In the beginning, the Three Golden Goddesses — Din, Nayru and Farore — descended upon the chaos before Hyrule. Din, the Goddess of Power, used her flame to create the red earth. Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, washed her knowledge down to the earth and created the spirits of law. Lastly, Farore, the Goddess of Courage, breathed life into creatures to walk upon the earth and uphold the law.
While the significance varies in each game, their influence runs deep even beyond the Triforce they left behind. The Golden Goddesses shaped the art and the symbols of not just the fire, water, and earth tribes, but also the art in our world.
Traditional artist Rain-of-Ashes recreated the Golden Goddesses with their watercolour piece “Forces of Nature”. Across the Zelda series, the trio have been given very few detailed designs. Rain-of-Ashes decided to depict the trio similar to their Oracle counterparts, matching their signature hairstyles but giving them new clothing designs. Each Goddess is also drawn without a face. No eyes, no mouth, no nose. Just negative space not even touched by the watercolour. Whether intentional or not, the blank faces enhance the ethereal nature of the Goddesses. While we know their name, their powers, their legacy, we still don’t know what the Goddesses were truly like. They are faceless beings from a time long ago.
Each Goddess is wrapped in minimal tones corresponding to their matching element. Red and orange for the fire of Din, shades of blue for the water of Nayru, and green and yellow for the life of Farore. Sparks of their elements sprinkle all around them though never combine, giving each Goddess their own portion of the piece. And yet, together they represent a familiar shape. On this portrait oriented piece, the Goddesses have been painted in deliberate positions. Din stands strong at the top with power, Nayru holds her heart to the left, and Farore looks beyond to the height with courage. Together they mirror their position on the Triforce.
As current releases stand, we do not truly know what the Golden Goddesses think of the world they left behind and what it became. If they care for the bearers of their power and how they’ve been warped for mortal kind, they have not interfered. Rain-of-Ashes, even in their faceless appearance showcased the emotions of the wielders. Din flames bright with the confidence of a Gerudo King dominating for Power, even taking up almost half the piece. Nayru clutches her heart, head down bearing the weight of the world just like the Princess who holds her Wisdom. Lastly, Farore has a sense of curiosity and unwavering strength to take on whatever comes her way, just like the Hero across the ages that continues to fight. Even though their names are forgotten, they continue to live on.
