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CHRISTIAN
IMAGERY & SYMBOLISM
The Legend of Zelda series contains a great deal of imagery and symbolism that is reflective of, if not specific to, the religion of Christianity. Imagery such as the cross or crucifix of Christianity, the Holy Bible, angels, churches, and the Holy Trinity can be found illustrated throughout the series. Although subtly depicted in most newer titles, symbols of Christianity were heavily included in the first releases of The Legend of Zelda series, such as The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. In fact, it is evident that Christianity was the intended religion for the early installments of the series. The elements of Christianity portrayed in the first three releases of The Legend of Zelda will be considered below.
CENSORSHIP IN NINTENDO OF AMERICA:
As previously stated, in the early installments of the series, prior to the introduction of the Golden Goddesses, Christianity was the intended religion of The Legend of Zelda series[#].
In 1988, alongside Nintendo's rules for sex, violence, etc., a set of written guidelines pertaining to religion were included within their policy. The guidelines stated that there would be no acceptance of the following:
"symbols that are related to any type of racial, religious, nationalistic, or ethnic group, such as crosses, pentagrams, God, Gods (Roman mythological gods are acceptable), Satan, hell, Buddha;"[#]
The American release of The Legend of Zelda predated the new guidelines of Nintendo of America, however, it did undergo some changes through censorship during its American release. Both Zelda II: The Adventures of Link and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past were affected by the new guidelines upon their release in North America, as elements of Christianity were censored out of both titles.
Below are several examples of the use of Christian symbols and imagery in The Legend of Zelda series' earliest titles:
THE BOOK OF MAGIC:
The Book of Magic is an item in the American release of The Legend of Zelda that is used by Link to add the power of fire to the Magical Rod. Not only does the book resemble the Christian Bible, in that it illustrates a cross on the cover, the name of the item in the Japanese version is actually The Bible.
The Legend of Zelda:
SHIELDS:
The protagonist Link is known to carry a shield in every game of the series, usually with a unique crest depicted in each title. In The Legend of Zelda, Link's shield illustrates a red cross, much like a Christian crusader. Another cross depicted in The Legend of Zelda is found on the shield of an enemy called Darknuts.
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8-Bit Link,
The Legend of Zelda
8-Bit Darknuts,
The Legend of Zelda
ZELDA II: THE ADVENTURE OF LINK:
CROSS:
Artwork of the quest item
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
The cross is a quest item in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and allows Link to see enemies that would otherwise be unperceived.
In fact, the symbol of the cross can be found in multiple locations of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Such places are the grave markers surrounding the King's Tomb, on the grave of the ancient tomb of the King of Hyrule, and on top of the church in Mido.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Famicom Disc System
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Nintendo Entertainment System
In comparing the above images, the depiction of the cross has been modified slightly in the American release of Link II: The Adventure of Link. In doing so, the depiction on the cross on top of the church is more unique in comparison to the Christian symbol of the Latin version of the cross. However, the symbol of the Latin cross was retained on the
grave markers that are depicted outside the King's Tomb, as well as the cross on the gravestone of the tomb of the King of Hyrule.
Another representation of the Christian cross can be, once again, found on Link's shield. Much like in The Legend of Zelda game, the crest on Link's shield in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link illustrates a cross, except the shield appears as gold or yellow.
Artwork of Link's shield, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
THE CROSS IN CHRISTIANITY:
The symbol of the cross in Christianity is the principal symbol of the religion, and recalls the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which emphasizes the sacrifice he made for the redemption of mankind[#].
The cross has been a major symbol for the religion of Christianity since the early developments of the religion. The earliest Christians did not display the cross publicly for fear of persecution. However, in the 4th century, after the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, the act of crucifixion was abolished as a punishment, thus the symbol was promoted to symbolize the Son of God[#].
The use of the cross in video games such as The Legend of Zelda is not generic symbolism, as it is deeply rooted in Christianity. Therefore, the use of the symbol in The Legend of Zelda titles are almost certainly a reference to the religion of Christianity, thus suggesting that Christianity was the intended religion of the series.
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST:
PRIEST/SAGE:
In the original release of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, the character residing inside the Sanctuary is referred to as The Loyal Priest. However, having undergone censorship with the release to America, the Priest is changed to The Loyal Sage, thus removing a reference to the Christian religion.
The term Priest is dominantly used to reference an ordained minister of the Orthodox, Catholic, or Anglican church, thus the inclusion of The Loyal Priest is likely a specific reference to Christianity.
The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past
Japanese version
The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past
English version
Interestingly, the Sanctuary in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past closely resembles the interior of a Christian church, including an altar, podiums, and stained glass windows. The term "sanctuary" actually has a great deal of relevance to the Christian church, in that it references a religious right of asylum. This notion was adopted by the early Christian church, protecting individuals from legal action and, to some extent, from exile[#].
Succeeding titles in The Legend of Zelda series phased out a lot of the strong depictions of Christianity that the first titles of the series contained. In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, the Golden Goddesses are introduced, and the Triforce is first revealed as a divine manifestation of the Goddesses[#]. In fact, the first release of the third installment of the series in Japan is called The Legend of Zelda: The Triforce of the Gods. Once again, due to Nintendo of America's policy on religious references, the title was changed to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past with its release to the west[#].
Although subsequent titles of The Legend of Zelda series reduced the heavy depictions of Christianity in their video game developments, subtle indications of Christianity can still be found throughout the video game's symbolism and imagery, such as:
THE TEMPLE OF TIME:
The Temple of Time is a recurring location in The Legend of Zelda series and serves as the gateway between Hyrule and the Sacred Realm. First introduced in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Temple of Time is home of the Master Sword and is used by Link to travel through time by 7 years in order to defeat Ganondorf.
The Temple of Time appears in other titles, such as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In both Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild, the Temple is depicted in ruins, signifying that history did not treat its structure kindly.
The exterior of the Temple of Time closely resembles some of the designs of Christian churches and temples, such as the example on the right of a temple in Salt Lake City.
Temple of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
THE TRIFORCE:
The Triforce is an ancient and sacred relic left behind by the Golden Goddesses when they departed the realm upon the completion of Hyrule. In most titles of The Legend of Zelda series, the Triforce is the most vital relic in the game. Not only is the Triforce necessary to defeat Ganon in most titles, it is essential to the stability of Hyrule, as it provides balance and order to the realm. Without it, the realm of Hyrule would cease to exist.
The Triforce is made up of three triangular pieces that each contain the power of one of the Golden Goddesses. The top piece of the Triforce contains the power of the goddess Din, and is known as the Triforce of Power. This portion of the Triforce is usually held by Ganon. The left piece, the Triforce of Wisdom, contains the power of the goddess Nayru, and is held by Princess Zelda. The right portion of the Triforce, The Triforce of Courage, is connected to the goddess Farore, and is held by Link.
The symbol of the Triforce closely resembles the Christian symbol for the Holy Trinity. The word Trinity is a latin word, meaning, threefold, and represents the Christian doctrine that God is one God, but is made up of three coeternal divine persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit[#].
The traditional visual Christian symbol used to express the doctrine of the Trinity is the Shield of the Trinity or Scutum Fidei (Latin for "shield of faith").
The earliest and most recent major variations of the "Shield of Trinity" diagram are depicted above. Below is a comparison of the upright triangular variation compared with the Triforce from The Legend of Zelda series:
ZELDA
LINK
GANON
Fan-made illustration of The Triforce as The Holy Trinity
If these two visual symbols are indeed connected, in that inspiration from the Christian doctrine of the Trinity was used to influence the sacred relic of the Triforce, what would that say about the characters included in the Triforce's counterparts; specifically their relationship to one another? Does the Triforce suggest that these three characters together bring about some form of divine and/or universal balance?
HYLIA/PRINCESS ZELDA:
Also known as Her Grace or Goddess Hylia;
Prior to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, ancient legends of the creation of the realm by the Golden Goddesses are a part of The Legend of Zelda folklore. Part of the lore involves a legend stating that the Goddess Hylia was entrusted with the Triforce when the Golden Goddesses departed the realm. Some time after, the evil Demon King Demise invaded the realm of Hyrule, seeking the sacred Triforce to destroy the realm. With the threat of Demise upon the land, Hylia gathered the Hylians on a piece of land, entrusted them with the Triforce, and sent the land to the heavens.
After the events of a great war on the Surface, Hylia managed to seal away Demise. However, she knew that the seal would eventually be broken. So, Hylia decided to sacrifice her immortal status so that she could be reborn among the people of Hyrule in order to seal away Demise's hatred, Ganon, each time he returned. Thus, Hylia was reborn as a mortal, Princess Zelda, and would incarnate in each life that Ganon would return.
Hylia, Skyward Sword
The legend of the Goddess Hylia is quite similar to Christian theology of the Incarnation. The Incarnation is the Christian belief that Jesus Christ, as the second being of the triune incarnated as human, becoming both man and God, thus, both divine and mortal[#]. The incarnation of Hylia as Princess Zelda is similar in that Zelda, too, can access divine powers to protect the people of Hyrule.
Furthermore, reflecting back to the Triforce, both Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom and Jesus' Son of God segment of the Trinity happen to be in the same place in both symbols. Could there be an intentional connection between The Legend of Zelda's Goddess Hylia and Christianity's Jesus Christ? Not only do both characters resemble one another, as both are depicted as wearing a white robe with a divine light illuminated around their heads, but both characters represent a great sacrifice for all of humanity.
Art of the Goddess Hylia depicted as an angel
Nintendo logo
Artwork of The Book Of Magic, The Legend of Zelda
Nintendo; artwork of Link kneeling before a cross
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Artwork of Link's shield,
The Legend of Zelda
Shield of Christian Crusader
Link obtaining the cross, Zelda II: The Adventures of Link
The King's Tomb, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
The King's Tomb, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Artwork of Link's shield, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Medieval Cathedral stained glass windows
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Christianity in The Legend of Zelda
Latin cross symbol
Christian Crucifix
Artist: paseven
The Triforce, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Christian art
Copyright : sedmak
Interior of a Christian church
Stained glass art, The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker
OTHER CHRISTIAN DEPICTIONS
Temple of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Temple of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Triforce, The Legend of Zelda series
Stained glass art, The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker
Art depicting the Three Golden Goddesses with the Triforce
Earliest attested version of the diagram, from a manuscript of Peter of Poitiers' writings, c. 1210.
Basic "Shield of Trinity" diagram
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Triquetra, or Trinity Knot
Another symbol used to represent the Holy Trinity
Used by the Celtic Christian church.
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The Borromean Rings
Other symbols that represent the Holy Trinity.
The Trefoil
Goddess Hylia
Skyward Sword
Princess Zelda,
Breath of the Wild
Hylia with the five races of the Surface.
Hylia, Skyward Sword
"I had a dream last night... In a place consumed by darkness, a lone woman gazed at me, haloed by blinding light. I sensed she was...not of this world. I don't know if she was a fairy or a goddess, but she was beautiful. Her lips spoke urgently, but her voice did not reach me. Would I have heard her if my power was awoken? Or was my dream simply a manifestation of my fears? I am sure I will know the answer soon, whether I wish to or not..."
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Goddess Hylia statue, also with wings
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
- Acts 9:3–9, NIV
In the New Testament's Book of Acts, prior to his conversion to Christianity, Paul of Tarsus is interrupted (while on the road to Damascus) by a blinding light, and communicates directly with a divine voice[#].
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