makes up the scaffling of Crystal Peaks. This is not explicitly canon though so I won't consider this.
The quirky area with the birds that people hate! It has also been an area since extremely early Pharloom maps.
The most fascinating part of Greymoor to me is that is that it sounds a hell of a lot like Grey Mourner. What did Team Cherry mean by this?
This area has been particularly ruined by the Citadel. There's an implication it used to be more like Wisp Thicket given its position on the map and it being lumped with it.
Yarnaby is also here who is somewhat important to all of this. Not really though?
Greymoor is next to Bellhart, which is then next to Shellwood, which could mean something here.
Specifically described as "grey with age" by Hornet, as if that's a common term to use. I think this is referring to their silk being faded as a silk construct more than anything though. But, very interesting choice of words. Perhaps "greyness" is linked to age in the Lands Serene. Phantom is the elder between them and Lace after all. And Ze'mer is probably fairly old if she's been around since the infection kicked up. But also, Hornet is the one saying this so could just be a coincidence and the "grey" here isn't anything special.
I do think the "grey" here and of Greymoor are both referring to fading and dull silk, though. Mist is not too far away from Greymoor, it's only separated by Sinner's Road/Bilewater.
They're linked to the aforementioned venomous flowers in Shellwood with their quest (also just, they are in Shellwood). And they're what kickstarts the cursed ending, which, I would say serves a similar purpose to the Everbloom Embrace the Void variant. They're both sort of secret endings that are deeply catastrophic towards the respective Hollow Knight protagonists. But they're not the main event - they're almost like Easter egg endings? You have to go out of your way to give Godseeker a Delicate Flower/find a cursed bud and fight GMS instead of getting cured. But Embrace the Void's alternate version retroactively became very important for Silksong because it was foreshadowing Everbloom's role in that game. Not saying cursed ending will do the same, but you never know. Maybe Zote theory will happen! /hj
And because the final boss you fight to trigger the cursed ending is GMS, an obvious connection there. The Greyroot parasite is enough to quell GMS and seemingly Hornet as well. It seems equipped to handle pale beings at the very least, although I am hesitant to call it a god.
When I first started writing this, I had a side crack theory that Greyroot was from Lands Serene but, I doubt it. They don't really connect to anything else I've mentioned, there's just something sinister going on with them that directly coincides with GMS shenanigans.
Almost all of GMS' offspring use epithetical/object/thing names, not actual names. Lace, Phantom, Widow, and First Sinner are your big encounters with her spawn, and they all don't have traditional names. GMS doesn't either, of course. This isn't super unusual though - I think Unn is the only higher being we know of with a non-general name (I am considering Nightmare Heart as the troupe ritual higher being, not Grimm). I do think it's likely the Weavenest names are names of past Weavers though, so not sure if this means anything in relation to Grey Mourney also being a similarly constructed name. She has an an actual name - Ze'mer - most characters related to GMS don't.
Ze'mer and GMS both have a wail of sorts (Lace/Phantom can also get very screechy) and tilt their head in a similar manner? But many other characters wail, tilting back for a battle cry is also not special. And Ze'mer's is much less threatening when GMS' can cause Pharloom to tremor in Act 3. Is this a Lands Serene thing? Maybe, maybe not. It is perhaps just a higher being thing. Radiance also wails, as does the Nightmare Heart.
I don't think either Greyroot or Nyleth are higher beings, but I've seen some people make the case one or the other is. I don't think this theory changes much if they are confirmed as higher beings anyways.
I don't think Ze'mer is like, blood related to GMS at all. She's not a secret third silk construct or anything. But I think the aesthetic resemblances between the two characters means something as a pointer to what bugs (if they are bugs?) look like in Lands Serene.
Everblooms and Ze'mer in general have a lot of interesting allusions in Silksong that often tie right back into GMS and the Citadel. Why not Ogrim, or Isma, or Dryya, or Hegemol, why specifically Ze'mer? I think ultimately, it's evoking the Lands Serene. Perhaps this means they want to do more with this location at a future date, or perhaps this is all simply a lot of thematic parallels. But, as it stands, my reading is that Grand Mother Silk is our second known resident of the Lands Serene which informs a good bit of why Pharloom is like that. Perhaps Lands Serene is a land filled with pale beings, perhaps it is another quasi-kingdom that just has a ton of those suspicious white flowers. I think GMS being called "fathomless" while being deliberately shown without a mask is interesting, and I think Lands Serene might be related to this fathomlessness. But whatever it may be, I think Silksong is silently calling Lands Serene to mind a lot.
Ze'mer and the Everbloom in general have been an important part of my identity for a good while as Ze'mer is my chosen name and the Everbloom is a symbol I like to evoke a lot in my own iconography (like my sona/pfps). So to see them seemingly be so important to Silksong is very cool to me, and a big part of why I made this theory. Always remember to talk about tall sinister women
