Nayru poured out her wisdom onto the land @nayrushrine - Tumblr Blog

Time Periods of The Legend of Zelda → I. The Creation of the Land and the Sky (→) “This world was created by the three goddesses during a time of chaos. When they departed from the world, the golden goddesses created and left the Triforce in care of the goddess Hylia.” (art credit)

#I see Din as a Gerudo tho

strongcat

okay so

why isn’t anyone talking about the totally new theological paradigm in Skyward Sword/BotW that is like a total departure from all the previous games? every other game gave mention to the Golden Goddesses (Din, Nayru, and Farore) as the main deities in the universe, but now all of a sudden Hylia is like the single patron deity of the whole world? I know in SS they said that the goddesses entrusted her with the protection of their realm, but now it seems like she’s the only one ?? and in BotW it says that she’s been worshipped “since time immemorial” but we have clear evidence of several incarnations of Hyrule that did not worship Hylia, so what’s going on???

nayrushrine

What I’m saying! I think Hylia was the first goddess they worshipped and then shifted their attention to the golden goddesses, like the residents in Lanayru Desert who started to worship Nayru.

[Breath of the Wild memory spoilers!]

I unlocked Memory 14, To Mount Lanayru, in which Zelda says the mountain is named after the Goddess of Wisdom. So the three goddesses already exist in BoTW! I still don’t understand why they only talk about Hylia...

#zelda: breath of the wild #botw #botw spoilers #golden goddesses #botw memory

Finally got Breath of the Wild and all I’m seeing is “Goddess this”, “Goddess that”, Hylia, Hylia, Hylia all the time. I’m really sad I haven’t seen a single mention of my goddesses, I hope Nintendo doesn’t forget them :(

#zelda breath of the wild #btow #golden goddesses

hylianshrinemaiden

Any suggestions or recommendations on what to put on your altar for zelda pc paganism? in general and/or for specific honorings

In general, you could probably put anything with the Triforce on it on your altar, as well as instruments (or little models of them. I don’t think you’ll be putting a grand piano on your altar lol). Music, the Goddesses, and the Triforce are pretty integral to the games and Hyrulian life.

If you check the many variations of my altar, you will see that there isn’t any one specific thing that would automatically scream “zelda!” at you at first glance (well besides the Triforce lamp lol). Most people wouldn’t even recognize my Mirror of Twilight if they didn’t already know what it was.

As for specific honorings, that’s where you’ll have lots of variations.

- The Goddess Din, and Gerudo will mostly be desert based items, such as sand, stones, colors like reds and brown. The Gerudo and Din are known for their dancing, so dancing bells, scarves, those cute little shoe statues, would all be appreciated. Anything to represent the seasons can be offered to Din, as the Oracle of Seasons.

- The Goddess Nayru and Zoras will mostly be water based items, such as shells and bowls, colors like blues and silver. Zoras might also appreciate fish, or fish shaped toys. Nayru might also have clocks, being the Oracle of Ages.

- The Goddess Farore and Koroks/Kokiri will mostly be greenery, such as plants (succulents would be great here), terrariums, colors like greens and gold. The Koroks/Kokiri might also appreciate faerie items like little figurines and little “faerie gardens” (please be aware that you might attract actual fae with these though, so… be cautious). You could keep a diary or even a grimoire to offer Farore, as she is the Oracle of Secrets.

- The Goddess Hylia and the Rito will mostly be airy items, such as feathers, incense, bells, colors like white and purple. The Rito will appreciate bird related things, as they are birds. Hylia may enjoy books, and sword replicas (not recommended for those with children and pets unless the blade).

- Hylians would likely have the less specific altar, but they are known for their cooking, music, their love of horses and cows, and adventuring. Just about any color would do, as they have varied tastes. Animal figures of all types, but particularly horses. Generally they worship all of the Goddesses, so if you have the room, a little something to represent each of them, or just the Triforce should be sufficient.

- Gorons might appreciate stones more than anything else, as they are almost always hungry and they eat rocks. They live in a volcano, so replicating that if possible will definitely surprise and impress them. Colors such as reds, browns and black are recommended.

- The Sheikah are a quiet people, and masters of secret and shadow. Colors such as black and greys would go far. Masks, mirrors, and codes would probably make good offerings.

For more ideas on Sheikah and Gerudo altars, I suggest asking @count-sapphula and @suntomoon-moontosun

hylianshrinemaiden

Okay, so based on the Hylia statues in botw, here’s my shortlist of traditional Hylian Altar/Shrine decoration:

Both private and public space shrines are usually situated in an alcove. Some public space ones may be situated on a raised platform/dais.

A simple altar cloth is used in alcove/indoor altars to protect the surface from the other items, while open air shrines usually avoid this to prevent damage to the fabric.

A statue of the Goddesses, usually made of grey or white stone, are situated in the center.

Small lamps or candles are usually placed above/behind the statue, and on either side of the alcove/dais. Particularly useful for outdoor spaces, they allow for those who prefer to pray at night to find the shrines with ease.

Personal decoration of the Goddesses statues, such as flowers, crowns, and sashes, are encouraged.

The Temple of Time is one of the largest structures built to honor the Goddesses. The largest (and oldest) is the Forgotten Temple, hidden at the northernmost end of Tanagar Canyon.

The Triforce is known as a divine symbol, and is incorporated into all royal architecture, along with the Royal Crest. The Throne Room of Hyrule Castle bears a large marble statue of the Golden Goddesses, and the Castle Sanctum holds an elaborate metal work depiction of the Triforce

Aside from basic decorations, there are also some traditional offerings to the goddesses:

Apples are abundant in Hyrule, and are the most common offering. Preparing the apples in different ways (such as with butter, or in pastries) is common, in order to keep offerings from becoming predictable.

Local flowers are preferred, however, travelers are encouraged to offer flowers from other regions they’ve visited as thanks for the Goddesses protection during their adventures.

Local, in season fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts are also common, prepared in various ways.

Meat and seafood, prepared safely, also make good offerings.

Sweets and other cooked foods can be shared, usually utilizing a separate plate to be placed on the shrine.

Crystals and stones are particularly popular offerings. Gorons however, prefer metals and various crafted items.

That’s all I have for now, but feel free to add any ideas you might have!