Golden Goddess

The Golden Goddesses, also known as the Old Gods, are Din, the Goddess of Power, Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore, the Goddess of Courage, the chief gods and creators of the land that becomes the Kingdom of Hyrule and the extended world that it resides in. 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 the world, they are mentioned by few characters in the series, and knowledge of them has been shown to be limited to the people of Hyrule alone, most races worshiping their own patron deities. Signs of their existence has been visible in parallel worlds such as Termina and the World of the Ocean King also, implying that they may have created those worlds as well.

Each of the three Goddesses is associated with a characteristic, common element and color: Din is power, fire and red; Nayru is wisdom, water and blue; Farore is courage, wind and green. They are the creators of the sacred Triforce that is made up of their three associated characteristics of power, wisdom and courage. Although they have to date never physically appeared in the series, they are sometimes implied to play a behind-the-scenes influence on the events that take place throughout the series.

Creation of the World
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. Before time began and before the spirits and life existed, the universe was in chaos. The three Goddesses descended upon the chaos and began the creation of Hyrule, each of them creating a different facet of the realm. Din created the material realm, Nayru gave the realm order, and Farore created all life forms who would follow said order.

With their labors completed, the Goddesses departed for the heavens, but not before leaving the Triforce, a sacred golden triangle representing a small portion of the essence of the goddesses. Because the power of the Triforce was so great, they trusted the sacred relic to the hands of the goddess Hylia so that she could protect it.

The land where the goddesses descended eventually became to be known as the Sacred Realm, the eventual resting place of 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, Din formed the Triforce of Power, the embodiment of her supremacy. When the Gerudo King Ganondorf sought to abstract the Golden Power from its resting place, he failed to procure the sacred Triforce in its entirety and it split into its 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.

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, 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.

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

- 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, also forming 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 its three aspects, the Triforce of Courage was bestowed upon the Hero, Link, in merit of his great courage.

Interventions in Hyrule
Although the Goddesses' morals and standards are never specifically stated anywhere in the games, the Goddesses have intervened numerous times after the creation of Hyrule.

The Rise of a Hero
In most of the history of Hyrule, whenever Ganondorf comes to power and plans to take over the kingdom, the Goddesses appoint a hero, usually Link, to rise and defeat the King of Thieves. Link the hero is trusted with the Triforce of Courage, while Princess Zelda is given the Triforce of Wisdom to protect it.

The Great Flood
In The Wind Waker, it is revealed that, after the Hero of Time was sent back to his original time, Hyrule in the Adult Timeline was left without a hero when the curse on Ganon broke. Faced by Ganondorf's unstoppable power and with no hero to aid them, the people of Hyrule prayed to the Goddesses to come in their aid. Since the Goddesses knew that to seal the people away along in Hyrule would grant Ganon's wish of destroying the land, the Goddesses instructed the Hylians to flee to Hyrule's mountaintops in order to escape the coming flood. Once the people were safely away, the Goddesses caused a torrential downpour, covering the land and turning the mountaintops into islands.

The Light Spirits and Sealing Away the Interlopers
The Golden Goddesses appointed four Light Spirits, Ordona, Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru, to protect each of the four regions in Hyrule, Ordon Province, Faron Province, Eldin Province, and Lanayru Province, respectively.

When word of the Sacred Realm and the Triforce spread, a great war ensued between those seeking to wield the ultimate power. During this war, the tribe skilled in dark magic known only as the Dark Interlopers attempted to establish dominion over the Sacred Realm and establish their power using the Fused Shadow. As this war dragged on, the four Light Spirits intervened at the behest of the Golden Goddesses, chasing the Dark Interlopers across Hyrule and into the twilight, locking them away in the Twilight Realm. They also sealed away the great magic those individuals had mastered, and splintered it to prevent its future misuse.

Although the Goddesses forbade the Interlopers from returning to the world of light, they left a single link between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm. This link, known as the Mirror of Twilight, was entrusted to the Sages of Hyrule by the Goddesses, who commanded them to guard it and protect it.

Legacy
Various items, people and deities found throughout the series are named after the Golden Goddesses. Each of the goddesses also have a crest that represents them, which can be found in places and items related to them.

The first of the items are the three magic abilities obtained in Ocarina of Time: Din's Fire, Farore's Wind, and Nayru's Love, granted to Link by the Great Fairies. In The Wind Waker, it is said that Din's Pearl, Farore's Pearl, and Nayru's Pearl were handed down to the Ritos, Koroks, and Jabun by the goddesses themselves, respectively. These three pearls, known as the Goddess Pearls, are each placed on the three statues resembling the Golden Goddesses located in each of the Triangle Islands found across the Great Sea to rise the Tower of the Gods from beneath the waves. Atop the Hyrule Castle from Twilight Princess is a statue depicting the Goddesses surrounding the Triforce. Three songs, "Din's Power", "Farore's Courage", and "Nayru's Wisdom" in Skyward Sword are learned in the Isle of Songs, which are necessary to obtain the three Sacred Flames, each also named after the Goddesses, that will upgrade the Goddess Sword.

Din, Nayru, and Farore from the Oracle series, who are the Oracle of Seasons, Ages, and Secrets respectively, share the names of the goddesses and also share physical similarities to the statues depicted in The Wind Waker. It is also implied that both the dragons from Skyward Sword and the Light Spirits from Twilight Princess, Eldin, Faron, and Lanayru, are references to the goddesses. Because of this, the Silent Realms of the three regions in the former game feature the names of the goddesses, each of them testing one of the goddess' attributes depending on the realm. Farore's Silent Realm tests the limits of Link's courage, Nayru's Silent Realm tests the limits of his wisdom, and Din's Silent Realm tests the limits of his power. Likewise, each of the Sacred Tears bear their name.

Appearance
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.