Golden Goddess

The Golden Goddesses are Din, the Goddess of Power, Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore, the Goddess of Courage, the chief gods and creators of Hyrule. It is understood that the Golden Goddesses have always existed, and that they are omnipotent and eternal. Though the Golden Goddesses are the most important gods of Hyrule, they are rarely mentioned by characters in the games, and most races worship their own patron deities.

Cosmogenesis
The three deities of Power, Wisdom, and Courage are first mentioned in A Link to the Past, though in that instance they were not yet given names. The Golden Goddesses would first be called by name in Ocarina of Time, wherein the Great Deku Tree reveals to Link the cosmogony of the realm. It is explained that the three Goddesses are responsible for the existence of Hyrule and the Sacred Realm, and all their inhabitants. It is revealed that before time began and the cosmos was a void of chaos, the three Goddesses appeared amidst the chaos and began the creation of Hyrule. Din created the material realm, Nayru gave the realm order, and Farore created all life forms. It is also revealed that the essence of the Golden Goddesses is the source of the Golden Power within the sacred relic, the Triforce.

Din, The Goddess of Power
"Din... With her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land and created the red earth."

- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Din is the creator of the realm in which Hyrule exists. From the void Din gave rise to the corporeal realm; from chaos, she created the bare earth. With her divine power, Din shaped the featureless earth, forming its topography. When she was through, towering mountains, profound chasms, and great expanses covered the surface of her creation. With her work completed, taking a tiny ingot of her infinite celestial power, Din formed the Triforce of Power, the embodiment of her supremacy. Whosoever would hold this relic would be imbued with the essence of Din, granting its holder her blessing, and power unmatched by any mortal. When the Gerudo King, Ganondorf sought to abstract the Golden Power from it's resting place, he failed to procure the sacred Triforce in it's entirety and it split into it's three elements. Believing in his heart that power was the most important aspect of the Triforce, he was left with the Triforce of Power, and the blessing of Din. Nevertheless, this made him immensely powerful, granting him vast strength, and amplifying his mystical power. Using the power of Din, Ganondorf intended to conquer Hyrule, gain the complete Triforce, and with the power of the Goddesses, recreate the realm to fit his desires.

Attributes
As the Goddess of Power, Din is associated with themes that exemplify power. She is believed to be the Goddess of Earth due to her role in creating the land and her association with the Oracle representing Nature, who has influence over the changes of the seasons. Din is also associated with rhythm, such as the art of dancing. Din's essence is represented by fire, as exemplified in the magic spell Din's Fire, and the Great Fairy of Flame who resembles Din's Goddess Statue and Oracle. The Light Spirit which is named after her, Eldin, has the appearance of a raptor, and the prominent feature of its province is the great Death Mountain.

Nayru, The Goddess of Wisdom
"Nayru... Poured out her wisdom onto the land, and gave it the spirit of law."

- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Nayru is the source of the laws that govern the realm in which Hyrule exists. Once her sister Din had completed the creation of the physical realm, Nayru began the task of establishing order within the realm. As her first labor, Nayru illuminated the firmament of the sphere with her divine wisdom, and founded the fundamental laws of the realm. Once she had finished her works, taking a thread of her wisdom in hand, Nayru formed the Triforce of Wisdom, the embodiment of her omniscience. Whomever would possess the Triforce of Wisdom would be instilled with the essence of Nayru, and her blessing, granting them wisdom unparalleled. When the sacred Triforce was split ito it's three virtues, the Triforce of Wisdom eluded Ganon, and sought a worthy holder, namely, the Princess of Destiny, Princess Zelda.

Attributes
As the Goddess of Wisdom, Nayru is associated with law and order. She is believed to be the Goddess of Time (as referred to in Majora's Mask) due to her role in setting the realm in order and her association with the Oracle representing Time, who has influence over the flow of the ages. and due to as such is believed by some fans to be the Goddess of Time. Nayru is also commonly associated with string instruments, such as the harp, and singing. Nayru's essence is represented by water, as exemplified by the Great Fairy of Ice who resembles her and holds the Water Element. The Light Spirit which is named after her, Lanayru, has the appearance of a serpent, and the unique feature of its province is the deep Lake Hylia.

Farore, The Goddess of Courage
"Farore... With her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law."

- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Farore is the source of all life that exists within the Hyrulean realm. Once her sisters had finished creating a realm suitable for sustaining life, Farore began her undertaking of creating the life forms who would inhabit it. Farore breathed the wind of life onto the barren earth, and from it sprang grasses, trees, vines, and all other manner of vegetation, transforming the barren plains into verdant fields, and flourishing woodlands abound with animal life. Farore breathed life into the newly formed seas, and filled them with fish, plant-life, and other sea-dwelling creatures. Farore then formed all of the diverse peoples of Hyrule who would populate her sister’s creation. With her works completed, Farore drew a portion of her divine spirit, and produced the Triforce of Courage. The holder of the Trifoce of Courage would be imbued with the blessings of Farore, and valor unrivaled by any other. When the Triforce divided into it's three aspects, the Triforce of Courage was bestowed upon the Hero, Link, in merit of his great courage. Though he knew little of its true nature, the divine relic aided Link in his quest to defeat Ganon and restore peace to Hyrule.

Attributes
Farore is worshipped as the Goddess of the Winds, as referred to in The Wind Waker. Farore, unlike her sisters, is associated with two Light Spirits in Twilight Princess. Naryu's essence is represented by forest, as exemplified by the Great Fairy of Forest in Four Swords and The Minish Cap who resembles her, and that the sage of her temple is one of the forest spirits, the Kokiri. However, forests also seem to share some connection with Din, as this fairy holds the Earth Element, and it is the Earth Spirit Deku Tree that protects the forest in The Wind Waker. The Light Spirits which are named after her, Faron and Ordona, have the appearances of a lemur and a goat, and the prominent feature of their provinces are the expansive Faron Woods.

The Nature of the Goddesses
The nature of the Golden Goddesses is often speculated upon by fans of the series. It is widely believed that the Goddesses are benevolent, though some speculate that the Goddesses are of neutral alignment. However, there are events that occur that would call the Goddesses alignment into question. For example, the events within the Arbiter's Grounds (prior to the events of Twilight Princess); when the Sages attempted to execute Ganondorf, it appeared as though Din granted Ganondorf her power, preventing the execution from being performed. However, the game explains that Ganondorf already possessed the Triforce of Power prior to the Sages execution attempt, and the Sages explain that they underestimated him. Furthermore, Ganondorf explains that being near the portal to the Twilight Realm, which was full of hatred and malice, restored his dark magic, which in turn activated the Triforce of Power.

Another event that calls the nature of the Goddesses into question is in the events preceeding the The Wind Waker. Ganon returned, an he made another attempt to take over Hyrule. However, the Hero of prophecy did not appear, and so to prevent Ganon from conquering Hyrule and making it a land of despair, the Goddesses flooded Hyrule, drowning all but a few, whom had fled to the mountaintops, which became islands in the Great Sea. This event makes it appear as though the Goddesses denote the lives of mortals as expendable. Near the end of the The Wind Waker, Ganon laughs at the King of Hyrule, stating that the Goddesses destroyed their own chosen people. However, it is also important to remember that the Goddesses appoint the Hero. It is further explained in the prologue for A Link to the Past that, unlike the Triforce and mortals, the Goddesses possess the ability to judge good from evil.

Another issue that is debated is the identity of the Goddess of Time who is mentioned by both Princess Zelda and Tatl in Majora's Mask. While the vast majority assume that the Goddess of Time is Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, for reason that she is most commonly associated with the element of Time, others speculate that one of her sister Goddesses, namely Farore, may be the Goddess of Time, and an even smaller faction believe that the Goddess of Time is another being altogether. Fans who believe that Farore may be the Goddess of Time refer to the fact that Ciela from Phantom Hourglass is the Spirit of Courage and Time. In all likelyhood, as it is implied a multitude of times, Nayru is the Goddess of Time.

Appearances
In their first appearance, in Ocarina of Time, the Goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore are depicted as a golden figures surrounded by a red, blue, and green auras, respectively. However, in later titles, monuments representing the Goddesses(such as the statues of the Golden Goddesses in the throne room of Hyrule Castle in Twilight Princess) give a more detailed appearance. The Goddess Statues in The Wind Waker appear similar to the Oracles, Din, the Oracle of Seasons, Nayru, and Farore who are all named after the Goddesses. Furthermore, the Great Fairies of Four Swords and The Minish Cap strongly resemble both the Goddesses and the Oracles.