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S Game Translations » Writing Systems of Hyrule. Posted By GlitterBerri at 7:58 PM on Monday January 9, 2012 As a bit of a language fanatic (could you ever have guessed?)
I decided to do a commentary on the alphabets found in various Zelda games. Thanks to Hyrule Historia, we now have keys for all of Hyrule’s tongues, save the fan-translated Hylian of Skyward Sword. A Link to the Past Common Name: Dark Hylian Origin: Technically the first appearance of a Hylian writing system within the games. Japanese Version Western Version Notes: Curiously, the alphabet differs between the Japanese and English games. In-Game Usage: This Hylian script appears on stone monuments. Other Appearances: None. Download the Font: Not available. Ocarina of Time Common Name: Time Hylian Origin: The first fully-developed Zelda writing system, it debuted in Ocarina of Time. In-Game Usage: The Hylian in Ocarina of Time is rather hit or miss when it comes to making sense. Zelda Wiki:Numerology in The Legend of Zelda Series. The most notable numbers, as well as their respective roles, are: Two - Duality: The contrast and complementarity between opposite elements.Three - Trinity: A number that represents completion.
Arguably the most well-rounded number.Four - Occult: Despair, death; a symbol akin to Eastern culture.Seven - Fortune: A coveted number, akin to Western culture.Eight - Diversity: Shows a further manifestation of completion than number three, and from a broader perspective. Two - Duality Two is a number to which is given several symbolic attributes. All of them, in one or another way, revolve about the same principle: There is one more of something. Choice In The Legend of Zelda series, number two has portrayed most of these attributes. However, in several games there are actual choices that can be made, such as choosing an animal buddy in the Oracle games, and choosing a custom equipment in Spirit Tracks. Light and Dark Past and Future Complementarity Three - Trinity. Zelda and Mythology: Mythical Birds. In the first installment of Zelda and Mythology, I discussed Arthurian Legend and its similarities to Zelda.
I have decided to do the promised sequel — about Celtic Mythology in general — at a later date, and instead we will be talking about mythical birds and the many references and similarities to them that can be found in The Legend of Zelda. Of all tetrapod vertebrates (animals with backbones and four limbs), birds are the most rich in species, so it should come as no surprise that they have cultural significance or that there’s an abundance of mythological birds as well as myths about real bird species. With birds being so prominent, then, it should also come as no surprise that many fantasy stories implement their own fictional avians, including inspirations from myth and even actual creatures ripped straight out of it.
Zelda, too, has an abundance. Roc The Roc is an enormous bird of prey, usually white. Phoenix Thunderbird Eagles Crows Owls And last but not least, we have owls. Another Zelda alphabet cracked, Gerudo font made available » Zelda News. The concept of Hyrule having languages and alphabets of their own has actually been a staple in the Zelda world for quite some time.
A Link to the Past was technically the first game to mention that there were ancient texts that were only legible with a keen eye and a vast intelligence (or just the Book of Mudora), the language wasn’t fully fleshed out and was just a repetition of a few symbols. Ocarina of Time gave the Hylians their own alphabet, but, much like the Wind Waker alphabet that succeeded it, the alphabet was based upon the Japanese kana syllabary and not the standard 26-letter Latin alphabet the Western world is familiar with.
But it turns out that Twilight Princess wasn’t actually the first Zelda game with a Western-style alphabet. And with the help of Hyrule Historia, Zelda Universe forum member Sarinilli has shown us that those honors go to the Gerudo alphabet back in Ocarina of Time. And now you can download the font to speak Gerudo like all the cool kids.