Young Marika's secret life | Elden Ring Archaeology Ep. 9
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- čas přidán 25. 06. 2024
- Elden Ring Lore: The deep lore of Marika's past. Who was she before she became the one god of the Lands Between? What are those chapels in the castles of the domain? What's the deal with the Colosseums? The rise of Marika from the collapse of the prior order is hidden in archaeology. Join us as we explore Stormveil Castle, the Chapel of Anticipation, and more as we dig into the secrets of Marika and Godfrey’s ascent from the destruction of a great tree. What we found may surprise you.
"Marika the Bestower", Part III of the series Elden Empires Risen and Felled:
• The Godfrey and Marika...
#eldenring #eldenringlore #Marika #crucible #tarnished #tarnishedarchaeologist
Key Artifacts:
Athena Promachos, constructed in Athens, 456 BCE; destroyed in Constantinople, 1203 CE.
Battersea Shield, 350-50 BCE, British Museum
Gameplay footage/music credit: Elden Ring, Dark Souls 3, Dark Souls, Bandai Namco and FromSoftware.
Audio samples: Archimandrite Seraphim and the Choir of the Monastery of the 13 Assyrian Fathers, Alex Roe's Abyss Watchers and Lothric Princes Remixes.
Creative Commons and stock attributions:
Images:
Athena Promachus, Ioannis Tz; Persepolis, Napishtim; Trireme, George E. Koronaios; Athena, Yair Haklai, Fcgsccac; Conway castle, Mike Peel; Notre Dame, Krzysztof Mizera; Boadicea, Paul Walter, Rafesmar; britons, P. B. Abery & Wallace Jones; Boadicea, Courtauld Institute of Art; Delphi, Babis, Kosmidis; Epidaurus, Carole Radddato; Old Tjikko, Carkrull; Coppicing, Adelaide Tyrol; Colosseum, Colosseo 2020.
Videos:
Colosseum, videvo; Theater, Pexel.
Contents of the Video
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00:00 Intro
00:45 Preface: Marika Promachos
05:05 Chapter 1: Stormveil Castle
09:40 Chapter 2: Stormveil Chapel
13:55 Chapter 3: Chapel of Anticipation
18:20 Chapter 4: Marika the Bestower
28:55 Chapter 5: Facing the Greattree - Hry
every once in awhile someone just seems to have all the answers. Every episode is pure fire.
Yes, me. For only 3 payments of $19.99 I will provide an answer to any question you have, that's right folks ANY question.
Disclaimer: answers are not guaranteed to be factually accurate, and late payments are subject to $49.99 late fee
Seriously... I just keep watching these videos and i'm like... omg you're right. Yup, right there too. Yup, fits together perfectly. Yup yup yup. It's incredible that this channel only has 10.7k subs. This channel is right up there with Smoughtown, Hawkshaw and Quelaag for me in terms of the quality and depth of content being produced. The cream of the crop for Elden Lore.
Not only the best information, the presentation is god-tier
@@whirlwind872 what is the difference between a spotted salamander and eastern tiger salamander
@@Fishofftheperc30 Pay first buddy what you think this is charity or something
21:20 "Marika" is a fairly common variant of "Mary", particularly in Greek, the Slavic languages, and a few other languages (including Japanese), so it could also simply be emphasizing a Marian influence
Makes sense since the original hebew name wasn't Mary/Maria, it was Miriam. Every culture has slight variations in how they pronounce/write the names, like Yeshoua (hebrew), Yesous (greek) and Yesus (latin).
‘Murica
Marika is a very very common way to nickname Maria in Hungarian. But also in Russian and many other languages.
Fun fact: Margit is a woman's name in Hungary.
@@sidewaysfcs0718and Joshua (English)
Yes, diminutive forms with -ka are extremely common in slavonic languages, and Marika is just the dimminutive of Maria
Being reminded that Godwyn being "the Golden" and Godwyn being the firstborn aren't the same thing really makes me wonder about the degree to which so many people operate under assumptions they're not even aware of.
Good stuff, as always.
I think it is just seen as the most logical option so no one looks into it like a bias
I think people enjoy the parallel that he was the first demigod to be born, and also first demigod to die. His being born after morgot and mogh kinda kills that parallel even if it makes the most sense chronologically.
Well the game does call him the first of the demigods many times,not just the first demigod that died.
@@lordanonimmo7699 ive phrase searched "first of the" and didn't find an instance of him being called "first of the demigonds" *outside* the context of being the first demigod to die.
2 Fia lines can be interpreted both ways. "...when the first of the demigods died," and "...in which the first of the Demigods was slain."
I always interpreted it the other way. “The golden” implying he’s the miraculous success after the failure of the omen twins. And in my life the “golden child” is the baby, whoever is the youngest gets the most slack from mom and dad.
Seeing this AFTER the DLC trailer dropped, gives this a lot more weight. They could be facing the tree over the shadow lands
In the game's original concept art, the center of the map is not a simple area of water, but is instead a monumental crater. This would likely be where the elden beast/ring landed, so the implications are very interesting, for the coming and passing of the different eras
It doesn’t make any sense. That area is isolated from the ocean and the waterfall to the east that descends tells us the entire body of water is above sea level. How is this possible though? A crater would be interesting but the waterfall really throws a wrench on that idea
@@puzzleheaded6195 It can be a natural dam, and the water is just pouring out of the crater.
on that same art, there's also dead tree located at west of weeping peninsula, could that be the great tree?
@@korong99 It was the Haligtree
@@puzzleheaded6195 I've seen it suggested that the waterfall itself is the impact crater, and that the main continent was flung leftward. So originally Dragonbarrow would have been roughly where Farum Azula is today.
Just found the channel through Smoughtown, and I find it fascinating that the lore of Elden Ring is so thorough that real life archaeology methods can be used to discover the hidden story of the setting's history. As a fan and would-be writer myself, this is exactly the level of detail I'd want in a work of my own. So great analysis, looking forward to what comes next.
I’ve not thought about the Mary + Boudicca connection, but it makes sense. Not only is GRRM obsessed with history, but also melding characters to create interesting mixes.
In the many analysis videos I've seen of Elden Ring's lore, I've been surprised at how many times I've been able to spot specific writing elements and themes that I am quite certain came directly from GRRM's mind. He is a great writer (when he sets his mind to finishing a project) and it feels like identifying his fingerprint on a piece of evidence or something.
I get the inspiration from Marian iconography, but I think the Boudicca depiction is just at best symbolic for me. If she's ever been involved in battle, she would've taken the form of Radagon to get her hands dirty since as far as I know, she never fights directly in battle as she is, but maybe I'm wrong.
Even if she does, she would've used a chariot like the ones we find at some of the catacombs to match up Boudicca's alleged use of scythed chariots, if she doesn't use miracles at that point. Unfortunately, there was no evidence of Boudicca using such chariots, and the same can be said for Marika.
However, there is a possible connection to the chariots of the catacombs and in Celtic literature, specifically in the Irish epic Táin Bó Cúalinge. With the Lands Between being based on the Tír na nÓg, it's a possibility.
@@mmyr8ado.360 I thought the Boudicca connection was a bit tenuous as well. Other than being female leaders, I see nothing linking the two at all. When the channel showed the two statues of Boudicca and said they were clear inspirations for Merika's statues, I had to do a double take and still don't see the similarity.
Maricca
@@mmyr8ado.360why do you assume that she would not do battle? Seems like a very weird thing to assume of such a powerful being
That cliffhanger killed me a little inside. I'll be waiting for the next episode in the "chapel of anticipation."
Well boys, it’s time to revisit every last one of these videos in preparation for Shadow of the Erdtree. I can’t wait for TA to do a video on the new DLC area.
Hi TA! Great video, but have you ever considered the possibility that what you call "Marika Promachos" isn't Marika at all? That statue doesn't have Marika's usual iconography (heavily braided hair, feminine chest etc...), but it matches the Haligtree statue of an ephebic, father-like figure embracing Miquella and Malenia. In essence, I think those statues honour Godwyn as the patron defender of the City, given his role in repulsing Gransax (a feat he probably performed when he was relatively young, given the tradition of leaving princes as regents to the Capital when they're too young to follow their kings to war).
the idea that mohg and morgott (and maybe even melina?) were among marika's first generation of children is fascinating for their respective characters. great stuff
Also shines some light on Godfrey and how he might have felt about everything. I doubt he had the same view on his firstborn children as Marika, considering he was the leader of the Crucible Knights. You even witness a brief moment of tenderness between him and Morgott at the end of the game.
I feel like Melina makes the most sense if she's a full sibling to Malenia and Miquella. 3 trios of demigods (Morgott/Mohg/Godwyn, Ranni/Rykard/Radahn, Malenia/Miquella/Melina). Like Miquella and Malenia, Melina also has a butterfly associated with her - the Smoldering Butterfly(while Miquella and Malenia have the Nascent and Aeonian Butterflies), which ties in to her duty as the Kindling Maiden.
@@CsStrez well, that whole theory has to be revamped now lol
I'm sure you've seen this elsewhere, but the statue of the long haired figure sheltering the two children is commonly thought to be Godwyn, as Miquella had a clear fondness for him and the hair on the statue does not allign with Marika's always braided hair, but does with Godwyn's flowing golden locks
I’ve come back and rewatched these videos several times now, and am as thoroughly impressed and immersed as the first time.
Thanks!
I really wish I had more to say, but is genuinely my favorite Elden Ring lore channel, and I'm always excited to see more.
Incredible work. Also, not enough people praise you for music choices. Beautifully done all around.
Wow that coliseum part just blew my mind coming from the Shadow of the Erdtree trailer whoa
I’ve always wondered why the area in between all the divine towers was shrouded in clouds in the water, seemed so strange. But after you pointed out how the coliseum’s also face there has made the idea that it was where the Greattree seem so good. I love your vids!
There's a video where they show a huge square hole on the floor where the clouds are
@@90piterr maybe they will put a new area there in dlc?
I always thought that the giant open area in the middle of the lands between was a huge impact crater from the Elden Beast's arrival. I imagined that what lay there was likely the civilisation of the dragons/beastmen since the only surviving ruins of the dragons, Farum Azula and the Beastial Sanctum, seem to NOT be cities but rather holy grounds, likely located on the fringes. And, if even the dragon's burial grounds are as stunning as Farum Azula, surely they would have an equally or even more impressive capital somewhere. The center of the lands is an obvious location for any great society to build such a place.
I would add that Margit and Mohg’s shackles used an Erdtree symbol, and as it was likely made at their birth, implying that they were born in the age of the Erdtree. This doesn’t say anything for or against Godwyn being younger, but it should be noted that the twins likely weren’t born in the crucible era.
The symbol those shackles create are closer to the Ancient Erdtree, rather than the Erdtree. Actually, the symbol is uniquely different from the Ancient Erdtree / Crucible sigil, filled with more crisscrossing branches and no buds/leaves.
I wish well narrated, well edited, QUALITY content w/ fitting music etc like this existed for ACTUAL HISTORY
Your videos don't feel like just lore videos, they feel like full blown documentaries. The epic intro quotes and epic music certainly help with that, but also your voice and super precise wording
Marica is based on Mārīcī, a Southeast Asian/East Asian Buddhist god or goddess, as well as a bodhisattva associated with light and the Sun. Her name means Ray of Light in Sanskrit; मारीची. She is guardian of nations, who presides over healing and protects people from war.
She has that Boudicea aspect in her, as Mārīcī is depicted of riding chariots as well.
Both Marika/Mārīcī also possesses male alter egos. In Mārīcī's case at least, this alter ego is merely part of her identity. She is commonly depicted as a male warrior in South East Asia, where this male persona is patron of warriors and warrior castes.
"She is alternatively a healer from the wrong state to the right state of existence."
Western colonial writers likened Mārīcī to the Virgin Mary, and considered that she was asianized version of her, as their names were so similar. Though later scholarship has rejected this and state she is amalgamation of various ancient solar goddesses.
But it would make sense for Miyazaki to have bodhisattva/Virgin Mary/Jesus/Antigwyn mix in the god role.
After all, Marica's "rebellion" against Greater Will is very much a Buddhist concept. Buddhists renounce the world at large and search for enlightenment, escaping from the cycle of life through intense monastic detachment and realization arising from the intense suffering.
Only when yearning selfhood is negated, there can be peace.
And Mārīcī's goal in real world mythology is to usher mankind into this sort of enlightenment.
And then observe Marica's goal, to procure similar enlightenment by force, by triggering everlasting conflict.
She wants Tarnished and all the rest to struggle unto eternity, so that they will be tempered through suffering, renounce their yearnings, and be "enlightened" in her fractured age.
No wonder Gideon Ofnir was so shocked and fearful, after realising he was dealing with evil, anti-theistic Buddha who is willing to sacrifice herself to doom the world.
Marika's tragedy is to be anti-Gwyn. Instead of a god who tries to preserve the cycle that is doomed to be replaced, she is a goddess turned to traitor/doubter/atheist who wishes to break the cycle she presides over. Both also sacrifice each other for their ideals and are reduced to husks.
But in the end Marica's folly is as foolish as Gwyn's, and ends much sooner.
"Marika's tragedy is to be anti-Gwyn. Instead of a god who tries to preserve the cycle that is doomed to be replaced, she is a goddess turned to traitor/doubter/atheist who wishes to break the cycle she presides over. Both also sacrifice each other for their ideals and are reduced to husks."
I don't know anything about Mārīcī, but this is on point.
Her name is most likely though meaning "star of the sea".
Since GRRM came up with the name (I believe, but don't quote me on that) it's actually reminiscent of one of his characters from ASOIAF who has "Seastar" in her name.
I won't get into her now, but she definitely shares some aspects with Marika in terms her "foreign" ancestry, the fact that she is also a sorceress, and well .... Blonde because GRRM.
@@samf.s.7731 based reference
Though she never wed, she had many offers, and several lovers through the years. Duels were fought over the right to sit beside her, men killed themselves after falling from her favor, poets outdid each other writing songs about her beauty. Her most ardent admirer was her half-brother, Bloodraven, who proposed marriage to her half a hundred times. Shiera gave him her bed, but never her hand. It amused her more to make him jealous.
I don't think that's a very apt description of Marika's flaw. Her defiance of the golden order was long overdue. Her lust for power and posterity left her and her children essentially without any personal agency, as the greater will had become so intertwined with her very essence it imposed a second, more servile and submissive personality unto her body (aka Radagon.) Marika's moment of realization was too little too late and the Elden Beast appears to have been torturing her for the entirety of the 5 thousand years since the shattering. Radagon, despite his fierce loyalty for the Golden Order and the Greater Will, is still made to suffer. Marika was damned, but her sacrifice gave agency back to her children and the tarnished. With Ranni being almost certainly the one to make the most of it. More will be revealed with the expansion I'm sure, probably specifically to do with Miquellas experience and perspective with Marika, the golden order and Godwyn.
@@samf.s.7731 I named one of my characters shiera seastar 🤘🥺😅
0:22 Sculpture strongly suggests Godwyn, rather than Marika, imo.
1. Marika is often/mostly depicted with a large woven lock/braid of hair. Godwyn is unbound.
2. Rather than a Maternal position, it could be fraternal. Without slim, hips at belt level - indicates masculine rather than femenine figure.
3. The circlet, is one found on the siblings. Marika and Radagon have distinct crowns. The Laurel worn isnt those. But Miquella and Malenia wear similar circlets as the envelopping figure - hinting at a sibling relation rather than succession relation.
The 3 related siblings - united in burden of their Heritage. The Golden, The Unalloyed, and the Rusting... *cough... I mean Rotting. Aherm.
Especially, given the fondness Miquella has for his brother it wouldnt surprise me that the sculptures found in the areas of the Haligtree includes him, and exclude the old ruler of the previous regime/dynasty.
I've been thinking for months about those statues under Stormveil. I attributed their construction to what I called "Pre-Erdtree alliance," what you call the Empire of Saint and Tree. I felt alliance was the appropriate term because that statue represents the alliance of LB native humans, giants, and numen. You can find this statue on every bridge leading to the divine towers, and the divine towers themselves have the same architectural style as the Giant's Forge. This is what links these three groups.
Yes, we’re aware of your work, if you are who we think. You’ve got a keen investigative eye. We differ a bit in interpretation but your posts are always interesting reads. We’ll likely be talking about the Gold Road, as you called it, soon enough. Cheers.
@@tarnishedarchaeologist Nameless Singer came up with the Gold Road theory. I'm not her, but I'm a part of the discord, so I contribute somewhat to that community.
If you don't mind me asking questions, what do you think is the basis of Nepheli's connection to Stormveil Castle? Is she descended from Hoarah Loux? Or, more interestingly, do you think she has some relation to the ancient Empire of Saint and Tree? I think there is some evidence for this latter theory.
Good question. At this point, honestly not sure. As we said in the video there’s a nice parallel between the Dragon-beast relationship in Farum Azula and the current relationship, exemplified by Serosh’s vassal status to the Storm Lord. But the specifics are a bit unclear as to what happens when Godfrey defeats Serosh in this regard. We plan to revisit Farum Azula soon so hopefully some things will be clarified by that analysis. We try to take it one mystery at a time :)
@@tarnishedarchaeologist If I may,
I find the idea of Marika being a priestess quite interesting. How do you think it fits in with her relationship to Maliketh, himself Gurranq, a Beast Clergyman, as well as her Shadow and " half-brother"?
Also,slightly different question:
How old do you estimate Marika to be? Because there are a few weird statues in Farum Azula, you see....
They're giving me ideas.
Hi Aly, nice to see you. Indeed I think there is an interesting parallel between Godfrey’s relationship with Serosh and Marika’s with Maliketh. We haven’t fully explored it yet, but we plan to when we return to Farum Azula.
im so glad you make these videos. who knew there was so much story to gain from looking at the statues and architecture
The last part about the colosseums facing the great tree makes me realize something odd about the divine towers: all of them are damaged in one side, seemingly from being eroded by natural phenomenon. Are all the damaged sides facing the clouded area or something else?
That aside, if they were all facing the clouded great tree, then the direction the Caelid colosseums was facing is a bit misaligned. That's weird.
You just keep blowing my mind with your discoveries! I feel so stupid for not studying the architecture of the Chapel of Anticipation, I never noticed the Marika libation statue at all! Brilliant work!
You’re an absolute godsend to Elden Ring lore!
I've been watching your videos since the very first one and the levels of insight you bring are revolutionary. Many other lore channels go down to painfully minute about item descriptions but your approach is so refreshing I know you don't disregard the item lore but the stories you tell are backed up with the... I hesitate to say physical evidence but it's maybe still the right word
TA, I really am finding joy in your videos. As a huge Greek/Roman history fan with interest in all ancient/medieval history across Europe and Asia. . . Well now I'm wondering why I didn't get into Archeology when I was younger. 😅 thanks to your videos, knowledge I'd forgotten has resurfaced and things I never knew have blown my mind (like the Imago Mundi). And that's all outside of the Elden Ring lore you're uncovering and connecting! 😂 please keep sharing your knowledge and theories with us. I appreciate all your hard work.
The revelation of Mary + Boudicca is indeed shocking, it sent me a goosebumps
Marika is a feminine given name of Polish, Greek, and Japanese origin. It has its origin in the Hungarian and Greek nickname for Maria, or its Silesian diminutive "Maryjka". Marieke is the Dutch and Flemish equivalent. Marika is also a Fijian given name.
Marika is also a surname of the Aboriginal Australian people of Arnhem Land known as the Yolngu.
Additionally i found that Marika in Japanese means following:
- Marika -
茉 means "a character used in the name of the tree matsuri(茉莉)."
莉 means "a character used in the name of the tree matsuri(茉莉)."
花 means "flower."
It has many more characters that usually mean something beautiful, sun or incense.
FromSoft really does their homework, because her name couldn't be more fitting for a goddess.
What comes to mind by Marika’a role prior as a bestower of blessings in the St. and Tree Empire and her race as a Numen, maybe the prior blessing priestesses were also Numen. Which could tie them all to the Black Knife assassins who are stated to be Numen by their armor descriptions, with one such being found in Marika’s bedchamber itself. Given that Marika’s rise was hallmarked by the dying old order, and her involvement with Melina, who burned the Erd Tree as cardinal sin, perhaps the Black Knives too, sook a new way that wasn’t inline with the current Golden Order, explaining Marika’s punishment by the Greater Will. Further corroboration for this speculation would be in Melina’s dagger and fighting style in her animations being inline with that of the Black Knives. Just my thoughts.
I like how "Our father" in Aramaic plays on the background in the intro
Holy heck, the hecking Great Tree coliseums note at the end! Never thought of their view for the spectators, what a fantastic point. Love your details on the Chapel of Anticipation too, great video!
Yeah, that was great to see! I looked at them just the other way and wondered what they are open to and why their lines of view don't cross in a single point!
I love how this game really has no spoilers because one needs to come across creators like you to even get a decent timeline of events let alone a guided reading of item descriptions.
I always thought Morgott and Mohg were the first / earlier children and Godwyn was the first nice-looking one.
@Gabriela Ilyková Thank you. I lack any archeological education that The Tarnished Archaeologist possesses, so it was probably just a hunch or a lucky guess.
I'm in love with your style of lore-hunting through the lens of archaeology. I can't wait to see the 3 hour long "full lore of Elden Ring" video like Project: Dark Souls when we have a more complete canon of this universe. In about 6 years, of course.
Making me as hype for the next ep as I was for HOTD, rlly great content man.
I wonder if the Lands Between itself is a giant tree stump. There were theories floating around that said the Mountaintops is a big tree stump, but what if the entire continent is a tree stump? And everything living on it are like microorganism colonies that are being cultivated by the Greater Will in order to create a cosmic bonsai tree.
Jesus Christ I didn't shit about Elden Ring! My man your channel is a breath of fresh air to an addled mind, thank you.
I have to say, with each essay your work amazes me more and more. The depth of knowledge hidden in plain sight is astonishing to say the least, and without an expert I, like many others, would stay blind to it forever.
My man, I think that you discovered exactly where is gonna take place the first DLC of Elden Ring
I know it's small but I am so glad he said something about the colosseums because I noticed that as well
Man imagine being in the art department for this game. "What's my next project, Miyazaki-san?" "We need you to model a small statue of Marika pouring sap to fit into this alcove right here" "Just for there? Nobody will even see it! Why not use a generic prop?" "We need to do this in case an actual archeologist plays this game and starts forensically analyzing the map." "...........ok........."
BOUDICA, BABY!
On a serious note, I binged almost every one of your videos last night. I’ve been a history diver since childhood & appreciate your work here more than you know! I had noticed some of the correlations that you’ve discerned but, nothing remotely close to the deep diving that you’ve clearly embarked on here - consistently. Please, don’t let up. You’re getting real world history lessons coupled with extensive & legitimate interpretations of one of your favorite games when you consume these videos & their information, totally worth the time.
Heyyyy I'm not the only one who screwed up my sleep by staying up late binging these!! 😂
@@chucklebutt4470 nope definitely not alone in that one!
The Crucible itself and the crucible knights era is what i'm most intrigued about, can't wait for the follow up video.
Another breathtaking and in-depth analysis of the history of the Lands Between. The ending was such a cliffhanger - I can’t wait to see the next video!
Your theories and videos are just amazing.
That last bit especially, with the collosiums all having a view towards the center of the bay .... That just makes so much sense.
If the erdtree is just an offshoot of the great tree born of the crucible, then ya, it's location away from the center would make sense.
I hope the DLCs dive more into the great tree.
It would make tones of sense, and if it turns out the great tree's trunk and roots are in the center where that conspicuous cloud is, that would be so amazing.
If the remains of the Great Tree are still there in the waters I wonder what beasties live on it. Or in it. It's submarine roots must be a creepy sight...
@@cross-eyedhollow For sure, would be really neat to see! And given Fromsoft's track record, the DLC will be the best the game has to offer.
Also this makes perfectly sense, since the divine towers are evenly distributed around the cloud aka former great tree, the minor trees around the map being brances from itself with the erdtree resulting from elden beast parasitinng als the current ruling entity /god. Worth mentioning Miquella placed his new version the Haligtree far far away from this root system for a fresh start - until he was kidnapped.
@@tarleya ya, those are all very good points! Especially the haligtree location. Being in the ocean far away from the main-land one could assume it's separated from the root system of the great/erdtree.
Though... Hard to say if it's still able to reach that far or not. Given how the roots (though blighted) are still active in Farum, which is disconnected from the ground >.>
Woww. What an ending !! The lorethrough is starting to really come together now. Thanks for taking your time with this.
Your videos are the greatest for lore out there along with Charred Thermos and Queelag. Can't wait for more!
I am mindblown that you predicted where the position of the great tree is via the colosseums so long ago. This theory looks to be correct after the trailer, incredible work!
This series is by far my favorite in regards to elden ring lore. Excellent work
I also noted the colosseums facing more to the center of the divine towers, and seeing how the Erdtree was just an off-shoot grown from the crucible, I thought the Great Tree must've originally been at the center of the lake. Even the Erdtree is huge enough to be seen from everywhere in the Lands Between, but the Great Tree must've truly towered over the whole continent.
I am in love with this channel. It’s like finding a good teacher.
Also worthy of note is the existence of the Four Belfries themselves. How and why would there be waygates (accompanied by an Uhl/Uld relief) to Stormveil, Nokron, and Farum Azula, if these 4 civilizations weren't in all contact with one another at one point in time?
Your comment made me realize that the four belfries have to do with convergence and the crucible. I learned from Quelaag, I believe, that the four belfries have the figure of "Elden John" on them, i.e. the ancient dynast. This channel has covered how the dynast was probably a prophet who connected different parts of the underground with a unified message-in his interpretation, "revealed religion." So the four belfries is a continuation of this same pattern; he also connected the underground (Nokron) to the surface world (Precipice of anticipation and the tarnished) to the sky (Farum Azula).
@@crowstakingoff The issue that I was getting at, is that so far, the narrative has been that the dynast was from a much older epoch than Nokron and Stormveil.
I'm also not sure why that would associate with the Crucible... it's not like the tree roots could connect to Farum Azula through the waygate. They must already have been there before it was airborne.
@@UltraStarWarsFanatic I guess I should have mentioned, I buy into the idea that the dynast was a prophet of the crucible. He is covered in roots on the belfries and otherwise associated with roots. I think it is the crucible instead of the erdtree for the same reason you said, that he was from a very old era, older than the erdtree.
Interestingly there is deathroot in Farum Azula so this could be from when it was connected to the earth still. Or it could be a direct result of Maliketh being there, or the gloam eyed queen fighting him there.
@@UltraStarWarsFanatic The area of Nokron the gate leads to is in the style of the dynast's age. (It the corner viaduct to Mohgwyn Palace and the Siofra river area.) The video about Serosh and Godfrey, shows that there was some sort of animal-based Civ living in the Fortified Manor and Stormveil. Farum Azula's bestial link is self evident. The 4 belfries are a relic of this 4-way meeting: The hawks of stormveil, the lions of proto-leyndell, the human dynast/deer from Siofra (back then possibly a above-ground night-active civ) and the dragons of Farum Azula. They together worshiped the older great tree.
The Crucible likely came later, as Godfrey vanquished the people of those lands, with his (probably then brand new) Crucible Knights.
Siofra's wells are quite close to fort Haight and fort Faroth. These would be a place to look for clues about the dynast descendants or deer Civ.
As for Nokron: I am calling it now that they are the descendants of the people of Liurnia and those are the direct ancestors of both the Carian Royals and the builders of the academy. Liurnia architecture -> Nokron architecture -> Raya Lucaria architecture.
@@AmryL Can't say I agree about the Nox. The ancient astrologers lived in the Mountaintops of the Giants, and the original Eternal City seems to be the one under Leyndell. After its destruction, the settlements Nokron and Nokstella would have been established downstream of the Siofra and Ainsel rivers, with the Sellians and Carians being their respective aboveground colonies.
15:25 I think the changes to the stormveil chapel were made by Godrick; he’s made the change from the Libation statues to the crucible statues bc bc Marika and her children have forsaken him as weak, but through his persistent linking to Godfrey he has gained new power & influence. The crucible era is the also the time of Godfrey’s greatest feats, so it seems Godrick is really trying to convey his lineage, while denouncing Marika and her children
Just wanted to say I can’t get enough of your content I am left in awe. Amazing work! Thank you!
Wow!! Every uncertainty I felt while watching other lore channels is slowly being solved and dissipated by your videos. Can't thank you enough!
Absolutely the best Elden Ring lore channel out there today.
Amazing work as always. I expect no less from you!
“Yes of course we are talking of Athens” 😂 what an awesome twist! Love these series.
21:27 the statue on the left reminds me of the statues embedded in the walls of farum azula depicting a woman with a crown holding a child in her hands. There's also a statue of a crowned man nearby. Best place I can think of easily seeing this is the Dragon Temple site of grace.
Bro, you're on a roll, these many videos in a row!
mind blown watching this AFTER the DLC trailer
Really excellent work. I just found this after covering the architecture of Stormveil myself, and I am happy to see we picked up on some of the same details. We do diverge on a few points, giving me some great food for thought. 👍
As a Brit, hearing you suggest Marika is a combination of Mary and Boudica almost make me choke on my crumpet. Nothing a sip of Darjeeling couldn't sort out though. Jolly good video again, old boy!
Great video! I like your perspective on the lore.
I'd love to see what you have to say about Stormveil in a dedicated video, because it seems to have connections to stuff all over the place
Wow. Just when you think have a grasp on the size of the Elden Ring iceberg.
I absolutely love these videos, and you often times line up things so perfectly that it can't help but make perfect sense. Although I would have one issue. The leyndel opening faces away so the light of the erd tree doesn't blind the spectators.
Love the documentary narration. Very chill and informative. I feel like this is the final form of the slideshow presentation.
Just came across this channel last this. I’ve already watched three videos. This is amazing work. Thank you! Subscribed.
This feels like a movie, especially the teaser at the end!
Dude the amount of effort and research in these. astounding.
Damn, you're good. Criminally underrated
It just came to me that there is a similarity between the 'crucible statues' with the older man guiding the erdtree branch from the mass of the crucible, to the impaled-by-gold-spikes guy in the DLC trailer.
I can't imagine people in school beating you at writing essays and so on haha. Remarkable work man.
I feel like I'm being led down a road of truly significant discovery watching these videos in order finally. You make a video game's lore feel far more potent and real than a lot of the real-world material you reference. 10/10
i have to say, my mind is blown properly, this is beyond item descriptions true environmental lore, Respect!! I want more
Another weekend another masterpiece.
this is the first time a youtube video left me in awe and with a cliffhanger
Absolutely amazing material as always. Can't wait for the next video!
Best channel for Elden Ring lore.
GG on using one of my favorite pieces of music of all time at the beginning of the video
So the crucible is a period of history, not a thing or a place? Fascinating.
It's that a cliffhanger !? Magnificent !
It makes a lot of sense to me that there is so much inspiration from Celtic legends GRRM commonly has been inspired in some of his other work.
Wait. So in terms of the crucible does that mean that Omens are the most blessed of all? Marika was incredibly shrewd and cunning. What an excellent video into how truly conniving Marika is.
Thank you! Thank you for this rabbit hole! I
you managed to make my interest in the lore to go from 100 to 1
I love these videos so much because whether or not I agree with a theory I still always end up learning something new about history 💗
One thing that I'm not sure of is, why are Marika's statues even in the pseudo-crucifixion pose to begin with? We know that this is the pose she takes after being imprisoned in the Erdtree after shattering the Elden Ring, but wouldn't have these statues been built before that?
I have been under the impression that Marika shattering the Elden Ring is what led to the Shattering war soon afterward, which of course resulted in the overall collapse of order in the Lands Between. I find it hard to reconcile that at many different statues of Marika were all erected in a very shot period of time between the shattering of the Elden Ring and the war.
The state of disrepair the chapels are in also seem to indicate they are quite old. So I'm not sure if these statues were somehow rush-erected after Marika's sentence, or for some reason she was depicted in that pose anyway long before that. If it's the latter, for what purpose I have no idea. Thoughts?
I love you bro !
So much things i ve seen but i was unable to explain..
Thank you !
The narration Is Simply fascinating, i literally cannot stop watching these videos
The beginning with the dark souls music gave me chills
Impressive the production quality are impressive !
I've been watching souls lore content since DS3 came out. This is possibly the best I've found, right up there with Vaati, only with a different approach that's seriously appreciated.
Amazing work!
Incredible.. I can not fathom the scope of knowledge needed to notice these details. I foam at the brain for more videos.
I really appreciate this historical and archaeological approach to deciphering Elden Ring. It's putting other lore channels to shame.
The last part reminds me quite a bit of a comment someone made on your recent dlc video of perhaps there being a large swath of land hidden by Marika's veil.
I love that I come here for Elden Ring lore and I end up with a history lesson about the real world. Fantastic research and knowledge