Hyrule

Hyrule (Pronounced, ), once known only as the Surface, is the name of the magical kingdom that serves as the iconic setting for a majority of the games in the Zelda series. It is usually depicted as a beautiful and prosperous land blessed with deep forests, tall mountains, vast lakes, a barren desert, great cities, villages, and many ancient temples hidden throughout. Once ruled by the goddess Hylia as an unnamed land in ancient times, it became established as the Kingdom of Hyrule by the descendants of her mortal incarnation, the sacred bloodline that would go on to become known as the Royal Family of Hyrule. At the northern centre of Hyrule is seated Hyrule Castle, where the family reside, and a bustling town surrounded by a stonewall, populated mostly by the Hylians and a variety of shops. To the west of the kingdom can often be seen a desert, forests to the south and south-east and a mountain range to the east and north-east.

The kingdom has its own long and unique history with many wars and conflicts over the Triforce, deities, legendary relics, historical heroes and villains. It is connected to a variety of different realms via magical artifacts and portals, including but not limited to the Sacred Realm, the Twilight Realm, and its own parallel world, Termina. The story of the Sacred Realm and the Triforce would shape Hyrule's future in the centuries that followed its establishment, becoming the basis of its providence. It is also home to a multitude of different races and tribes, each inhabiting a different part of the country and sometimes protecting its legendary relics and guarding its temples.

After the birth of the Gerudo thief from the western desert, Ganondorf, who wishes to conquer the kingdom for himself using the Triforce's tremendous power, a young hero clad in a green tunic and armed with the legendary Master Sword will often rise up to save the land from destruction and defeat him. The hero is often assisted in this effort by the kingdom's young princesses, traditionally named Zelda. This would become a repeated history that would doom Hyrule on several occasions, one account resulting in its destruction by the Great Flood. Following the flood, it was succeeded by a new kingdom named after it.

Appearances by Game
Hyrule has appeared multiple times throughout the series as the setting for most installments in one form or another. Starting with the original The Legend of Zelda and extending to even the most recent installment in the series, Skyward Sword , the land has undergone many great aesthetic and design changes.

History
Hyrule's history is long and storied, beginning with the Golden Goddesses creating the larger world that it resides in and spanning three separate timelines. Eternal and constant throughout the history of Hyrule is the presence of a hero sometimes chosen by the Goddesses themselves to fight the various people and creatures that threaten to destroy or dominate the land.

Major Conflicts
Several of the wars in Hyrule's history were fought over possession of the Triforce or dominion over the Sacred Realm, others were fought over ownership of the kingdom and its sacred artefacts, or simply desire to destroy it in spite and hatred. Places such as the Shadow Temple and the Arbiter's Grounds in Gerudo Desert serve as evidence and reminders of the kingdom's bloody history of greed and hatred.


 * The Era of Chaos: Shortly before the Kingdom of Hyrule was established, there was an era of chaos with chaotic wars being fought over ownership of the Triforce. The conflict lasted long enough to be considered an era of its own, but was put to an end when the ancient sage Rauru sealed the sacred relic within the Sacred Realm and built the Temple of Time around its only entrance: the former location of the Sealed Temple. With the chaotic era at an end, the land entered an era of prosperity and Hyrule was established by the descendants of the goddess Hylia, who once herself ruled over the land. This conflict took place many years after the events of Skyward Sword and before the the War of the Bound Chest.
 * War of the Bound Chest: During the early development of Hyrule as a kingdom, the Hero of Men fought many evil creatures during ancient times using the Picori Blade and the Light Force given to him by the Picori. He sealed the evil monsters inside of the Bound Chest using the blade and the force. The Picori Blade was enshrined by the Royal Family of Hyrule and the Light Force was sealed within Hyrule's princess at the time. An annual festival would be held in Hyrule in response to the events of the war. It took place hundreds of years before the events of The Minish Cap.
 * Hyrulean Civil War: This war was begun for unknown reasons, but it was said according to the Great Deku Tree to be a horrific and prolonged war that resulted in the unification of the country under the banner of the Royal Family. Towards the end of the war, Link's mother was badly injured, but managed to reach the forbidden Kokiri Forest, where she entrusted her baby, the future Hero of Time, in the care of the Great Deku Tree before passing away.
 * Imprisoning War: When word of the Sacred Realm, the hidden location of the Triforce, broke out, lustful people took up war and began to enter it, evil began pouring fourth from the entrance. The Knights of Hyrule were nearly wiped out during the ensuing conflict, but the Seven Sages, at the command of the King of Hyrule, were able to seal the entrance to the Sacred Realm, which had previously been transformed into the Dark World, when Ganondorf entered it and obtained the Triforce of Power from the Temple of Light. It took place years after the Decline Timeline ending of Ocarina of Time and an unknown period of time before A Link to the Past.
 * Interloper War: When the Dark Interlopers attempted to seize control of the Sacred Realm and claim the Triforce for themselves, the Light Spirits intervened and sealed them away in the Twilight Realm, outside of which they could only exist as shadows. It took place some time before the events of Twilight Princess.
 * Zant's Invasion of Hyrule: Hyrule was invaded by an evil Twili named Zant, who seized control of the Twilight Realm and covered Hyrule in Twilight on the order of his dark master, Ganondorf, who returned to haunt Hyrule once following his failed execution in the Arbiter's Grounds. It took place hundreds of years after the Child Timeline ending of Ocarina of Time and the events of Majora's Mask, an unknown amount of time after the Interloper War, and during the events of Twilight Princess.
 * Great Flood: Hyrule was invaded once again by Ganondorf, who broke out of his seal in the Sacred Realm, and was subsequently buried beneath a deluge of rainwater by the Golden Goddesses in an attempt to stop him dominating the kingdom when the Hero of Time failed to appear once more. The Goddesses instructed those chosen to move to the kingdom's mountaintops that would become the islands of the Great Sea. It took place many years after the Adult Timeline ending of Ocarina of Time and centuries before the events of The Wind Waker.
 * Spirit War: Long before the events of Spirit Tracks, war broke out between the Spirits of Good and the Demon King Malladus. This resulted in the Demon King being imprisoned beneath the earth by the Spirit Tracks and the Tower of Spirits. Wearied from the war, the Spirits of Good entrusted the land to Tetra and the other Hyrulean settlers before returning to the heavens. The new kingdom of Hyrule was re-established in this land many years after the Great Flood that destroyed the original Hyrule in the Adult Timeline.

Theology
Hyrule is known to be a polytheistic society, and the greatest of the deities worshiped by the Hyruleans are the three Golden Goddesses: Din the Goddess of Power, Nayru the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore the Goddess of Courage. These three goddesses are the most highly-revered of all deities throughout the entire realm of Hyrule, as they were responsible for the creation of Hyrule and all who live in it. The people have also been known to worship the essences of these goddesses, which live within the almighty relic the goddesses created, the mythical Triforce. The goddesses have answered the prayers of the people at dark times of Hyrule's history, such as drowning Hyrule beneath the Great Flood to save its people from destruction at Ganon's hands and sending the Light Spirits to imprison the Dark Interlopers within the confines of the Twilight Realm to save Hyrule's people from their wicked reign.

The Golden Goddesses are not the only deities worshiped. The Zoras worship their patron deity, the great fish Lord Jabu-Jabu, going so far as to accord him a special place of honor in their society. They are also known to use the Water Temple to worship water spirits. The Kokiri pay homage to the great forest spirit known as the Great Deku Tree and hold him in the highest regard as both their father and protector. The Gerudo are known to worship the mysterious Goddess of the Sand, to whom they dedicated the construction of the Spirit Temple. There have also been other deities, such as the aforementioned Light Spirits, that are also worshiped by the people as the guardian deities of their respective provinces.

Several houses of worship and temples exist in Hyrulean society. Hyrule has been known to have temples dedicated to each of several different elements, each with a caretaker Sage that is guardian of the temple. The most well known of these Sages are the Seven Sages: Rauru in the Temple of Light at the heart of the Sacred Realm, Saria in the Forest Temple deep within the Lost Woods, Darunia in the Fire Temple on Death Mountain, Ruto in the Water Temple deep beneath Lake Hylia, Impa in the Shadow Temple residing in the graveyard in the shadow of Death Mountain, Nabooru in the Spirit Temple far across the desert in the Desert Colossus, and Princess Zelda in the Temple of Time. The Temple of Time's architecture also draws from Gothic cathedral architecture, and acts as the primary gateway to the Sacred Realm. The Earth Temple and the Wind Temple house the Sages whose prayers power the Master Sword and grant it the Power to Repel Evil.

Several towns in The Adventure of Link have churches, and a lone priest that resides at the Sanctuary in A Link to the Past helped smuggle Zelda out of Agahnim's clutches. Renado is the village shaman of Kakariko Village in Twilight Princess and the unofficial leader of the village. These figures, alongside the Sages, act as chief members of Hyrule's theological sphere.

Governance
Hyrule's form of government has remained relatively consistent throughout its history, with an ancient monarchy, the Royal Family of Hyrule, ruling over the lower-caste citizens of the kingdom from Hyrule's capital city, Hyrule Castle Town. The Royal Family itself rules from the seat of government in the land of Hyrule, Hyrule Castle, the namesake of the capital. The government is typically headed by the King of Hyrule, and his heir in most depictions of Hyrule is his daughter or descendant, Princess Zelda. In some cases, Zelda herself has ruled over the land as matriarch of the Royal Family as well, such as during the Twili invasion of Hyrule. Hyrule is typically divided into various provinces and most of the various races pledge their allegiance to the central government headed by the Royal Family. Each race has its own local government and the individual tribal leaders, but all races pledge their overall allegiance to the Royal Family as kingdom of Hyrule citizens.

Hyrule has faced many coups throughout its history, but ultimately the Royal Family is usually restored to power through the efforts of Hyrule's hero, Link.

Military
The Hyrulean Soldiers make up the bulk of Hyrule's military forces. Despite their duty to protect the peace, the guards have a poor reputation and a tendency towards cowardice, they will shrink in fear whenever Wolf Link passes by them. The guards have been unsuccessful in defending Hyrule in more recent games, falling to the army led by Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time as well as being overpowered by the forces of twilight led by Zant. Due to their minor inefficiencies, they often are unable to prevent infiltration of even Hyrule Castle. However, they have not always been cowardly; they have valiantly defended Princess Zelda from Zant's forces even as the Throne Room of Hyrule Castle underwent the twilight invasion of Twilight Princess; and while trying to prevent Vaati from blasting open the Bound Chest in The Minish Cap.

However, these guards were also very wary of when evil took over their kingdom. When Vaati impersonated King Daltus, the guards who dissented were turned to stone. When the guards would not follow an evil ruler, they were brainwashed into doing so. In A Link to the Past, the dark wizard Agahnim took over the country through much cunning and deceit; one of the first things he did was take over Hyrule's military force using his powerful magic. The guards are shown to be freed of this spell when Link destroys Agahnim and returns the Royal Family to power. Although the guards are mostly concentrated in the Hyrulean capital city Hyrule Castle Town, they are seen spread out all across the kingdom as well.

The more recent interpretations of the guards are vastly different compared to the more noble Knights of Hyrule spoken of in A Link to the Past, who gave their lives almost to the utter last in order to protect the Seven Sages as they cast their seal on the Dark World. Whether the Knights of Hyrule have any connection to the present day guards that make up Hyrule's military is unclear, but if the Knights of Hyrule were indeed the forerunners of the present guards, it would mean a vast decline in their efficiency and courage since the times of the Imprisoning War. A similar set of knights also called the "Knights of Hyrule" acted as the guardians of the Royal Jewels in Four Swords Adventures, and only four existed. Each protecting one of the four jewels that would restore the Tower of Winds and yield access to the Realm of the Heavens. Whether these four knights have any connection to the Knights of Hyrule spoken of in the tales of the Imprisoning War is unclear, but both are reputed for their bravery.

Economy
Hyrule's official currency is a small jewel-like object known as the Rupee. Several color and size variations are used to denote values. Some, such as green, blue or yellow Rupees are worth less than rarer Rupees as red, purple, orange, silver or gold. Rupees are accepted in almost any establishment throughout the kingdom of Hyrule and are the single most common form of payment in the marketplace of Hyrule's capital city, Hyrule Castle Town.

Technology
Hyrule is usually portrayed as a medieval land, though some advancements take place in Twilight Princess, Spirit Tracks and Skyward Sword

Geography
Like many of the other lands depicted in the Zelda series such as Termina, Holodrum and Labrynna, Hyrule's geography varies greatly from region to region. In most depictions of Hyrule, the land is shown to be a collection of regions with varying geographies and climates usually linked by a great open expanse of land known as Hyrule Field. Hyrule Castle Town and by extension Hyrule Castle are usually located near the central part of the country and not far away from Hyrule Field. The other regions of Hyrule as stated before vary greatly in their composition and appearance. For example, the region most associated with the rock-loving Gorons is the sweltering and rocky Death Mountain, which has little to no vegetation and is for all intents and purposes a large volcano. On the other hand, there are parts of the country covered by deep forests that have a more hospitable climate and atmosphere, where plant-life and vegetation are much more common and provide a means to live for such forest-dwellers as the child-like Kokiri race. Hyrule is also usually shown to be home to a vast lake usually named Lake Hylia as well as a watery grotto named Zora's Domain, both being more hospitable and suitable to the aquatic Zora race. Hyrule is also known to have snowy regions as well, such as the Snowpeak Mountain Range, which is the preferred home region of the Yeti race. Finally, Hyrule is also usually shown to be home to a vast desert (usually to the west), more commonly known as the Gerudo Desert amongst other names, which is home to such desert-dwelling tribes as the Gerudo or the Zuna. Taken altogether, Hyrule is shown to be a melting pot of sorts in regards to its geography as it has been shown to possess nearly every kind of climate and terrain.

Races of Hyrule
Hyrule is home to numerous races which are scattered all across the land, each inhabiting a different part of the kingdom. The main distinction between Hyrule's inhabitants is that of Hylians and Hyruleans. Hylian refers to the specific race prominently appearing throughout Hyrule. Hyrulean refers to the many humanoid and non humanoid races that have inhabited Hyrule.

With the exception of the Hylians, most of the races have preferred environments and primarily reside among members of their own race. Moreover, few of Hyrule's races are limited to residency in just this one kingdom. Other lands of the Legend of Zelda series have featured these, and even more exotic races.

Humanoid Hyruleans
Hylians

The Hylians are the dominant race of the realm, with close ties to the goddesses as their chosen people. The Hylians are extremely abundant and are quite similar to humans on earth. Unlike most other races of Hyrule, Hylians tend to live in large cities, such as Hyrule Castle Town or Kakariko Village. They are said to be born with magic-infused blood and use magic quite often.

Gerudo

The Gerudo are a race of largely female thieves who hail from the desert far to the west of Hyrule. They live in the Gerudo's Fortress, nestled in the cliffs of Gerudo Valley, where they guard the entrance to the desert. According to Gerudo lore, only one male Gerudo is born every century, and that single male is to become King of the Gerudo. It is hinted that the Gerudo take on relationships with Hylian men for reproductive purposes. The Gerudo have a largely Arabesque appearance, even carrying scimitar-like swords for protection.

Kokiri

The Kokiri, a humanoid, child-like race, reside deep in the Kokiri Forest under the protection of the Great Deku Tree. With long lifespans and never aging, these small beings are the dominant race of the forest and are the guardians of the Forest Temple deep in the Lost Woods. They have only ever appeared in Hyrule, making them unique to the land, unlike other races.

Sheikah

The mysterious Sheikah are a race of ninja-like shadow warriors, said to be the guardians of the Royal Family of Hyrule. They are said to have been the builders and founders of Kakariko Village. Little definite information is known about this race, but speculation abounds as to their history and the reasons for their subsequent disappearance. The Sheikah have red-colored eyes but are otherwise a humanoid race of beings quite similar in appearance to Hylians and humans.

Wind Tribe

The Wind Tribe are a race of humanoid beings who have magical powers strongly connected to the winds, as the guardians of the Wind Element. They were responsible for the construction of the Fortress of Winds in the Wind Ruins just south of Castor Wilds as well as the Palace of Winds and the Tower of Winds above Hyrule. They were said to have been the favorite tribe of Gustaf, an ancient King of Hyrule. After living in the marshlands of the Castor Wilds for a time, the Wind Tribe abandoned the Wind Ruins and the Fortress of Winds, leaving for the Cloud Tops and taking the Wind Element with them. In the Cloud Tops, they have made the Tower of Winds their home as well as the road to the Palace of Winds.

Non-Humanoid Hyruleans
Zoras

The Zoras are aquatic, amphibious creatures that inhabit the waters of the kingdom, and are found in different forms which differ greatly in appearance and behavior. River Zoras occupy the rivers and appear more fish-like and aggressive, and can spit fireballs at passers-by, whereas Sea Zoras seem to be more peaceful and appear to be a hybrid between human and fish. Zora’s Domain is home to much of the Zora race, and is the source of all of Hyrule’s water in most stories set in Hyrule. The Zoras are often ruled by a monarchy themselves, the Royal Family of the Zoras usually headed by King Zora, though they also swear allegiance to the central Hyrulean government. They serve the Royal Family of Hyrule largely by guarding Hyrule’s water supply.

Gorons

The Gorons are a race of rock-consuming, golem-like creatures that inhabit the mountainous regions and rocky areas of Hyrule, largely Death Mountain. They possess superhuman strength and the ability to curl up into a ball and roll at high speeds, and are completely heat-resistant, able to wade through lava for extended periods of time. They have formed an alliance with the Royal Family of Hyrule, answering to the central government headed by the King of Hyrule. However, in the day-to-day governing of their tribe, they live under a council of elders typically headed by a patriarch, such as Darunia or Darbus.

Deku

Also inhabiting the forests of the kingdom are the plant-like race known as the Deku. The Deku of Hyrule are composed of the Deku Scrubs, which spit nuts as passersby or try to sell wares to those whom they meet. Typically these Deku Scrubs will live near a Deku Flower, into which they can retreat. The Deku do not appear to have any allegiance to any form of government in Hyrule. The term "Deku" has referred to Great Deku Tree, Deku Baba, and many items related to the forest nature of the creatures.

Zuna

The Zuna are a race of desert-dwelling nomads featured so far only in Four Swords Adventures, where they inhabit the Desert of Doubt alongside the Gerudo. They are a race of green-skinned humanoid beings that are said to be descended from the ancient tribe that built the Pyramid and sealed the Trident of Power there. Outside of that, little is known of their race's origins or how they came to live in Hyrule. They live in a small village in the central part of the Desert of Doubt, in small huts with flowers atop their roofs.

Minish

The Minish are a race of tiny beings who are largely responsible for Rupees and countless objects such as Magic Jars and Bombs being hidden in the weeds, grass, and beneath the pots throughout Hyrule. They are said to be concerned with bringing happiness to humans. The Minish seemingly did not originate from Hyrule however, as their homeland is said to be the Minish Realm that is connected to Hyrule. The passageway connecting the two worlds, the Minish Door, opens only temporarily once a century to allow the Minish to traverse to or from Hyrule. Though they primarily live in the Minish Village deep in the Minish Woods of Hyrule, they are also scattered around Hyrule, such as in Hyrule Town, Castor Wilds, and even up on Mount Crenel.

Oocca

The strange Oocca race inhabits the City in the Sky, floating high above Hyrule. Only fragments of the Oocca's history have been revealed. They are said to be the creators of the Dominion Rod (known to their tribe as the "Rod of the Heavens"), a magical rod that possesses the power to infuse life into certain statues found scattered across Hyrule. They are hinted to have had a close connection to both the Royal Family of Hyrule and the Sheikah, as they left the Ancient Sky Book to the Sheikah tribe upon departing for the City in the Sky. The Oocca maintained relations with the Royal Family even after they left for the skies, by means of the "Messenger to the Heavens" who would carry the "Rod of the Heavens" and journey between the surface and the city by the Sky Cannon. The Oocca have mysteriously lost touch with the surface-dwellers of Hyrule and nobody has seen one in living memory, causing many to believe their existence to be a myth.

Animals
Aside from the following races, Hyrule's inhabitants include many familiar animals such as horses, cows, dogs, cats, and the like. The distinction between Animals and Beasts lies in the aggressiveness of the two. Hyrulean beasts are very varied; the primary categorization used by the Legend of Zelda series' creators is the ones found in the Overworld and those of the Underworlds of Hyrule.

Theories

 * The manual of The Legend of Zelda places the game in a little kingdom in the land of Hyrule. In The Adventure of Link it is also mentioned that there was a time when Hyrule was united under one kingdom. This indicates that the "little kingdom" is a small part of a greater geographical territory collectively known as Hyrule. There are also some evidence suggesting that this kingdom occupies the southwestern corner of The Adventure of Link's map. Both territories contain a Death Mountain, Spectacle Rock, graveyard, twin ponds, sideways L-shaped forested area, mazelike forested area, and a eastern side that borders water. The overworld map of the Valiant Comics helps support this idea, though the comics themselves are universally considered ambiguously canonical.


 * If one rotates the Light World map from A Link to the Past clockwise forty-five degrees, several landmarks end up roughly where they are located in the map for Ocarina of Time - with Hyrule Castle in the center of the map, Death Mountain is to the north-east, Zora's River to the south-east, Lake Hylia to the south, and the desert is to the west. The only major locations that don't match up are the Lost Woods and Kakariko Village, which move to where Hyrule Castle and Castle Town are on the Ocarina of Time map. However, this can be seen as being the Hyrule of Ocarina of Time, due to the fact that that the Master Sword is still in the same general area, suggesting that in the Decline Timeline, Hyrule Castle was rebuilt in a new location after Castle Town and Hyrule Castle of "Ocarina of Time" had been destroyed by Ganondorf.