Some thoughts on Link's mother in Ocarina of Time:
In Ocarina of Time, we're told very little about Link's mother. All we know in-game is that, to escape the civil war, she escaped with an infant Link to the Kokiri Forest, gave her baby to the Deku Tree, and presumably died soon after.
If anyone could ride in and take shelter in the Kokiri Forest, how come she was the only one? How come the woods, specifically all the way to the Deku Tree, was her first thought? I don't believe many NPCs in Ocarina of Time refer to spirits (besides poes) much. Maybe everyone who would've known died, either in the war or during the coup?
Well, I think I have a slight idea.
We know the Kokiri do not leave the forest because, if they do, they "die." This either refers to becoming Stalfos or Skull Kid if one is lost in Lost Woods, or the fact they start to age if they go anywhere else. The Deku Tree's magic is what keeps them children forever, isn't it?
So, what if Link's mother was one of the Kokiri who left? She left the woods, grew up, and married a Hylian knight. Perhaps she even became one herself. When the war was at its peak, the only safe place she knew of left was one where death was null... And she wanted a safe childhood for Link.
(Not to mention, I'm pretty sure Link's mother becomes a tree in one of the Nintendo Power comics...? The German one?)
She definitely wasn't the first Kokiri to leave the woods, but she may just have been the last. Link doesn't seem to have any recent memory of something like that actually happening. Really, I imagine none of the Kokiri really understood what the warning of death meant until Link's mother returned. They finally saw her again after all that time, and she was different. Not only was she different, but her time ran out at the Deku Tree's roots. Though her growing up proved she truly lived, it was still cut short in only a matter of moments. Was it worth it? Did she think it was worth it? Maybe that's why Saria seems to be the most bittersweet about Link leaving. She probably allowed herself to understand what it meant.
All of this considered— Maybe the reason the Deku Sprout says Link isn't a Kokiri, but Hylian, is because he doesn't possess all of the same connection to magic and the forest? Because his mother gave up that life in the woods to become Hylian?
Still, it's quite funny to think of how this affects Link. Hyrule Historia isn't a reliable source for the lore whatsoever, but if OoT Link really is the Hero's Shade (I like to imagine he is), the reason he didn't stop growing until he died could be a Kokiri thing. Perhaps the only part of him that is "Kokiri" by then. Aging Kokiri still once were children of the Deku Tree, so maybe they always grow like one too. (I'm loving the idea that his mom was super tall now).
SORRY FOR THE RAMBLE I JUST COULD NOT GET THIS OUT OF MY HEAD!!! I'm probably missing some details somewhere, I'm sure, but I think this is the headcanon I'll lean towards for now. :)
In Echoes of Wisdom, we encounter the Triforce for the first time in a long time (in its usual state, anyway). But something that stood out to me (and a lot of people, I'm sure) was the title it went by: The Prime Energy. It's not something we've heard before, so we have to wonder: why? I obviously can't give a "canon" answer, but I do have some ideas.
Energy in Echoes of Wisdom
Throughout EoW, we collect little blue crystalline shapes called "energy." This replenishes the gauge that allows Zelda to use her swordfighter form. These crystals are found throughout the Still World and appear tied to Might Crystals, which also appear from the rifts (but only when they close). We use them to upgrade the sword and bow themselves.
There are two safe assumptions we can make about Energy:
Might Crystals are the "purified" form of energy or something close to it (its resemblance to bismuth "crystals" seems to hammer in this implication).
▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
"Energy" is the essence we see Null consume in Din's tale. It appears on its own even before land and sky are built around it. Because of this and the association to might and vitality, this essence must be that of life itself. (Perhaps Zelda's role as a Priestess is what allows her to use this energy in its raw form and gain that supernatural state, unlike Link?)
How may the Triforce relate to this idea of energy?
We know that Din, Nayru, and Farore go on to create the land of Hyrule (or what would become MANY Hyrules over time) to seal Null and prevent its destruction of all life. In A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Skyward Sword, we are told the Triforce is left behind in the wake of this world's creation (creation over the void, in the context of EoW).
The Triforce has the ability to judge those who use it (even going as far as to prevent deities from using it) and its essence speaks to Link in ALttP. Although it may not be "alive" in the same way most mortal characters are in the series, it has a will. This will knows not of good and evil, only of the traits each piece is meant to embody.
We also know that the Triforce has dominion over said world and beyond, being able to shape realms by its wish-granting and power-giving abilities. Hence, the idea of "prime." And, in Lorule of A Link Between Worlds, we can see just how much the rest of the world depends on the Triforce's existence for its energy to be sustained.
EDIT: Don't forget the Force Gems in FSA! They further emphasize the ideas above in the same way!
It's also worth noting that the Tris are tied to the idea of threes, and they are the idea of "existence" to Null's "nothingness." They reinforce the idea of the Triforce's embodiment of "being."
The "Prime Energy" is the Triforce's true name and original state - its intended title. "Then," You may ask, "Why have we called it the Triforce up until this point?"
▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
Why the Triforce?
It is after the three leave that Hylia is brought into existence with the sole purpose of protecting the Prime Energy. But there's an important detail many overlook:
Hylia doesn't know the purpose of the Triforce.
Not fully, anyway.
Yes, Hylia knows how it works - her whole plan to defeat Demise revolves around it - but she still has questions. Even with all of her memories restored, the first Zelda states that she doesn't know why the Triforce was left behind. She guesses that it was to give the people of the world Hope (perhaps even against world-destroying entities like Null, should he break free...). Even then, it's only a guess.
Doesn't it stand to reason, then, that she wasn't even given its name? After all, she was only created to understand and protect the golden power; perhaps even as an "extension" of its being, given her often implied powers over light and time magic (but that's just a personal headcanon). Perhaps "Triforce" is simply what she took to calling it, as she still could recognize that it was something beyond the nature of the mortal world. (Also, I see it reasonable that she could see Tris - she probably saw them patching rifts and drew a connection between them, which influenced the name).
And, in the thousands of years to follow, wars become waged over the Prime Energy as it is understood only as a relic: a relic meant to give ultimate power to the one who touches it.
▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
Conclusion
The Prime Energy is the true name of the Triforce, and it is the core to the many realms of Hyrule. Its nature has been misunderstood by many throughout its existence, but none of these ideas are truly false; it holds dominion over time and space while simultaneously keeping it together. It is an essence of the very concept of "life," and as such holds a sort of "will" of its own. It is the ultimate state of the Energy we see everywhere else in Echoes of Wisdom, and Hylia may not be far off - despite being a neutral force that begins and ends wars, it may just be personification of the idea that life will prevail. Although the worlds in this franchise may be scorched and healed, they are never meant to fade into nothingness like Lorule once verged. They are simply meant to be.
▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
to those who may have scrolled to the bottom because this is unnecessarily long, it's basically just what its name was supposed to be when the three created it but then they just sort of forgot to tell hylia that or anything else lol. also it may just be a personification of existence like the fittingly-named tris.
I love love love solving little Zelda lore puzzles, I may do this again. :) I just HAD to lore dump when a friend asked me about it
In the era just after the Imprisoning War, the Silent Princess began to bloom beneath the Great Sky Islands (which were sealed out of human view with a cloud barrier). They quickly spread over Hyrule in the age of the First Great Calamity, and it was the princess of the time - the only one capable of seeing the Light Dragon - that discovered that the flowers first blossomed from stray teardrops that fell like sprinkling rain. At the time, the royal family still knew the story of the Sage of Time (it had yet to become forbidden knowledge and the Forgotten Foundation was built for the purpose of remembrance). For this reason, the ancient princess named the flower the "silent princess," after the quiet sobs that still came from the Sage in her draconic form. It, too, became a symbol of eternal love as she cried for a hero yet to exist across time.
In the original Japanese version of A Link to the Past, Link's uncle's dying words are "You are the princess's..." And his voice trails off. This is an inverse of the English version, which reads "Zelda is your..."
Regardless, I believe the end is the same. "Zelda is your only hope"/"Zelda is your destiny," as well as "You are the princess's only hope/You are the princess's destiny." Zelda is known to have a psychic connection with Link in this game, and in the context of the Hero is Defeated timeline, they share a destiny that has been left incomplete - to defeat Ganon. And honestly, either translation works perfectly in this context (and that of the comics/manga as well). They are both required to work together to defeat Ganon, as Zelda's knowledge and Light Arrows are a key to his destruction.
The Princess seen in the stained glass imagery of Hyrule Castle in The Minish Cap was actually the daughter of King Gustaf. Her mother was a member of the Wind Tribe. Perhaps her connection to it is how the Minish legends of the sword transfered over to the Wind Tribe's legends of the elements?
In Lorule, the Triforce virtues were actually the same - but the restored relic came with a sort of price. Rather than being blessed with the pieces of the Triforce with boundless courage or wisdom or power, the chosen parallels of the pieces are cursed to earn it. Ravio had to learn courage through devastation, Yuga had to use others to obtain power, and Hilda had to learn wisdom through witnessing Lorule's tragedy a second time upon Hyrule. She protects the Triforce and the gateway to the Sacred Realm post-game just as Zelda does; but she knows she has much to learn from it. She feels unworthy of her position at times, and fears what its power may drive her towards in the future.
In Majora's Mask, there is a mentioned Goddess of Time. It is likely that this goddess is Hylia. She is - like TotK Zelda - a being with dominion over both Light and Time. Her light power allowed for the forging of the Master Sword and her Sealing Power, whereas her time power allowed the creation of the Gate of Time and the preparations of trials for a hero who did not yet exist.
Had King Rhoam not forbade Zelda's involvement with the Guardian research, she very likely would have discovered the Calamity's capability of taking control of them. She could have pieced together that the energy that powered them was almost like Ganon's malice, although essentially neutral. (That being said, the energy of Zonai technology was likely the true inverse - meaning it could have purged Malice from the guardians itself. She may have even discovered that, had she been allowed to pursue her studies). Although her power still remained a key in stopping the Calamity, this could have saved the lives of the Champions, the king himself, and many others... And after keeping Ganon sealed for 100 years, Zelda likely knows it too.
