The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy_ I Link Therefore I Am - Luke Cuddy [101]
Religion has historically done a great job of giving context to governmental politics, and in the US, this triune structure plays itself out in the three branches of government: Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary. Likewise, the order of Maidens, Wise Men, and Knights that preserve Hyrule provide an implied function of balance and cross-checking.
Trinities, Triforces, triangles, intransitive triunes, whatever you want to call them, they simplify the complexity of a dynamic system into symbolism which can be readily understood and appreciated by the lowest common denominator. The drive to participate as a Knight, in order to gain information from Wise Men and then save the Maidens, may derive from the packaging that Hyrule’s triangular mythos provides.
Perhaps wisdom, then, is the realization that these tidy little packages of the social symbolic may be distractions, and it is this enlightenment that holds Zelda hostage, both figuratively in her self-imposed role as ruler, and literally, as she is often captured or imprisoned by the powers that would distort the balance of the system.
The Golden Power
Let’s take a step back, to the real world we live in, and the possible game-design philosophy of Shigeru Miyamoto, a man who lives in this real world with us. I would summarize his philosophy like this: the world is complex and changing, a dynamic system, but it can be made sense of, sometimes even poetically, by designing symbolic trinities of elemental factors which inter-relate in a non-hierarchical manner.
The golden power of the Triforce, then, is the ability to understand the world’s complexities, to break it down into something manageable. However, the flip-side to this is propaganda, the propaganda of game design, the game we all are invited to play in this society. Zelda can use the golden power of the Triforce to impart wisdom, but by contrast, Ganon can use it to create a world filled with deceptions. The Triforce structure gives a very compelling sense of choice, of freedom, but very often the reality is that the choices are pre-designed for us, and therefore illusory. It all depends on the game, but always is the void in the center of the Triforce—no system is a complete reality, they are always representations posing as totality. With the golden power however, you can see that there is indeed a game being played, and then you can infer who designed these games you’re in. Sometimes it’s the game of society, often the games of other people, but most often, it’s a game of your own creation. Take a good long look in the Magic Mirror, because that’s the only way to escape the Dark World.
17
The Triforce and the Doctrine of the Mean
CHARLES JOSHUA HORN
After the gods had finished their work, they left the world, but not before creating a symbol of their strength, a golden triangle known as the Triforce. A small but powerful portion of the essence of the gods was held in this mighty artifact, which was to guide intelligent life on the world of Hyrule.
—The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
At the heart of Zelda games are action, puzzles, and a well written story that usually focuses on the Hero of Time rescuing a princess and battling against dark forces. The games involve magic swords, interesting people, and faraway lands. Taking center stage, however, is a magical relic called the Triforce.
The Triforce was left behind after the three goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore created Hyrule. It’s the manifestation of power, wisdom, and courage and, when combined, can grant the possessor her innermost desires. In most of the games, the Triforce is split into three parts and is instead possessed by Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf. Link possesses the Triforce of Courage, Zelda the Triforce of Wisdom, and Ganondorf the Triforce of Power.
But what is the Triforce really? Is it merely