5 replies to this topic

[Wolf O'Donnell]

I keep coming across this weird little bit of trivia that says that early artwork from A Link to the Past had Link kneeling before a crucifix. Is this true and can anybody show me what it looked like?

[Doopliss]

Yes, I am absolutely sure I have seen it and that it was official art. But I'm sorry, I can't remember where I saw it.

[Hana-Nezumi]

http://gallery.zelda....php?pos=-11328

I don't think it's actually "early artwork", but it is artwork from the official guide. As the description says though, I wouldn't take it too seriously. The artist was probably just interpreting the Sanctuary as an actual Christian church. (Also, as far as I know, in Japan religious themes in general tend to be used lightly and it's typical to combine elements from different religions, so Christianity existing together with a worship of the goddesses would not be too far-fetched.)

[SOAP]

I don't know [img]http://forums.legendsalliance.com/public/ALOT.png[/img] about Japanese culture but I always imagined Christianity is to them what Buddhism and Shintoism and other Eastern religions are to us westerners. Some weird, interesting foreign religion full of badass imagery. So throwing in a few Christian references would be the same as a character in an American movie meditating like Buddha or saying something really zen like. It's just something to create a mood and looks cool. Nothing more.

This is something Burgy should be asked about....

Edited by SOAP, 22 April 2011 - 01:40 AM.

[Wolf O'Donnell]

Wow, I was sceptical at first. It seemed really weird that Hyrule, with its own Trinity, would contain Jesus in it. So that's not really official artwork, then?

[SOAP]

Wow, I was sceptical at first. It seemed really weird that Hyrule, with its own Trinity, would contain Jesus in it. So that's not really official artwork, then?

Well back in the NES days, Link had a Bible, and it was called that in the Japanese version. Of course they renamed it a Magic Book in the American releases so not to offend religious westerners. That didn't stop it from having a cross on it.

http://gallery.zeldalegends.net/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=7

And of course there's Link's Sheild.

http://gallery.zeldalegends.net/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=59

What's interesting is that this concept art is related to ALttP, which is the game that started really laying the groundwork for Zelda's very own mythos, including the three goddesses. Before that, there was no mention of Din, Nayru, Farore, or anything uniquely pertaining to Hyrule. Maybe this is left over from the NES days when they were throwing in real world religious references for whatever reason.

In any case, even if it was official, it can still be justified. Religions in the real world change over time and multiple religions can exist in the same nation. Christianity existed alongside pagan religions for many years, sometimes peacefully. Sometimes not. The Sanctuary in ALttP could be a Christian church, or some weird Zelda equivalent of it, while the majority of Hyrule still worshipped the Golden Goddesses. By the time LoZ and AoL roll around, the pagan gods are forgotten and Christianity overtakes Hyrule which explains the crosses replacing the Triforce on Hyrule's sheilds, and no mentions of the Golden Goddesses anywhere.

Edited by SOAP, 23 April 2011 - 08:50 AM.