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 the manual of 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."

- Ocarina of Time Din created the bare earth and shaped the featureless land, forming its topography. Her labors produced the towering mountains, profound chasms, and great expanses of Hyrule's topography. With her work completed, from an 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 worshiped in the Earth Temple and possibly the Goddess of Sand, due to her role in creating the land and her association with the Oracle representing Nature. She shares a connection with Nature with her sister Farore, who is associated with forests. Through her oracle, Din is also associated with rhythm, such as the cycle of seasons and the art of dancing. Din seems to be represented by fire, as exemplified in the magic spell Din's Fire, and the Great Fairy of Flame, holder of the Fire Element, who resembles Din's Oracle and Goddess Statue. 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. Din shares her symbol with the Tune of Currents.

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

- 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 establishing order within the realm. Nayru illuminated the firmament of the sphere with her divine wisdom, and founded the fundamental laws of the realm. Once she had finished, 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 into its 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 referred to in Majora's Mask due to her role in setting the realm in order and her association with the Oracle representing Time. Through her oracle, Nayru is also associated with the flow of ages, string instruments, and singing. Nayru seems to be represented by water, ice, or love, as exemplified in the magic spell Nayru's Love, and the Great Fairy of Ice, holder of the Water Element, who resembles Nayru's Oracle and Goddess Statue. 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. Nayru shares her symbol with the Tune of Ages.

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 created the life forms that would inhabit it. Farore breathed life onto the barren earth and into the seas, creating grasses, trees, vines, and all other manner of vegetation, transforming the barren plains into verdant fields, and flourishing woodlands abound with animal life. Farore then formed all of the diverse people of Hyrule. With her works completed, Farore drew a portion of her divine spirit, and produced the Triforce of Courage. The holder of the Triforce 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
As the Goddess of Courage, Farore is associated with bravery and heroism. She is worshiped as the Goddess of Wind, according to Tingle in The Wind Waker. Through her oracle, Farore is also associated with books and secret-keeping. Farore seems to be represented by wind or forest, as exemplified in the magic spell Farore's Wind, 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. She shares a connection to the Earth with her sister Din, as the same Great Fairy holds the Earth Element, and it is the Earth Spirit Deku Tree that protects Forest Haven and the Koroks in The Wind Waker. The Light Spirits which are named after Farore, Faron and Ordona, have the appearances of a lemur and a goat, and the prominent feature of their provinces are the expansive Faron Woods, which cover Faron Province and encroach on Ordon. Farore shares her symbol with the Tune of Echoes.

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, it is inferred that Ganondorf already possessed the Triforce of Power prior to the Sages execution attempt, and the Sages underestimated him. Furthermore, Ganondorf explains that being near the portal to the Twilight Realm, which was full of hatred and malice, revitalized him.

Another event that calls the nature of the Goddesses into question is in the events preceding the The Wind Waker. Ganon returned, and 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 Link. It is further explained in the prologue for A Link to the Past that, unlike 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 likelihood, 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, 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.