Before you even get to Zora’s Domain in Breath of the Wild, its people have already made an impression on you. Sidon has likely won you over with his brilliant smile, and, if you’re like me, you have devoured every stone tablet of lore lining the path. These two elements lead you to believe that the Zoras must be very kind (that’s mostly Sidon’s doing), as well as very brave and wise (due to all the tales told on the tablets). Once you turn the corner and see the Zora’s shining city, another feeling comes over you: an awe-inspiring sense of beauty and peace. The gentle curves of the architecture and the dazzling pale blue of the buildings, statues, and walkways are just breathtaking. Tim de Man’s original composition, which is an alternative to the Zora’s Domain theme entitled “The Blessing of Water”, uses a repeating melody accompanied by a variety of soothing instruments to remind us that the beauty of Zora’s Domain lies in the diversity of its citizens.
The most readily noticeable element of the song is the repeating melody played on the woodwinds. The way that the notes shift from a higher pitch to a lower pitch reminds me of water flowing through a river; it evokes the sense of tranquility one feels just by sitting and observing that flowing water. As the water and the notes fall only to be repeated, a calming aura surrounds me.
Aside from the main melody, you can also hear piano accompaniment. The sound of the piano generally follows the same path of descending notes, and in doing so, it feels like we’re listening to another, slightly smaller river. The tambourine and harp also lend a wonderful sense of fullness to the piece. By the end of the song, you feel like you’ve listened to many flowing instrumental rivers that have combined together to form one magnificent lake. In that sense, it’s represents the Zora as a people. Each member of the river race contibutes something unique to the whole; whether it’s Sidon’s kindness, King Dorephan’s courage, Mipha’s compassion, or Finley’s curiosity, each Zora, from the smallest rivelet to the largest rushing rapid, has something to offer.
“The Blessing of Water” is an absolutely striking composition, capturing the calming resilience of both water and the Zora. Just as the tune repeats, so do the Zora. No matter what disaster falls, the Zora survive. Between Guardian attacks and Mipha’s death, they face many calamities, but they will always continue to flow because each individual Zora is their own river that eventually joins in to form a great lake.
