In the beginning there was chaos, or so the legend claims. In Ocarina of Time, we were told the story of three Golden Goddesses who descended from above and transformed the chaotic abyss below. One such goddess was Din, who held fire and power in her hands. Din led the charge and was the first to react to the consuming chaos that was once Hyrule. She shaped the earth and molded the terrain with her “strong, flaming arms” or so the Great Deku Tree claims. Little did Din know that her power would come to be Hyrule’s demise, and also its salvation.
As a part of their legend, each Goddess left a snippet of their power behind through the creation of the Triforce. Din is responsible for the Triforce of Power; a piece that ends up in the hands of Ganondorf. Ganondorf uses her power to bring Hyrule to ruin and destroy all she worked to create. In the wrong hands, power easily corrupts, and while it is said the gods chose the wielders of the gift they left behind, the Triforce wasn’t the only gift Din left behind.
Din is heavily associated with the element of fire and the color red. Her symbology can be found throughout Death Mountain and the tribe of Gorons within. The Gorons respect acts of power so it makes sense that they would worship or at least take on elements of the Goddess said to be the source of power within Hyrule. Even their Goron Ruby, one of the Three Spiritual Stones, embraces the colors of Din. Furthermore, the Great Fairy found within the heart of the volcano gifts Link with a spell of fire, also known as Din’s Fire.
Held by a small diamond is a droplet of Din’s Fire for Link to use. Her magic creates a large circle of fire capable of burning torches and destroying enemies. Her gift is the only aggressive spell in Link’s arsenal and also the only required spell to complete the game. Din’s Fire is necessary to open the path to the Shadow Temple. Without her assistance, Link would never be able to help awaken The Sage of Shadow. So even though her power is half the reason Hyrule is in the state that it’s in, her power is also what helps Link throughout his journey and ensures his victory.
At the end of the day, fire and power are tools. Fire and power are neither good nor bad, only the wielders that use them. As a goddess, Din’s power is great. She is the reason all life can live upon the various lands. She left behind a gift and it was not her fault her gift was used for corruption. But between Link, the Gorons, and the fragment of legend that lives on, maybe one day her power will be seen in the light again.
