After we learned that each Link and Zelda were not the same characters in each game, many of us probably questioned: “Why do they all have the same name?” Was it some sort of tradition that each descendent be given the names Link and Zelda generation after generation? In Zelda’s case, yes, that is exactly it. However, there’s more to it than one king or queen just decided they liked this name and so it was. There’s much more to it than just that.
Allow me to tell you a tale that can be found within the pages of the Hyrule Historia. The page it can be found on is 104 if one was to research it for themselves, but if not, that is why I am here to do it for you.
In the Golden Era, the kings of Hyrule would pass
The King had died and his son took his place on the throne but the Prince was confused when the Triforce did not appear upon his hand. Zelda’s brother consulted his closest confidant, who was a wizard, to understand why the family heirloom did not come to him. The wizard knew that Zelda was hiding something. When confronted, Zelda was obedient to her late father’s words and told nothing to her brother or the wizard. This angered the wizard, who began to threaten the princess with a curse if she would not tell them what she knew. Still, Zelda remained strong and said nothing. The wizard went through with his curse and the princess was put into an eternal slumber.
The prince, however, regretted what had happened to his sister. He placed her sleeping body on the altar in the North Castle, in hopes that someday she would be saved. In honor of his sister and to ensure that she nor her actions not be forgotten, the prince, now the king, decreed that every girl born into Hyrule’s royal family be named Zelda.
And so this is how the story goes, all happening before the events of the first two Legend of Zelda games. The Triforce of Courage was not found in this time and the princess was never saved, thus this tale is simply known as the Tragedy of Princess Zelda. Sadly enough, even this tale was lost to history, but thanks to the Hyrule Historia, we were able to learn what was lost to the Hylians and appreciate the respect the actions of the very first Princess Zelda.
