A Brief Introduction: Before I begin, my purpose in writing this bizarrely in-depth take on the lore and the universe of Hyrule Castle is not only to satisfy what must, by this point, seem like a borderline masochistic desire to think too much about a subject about which no analysis was requested. Rather, this will represent my effort to contribute what I can to the development of our site lore, which is, as yet, quite blank for the most part, on behalf of our current administrator, Guy, and all others currently invested in some way in the construction of our universe. To this end, I will be offering an analysis of multiple facets of Hyrule Castle's universe, including the social structures, economic systems, politics, and demographics of the various races residing in Hyrule and its hinterlands in as much detail as can be managed. Over time, I will work to update this post with information elaborating on races already discussed, and with greater additions to include mentions and analyses of a greater and greater collection of races, societies, and civilizations. I will also be including accounts of the histories of these civilizations and peoples according to my own design with the aim of telling a story which serves to elaborate and enrich the universe we have begun to establish for ourselves, and one which is hopefully acceptable, at least in part, to those ultimately in charge of determining what is a fitting addition to our site canon. It has occurred to me that it may be a concern with some of our members that my ideas, which I have voiced at certain times in the chat-box, are not only opposed to our canon, but might be, perhaps, designed to alter our site canon and, more importantly, Zelda canon as a whole. I would like to clarify that my aim is most certainly not to form Hyrule Castle specifically to my own vision. Rather, it is my aim to offer a more fully developed interpretation of canon which simply elaborates on what we have already been given, particularly by official Zelda canon. I will say, however, that I intend to place Zelda canon above the established lore of Hyrule Castle. It is entirely possible that the following interpretation of Hyrule will include information conflicting to details considered Hyrule Castle canon but not part of general Zelda canon. Please note that any such instances represent nothing more than a suggestion aimed at designing a lore that might present a more workable world while still remaining within the boundaries of a general Zelda universe. I welcome any member to point out any detail given in my interpretation which conflicts with official Zelda canon. With this, I ask that any details conflicting with Hyrule Castle canon but not with Zelda canon be at least considered objectively, remembering the context that is an attempt to offer a more fully fleshed-out vision of our Hyrule. Introduction to Greater Hyrule Within Greater Hyrule exist a number of states and societies. Of these societies, the largest and most populous is the Kingdom of Hyrule, whose seat of governance is located in Hyrule Castle. The Kingdom of Hyrule controls territories encompassing the majority of the mainland region of Greater Hyrule, with the Tantari Desert, Southern Wilds, and Kokiri Forest lying along its southern frontiers, while the Snowpeak Mountains and Lost Woods mark the extent of Hylian domination in the north. While the Kingdom of Hyrule extends across the regions of Death Mountain and Lake Hylia and the Zora's River, two civilizations inhabit these regions within Hylian borders, but remain politically independent of the King of Hyrule. These societies include the nations of the Gorons of the region surrounding Death Mountain and the Zoras of Lake Hylia and Zora's River. These three civilizations enjoy warm relations with the Kingdom of Hyrule, and often work in close cooperation with its king. A number of other societies and states exist beyond the boundaries of the Kingdom of Hyrule. Closest to the Hylian capital is the Deku Kingdom, lying deep within the Lost Woods. The Deku remain largely disconnected from the affairs and politics of Hyrule, not unlike the Kokiri populating the southern forest bearing their name. Last of Hyrule's mainland neighbors is the nation of the Gerudo, dominating the southeastern corner of the Tantari Desert around the Gerudo Mesa, in which one find the Gerudo Fortress and the Eastern Caverns, and which rests on the northern fringe of the Gerudo Valley. In contrast to the feudal society of the Kingdom of Hyrule, Gerudo civilization is a unique society dominated by a race of women who form the dominant, warrior caste of their hierarchy. To the east of the Kingdom of Hyrule is the Great Sea, whereupon one finds the lands of Windfall Island and Koholint Island, each dominated by Hylian city-states, Dragon Roost Island, home to civilization of the noble avian race known as the Rito, Crescent Island, dominated by the tribes of the mysterious Tokay, and the Forsaken Fortress, a once grand citadel now commanded by a horde of marauders and thieves. In the north of the Great Sea lies a seemingly barren island, under whose glacial landscape can be found the subterranean land of Subrosia. On Technology and Society It is to be noted that the world of Greater Hyrule is an agrarian one. While it is true that only Hylian civilization truly lends itself to comparison with the real world, it should be remembered that the technological advancements of other societies tend to match those seen in common Hylian life. The depictions of Hyrule in canon settings illustrate a society most consistent with a model of medieval European life. This is particularly true when considering the nature of cities seen in Zelda canon, the most revealing of which being Hyrule Castle Town in Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess. These depictions of urban Hylian life paint a picture mirroring that of urban European life during the growth of the early cities during the medieval period. It is in such centers that evidence of an industrial revolution would present itself should any evidence exist. Instead, Hylian cities exhibit the characteristics of population centers whose middle class inhabitants work as artisans and craftsmen rather than industrialists. It is also worth mentioning that transportation in Greater Hyrule is shown to rely on muscle power and wind. Such a world is, at most, in the early phases of an industrial revolution. However, based on the nature of life seen in cities, which would be the logical locations of any non-mobile industrial technology, namely factories and production machinery, these early phases have not yet started, and it can be concluded that Hyrule has, in fact, not experienced an industrial revolution in any of its societies. Indeed, a number of technological anomalies exist within canon which remain curiosly inconsistent with an image of a medieval society. Examples of these inconsistencies include camera technology, seen in multiple canon settings, and the hookshot and/or clawshot. In addition, one might suppose that the existence of magic might allow for significant shifts in the technology available to the civilizations of Greater Hyrule. However, neither sets of counterexamples properly address the image established by canon sources. Rather, the existence of certain technological anomalies is best explained by concluding that Hylian civilization possesses an understanding of physics and the sciences generally beyond the level of medieval European society, with which the majority of the rest of Hylian civilization remains consistent. For instance, while the camera is a piece of industrial era technology, the basis for the tool is a matter of scientific understanding more than it is a matter of machinery. For instance, mechanical clocks, which at times require small moving parts, first appeared in the real world in the early 15th century, well before Britain experienced the beginning of the first industrial revolution in the 1760s. Therefore, it is hardly far-fetched to assume that pictograph technology in Hyrule is a combination of relatively advanced knowledge of chemistry, as the device would require an appropriate sort of paper capable of being imprinted with an image as a result of contact with light. The need for artisans and craftsmen to produce such devices is compatible with their rarity in Greater Hyrule. Another device which stands as inconsistent with medieval European technology is the hookshot, which nonetheless can be described simply as a particularly complicated mechanical device, requiring bright thinkers more than industrial machinery. While magic might conceivably power mechanical devices with sufficient effect to serve as industrial contraptions, it is worth noting that, based on the apparent lack of the hallmarks of industrial society, such innovation has not happened. Most likely, individuals with any level of magical proficiency are, in the grand scheme, few and far between. The vast majority of Hylian citizens are poor workers with neither the time nor expertise to use magic. Those in the fledgling urban middle classes and in the aristocracy, which would, on the other hand, have the time and resources to master magic, have plainly not used such techniques to orchestrate a mass shift in societal patterns to fit in any way with those of an industrialized world. The same can be said of those select examples of advanced, mechanical technology. While their existence might otherwise hold rather large implications for the technology operating behind the scenes in Hyrule, it is plainly seen that such advances have simply not taken place. This is likely due to the comparative rarity of these devices, as machines such as the pictograph and the hookshot require extreme craftsmanship and expertise to produce. On the Civilizations of Greater Hyrule Hylian Civilizations (Move your mouse to reveal the content) Hylian Civilizations (open) Hylian Civilizations (close) Hylian civilization is the most easily comparable to that of the real world. The Hylian race exhibits physiological characteristics nearly identical to real world humans, and thus displays equivalent behavioral patterns. The majority of Hylians inhabit the Kingdom of Hyrule. However, some populations exist as well on Koholint Island and Windfall Island, as well as among the Gerudo in the Tantari Desert, as will be explained in a following segment. Society in the Kingdom of Hyrule, controlling a territory roughly the size of England and Wales, is far too large to be governed by a centralized authority whose power is concentrated in a single monarch. Rather, as with any agrarian society lacking a means of effective, rapid communication that can be widely available to the population, and thus ruling out the use of a comm shell or other, similar magical item, must resort to more localized forms of governance. This might fall to a bureaucracy in which a number of regional administrators manage local affairs under the authority of the king. However, also because Hyrule is an agrarian society and lacks any form of rapid, long distance communication systems, local affairs must include more than simple administration. Local administration must also include, as prime among a number of other duties, defense and management of military forces. A large, standing army cannot exist in Hyrule, as it would be impossible to feed and pay indefinitely. Instead, Hylian society follows a feudal structure, as is suggested by the reference to the knights of Hyrule in A Link to the Past, and which is in keeping with the general range of similarities between Hyrule and medieval Europe. In particular, the existence of knights serves to strongly point to a feudal system. Knights are not simply soldiers. Knights are a warrior caste, around which a large part of feudal society is centered. They are soldiers by trade, as it were. As well, given that such a warrior caste is only really found in medieval Europe and feudal Japan (in the form of the samurai), it would seem that the patterns of Hyrule strongly support a feudal structure to the Kingdom of Hyrule. Kingdom of Hyrule: The Kingdom of Hyrule is the largest and most powerful of the three Hylian societies in Greater Hyrule. Stretching from Snowpeak and the Lost Woods in the north to the fringes of Ikana in the south, the Kingdom dominates the mainland region of Greater Hyrule, and comprises an area of land nearly equivalent to the area controlled by the Kingdom of England after 1283, at which point the English crown held what is today England and Wales. The Kingdom of Hyrule is governed through a system of feudal land tenure, whereby the lands of the kingdom are divided up among a number of noble lords who are given power over their landed estates in return for the promise of military service, known as tenure by barony. These lords are given the power to levy taxes on their tenants and enforce their own laws, to a degree. In exchange, this landed nobility is trusted to answer its king's call to war by providing forces drawn from its landed estates. As such, nobility and wealth in Hyrule are closely tied with martial capability. Those with titles and land are typically those with the responsibility of providing for the defense of their lands. This is particularly true of Hylian knights, whose social class is centered largely around warfare and combat. Knights in Hyrule are considered the lowest of the landed noble classes. Serving under a noble lord holding land by barony, these warriors-by-trade are most often entrusted with a plot of land of their own, known as a knight's fee, from whose tenants they may collect taxes and rents, with which they are to provide for their own weapons, horses, and armor. Much like a lord to his liege, a knight's obligation is to provide his service in battle, along with a force of retainers. While this system of land tenure holds true in the countryside of the Kingdom of Hyrule, there are a number of urban centers where the feudal system is rather more relaxed. Instead of answering only to landed nobles, the towns and cities of Hyrule are allowed to hold some power of their own, exercised through guilds. Towns and cities represent larger concentrations of those Hylians who might be considered part of a fledgling middle class. This middle class comprises mostly craftsmen, merchants, bankers, and others like them. While not landed nobility, these middle class Hylians enjoy a degree of wealth beyond what is held by the serfs working farms in the countryside. Through the economic leverage represented by this middle class, and the guilds formed by its constituents, towns and cities in Hyrule are able to hold some political weight. As such, these urban centers are typically considered discreet entities from the noble estates whose borders they might rest within. Each city, as allowed by royal charter, is governed by an elected official with the title of "lord mayor." Hyrule's landed nobles are not all direct vassals of the king. Rather, Hylian nobility is structured according to a hierarchy wherein some nobles are granted estates within the holdings of higher-ranking lords. The highest ranking lords in the Kingdom of Hyrule hold the title of "Duke." Dukes typically command the largest pieces of land in Hyrule, often roughly equal in size to the King's own holdings. Beneath these dukes are earls. Where dukes rule over duchies, earls preside over earldoms. Beneath earls are barons, who are entrusted with baronies. Many earls hold land beneath dukes, while some earls command estates as direct vassals of the king. Similarly, Hylian barons often serve as direct vassals of earls, though some serve directly under dukes, and some serve directly under the king. Most of the population of Hyrule, however, is not made up of landed nobility or of wealthy tradesmen. It is represented by the serfdom of commoners working the land under noble lords. Living as tenants on the estates of knights or barons, these peasants are largely bound to the land. As serfs, they are not afforded to right to leave the estates of their lords. Under the feudal contract, these commoners are promised protection by their land lords. In exchange, the tenant provides his lord with rents in the form of produce or finances, as well as services in the form of labor. Peasants live on plots of land which are worked by multiple serfs as a unit. Most of any area of farm land is designated for communal sowing and harvesting for the benefit of the lord, while the remainder is divided up so as to allow each tenant a small plot of land for personal use. A number of commoners, however, are allowed their own plots of land with a degree of autonomy. These peasants, known as freeholders or freemen, are afforded land and the right to work that land for personal use. These freeholders are not obligated to provide service through labor for their lord. Rather, freemen are expected to provide rents exclusively in the form of taxes. These freemen are therefore able to command a slight degree of wealth greater than their neighbors, but are still ultimately serfs living under a landed noble. Prior to the invasion of Ganon, the Kingdom of Hyrule contained some 10,000,000 inhabitants, including approximately 106,000 knights and landed nobles of varying ranks. Some 1,640,000 Hylians resided in chartered towns and cities across the northern and southern halves of Hyrule. Ten such cities boasted populations more than 30,000 residents. Hyrule Castle, alone, accounted for roughly 450,000 inhabitants, followed by Kakariko, which housed nearly 120,000. The common-folk of Hyrule, residing beyond the walls of chartered towns and cities, accounted for the remaining population of about 8,254,000. Roughly 1,486,000 of these commoners were freeholders with some rights to their own plots of land under the authority of a feudal landlord. At the beginning of Ganon's invasion of southern Hyrule, approximately 4,000,000 Hylians lived south of the Death Mountain. Over the course of the initial months of the war, as well as a number of subsequent campaigns aimed at repelling enemy armies from captured territory, significant shifts in population took place as noble landholders and knights called up armed levies from their estates across northern and southern Hyrule. Tens of thousands of northern commoners moved south, and as military campaigns continued and major battles were lost to Ganon's armies, many thousands of Hylians were scattered across southern Hyrule as they deserted from routed contingents and settled at various villages and townships across the land, hoping to hide from the king's justice. In addition to the tens of thousands of Hylians displaced as a result of armies being assembled, hundreds of thousands, even millions, of Hylians from the south were uprooted as Ganon's armies advanced. Floods of refugees took flight to the north, at first fleeing to the heart of southern Hyrule, later fleeing north of Death Mountain. Many tens of thousands of southerners managed to seek shelter in a number of concealed holdfasts in southern Hyrule, but many hundreds of thousands more were unable to flee Ganon's hordes, and were instead taken captive and enslaved. Along with well over 1,000,000 Hylians fleeing north were a number of southern knights and landowners, now left without estates to return to. Most of these knights sought to pledge themselves to the service of any northern lord that would take them. Many others were left landless hedge knights, selling their services as mercenaries, or turning to banditry to survive. Intake of southern refugees brought the population of Hyrule Castle from 450,000 to approximately 600,000 over a period of 18 months. At the end of the conflict, some 3,000,000 Hylians were left in hiding in southern Hyrule, or were killed or enslaved by Ganon's armies. Just over 1,000,000, along with around half of all southron knights and [former] landholders, managed to escape north of Death Mountain. Republic of Windfall: Coming soon Confederation of Koholint: Coming Soon Gerudo: Goron: Zora:
