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, omniscient, and eternal. Though there are many deities in the realm of Hyrule (various races and groups have various gods that they worship), the Golden Goddesses are the chief gods of Hyrule. However, the Goddesses are seldom mentioned in-game, and it seems that few people in Hyrule are aware of their existence. Nevertheless, they are by far the most important deities in the mythos.

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 the realm of Hyrule (along with parrallel realms, such as the Sacred Realm), and all it's inhabitants. It is revealed that before time began, when the cosmos was a void of chaos, the three Goddesses appeared in the midst of the chaos and began the creation of Hyrule. Din created the material realm, Nayru set in place the physical and meta-physical laws, 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, enormous basins, and expansive fields 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 true force, and with the power of the Goddesses, recreate the realm in his image.

Attributes
As the Goddess of Power, Din is associated with themes that exemplify power, such as mountains, and more specifically volcanoes such as Death Mountain. She is the Goddess of the Earth, and she is believed to govern the changes of the seasons. Din is also associated with rhythm and percussion instruments, such as drums, and she is also associated with the art of dancing. Din's essence is represented by fire, as exemplified in the magic spell Din's Fire. Her Light Spirit, Eldin, has the appearance of a raptor symbolizing the power of Din.

Of the races of Hyrule, Din's essence is most exemplified by the Goron race. These volcano-dwelling, rock-consuming golems epitomize the essence of Din; in their society, they respect power, moreover, physical strength, as demonstrated in their relentless competition with one another in tests of strength. They are the most physically capable of all the races in Hyrule, boasting superhuman strength, and nigh invulnerability, personifying the essence of Din.

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. She then inundated the earth with water, filling the vast basins formed by Din, and created the seas. 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 unparraleled. 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, and thus, the Hyrulean province in which Hyrule Castle, the seat of the monarchy, lies is named the Lanayru province, in honor of her. Nayru is also associated with the element of water; Lake Hylia resides hin the province named for her as well. Because of her role in creating the fundamental laws of the realm, Nayru is also worshipped as the Goddess of Time (as referred to in Majora's Mask.) Nayru is also commonly associated with string instruments, such as the harp, and singing. She is associated with snakes; her Light Spirit, Lanayru resembles a snake, and a statue of what may represent Nayru in the Arbiter Grounds (in consideration that Nayru is the Goddess of Law and Judgement) wears a snake draped about her shoulders. In Hyrulean mythos, the snake likely represents wisdom.

Of all the races in the Hyrulean realm, the essence of Nayru is best personified by the Zoras. These fish-like, humanoid, water-dweller are known for their comparitively sophisticated hierarchial form of government, as well as their stoicism. Though they are native to Zora's Domain, Zoras' are found within waterways throughout the Lanayru Province, as far south as 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 to the Hero, Link in merit of his 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
Because of her role in giving life to all creatures, Farore is associated with the regions that flourish with life, namely forests, such as the Lost Woods. She is worshipped as the Goddess of Life, and as the Goddess of the Winds, as referred to in The Wind Waker. Fittingly for the Goddess of the Wind, Farore is commonly associated with wind instruments. Farore, unlike her sisters, has two Light Spirits. One is Faron who resembles a monkey, The other is Ordon, who resembles a goat. Both of these animal-like Spirits reside in the woodland provinces of Hyrule.

Although Farore is the creator of all of the races in the Hyrulean realm, Farore is closely associated with forest-dwellers such as the Kokiri a race that consists entirely of children who never age.

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, and some speculate that the Goddesses are of neutral allignment. 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. Nevertheless, there are numerous valid arguments as to why Ganondorf possessed the Triforce of Power. One valid argument (and the most widely accepted one) is that Ganondorf already possessed the Triforce of Power prior to the Sages execution attempt, and the Sages underestimated him. Another argument that is similar to the former, is that being near the Arbiters Grounds, a prison wherein many criminals were executed, and being near the portal to the Twilight Realm, which was full of hatred and malice, invigorated him, and allowed him to use the Triforce of Power that he already possessed.

Another event that calls the nature of the Goddesses into question is in the events preceeding 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 dispair, 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 Wind Waker, Ganon laughs at the King of Hyrule, stating that the Goddesses destroyed their own chosen people. Nevertheless, it is likely that the Goddesses drowned Hyrule for the greater good. It is also important to remember that the Goddesses appoint the Hero, and that they support the Hero throughout his quest. It should also be noted that in the events prior to the Wind Waker, the Goddesses clearly showed preference towards good. They opposed Ganon, the King of Evil, when he attempted to conquer Hyrule, and when the Hero did not appear, they flooded Hyrule to prevent Ganon from ruling it (Though this event in itself cost many lives, and could call the nature of the Goddesses into question. It is clear that unlike the Triforce, which is ambiguous, the Goddesses do discern between good and evil, and they generally support those of the good alignment, showing disdain towards 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. However, this would not be the first time that elements, virtues, and other attributes associated with more than one diety have overlapped. For example, the Earth Sage of The Wind Waker, Laruto, is a water-dwelling Zora, an element and a race associated with Nayru, yet Laruto governs the element of Earth, which is more commonly associated with Din. In all likelyhood, as it is implied a multitude of times, Nayru is the Goddess of Time.

Appearances
In thier 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. In Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, the statues of Din, Nayru and Farore appears almost identical to the Oracles of Seasons, Ages, and Secrets,Din, the Oracle of Seasons, Nayru, and Farore who are all named after the Goddesses. The Pearl Statues in The Wind Waker, as well as the Great Butterfly Fairy and Great Fairy of Flame, all strongly resemble the Goddesses.