In astrology, eclipses are seen as a death while alive. Almost like shedding an old self and going through a portal exiting as a new one. It’s taught to not cast spells under an eclipse because you may be asking something from the underworld (or death) to grant your intention which can get muddy. Rather, after the eclipse, you do a cleansing ceremony where you scrub off remnants of the old you. Almost like a snake shedding it’s skin.
That’s really cool, and I’d never heard that before! Thanks for sharing that with me! Astrology seems to have a pretty big influence on Elden Ring’s lore, this isn’t the first time some similarities between them have been brought to my attention.
It’s almost like blood is a connective tissues between the gods. It seemingly touches all of the outer gods in some way creating a through-line among them all
Blood is interesting because it seems like it might represent a life force that comes from Death Or something like that It’s a great example of what the ancestral spirit horn says “thus does new life come from Death, and from Death, one obtains power”
@@SinisterStromboli I think it’s also interesting how it’s even called “the lands between”. The lands between what? Life and death? Maybe. In Berserk, after the finale, Gutz is seemingly reborn into a land between life and death as well.
Tarnished Archaeologist, SmoughTown, Crunchy. They also go super in depth, if you enjoy sinister i highly recommend tarnished first as he uses the in game architecture, reliefs, iconography, word definitions and titles and compares them to the real life inspiration. It's amazing stuff.
@@cameranwall i refer to you to my first reply. Tarnished Archaeologist, SmoughTown, Crunchy. These guys do amazing work as well, Smoughtown almost has 100k but the others have just about 4k subs each, so i highly recommend them.
It seems like each ending we have, we essentially choose what happens to people's souls after death. The erdtree (normal ending) absorbs peoples souls after death for final rest, stopping reincarnation. Godwyn's ending implants living within death, waking you from final rest to be alive yet not dead (skeletons). The 3 fingers make all souls into one soul. Goldmask is the normal ending but the meddling of Gods is removed from the equation. Ranni guides people's souls into the stars to leave that world, maybe allowing for reincarnation. It should be noted that since this is a Japanese game, it probably runs on the idea of reincarnation as a baseline, unlike most countries that believe in a sort of heaven.
You know how in the context of goldmask the golden order is described as algebra, logic and calculus. And the logic you use here feels really nice to journey through. So you can be compared to goldmask!
I think it’s a process. The Great Tree was the taller, thinner more Pine-tree looking relief found in older architecture, it died and left behind a rooted stump, those roots began sprouting a new tree, this era of new growth and opportunity is the crucible, once a single sprout becomes stronger and is nurtured into the Erdtree by Marika’s Golden Lineage, leading to the age of abundance, and then that tree is also attacked and nearly burned down, and now Radagon created the golden illusion of the Erdtree that we see in game when he sealed himself inside what was left of the physical tree.
Nothing really implies that the Great Tree died out like that, and if it did then it wouldn’t just “become a stump. Something has to happen to the top of a tree that big, and as you said yourself, it seems like it was a very tall tree. If it died like you said, there would probably be evidence of its massive trunk falling down somewhere. There’s a lot of other questionable things there, like the Erdtree being burned down. I’m assuming that idea partly comes the incantations that mention seeing the tree burning, but those seem more like prophecies of what will be rather than what was. Also if Radagon’s Erdtree is an illusion, but feels, looks, and behaves just like the Erdtree, then it just seems like a new tree. Calling it an illusion doesn’t mean much if it’s essentially an exact copy of the Erdtree
I think there might be other shoots of the primordial crucible that existed and they represent offshoots of the great tree, corresponding to the divine towers and representing other “trees.” For example I think Mt. Gelmir does not have very igneous rock structure and many parts of it seem textured like petrified wood. Although I would say that this would have happened before the volcano manor/carian royal houses were made since volcano manor is built on the truncated greater tree. So during the time of the great ruler who’s portrayed in the grand cloister. Similar to Godfrey’s later conquests to prune the crucible, I think this great ruler pruned the offshoots of the greater tree to leave the great tree remaining and that there are at least 5 other great tree competitor remnants scattered across the lands between, 1 I think being Mt. Gelmir, and I think other inexplicable plateaus around elden ring might hint at them, I.e. Moonlight Altar plateau also has very strange, slanted rock structure that seems like petrified wood. The church built at the top of moonlight altar matches the architecture and iconography of the volcano manor/divine bridges/carian manor and features the great tree motif. These churches might hint at sites of victory similar to erdtree era churches later. Earlier depictions of this great ruler in Nokron, grand cloister, and mohg’s palace do not feature the great tree, primarily I think because like the erdtree not being depicted during the crucible era, it’s primacy wasn’t yet established. Let me know what you think,
The magic is so fascinating in this game I can’t enough of it. Particularly how there seems to be so many cosmic interests each manifesting their powers through their own unique flames
There are so many flames! Rykard even has his own special flame “Taker’s Flame” that heals you when it damages enemies, and it’s only produced by ONE item lol.
@@SinisterStromboli look more into Rykard's Flame, i just noticed today that the SERPENT-GOD'S CURVED SWORD has the same effect as the blasphemous sword and Takers Flames! It must be connected to the Great Serpent, which has been revered since ancient gelmir times, according to the sword
Great Job packing around a half an hour of lore covering a lot of content. I almost had to slow this vid down to understand everything. Very Comprehensive.
Great video and truly insightful. To add the Jars are crucibles of life, they gather “life (dead bodies)” and blend them together. Much like how Erdtree burial gives life to the Erdtree. Ties with the regal ancestral spirit remembrance.
This is the best lore video I've seen, period. A potentially interesting observation regarding the mausoleums is that they are in fact sporting a bell. Every mention of a bell in the game (even on the 1-9 versions of the grave glovewort) talks about bells summoning spirits. This could potentially mean that the mausoleum bells are supposed to call the spirits of the soulless demigods "back" to them, or to call the spirits of the mausoleums' protectors.
I think you're totally right! Whats interesting is that there are some mausoleums without bells, and demigod remembrances can't be duplicated there. Instruments and sound seem to be used to call spirits in a lot of different ways. Like the horns of the Tibia Mariners and the Albinaurics by Mohg
On the topic of the Eclipesed Sun, It seems important to note: There is no "Sun" in the sky in Elden Ring. There's a moon, but no Sun. The light from the Day and the Golden Rays all come from the Erdtree. The Eclipsed sun could be simply alluding to the Erdtree being Covered/Defeated/Smothered.
The Eclipse Crest Heater Shield says the Eclipsed Sun is the symbol of the wandering mausoleums, where soulless demigods slumber. Nothing I've found suggests the symbol has anything to do with the Erdtree covering the sky, but I could always be missing something.
@@SinisterStromboli yoo I have updates on this. I am currently of the opinion that the knights of the Cuckoo did an eclipse sacrifice in an incompetent or haphazard way which opened a portal to something super bad. I am honestly not sure if it was the Mother of Truth/Cinnabar land, the outer Rot God (assuming those are distinct), or the Astels but there are two pieces of lore that have me leaning this way on top of the terrifying capes. 1) the knights of the Cuckoo great shield has basically the same stats and shape as the eclipse greatshield. It looks like it was somewhat hastily painted over. 2) at the 4 belfries we have what appear to be sacrificed Carian Troll knights. Nearby is both an evergaol that inexplicably has a named troll Carian knight (boz or something) and there is a wandering mausoleum too.
@@SixBeark Wow, these are nothing I've never noticed. Now I have to go check out these, it sounds super interesting! I don't know why I never thought about the lore implications of the four belfries...
One thing that connected in my head when you spoke about the Serpent and the Storm Hawks was that hawks are natural predators of snakes. Perhaps there's a deeper connection between them than the game would like to let on at surface level.
I got hype when you mentioned the crucible being dragon parts cuz I'm doing my own theory with that same insight and it shocked me no one else talks about it. Keep up the great work man I'm loving it all so far
@@SinisterStromboli for sure! I don't wanna give too much away since I hope to have my first one up before October but here's a thought, the perfumers dressed up with erdtree imagery, but then when they started hunting omen they started making weapons out of their horns and wearing masks to look like their nightmares. In other words the erdtree people became more like the thing they were trying to kill, just like how the tree sentinels became the dragon tree sentinels, and this parallel makes a lot of sense if omens and dragons are parallel too
@@TheRabidChipmunk I think you're onto something. In Elden Ring, if you imitate something then you can begin to take on qualities of that thing. The Skeletal Mask and Raptors Black Feathers imply that they can forget they're not deathbirds if they're not constantly in pain. Also that may be why things like Bloodhound and Drake Knights don't talk. To imitate Beasts and Dragons and emulate their strength.
@@SinisterStromboli so I actually made that video! I hope it's not too corny to ask you to check it out but your analysis was one of my big inspirations so I at least wanna say that 👍
With the insane amount of connections in art and descriptions, I’d be very shocked if From didn’t have a lore bible for all their games. Can you imagine a whole book just full of dictionary-type definitions of all these things? Probably with a great “See also” section at the bottom. Man, I would read such a thing for hours on end if it exists
Very well done! You connected everything nicely, and personally, extremely easy to understand everything with your explanations. Keep up the great work!!
lol for real I’m starting to think that the Formless Mother and Blood Star were some of the earliest beings to exist in the Lands Between, but I’m still figuring that out
Really like these videos, excited to see your channel grow! one thing about yura and his talisman is that a cut NPC called Guilbert also wore the same set, and his whole quest centered over vengeance and the “god of revenge” with one of his voice lines referencing his “vengeance soaking the lands” also the women in the windmill village are skinned, based on their weapons, the ghost at the foot of the village and the godskin at the top, who’s being worshipped by them
On the topic of the blood star and the Formless Mother, I think she’s deeply connected to the Two and Three Fingers. She craves wounds, so what if she was “born” or manifested as the wound when the fingers separated?
That’s absolutely a possibility, I like that idea! I’ve also considered that “crave wounds” might not just mean “she wants to be wounded” it could also mean “she likes wounds, so she likes when anyone is wounded” Its never specified that she craves wounds for herself specifically
There is actually two moons visible from the moonlight altar, one bright full moon to the left of the Erdtree and one dark, barely visible to the right. These seem to be Rennala's and Ranni's moons respectively.
Holy shit I am SO GLAD I stumbled upon your channel. You are unequivocally the best Elden Ring lore theorist I have ever witnessed and listened to. New subscriber!
I don't know if this was mentioned, but the there are six Great Rune towers and they're all the same distance away from the centre of the world. Probably not a coincidence
A thing that may or may not be interesting, the winged scythe references pagan, or polytheistic, belief. In the Age of the Erdtree, Marika is described as “god” singular, despite the existence of both Outer Gods and gods that ruled over ages before hers. Perhaps before Marika’s age, the gods that are now considered outer and the god of the current age were worshipped together. When Marika decided her age would be eternal and removed the concept of death, she also ensured that she would be the only one who could be a god, and her new erdtree would be the only object of faith in the Lands Between, if not the world at large. Idk, maybe that’s obvious and everyone already thought that religion in the lands between looked very different, I just think it’s likely that all of these gods were worshipped as a unified religion, rather than there being a different religion for each outer god until Marika became a god. (P.S. I don’t know what the “winged maidens” the scythe refers to could be, I don’t think there’s similar imagery in the lands between besides maybe the deathbirds)
Great observation, the winged scythe is really interesting. Pagan religions are ones that aren't part of the main religion/religion(s), so I think this means there may have been other gods before Marika. It could refer to Outer Gods, but I don't know if most people pray to Outer Gods or Marika herself. Its hard to say.
12:35 quote: (the Gloam-eyed queen is associated with birth alot) Here is something interesting for you: In ancient roman-religious belief (now myth). There is a clade/tyoe of gods called "Cthonic deities". Cthonic deities were related to the underworld, the unseen and powers stemming from the earth. They include: Chronos, Hades, Charon, Demeter, Alekto, The Eyrinyes (Fates) and Nyx(Nox) etc... Some fertility and messenger deities amongst the Olympians (Celestial-type gods) were considered Cthonic-gods: Aphrodites and Hermes specifically. Born from underworld powers and/or events (Aphrodites from sea-foam). And/or had an ease of traveling between these worlds (Hermes). Elden Ring' Gloam-Eyed queen would easilly be accepted in Roman-belief as a Cthonic-type god, were she presented. This also explains the associations to Black-knife assassins (Alecto), the Eternal cities (Underworld) and the Nox. In Elden ring.
Cthonic deities are awesome, agreed! My next video is about Destined Death, so thanks for reminding me about that term. I’ll almost definitely be able to use it
seems to me like the helphens lamplight guides the dead to the greatree alongside the mariners, whilst the erdtrees grace guides the dead who have been brought to the greattree back to life. its possible the great tree is still around, just idk below the erdtree. fuck idk the surface might literally be the top of the great tree and when we go down into the rivers we are in its roots. idfk a few thoughts spurred on by this. i fucking love the way elden rings mythology feels like an actual mythology and acts the same way with a shit ton of stuff missing and it feels like we only have a couple of hints as to whats going on. anways love you
more thoughts: i do believe that everythings thrown out of wack and a ton of misinformation and stuff thats formed over time means alot of stuff *looks* mean or evil or really good when in reality everything is necessary. other stuff: perhaps seeing as the crucible is the erdtree in its primordial form, and it looks like a top of a tree, it might literally just be the top of the greatree.
Thats a really interesting idea! For real, you've just given me an entirely new theory to chew on. In Norse Mythology, the "World Tree" Yggdrasil is at the center of all 9 worlds, just like the Elden Ring is described to be the anchor of all lands. Also Lands Between lol The Lands Between could be at the center of a bunch of worlds, and the Erdtrees could be something like branches of the Great Tree. Love ur comment, great job
Another connection the formless mother and the erd/great tree could have with one another could be in how miquella chose to grow the haligtree with his blood. Its possible the shedding of blood in older times was a part of how the erdtree was grown from the great tree.
Awesome video, and you have proved you are onto something here. The branch within the darkmoon greatsword is something you might stumble upon while just clipping through the sword with you camera, and leave it to FS to put something there for one to piece together as well. Looking forward to the next video!
There was once another tree before the Erdtree that was called the Great Tree. Then the Great Tree fell/burned and from it's stub the "crucible" was born. Many saplings (potential trees) started growing. In the end, though, the one winning over the others was the Erdtree. Summary courtesy of The Tarnished Archeologist.
I usually agree with a lot of the things the Tarnished Archeologist, but my thoughts on that are a bit different at the moment. Siluria’s Tree is apparently “Great Tree” ornamentation and also modeled after the Erdtree’s crucible. In my opinion, that implies the Great Tree was the Crucible
@@SinisterStromboli Well going by the Tarnished Archeologist theory the Erdtree (and the Crucible by extension) and the Great Tree would technically be the same tree, the roots and the stub are still the same.
If Great Stars is related to the “great star cluster” described on Stars of Ruin, it could imply a lot about how stars guide fate, especially since the Elden Ring started as a star itself.
That’s a good point, because I’ve wondered if Astel could count as a Star Cluster since he’s made of “multi-colored Star debris”, and Astel is also a star
Perhaps the cluster was the One Great and the Greater Will broke it apart and introduced the Elden Ring in its stead. Maybe the breaking was even an accident? The resulting debris could have done all manner of things (maybe this was the mistake that Hyetta references) including seeding new life forms. And perhaps in the Age of Stars ending, the Lands Between would be reset to the prior way of things, hence the implication that the order will be moved away from them. Maybe the Moon has the capacity to be an order unto itself. But now I’m just wildly speculating! (It’s fun regardless)
An incredible video about something very important to Elden Ring's themes, that everything has multiple faces. The angle with which you see something will completely change your view of it. Very interesting point about Miquella considering Godwyn a consort for himself, maybe taking a page from Marika's book?
Interesting lore hunts, with great background music as well. Keeps the mind focused and relaxed at the same time. My only feedback is that sometimes the quick transitions between two topics can appear like a pindaric flight, but a quick pause or screenshot could do the trick. Well done.
As to present a possible alternative to 8:00, I believe it was tarnished Archeologist who made the observation that it could be depicting the change of how the Erdtree was worshiped, ancient tree at top and fundamentalism at the bottom.
the great hood item description all but confirms that the blood star and the formless mother are the same being. Esgar is the priest of blood, and he's convinced that the blood star is the moon that Rennala found. I'm curious as to if there's a connection between the fire giants and the blood star, as the frozen bodies of the giants are pierced by the briars of sin, which come from the blood star. Maybe the formless mother didn't like competition with the ownership of fire, and wanted bloodflame to reign supreme over fell flame
First of all, just wanted to say how amazingly thorough and good this video is for a lore nerd like myself. 10/10 content my dude, we eat well 2nite 🙏 The second thing is that Im also a big nerd for depictions of death throughout history and I had NO IDEA about the word "psychopomp" and you just made my odd obsession that much easier to obsess over. Glad I clicked this video :)
@@SinisterStromboli So I've read! In the time between posting this comment and now I've filled up an entire whiteboard of notes on the subject cause now im interested lmao. You got me hooked
Did you mentioned the Dungeater's Medaillon? It has a face on the front and a runed ring with a spiraled Horn on the backside. The Dungeater states, that his fate was the most grandest of them all. I already have made a german video about the Dungeater, but i couldnt really get to the spiraled horn on the backside of the medaillon. i found the sprialed horn on the banished knight's set helm and on the dragon communion seal. And now i see those little Sun Medaillons resemble the Dungeater's Medaillon frontside. I desperately tried to tie it to the formless Mother and the Crucible, but i decided to wait formy crucible Video, and that will take a while^^ I wont dig too deep into that because right now i mat the Carians, but maybe you can find something with it. Great videos!
The Dungeater's Omen Armor says the medallion "represents the guidance he once saw, and the ring to which it will one day lead". Something really interesting (in my opinion) is that Goldmask's Radiant Gold Mask looks like a star. It doesn't really look similar to the Star on the Omen Armor, but it's description is strangely similar and says that it "represents both the brilliant inspiration that once shone upon him, and the vision of a ring that he will surely find at the end of his pursuit". My best guess is that they were guided by two different Outer Gods towards the goal of creating Mending Runes that would allow them to influence the Lands Between once added to the Elden Ring. It was really hard to get a good look at the back of the medallion on the Omen Armor, but I think I saw a spiral. I'm not sure if its on the Banished Knight's Helm, but I could have missed it. I see that the tail of the dragon ornament on the altered version of the helm creates a spiral, but idk if thats enough to link it to anything that has a spiral pattern on it. Thanks so much for bringing all this to my attention though, you've given me a lot to think about!
@@SinisterStromboli This guy tosses it in at the end, and it ties it all togethe for me We tied our humanity to the eternal fires that pierce the ever deepening darkness and made Gods that would shepard humanity from and to those stars as they cycle
Gold can turn (look) black . The black decorations glow golden with light (warmth more yellow light) - what if Rannis Dark Moon is really the black moon - which is in (with the right Fuel in it maybe) is/turns into a new or second stronger sun - or because of the other little sun is glowing golden (outside) by being still cold - until now we just see Rannis Moon in a dark Area. Imgaine what would happen if we wear the Frenzied flame inside us supressed by Miquellas needle , marry Ranni, raise up with her (maybe inside her) dark Moon and could then pick the needle out . Maybe at least Rannis Moon is just a Moon which change the rotations of Rennalas Moon and the sun - what caused the Eclipse. Why Godwyn could be rebirth by an Eclipse - all we know the Eclipse causes a (thats how it sounds kind of) stronger sun - a stronger sun melts the ice - the melted water flows directly too Godwyns corpse and more important too the roots of the Great Tree - the Great Tree gets stronger or healthier and Godywyn (or whatever he is called after that) get reborn by/from the Great Tree (not Erdtree) .
@@SinisterStromboli i have some screenshots on Steam too with some hints for myself ( name there is just Amidryclia) - maybe as inspirations - if you want - ask for backround informations if you like (about my crazy thoughts)
I agree with the idea that Miquella is St. Trina, so it would make sense for them to be associated with a symbol of rebirth. Miquella's main goal was to use the Haligtree to become "reborn" as an adult. The torch scales with faith, so it may depict him as an adult because its represents his followers faith in him achieving his goal.
Hey very cool video. I really like how they make me think about stuff I never even considered before. did you ever consider making a video about the sun? It seems to be connected to the sun realm (and therefore the beastmen), the fell god, the omen (milos armor), and mabye the eclipse? It's kinda odd to me how the moon and the eclipse seem that important but I can't figure stuff out about the sun. Might be a cool video idea for later on
@@colorpg152 What do you mean with "everything"? For the obvious parts there's a pretty simple and boring explanation: _"The Rune of Death goes by two names; the other is Destined Death. The forbidden shadow, plucked from the Golden Order upon its creation..."_ - Enia So everything was red gold from the Ancient Dragons to Godfrey's Crucible Knights, then Marika sealed Death away and in the process removed its red tint from everything tied to the Elden Ring's Order just like what happened to the Godskin Apostles' Black Flame. (Well except for the Elden Ring crest in Maliketh's boss room, which is yellow for some reason while the dragons still have red lightning)
Btw I saw videos saying that the separation of the term "greattree" from the erdtree is a translation mistake. So ornamentations involving Greattree are actually about the Crucible
@@tepliyananas3648 I've seen that before and I don't think that the person that made the claim actually speaks Japanese. The Haligtree Crest Surcoat says that the Haligtree could have grown into An Erdtree, not The Erdtree. So Erdtrees are just a type of fully grown tree (lampwood maybe?), and I think the Great Tree was a huge Erdtree that existed before "The Erdtree"
Sorry for poor English but this is my best effort. If you look at Elden ring map it looks like finger thow my point is the right middle of the map isn't connected. At the same time if you look at faraam azula map shape is the giant circle shape is in the right middle that is showing what the-lands-between(golden order) lost. Also the fact that the whole faraam azula is above the whole lands between. not just somewhere right in the map.
Wow, I think you may be right! If I’m understanding you correctly, I agree that Farum Azula looks like it may have once been between the mountains and Caelid The Isolated Tower there was probably connected to Farum Azula in the past, because I doubt it was intentionally built in the middle of nowhere. I’m going to look into this more, thanks!
@@SinisterStromboli I mean if you make Farum Azula large as the Elden Ring map. You'll see Malikath arena is Connecting Caelid to the mountain top of the giants above the Isolated Divine tower. Look at all the rune fragments felled everywhere. Farum Azula basically is the sky of the Lands Between.
I'm BEGGING for Miquella/St Trina DLC. Not only are there literally TWO weapons that inflict sleep (St Trina's Torch and Sword of St Trina) sleep is barely present in the game at all. I'd love it if we got DLC where we can go to Miquella's cocoon and enter his dream similar to how we enter the Deathbed Dream of Godwyn. It would be a great chance to add new weapons, items, spells, etc related to sleep
@@SinisterStromboli I'm working on a video rn from a new channel that pretty much confirms we'll get Miquella DLC. It even links back to the PvP arenas around the map.
So I think it's possible that the symbol of the small tree on top of the large tree, in front of the Erdtree, is just two seperate shots of the same tree. The bottom one is zoomed in, and shows the roots of the Erdtree as the Elden Rune, and the top one is a zoomed out image of the Erdtree, and either it's affect's reaching far beyond itself, or it being under the influence of the Greater Will. If that is the case, I don't think it would disprove your theory, it just wouldn't provide additional proof for it. However even if we take above reading to be true, that can play very well with what you have presented thus far within the video. If this Image presents the Elden Ring as the Root of the Erdtree, and The Crucible is the root of the Great Tree, then the Gold of the Crucible being formed into the Elden Ring, would cause the Great Tree to become the ErdTree, the tree itself might not have had to change, just what lie at it's roots. Although I do very much like the idea that the Erdtree is just the very top branch of a larger tree that lies buried beneath it. I think this plays very well with all the subterrain areas we find, perhaps they weren't submerged beneath the ground, so much as new ground was placed on top of them. Although I should stop further theorizing and just finished the video. It's a real banger so far! Edit : Just finished the video, it was Sick! Can't wait for the next one!
Thanks! I'm glad you liked the video. Just to clarify what I meant about the Erdtree being grafted: Axes are the signature weapon of Godfrey and his warriors, he even commands Crucible Knights that wear Axe ornamentation. I think Godrey and his mean cut down the Great Tree, and the Erdtree was grafted to its stump. I definitely don't think the Erdtree is just the top branch of another tree like the picture, I think its a metaphor for the grafting I just described.
Given that the tibia mariners are counted among Those Who Live In Death surely they can't possibly predate the erdtree? Life In Death is something that originates with godwyn's 'corpse' so could only have started after the Night of Black Knives. Note that rosus is a figure that the golden order seems to have no particular issue with, suggesting that perhaps the mariners are simply imitating the behavior and symbology of existing death-associated phenomena, and rosus isn't directly linked to the deathblight.
We don’t know that living in death originated with the erdtree, only that they’re hated now. Also I don’t think Rosus is still around because the dead are all lost, so no one seems to be guiding them anymore
Sorry to comment so much but you touch on so many observations and connections I’ve been trying to decipher. You mention magnetism and the idea of opposing forces. In Rykard’s chamber, the chandelier seem to be repulsed by his force and they look made of gold. Something to add. It’s perplexed me since I first saw it. Also, I feel the need to mention that biblically, the Red Sea is a mistranslation of “the sea of reeds”. With the mention of blood and madness having the land of reeds, it could be that they worship the blood stat there but it has become corrupted in some way. I mean the ash of war is called “rivers of blood” yada yada yada. Just wanted to add info. You’re cleverer than me on lore connecting but thought it’d be a good share.
No worries about commenting, I welcome other perspectives and you seem to have a lot of knowledge on topics I’m not very familiar with. Some of my favorite theories have come from talking to people that knew a lot about things I was unfamiliar with. If I didn’t talk to people like you, my ideas would be limited by my own experiences and knowledge. That info on the sea of reeds and the Red Sea is a perfect example 🤌. That’s almost definitely relevant in some way and I had no idea. The immortal serpent is really interesting though, because the Duelist Helm says it’s considered a traitor to the Erdtree. That means the serpent was once allied with the Erdtree. Also, like the 3 Fingers, it’s got a lot of similarities with the Law of Regression. The 3 Fingers want to melt all life back into the One Great, and the Serpent wants to consume and absorb all life into itself as one being. Oh god I’m actually just now realizing how many connections there are between the crucible and the serpent and I’m kicking myself for overlooking it when I made this video. If you look really close at the Taker’s Cameo, on the right side there are serpents consuming/surrounding a depiction of the Great Tree. There’s also a whole can of worms we could get into with the similarities between the way the serpent consumes others to gain their power and dragon communion, but I’m sure you see where I’m going.
@@SinisterStromboli dude, thanks for the videos and replies. I am really enjoying how you’re analyzing the lore. I hope you blow on on yt from your work. More Christianity stuff. (I went to Catholic school from pre-k through college, so lots of knowledge on Christian dogma). You might know but Lucifer was originally part of the highest order of angels known as the seraphim that could directly see God. In the creation story when God “separated the light from the dark” that encapsulates the story of the throwing out of the devil who “swept his tail across heaven” which is how he got demons and such (demons being former angels, whatever). That happens before the devil appears as a serpent in the garden of Eden. SO, it’s a lot like how the serpent in ER used to be allied with the Erdtree and probably the golden order. The paradox for the devil, the serpent and Rykard is that they defy the golden order but they cannot deny it. They are rebels at war with reality in which they have no choice but to believe. I’m gonna keep looking into this. There is so much Christian dogma strewn into ER, if I had the time and skill, I would make a video on it lol. Would def collab if you’d like.
ONE MORE THING. I had to look it up. The 8 with the 1 in the center reflects how the seraphim used to surround God viewing Him. It became 7 after the casting out of Lucifer so it’s taught that there are 7 seraphim with the understanding it was originally 8. Since the beginning of “man” or the story of the Garden of Eden, there has been 7. But before Creation, there were 8. Seraphim are known as “the burning ones” being made of fire. The Hebrew “sarap” translates to “destruction by fire”. The Bible hints that they are “purification agents”. Purification by fire. Sounds a lot like the 3 fingers goal.
The star in marika's chamber design is different than the blood star spikes , its probably the Golden star not the red star , the Star representing the Greater will
I'm only 9 minutes in, but before I continue I have to address this: in the history of fromsoftware games english adaptations there's always some kind of inaccuracy somewhere. In elden ring, It has been discovered that basically any time a description refers to a "great tree" in the english version, the japanese text uses a similar term but IMPLICITLY referring to the Erdtree. But now that I've seen closer the depiction on the entrance of the Erdtree thanks to your video, i'm not so sure there's an errore anymore:)
The haligtree crest surcoat says the Haligtree could have grown into AN Erdtree, so THE Erdtree is only called that because it’s the only one around at the time. I think that the Great Tree was AN Erdtree that was cut down so that THE Erdtree could be grafted to it’s stump. In other words, I think the translation isn’t an inaccuracy, it’s just not quite what we thought.
It’s extremely possible that it’s an envoy or vassal. The Elden Stars incantation says that the Elden Beast is a star, and it’s a vassal of the Greater Will.
9:02 I just realized, the dragon communion altars all depict lions....an odd and very particularly loaded choice, given the importance of lions to several key figures in The Lands Between. Why are lions key to dragon communion, and does that inform or is it informed by their connection to other figures?
i doubt that the developers thought this much about the symbols they put in game, but your take on it creates a mythology that makes a lot of sense! love it
lol are you new here? The company that developed this game is called FromSoftware and their games are very intentionally filled with subtle details that are very important
I think its possible, but its worth noting that theres a 4th circle at the center of those three rings. Maybe its just to "hold them together", but idk
A question I have for you which I still just don't get is: why is the volcano manor torturing albinaurics? The black dumpling description implies that there's some kind of information to which the albinaurics are privy which the people at volcano manor are (or were) trying to extract from them... but is it to do with artificial life (ideas for the snake people) or is it to try to find Miquella's Haligtree so Rykard can eat him? Does it make any sense to you?
I don’t think it’s for any good reason. The winged Misbeggoten ashes say that the Misbeggoten are treated like slaves or worse because of the fact that they’re “impure” The Albinaurics are also impure, and the Black Dumpling says that they put that on their victims when they don’t care about answers, only inflicting pain. So I think they’re just a bunch of religious zealots being awful to “lesser beings”
Can you examine the Elochaid symbols on Elmer of the Briars shield, as well as the Elochaid weapons? I've tried to look at it and the shield looks like its depicting some kind of story as if it were a medieval tapestry but i cant tell because of how faded it is.
Its some kind of knight fighting off two skeletons, but I think there are more details that are hard to make out from the fading you mentioned along with the thorns all over. I've noticed lion iconography on his armor though, so I've begun to wonder if Eochaid is where Serosh and the beasts are from.
@@SinisterStromboli hey sorry for the late reply, but there is another elochaid weapon that can shine a light I think. I think its called "sword of elochaid" or something, but along its blade and hilt might be some details. Also, I think its safe to assume that the technique lifesteal fist comes from elochaid... and considering Ensha, who wields an arcane weapon that deals magic damage (like the sword of elochaid), also has Lifesteal fist as its unchangeable ash of war. My theory is that Ensha comes from Elochaid, which must be completely overrun by those who live in death... and that Lionel comes from Elochaid too! Considering his involvement with death sorcery and how similar the chivalrious iconography of his cape is to the briar greatshield.
Posting this here since none of the other lore TH-camrs have any idea what I am talking about. I am pretty sure I have found the black sun in game. 2 places (so far) - in Nokron/Siofra/Lord of Blood Land - LOOK AT YOUR SHADOW!!! Look at how whatever "light" source is casting it seems to suck the color from your character model. The source appears to be a black hole in the north. - Halligtree Prayer room - this is the really exciting/fked up part - look up at the light coming through the Glintstone stained glass windows. The source is again in the absolute north of the map. - the Halligtree site of grace behind the putrid tree dude also has these windows with the same impossible light shining through them. However that area actually has a third distinct light source which will cast an entirely different shadow. That one I understand the least. It appears like some attempt to recreate the light of grace (with the door the light is coming from held fast by tree roots.
This is extremely interesting and sounds like it could be related to the Somber Smithing Stones that have been “drained of color”. I’ve been thinking about things that have been drained of color a ton recently, so I’m going to check this out ASAP. Thanks so much for letting me know!
@@SinisterStromboli np, I am currently running through the game to see if I can find any more weird shadow stuff and also I am not sure if any of it works before lighting the Erdtree & releasing destined death as I only noticed this quite late into my last playthrough. Fun stuff
@@SinisterStromboli oh wow so the black sun effect from the north appears to only happen in the Mohg area. In Siofra there's an unmoving shadow casting light from the east.
@@SinisterStromboli well I guess it's probably not a coincidence then that the effect is most obvious when you compare what your model looks like covered in blood oh gross vampire light
Btw, that “white whale” Elden Beast sigil has at least one rune which appears on the Blue-White wooden shield, which depicts the stars of the night sky. The shield also has the 8-pointed polar star and a symbol which appears on Starcaller brooches, plus one more which I don’t recognize. Love your content btw 👍
@@CrunchyVideos I found out that apparently those symbols are part of the Elden Ring and can be seen in some of the Elden Beast’s attacks and also THE MAIN MENU. I was pissed lol
14:20 I'm not sure that Iji is referring to Sellen when he talks of "a certain sorceress". I don't think Sellen was ever immortal, she was just a witch who used primal glintstones to cheat death (which she can still do even after the festival). Personally, I think it makes more sense that the "certain sorceress" is Ranni, as her immortality as a demigod AND her lack of a "fate" have now been done away with thanks to the Night of Black Knives and the Radahn Festival. The "Carian weed" might as well be Ranni's Two Fingers, as in the fingers have been a troublesome pest to the family for generations.
That wouldn't really make much sense though. The following is what Iji says when we ask him about Jerren, who has Sellen locked up in Witchbane Ruins. "Now the festival is over, and General Radahn is defeated... Jerren's duties are finally fulfilled. Though we served different masters, I could see he was truly adept in his role. Now the time has come to remind him of an old promise made. With the starts of fate set into motion, a certain sorceress is dispossessed of her immortality... Finally, we can be rid of a longstanding Carian weed..." If you talk to Sellen in Witchbane Ruins after beating Radahn she asks you for help and says "A star has fallen, and my fortunes waver. someone may come for my life. And so, I entrust it with you. My self." And then she gives us her Primal Glintstone so that we can bring her back to life, which already feels like a confirmation of the fact that the stars were keeping her alive. Why would Jerren have locked her up if he could have just destroyed her Primal Glintstone in the first place? Jerren knows how Primal Glintstones work and could tell hers was gone as soon as he finally killed her, so he knew she had one on her person. Yes Ranni lost her immortality too, in the video I say that all the Carians lost their immortality, so I think Sellen is a Carian. There are pictures of her in the Debate Hall of the Academy that show her reading scrolls with the Carian Crest on them, and she had a puppet ready for her by Seluvis's Rise. We don't know the original name of that Rise, but its in a place called 3 sisters, so its almost definitely a Carian Princess. I think it would be really strange for Iji to suddenly mention ranni losing her immortality and going after her Two Fingers at the end of a dialogue about Jerren. If you side with Jerren and help him kill Sellen, he tells us that we helped him fulfill an old promise. So Iji was saying that Jerren promised to kill Sellen, and now he finally can because shes lost her immortality.
Lol it’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but I’ve been getting that a lot. I remember it being pretty awesome. I googled it first bc I was terrified of discovering it wasn’t a word after making an entire series of videos with the word SYMBOLOGY on the thumbnails
Watching yours and many other Elden ring lore video gave me idea oh how vastly Other Gods interconnect to each other and had grant and even influence before age of the Erd Tree. So here is my theory First of all I'm not sure that all Gods are truly labeled as Outer Gods or is it just global community wise assumption that All gods that not present in mortal realm are Outer, Like Marika is Mortal Existing God And Greater Will is Outer and we all just calling them same but in reality there is difference, if it says so in game place correct me. But I do belle that some "Gods" or "God" are "local" and they bring the life in Lands between in to the motion. The Gods that have Star like symbols and association with fire (Lighting maybe being another form of more stringer fire or another form for powerful energy, please correct me if you have better idea), While "Fate guided by Stars", and Moon having ice association (we also have ice lighting like more powerful form of same energy), Which can extinguish the fire, and also "Stars are guided by the Moon", each have connection to Crucible of life, presumably made of stone (like scales of ancient dragons) and capable to hold fire like Giant's Forge, Presumably 'fire' that all live started from and state that Frenzy Flame wants to bring existence back to (an analogy for a Big Bang Theory and how the universe gradually fades away or perhaps returns to the original nothingness hmmm?). Makes me believe that before there was are Community of Gods or Singular, but Multy-powerfull God that responsible for beginning of life and that their power represent different basic universe energies (if you add alchemy and physics in to the mix, you have fire and cold that control life and dead, stone\earth make matter, and combined with lighting \electricity you have gravity and what not (fun fact how everybody speaks about how every "God" have something to do with live and dead, but nobody says what type of energy they represent lol, also point to my theory that if they all have deal with "dead or life" situation then it singular god but with multiple aspects to control different energy aspects and forces of universe)) That makes more sense when you look at the actions of 'Greater Will', either a true Outer God that like parasite trying to leach power from Lands between, or some concept that risen from and above the basic ones of original godly being I'm not sure, because Greater Will hold a concept of light, a product of flame, but that still works for my theory, making "Willy" either a rebellion or imitator, more like second actually So we have Greater Will, being that holds light element, lending and controlling people of Lands Between thru Marika to either overpower or destroy other universal elements , or take their worship under control (like with the Lucaria, which is funny if you apply that sorcery is aspect of intellect and mid, that resisted blinding light of faith the most, but still being blinded by feelings (what God answers to that aspect hmm?^-^) of love between Radagon and Rennala, which "Willy" exploits and uses this weakness, making Radagon betray Rennala, resorting in breaking state of her mind, thus weakening 'Mid' concept and in addition those who could figure out their "Greater" games) Erd Tree, which is looks just like a light construct that sits on top of Crucible of life and stump of primordial Tree, is just a fancy gold and glowing covering, while you still can see stony part of original tree underneath in the clearing that is entrance at the arena with Morgott, the part with roots that still connects all lands and how Arena with Elden Beast surrounded with simular "Pillars of light", maybe other world under influence of "Willy" How Radan, blinded by glory of his father and Godfrey, holds the very "Stars" in place, even more sealing ther influence The breaking of Five Fingers (5 is also symbol of universe in Buddhism btw (actually meaning of numbers brights up lore in new colors XD)), who I will guess served similar role to communicate with old order of force, as now their separate parts do now How Lands Between and ppl in it being drained of power via old roots, changing the life and death cycle, giving "Grace" in exchange, farther establishing their influence, thus slowly bringing before balanced life system to collapse, with Marika breaking free from influence and breaking the Elden Rune, only for her to be punished by Also, the fact that Marika take away the "Grace" from Godfrey and created tarnished and send them to war outside of the Lands, can be not just so they can bring more 'power' back to fix the lack of such in Lands, but so Tarnished can be freed from influence of "Willy", gain more power, and be able to overcome the "order" when it weakened by the "shattering" when they return, so more Godfrey because she believes he can achieve that This make sense because Gideon says that tarnished can't become Elden Lord (which is true because normal ending implies that we do not fix the problems and gain nothing) and that it was Not Marikas Plan, but we being "guided" by "two fingers" to restore the ring, not become lord, and Godfrey caught back in to influence by either dead of Morgott, and how his corpse turns in to the "ray of guiding Grace" in cutscene, same "Grace guides" us to the Rune Holders (btw very cool way in making influence of main 'evil' God in to gameplay mechanic and player guide XD) or "Golden Construct of light" of Serosh on his back, the beast that "controls his wrath", you get where I'm going with that? :) How Morgott, chained underground for his "cursed birth", still becomes defender of Erd tree, even tho hi is Omen and possess Fire power and , while his brother breaks free from influence
Basicly most of your video just connected this idea of "Gods before being one" and "Greater Will breaking that unity and exploiting it" while "What left of Old Gods are trying to break free" in my head, here i just bring it in form and try to prove with my own examples of game events and my interpretation of them
Thanks for your thoughts! There’s a lot to think about here. It’s hard to say what an outer god is, but they definitely don’t seem to be “physical” like normal gods. Like the outer god of rot is said to be rot itself, and the formless mother literally has no form. Either way, my current theory is that Outer Gods handle death, and Gods handle life. That may be totally wrong, but we’ll see!
……. So we know that a consort is basically the emperyan queen to the elden lord king…. And obviously Mohg stole Miqullea for basically that exact reason so the president is there…. But did Miqullea really plan on raising his brother from the dead so he could marry him and bare his children both figuratively and probably literally too? I mean I believe it i guess but the lore is getting mighty strange 😂
It’s very common for gods to have children with their siblings in mythology, even though it seems very strange. For instance, in Greek mythology Zeus’s wife is Hera, who is also his sister
@@SinisterStromboli 😂 yes I’m aware. The part that probably makes it most unlike most well known mythologies is the ambiguity of Miqulleas gender. But ancient mythological incestuous relationships usually aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when trying to figure out video game lore😂 guess I’m just not thinking outside the box enough yet
Ooooooooooooooo - so 'black' flame isn't actually 'black.' it only looks black because something in the environment is actively blocking the color of light which would be emitted. We are otherwise largely missing the green spectrum order in game.
Green is usually associated with stuff like endurance and turtles, but its definitely one of the least present colors. You just gave me an idea for a video though. On TikTok, I made a series about the meaning of colors in Elden Ring and its definitely a subject I could make a TH-cam video about.
@@SinisterStromboli ish. Imo the regimes pregolden order monopoly also break down by day & night cycle, by season cycle, by visible light spectrum, & by associated element or mineral.
Hmm black flame looks very similar to death bird's ghostflame to me, although one is fire damage, the other is cold damage. It seems to me blackflame has same origin as ghostflame but 'black flame is more weighty'.
Like a lot of other things in Elden Ring, its never explicitly stated, so technically its unconfirmed yeah. In some cut content, a character does specifically say that they're the same person, but I don't consider cut content to be canon. In my opinion, the clues we're given very strongly suggest they ARE the same person though. St Trina's Torch mentions that depicting them as an adult is unusual or strange, and they're very closely connected to the concept of sleep. The circumstances of Miquella's birth gave him a kind of "curse" that keeps them a child forever, so he went into a deep sleep inside the Haligtree to become an Adult. St Trina's Torch is also found in the Consecrated Snowfield, which is where Miquella's Haligtree is. The most convicing thing is Fevor's Cookbook [3] though. The description of all three cookbooks say they were made by a man that was obsessed with St Trina, and the first two hold recipes for sleep-related items. However, the only recipe in the third cookbook is the Bewitching Branch. The Branch is made of unalloyed gold, which is pretty exclusively tied to Miquella, the item's description mentions Miquella, and Miquella's Haligtree Crest appears when using the item. So while its not confirmed, its so strongly implied that I consider it as close to confirmed as something like this can be.
Sounds like we’re both saying the exact same thing. The Great Tree was a larger Erdtree that preceded “The Erdtree”. They’re both Erdtrees, and we call the old one the Great Tree
What personality have you decided she should have? Mohg turned Okina into a blood crazed madman with the Formless Mother’s power, so idk why you think that’s such a wild idea
@@SinisterStromboli np man, you had some in-depth and very sharp observation, noe agree on all of them but you are definitely as crazy as me when interpreting the art designs, exceptional stuffs.
I think you're tying things too tightly together. A lot of your connections themselves seem reasonable, but maybe just because two things are related or work similarly doesn't mean they're the same thing.
At the beginning of the video I said that I think the pieces are more closely connected than they seem. I stand by that. It’s interesting that you’re willing to accept that all the connections could be coincidences. Sure each individual connection is rather insignificant, but once a bunch of connections start showing up all over you’ve gotta wonder why that is.
In astrology, eclipses are seen as a death while alive. Almost like shedding an old self and going through a portal exiting as a new one. It’s taught to not cast spells under an eclipse because you may be asking something from the underworld (or death) to grant your intention which can get muddy. Rather, after the eclipse, you do a cleansing ceremony where you scrub off remnants of the old you. Almost like a snake shedding it’s skin.
That’s really cool, and I’d never heard that before!
Thanks for sharing that with me!
Astrology seems to have a pretty big influence on Elden Ring’s lore, this isn’t the first time some similarities between them have been brought to my attention.
It’s almost like blood is a connective tissues between the gods. It seemingly touches all of the outer gods in some way creating a through-line among them all
Blood is interesting because it seems like it might represent a life force that comes from Death
Or something like that
It’s a great example of what the ancestral spirit horn says “thus does new life come from Death, and from Death, one obtains power”
@@SinisterStromboli I think it’s also interesting how it’s even called “the lands between”. The lands between what? Life and death? Maybe. In Berserk, after the finale, Gutz is seemingly reborn into a land between life and death as well.
This is one video is better than most lore videos.
That’s really nice to hear, thanks!
This was packed with interesting connections, good stuff
Thanks!
You are the best Eldene Ring lore youtuber. No one else goes in depth as you, its amazing, keep it up, you'll be huge.
This means a lot to me, thanks so much!
I really have to agree. This is promo content. Haven’t seen anyone do it quite as well as you.
Tarnished Archaeologist, SmoughTown, Crunchy. They also go super in depth, if you enjoy sinister i highly recommend tarnished first as he uses the in game architecture, reliefs, iconography, word definitions and titles and compares them to the real life inspiration. It's amazing stuff.
@@cameranwall i refer to you to my first reply. Tarnished Archaeologist, SmoughTown, Crunchy. These guys do amazing work as well, Smoughtown almost has 100k but the others have just about 4k subs each, so i highly recommend them.
@@DaxterL Quelaag is great too
It seems like each ending we have, we essentially choose what happens to people's souls after death.
The erdtree (normal ending) absorbs peoples souls after death for final rest, stopping reincarnation. Godwyn's ending implants living within death, waking you from final rest to be alive yet not dead (skeletons). The 3 fingers make all souls into one soul. Goldmask is the normal ending but the meddling of Gods is removed from the equation. Ranni guides people's souls into the stars to leave that world, maybe allowing for reincarnation.
It should be noted that since this is a Japanese game, it probably runs on the idea of reincarnation as a baseline, unlike most countries that believe in a sort of heaven.
That’s essentially correct! One thing the Elden Ring can control seems to be how the process of life and death should work.
Great observation
You know how in the context of goldmask the golden order is described as algebra, logic and calculus. And the logic you use here feels really nice to journey through. So you can be compared to goldmask!
I'm honored, thanks so much
I think it’s a process. The Great Tree was the taller, thinner more Pine-tree looking relief found in older architecture, it died and left behind a rooted stump, those roots began sprouting a new tree, this era of new growth and opportunity is the crucible, once a single sprout becomes stronger and is nurtured into the Erdtree by Marika’s Golden Lineage, leading to the age of abundance, and then that tree is also attacked and nearly burned down, and now Radagon created the golden illusion of the Erdtree that we see in game when he sealed himself inside what was left of the physical tree.
Nothing really implies that the Great Tree died out like that, and if it did then it wouldn’t just “become a stump.
Something has to happen to the top of a tree that big, and as you said yourself, it seems like it was a very tall tree. If it died like you said, there would probably be evidence of its massive trunk falling down somewhere.
There’s a lot of other questionable things there, like the Erdtree being burned down. I’m assuming that idea partly comes the incantations that mention seeing the tree burning, but those seem more like prophecies of what will be rather than what was.
Also if Radagon’s Erdtree is an illusion, but feels, looks, and behaves just like the Erdtree, then it just seems like a new tree.
Calling it an illusion doesn’t mean much if it’s essentially an exact copy of the Erdtree
I think there might be other shoots of the primordial crucible that existed and they represent offshoots of the great tree, corresponding to the divine towers and representing other “trees.” For example I think Mt. Gelmir does not have very igneous rock structure and many parts of it seem textured like petrified wood. Although I would say that this would have happened before the volcano manor/carian royal houses were made since volcano manor is built on the truncated greater tree. So during the time of the great ruler who’s portrayed in the grand cloister. Similar to Godfrey’s later conquests to prune the crucible, I think this great ruler pruned the offshoots of the greater tree to leave the great tree remaining and that there are at least 5 other great tree competitor remnants scattered across the lands between, 1 I think being Mt. Gelmir, and I think other inexplicable plateaus around elden ring might hint at them, I.e. Moonlight Altar plateau also has very strange, slanted rock structure that seems like petrified wood. The church built at the top of moonlight altar matches the architecture and iconography of the volcano manor/divine bridges/carian manor and features the great tree motif. These churches might hint at sites of victory similar to erdtree era churches later. Earlier depictions of this great ruler in Nokron, grand cloister, and mohg’s palace do not feature the great tree, primarily I think because like the erdtree not being depicted during the crucible era, it’s primacy wasn’t yet established.
Let me know what you think,
The magic is so fascinating in this game I can’t enough of it. Particularly how there seems to be so many cosmic interests each manifesting their powers through their own unique flames
There are so many flames! Rykard even has his own special flame “Taker’s Flame” that heals you when it damages enemies, and it’s only produced by ONE item lol.
@@SinisterStromboli I’ve been following this game since it came out and this is the first I’m hearing of it
@@thatguy779 It’s the Blasphemous Blade’s skill if you wanna check it out!
@@SinisterStromboli
look more into Rykard's Flame, i just noticed today that the SERPENT-GOD'S CURVED SWORD has the same effect as the blasphemous sword and Takers Flames! It must be connected to the Great Serpent, which has been revered since ancient gelmir times, according to the sword
Great Job packing around a half an hour of lore covering a lot of content. I almost had to slow this vid down to understand everything. Very Comprehensive.
Thanks, I appreciate that!
I spend a lot of time cutting out tangents and unimportant details so that I’m not wasting anyone’s time.
Great video and truly insightful. To add the Jars are crucibles of life, they gather “life (dead bodies)” and blend them together. Much like how Erdtree burial gives life to the Erdtree. Ties with the regal ancestral spirit remembrance.
Good observation! I'd never thought of it like that before
This is the best lore video I've seen, period. A potentially interesting observation regarding the mausoleums is that they are in fact sporting a bell. Every mention of a bell in the game (even on the 1-9 versions of the grave glovewort) talks about bells summoning spirits. This could potentially mean that the mausoleum bells are supposed to call the spirits of the soulless demigods "back" to them, or to call the spirits of the mausoleums' protectors.
I think you're totally right! Whats interesting is that there are some mausoleums without bells, and demigod remembrances can't be duplicated there. Instruments and sound seem to be used to call spirits in a lot of different ways. Like the horns of the Tibia Mariners and the Albinaurics by Mohg
The death rune already reminded me of an eclipse, but now I'm convinced.
Great minds think alike!
Wish I could like this twice. This video was very informative and enjoyable to watch, thanks for putting in the work to make it!
Thanks so much!
This video is incredible, so many fascinating observations in such rapid fire, it’s almost overwhelming
I love being show so much lore bits and you flow them very well together.
Thanks so much! Making a story out of all the pieces took quite a while
@@SinisterStromboli It definitely shows man, good job 👍
wow that was really great. My prediction came true that with Elden Rings popularity would come many new and incredible lore enthusiasts.
Thanks so much!
On the topic of the Eclipesed Sun, It seems important to note: There is no "Sun" in the sky in Elden Ring. There's a moon, but no Sun. The light from the Day and the Golden Rays all come from the Erdtree. The Eclipsed sun could be simply alluding to the Erdtree being Covered/Defeated/Smothered.
The Eclipse Crest Heater Shield says the Eclipsed Sun is the symbol of the wandering mausoleums, where soulless demigods slumber.
Nothing I've found suggests the symbol has anything to do with the Erdtree covering the sky, but I could always be missing something.
Also, you are not scared of the eclipse enough. Look at the Mausoleum Knight cape/Berserk. I love your analysis and videos
It's a portal
I'm familiar with the Knight's cape, but I didn't realize something like that was also in Berserk. I really really need to read that manga.
@@SinisterStromboli yoo I have updates on this. I am currently of the opinion that the knights of the Cuckoo did an eclipse sacrifice in an incompetent or haphazard way which opened a portal to something super bad. I am honestly not sure if it was the Mother of Truth/Cinnabar land, the outer Rot God (assuming those are distinct), or the Astels but there are two pieces of lore that have me leaning this way on top of the terrifying capes.
1) the knights of the Cuckoo great shield has basically the same stats and shape as the eclipse greatshield. It looks like it was somewhat hastily painted over.
2) at the 4 belfries we have what appear to be sacrificed Carian Troll knights. Nearby is both an evergaol that inexplicably has a named troll Carian knight (boz or something) and there is a wandering mausoleum too.
@@SixBeark Wow, these are nothing I've never noticed. Now I have to go check out these, it sounds super interesting! I don't know why I never thought about the lore implications of the four belfries...
Just had this recommended to me and it didn't disappoint! You brought some new insighr here and i think it deserves more recognition
One thing that connected in my head when you spoke about the Serpent and the Storm Hawks was that hawks are natural predators of snakes. Perhaps there's a deeper connection between them than the game would like to let on at surface level.
I agree! There are snake/bird hybrid statues in the Temple of Eiglay too
I got hype when you mentioned the crucible being dragon parts cuz I'm doing my own theory with that same insight and it shocked me no one else talks about it. Keep up the great work man I'm loving it all so far
It’s great to hear that you had the same idea! It makes me feel like we’re probably onto something
@@SinisterStromboli for sure! I don't wanna give too much away since I hope to have my first one up before October but here's a thought, the perfumers dressed up with erdtree imagery, but then when they started hunting omen they started making weapons out of their horns and wearing masks to look like their nightmares. In other words the erdtree people became more like the thing they were trying to kill, just like how the tree sentinels became the dragon tree sentinels, and this parallel makes a lot of sense if omens and dragons are parallel too
@@TheRabidChipmunk I think you're onto something. In Elden Ring, if you imitate something then you can begin to take on qualities of that thing.
The Skeletal Mask and Raptors Black Feathers imply that they can forget they're not deathbirds if they're not constantly in pain.
Also that may be why things like Bloodhound and Drake Knights don't talk. To imitate Beasts and Dragons and emulate their strength.
@@SinisterStromboli so I actually made that video! I hope it's not too corny to ask you to check it out but your analysis was one of my big inspirations so I at least wanna say that 👍
With the insane amount of connections in art and descriptions, I’d be very shocked if From didn’t have a lore bible for all their games. Can you imagine a whole book just full of dictionary-type definitions of all these things? Probably with a great “See also” section at the bottom. Man, I would read such a thing for hours on end if it exists
That would be awesome!
I found an app called Obsidian that may allow me to do something like that tbh
this is the most enjoyable elden ring lore concept ive come across!
Thanks so much!
Very well done! You connected everything nicely, and personally, extremely easy to understand everything with your explanations. Keep up the great work!!
Thanks so much! One of my goals is to make the convoluted lore a bit easier to digest, so that’s nice to hear.
I’m just glad I’m not the only person feeling Schizo for finding the Bloodstar/Formless mother ties everywhere
lol for real
I’m starting to think that the Formless Mother and Blood Star were some of the earliest beings to exist in the Lands Between, but I’m still figuring that out
Beats blood descriptions implications keep me up at night
Really like these videos, excited to see your channel grow!
one thing about yura and his talisman is that a cut NPC called Guilbert also wore the same set, and his whole quest centered over vengeance and the “god of revenge” with one of his voice lines referencing his “vengeance soaking the lands”
also the women in the windmill village are skinned, based on their weapons, the ghost at the foot of the village and the godskin at the top, who’s being worshipped by them
Thanks for telling me about Guilbert! I'd never heard of him before
On the topic of the blood star and the Formless Mother, I think she’s deeply connected to the Two and Three Fingers. She craves wounds, so what if she was “born” or manifested as the wound when the fingers separated?
That’s absolutely a possibility, I like that idea!
I’ve also considered that “crave wounds” might not just mean “she wants to be wounded” it could also mean “she likes wounds, so she likes when anyone is wounded”
Its never specified that she craves wounds for herself specifically
@@SinisterStromboli I'm pretty sure mohgs blood magic is implied to be him wounding the formless mother by cutting into her, but i may be wrong
so glad i found your channel - so many interesting connections and much better than most lore videos i've seen!!
Thanks so much, that’s really nice!
There is actually two moons visible from the moonlight altar, one bright full moon to the left of the Erdtree and one dark, barely visible to the right. These seem to be Rennala's and Ranni's moons respectively.
Thanks for letting me know, I've never heard that before! I'll check that out
Holy shit I am SO GLAD I stumbled upon your channel. You are unequivocally the best Elden Ring lore theorist I have ever witnessed and listened to. New subscriber!
Thanks so much, thats an incredibly kind thing to say
@@SinisterStromboli I can't wait for more of your videos - I've already watched the others and hoped there were way more.😫
I’ve got tons of idea for new videos, so I’ll keep them coming!
So many awesome connections here
Thanks! I didn’t think I’d have so many opportunities to bring up some of those connections for a while, but it all ended up flowing together.
I don't know if this was mentioned, but the there are six Great Rune towers and they're all the same distance away from the centre of the world. Probably not a coincidence
Good eye, I’ll check that out!
@@SinisterStromboli Thanks! I'd love to see what you find
My mind is still blown from these videos
🤯 lol
I’m glad you liked the video
A thing that may or may not be interesting, the winged scythe references pagan, or polytheistic, belief. In the Age of the Erdtree, Marika is described as “god” singular, despite the existence of both Outer Gods and gods that ruled over ages before hers. Perhaps before Marika’s age, the gods that are now considered outer and the god of the current age were worshipped together. When Marika decided her age would be eternal and removed the concept of death, she also ensured that she would be the only one who could be a god, and her new erdtree would be the only object of faith in the Lands Between, if not the world at large.
Idk, maybe that’s obvious and everyone already thought that religion in the lands between looked very different, I just think it’s likely that all of these gods were worshipped as a unified religion, rather than there being a different religion for each outer god until Marika became a god.
(P.S. I don’t know what the “winged maidens” the scythe refers to could be, I don’t think there’s similar imagery in the lands between besides maybe the deathbirds)
Great observation, the winged scythe is really interesting.
Pagan religions are ones that aren't part of the main religion/religion(s), so I think this means there may have been other gods before Marika. It could refer to Outer Gods, but I don't know if most people pray to Outer Gods or Marika herself. Its hard to say.
12:35 quote: (the Gloam-eyed queen is associated with birth alot)
Here is something interesting for you:
In ancient roman-religious belief (now myth). There is a clade/tyoe of gods called "Cthonic deities".
Cthonic deities were related to the underworld, the unseen and powers stemming from the earth. They include: Chronos, Hades, Charon, Demeter, Alekto, The Eyrinyes (Fates) and Nyx(Nox) etc...
Some fertility and messenger deities amongst the Olympians (Celestial-type gods) were considered Cthonic-gods: Aphrodites and Hermes specifically. Born from underworld powers and/or events (Aphrodites from sea-foam). And/or had an ease of traveling between these worlds (Hermes).
Elden Ring' Gloam-Eyed queen would easilly be accepted in Roman-belief as a Cthonic-type god, were she presented.
This also explains the associations to Black-knife assassins (Alecto), the Eternal cities (Underworld) and the Nox. In Elden ring.
Cthonic deities are awesome, agreed! My next video is about Destined Death, so thanks for reminding me about that term. I’ll almost definitely be able to use it
seems to me like the helphens lamplight guides the dead to the greatree alongside the mariners, whilst the erdtrees grace guides the dead who have been brought to the greattree back to life. its possible the great tree is still around, just idk below the erdtree. fuck idk the surface might literally be the top of the great tree and when we go down into the rivers we are in its roots. idfk a few thoughts spurred on by this. i fucking love the way elden rings mythology feels like an actual mythology and acts the same way with a shit ton of stuff missing and it feels like we only have a couple of hints as to whats going on. anways love you
more thoughts: i do believe that everythings thrown out of wack and a ton of misinformation and stuff thats formed over time means alot of stuff *looks* mean or evil or really good when in reality everything is necessary. other stuff: perhaps seeing as the crucible is the erdtree in its primordial form, and it looks like a top of a tree, it might literally just be the top of the greatree.
Thats a really interesting idea! For real, you've just given me an entirely new theory to chew on. In Norse Mythology, the "World Tree" Yggdrasil is at the center of all 9 worlds, just like the Elden Ring is described to be the anchor of all lands. Also Lands Between lol
The Lands Between could be at the center of a bunch of worlds, and the Erdtrees could be something like branches of the Great Tree.
Love ur comment, great job
Another connection the formless mother and the erd/great tree could have with one another could be in how miquella chose to grow the haligtree with his blood. Its possible the shedding of blood in older times was a part of how the erdtree was grown from the great tree.
That’s a really good point, thanks for pointing that out to me! I hadn’t considered that
Awesome video, and you have proved you are onto something here. The branch within the darkmoon greatsword is something you might stumble upon while just clipping through the sword with you camera, and leave it to FS to put something there for one to piece together as well. Looking forward to the next video!
Thanks so much!
There was once another tree before the Erdtree that was called the Great Tree. Then the Great Tree fell/burned and from it's stub the "crucible" was born. Many saplings (potential trees) started growing. In the end, though, the one winning over the others was the Erdtree.
Summary courtesy of The Tarnished Archeologist.
I usually agree with a lot of the things the Tarnished Archeologist, but my thoughts on that are a bit different at the moment.
Siluria’s Tree is apparently “Great Tree” ornamentation and also modeled after the Erdtree’s crucible. In my opinion, that implies the Great Tree was the Crucible
@@SinisterStromboli Well going by the Tarnished Archeologist theory the Erdtree (and the Crucible by extension) and the Great Tree would technically be the same tree, the roots and the stub are still the same.
If Great Stars is related to the “great star cluster” described on Stars of Ruin, it could imply a lot about how stars guide fate, especially since the Elden Ring started as a star itself.
That’s a good point, because I’ve wondered if Astel could count as a Star Cluster since he’s made of “multi-colored Star debris”, and Astel is also a star
Perhaps the cluster was the One Great and the Greater Will broke it apart and introduced the Elden Ring in its stead. Maybe the breaking was even an accident? The resulting debris could have done all manner of things (maybe this was the mistake that Hyetta references) including seeding new life forms. And perhaps in the Age of Stars ending, the Lands Between would be reset to the prior way of things, hence the implication that the order will be moved away from them. Maybe the Moon has the capacity to be an order unto itself. But now I’m just wildly speculating! (It’s fun regardless)
An incredible video about something very important to Elden Ring's themes, that everything has multiple faces. The angle with which you see something will completely change your view of it. Very interesting point about Miquella considering Godwyn a consort for himself, maybe taking a page from Marika's book?
Interesting lore hunts, with great background music as well. Keeps the mind focused and relaxed at the same time. My only feedback is that sometimes the quick transitions between two topics can appear like a pindaric flight, but a quick pause or screenshot could do the trick. Well done.
Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out how much time should be between phrases and sections when I'm editing. It should be better next time!
As to present a possible alternative to 8:00, I believe it was tarnished Archeologist who made the observation that it could be depicting the change of how the Erdtree was worshiped, ancient tree at top and fundamentalism at the bottom.
This is one of my favourite videos I've ever watched! Keep up the good work
Wow! That’s high praise, I really appreciate that.
Thank you very much for the subtitles!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you found them helpful
the great hood item description all but confirms that the blood star and the formless mother are the same being. Esgar is the priest of blood, and he's convinced that the blood star is the moon that Rennala found. I'm curious as to if there's a connection between the fire giants and the blood star, as the frozen bodies of the giants are pierced by the briars of sin, which come from the blood star. Maybe the formless mother didn't like competition with the ownership of fire, and wanted bloodflame to reign supreme over fell flame
You've given me a lot to think about here, I love these ideas!
First of all, just wanted to say how amazingly thorough and good this video is for a lore nerd like myself. 10/10 content my dude, we eat well 2nite 🙏
The second thing is that Im also a big nerd for depictions of death throughout history and I had NO IDEA about the word "psychopomp" and you just made my odd obsession that much easier to obsess over.
Glad I clicked this video :)
Its not used as often as it should be, imo!
Even Hermes is considered a psychopomp because he leads the dead to the underworld.
@@SinisterStromboli So I've read! In the time between posting this comment and now I've filled up an entire whiteboard of notes on the subject cause now im interested lmao. You got me hooked
Another amazing vid! Way to go, dude! 🎉
Thanks!
Did you mentioned the Dungeater's Medaillon? It has a face on the front and a runed ring with a spiraled Horn on the backside. The Dungeater states, that his fate was the most grandest of them all. I already have made a german video about the Dungeater, but i couldnt really get to the spiraled horn on the backside of the medaillon. i found the sprialed horn on the banished knight's set helm and on the dragon communion seal. And now i see those little Sun Medaillons resemble the Dungeater's Medaillon frontside. I desperately tried to tie it to the formless Mother and the Crucible, but i decided to wait formy crucible Video, and that will take a while^^
I wont dig too deep into that because right now i mat the Carians, but maybe you can find something with it.
Great videos!
The Dungeater's Omen Armor says the medallion "represents the guidance he once saw, and the ring to which it will one day lead". Something really interesting (in my opinion) is that Goldmask's Radiant Gold Mask looks like a star.
It doesn't really look similar to the Star on the Omen Armor, but it's description is strangely similar and says that it "represents both the brilliant inspiration that once shone upon him, and the vision of a ring that he will surely find at the end of his pursuit".
My best guess is that they were guided by two different Outer Gods towards the goal of creating Mending Runes that would allow them to influence the Lands Between once added to the Elden Ring.
It was really hard to get a good look at the back of the medallion on the Omen Armor, but I think I saw a spiral. I'm not sure if its on the Banished Knight's Helm, but I could have missed it.
I see that the tail of the dragon ornament on the altered version of the helm creates a spiral, but idk if thats enough to link it to anything that has a spiral pattern on it.
Thanks so much for bringing all this to my attention though, you've given me a lot to think about!
@@SinisterStromboli if you look up ondored on reddit i made a post with a very good picture of the backside
Moon of Nokstella item looks like a blue Chlorianthy ring.
I see what you mean, good find!
fantastic analysis... you're one of the better channels!
Thanks so much! I really appreciate that
"The blood star guides the blind. Likewise, Hyetta was guided by the three fingers, despite her blindness."
Me on four Marijuanas:
"Holy shit..."
lol thats exactly how I felt making it
Great video g I actually really enjoy these keep it up 😎😎😎
Thanks!
One of the password match runes is embedded in the carian/sellian sorcery seals. Looks like a lightning
Darksouls is about placing the constellations in the sky
That sounds really cool, how so?
@@SinisterStromboli This guy tosses it in at the end, and it ties it all togethe for me
We tied our humanity to the eternal fires that pierce the ever deepening darkness and made Gods that would shepard humanity from and to those stars as they cycle
Very interesting connections, good job👍
Thanks!
Cool video dude keep it up!
Thanks, will do!
Gold can turn (look) black . The black decorations glow golden with light (warmth more yellow light) - what if Rannis Dark Moon is really the black moon - which is in (with the right Fuel in it maybe) is/turns into a new or second stronger sun - or because of the other little sun is glowing golden (outside) by being still cold - until now we just see Rannis Moon in a dark Area.
Imgaine what would happen if we wear the Frenzied flame inside us supressed by Miquellas needle , marry Ranni, raise up with her (maybe inside her) dark Moon and could then pick the needle out . Maybe at least Rannis Moon is just a Moon which change the rotations of Rennalas Moon and the sun - what caused the Eclipse.
Why Godwyn could be rebirth by an Eclipse - all we know the Eclipse causes a (thats how it sounds kind of) stronger sun - a stronger sun melts the ice - the melted water flows directly too Godwyns corpse and more important too the roots of the Great Tree - the Great Tree gets stronger or healthier and Godywyn (or whatever he is called after that) get reborn by/from the Great Tree (not Erdtree) .
There are a ton of great thoughts here, I love it! I’ll have to look into some of this.
@@SinisterStromboli i have some screenshots on Steam too with some hints for myself ( name there is just Amidryclia) - maybe as inspirations - if you want - ask for backround informations if you like (about my crazy thoughts)
THE LORE
Yeah, I had opportunities to bring up a lot of things I've only talked about on TikTok! It was unexpected.
On ST. TRINA'S TORCH there is an 8 pointed star, st Trina is commonly thought to be miquella there depicts female with one eye tho.
I agree with the idea that Miquella is St. Trina, so it would make sense for them to be associated with a symbol of rebirth. Miquella's main goal was to use the Haligtree to become "reborn" as an adult. The torch scales with faith, so it may depict him as an adult because its represents his followers faith in him achieving his goal.
Hey very cool video. I really like how they make me think about stuff I never even considered before. did you ever consider making a video about the sun? It seems to be connected to the sun realm (and therefore the beastmen), the fell god, the omen (milos armor), and mabye the eclipse? It's kinda odd to me how the moon and the eclipse seem that important but I can't figure stuff out about the sun. Might be a cool video idea for later on
I’ve gotta look into it more but Sol means sun in Latin and Castle Sol has a lot of ties to the Eclipsed Sun.
@@colorpg152 What do you mean with "everything"? For the obvious parts there's a pretty simple and boring explanation: _"The Rune of Death goes by two names; the other is Destined Death. The forbidden shadow, plucked from the Golden Order upon its creation..."_ - Enia
So everything was red gold from the Ancient Dragons to Godfrey's Crucible Knights, then Marika sealed Death away and in the process removed its red tint from everything tied to the Elden Ring's Order just like what happened to the Godskin Apostles' Black Flame.
(Well except for the Elden Ring crest in Maliketh's boss room, which is yellow for some reason while the dragons still have red lightning)
The dragons outer god is most likely the sun.
I beg for someone to make a meme that goes like
Bleed build gameplay:
Bleed build lore:
lol that would be really funny
In the gameplay part there should be the grind for the curved sword
Btw I saw videos saying that the separation of the term "greattree" from the erdtree is a translation mistake. So ornamentations involving Greattree are actually about the Crucible
@@tepliyananas3648 I've seen that before and I don't think that the person that made the claim actually speaks Japanese.
The Haligtree Crest Surcoat says that the Haligtree could have grown into An Erdtree, not The Erdtree.
So Erdtrees are just a type of fully grown tree (lampwood maybe?), and I think the Great Tree was a huge Erdtree that existed before "The Erdtree"
great video fam
Thanks!
Sorry for poor English but this is my best effort.
If you look at Elden ring map it looks like finger thow my point is the right middle of the map isn't connected. At the same time if you look at faraam azula map shape is the giant circle shape is in the right middle that is showing what the-lands-between(golden order) lost. Also the fact that the whole faraam azula is above the whole lands between. not just somewhere right in the map.
Wow, I think you may be right!
If I’m understanding you correctly, I agree that Farum Azula looks like it may have once been between the mountains and Caelid
The Isolated Tower there was probably connected to Farum Azula in the past, because I doubt it was intentionally built in the middle of nowhere.
I’m going to look into this more, thanks!
@@SinisterStromboli I mean if you make Farum Azula large as the Elden Ring map. You'll see Malikath arena is Connecting Caelid to the mountain top of the giants above the Isolated Divine tower.
Look at all the rune fragments felled everywhere. Farum Azula basically is the sky of the Lands Between.
Need more, brother. I don't know if you've spotted it yet, but it seems all roads lead to Miquella and his inevitable rebirth.
I'm BEGGING for Miquella/St Trina DLC. Not only are there literally TWO weapons that inflict sleep (St Trina's Torch and Sword of St Trina) sleep is barely present in the game at all.
I'd love it if we got DLC where we can go to Miquella's cocoon and enter his dream similar to how we enter the Deathbed Dream of Godwyn. It would be a great chance to add new weapons, items, spells, etc related to sleep
@@SinisterStromboli I'm working on a video rn from a new channel that pretty much confirms we'll get Miquella DLC. It even links back to the PvP arenas around the map.
So I think it's possible that the symbol of the small tree on top of the large tree, in front of the Erdtree, is just two seperate shots of the same tree. The bottom one is zoomed in, and shows the roots of the Erdtree as the Elden Rune, and the top one is a zoomed out image of the Erdtree, and either it's affect's reaching far beyond itself, or it being under the influence of the Greater Will. If that is the case, I don't think it would disprove your theory, it just wouldn't provide additional proof for it.
However even if we take above reading to be true, that can play very well with what you have presented thus far within the video. If this Image presents the Elden Ring as the Root of the Erdtree, and The Crucible is the root of the Great Tree, then the Gold of the Crucible being formed into the Elden Ring, would cause the Great Tree to become the ErdTree, the tree itself might not have had to change, just what lie at it's roots.
Although I do very much like the idea that the Erdtree is just the very top branch of a larger tree that lies buried beneath it. I think this plays very well with all the subterrain areas we find, perhaps they weren't submerged beneath the ground, so much as new ground was placed on top of them. Although I should stop further theorizing and just finished the video.
It's a real banger so far!
Edit : Just finished the video, it was Sick! Can't wait for the next one!
Thanks! I'm glad you liked the video. Just to clarify what I meant about the Erdtree being grafted:
Axes are the signature weapon of Godfrey and his warriors, he even commands Crucible Knights that wear Axe ornamentation.
I think Godrey and his mean cut down the Great Tree, and the Erdtree was grafted to its stump. I definitely don't think the Erdtree is just the top branch of another tree like the picture, I think its a metaphor for the grafting I just described.
Given that the tibia mariners are counted among Those Who Live In Death surely they can't possibly predate the erdtree? Life In Death is something that originates with godwyn's 'corpse' so could only have started after the Night of Black Knives.
Note that rosus is a figure that the golden order seems to have no particular issue with, suggesting that perhaps the mariners are simply imitating the behavior and symbology of existing death-associated phenomena, and rosus isn't directly linked to the deathblight.
We don’t know that living in death originated with the erdtree, only that they’re hated now.
Also I don’t think Rosus is still around because the dead are all lost, so no one seems to be guiding them anymore
Sorry to comment so much but you touch on so many observations and connections I’ve been trying to decipher. You mention magnetism and the idea of opposing forces. In Rykard’s chamber, the chandelier seem to be repulsed by his force and they look made of gold. Something to add. It’s perplexed me since I first saw it.
Also, I feel the need to mention that biblically, the Red Sea is a mistranslation of “the sea of reeds”. With the mention of blood and madness having the land of reeds, it could be that they worship the blood stat there but it has become corrupted in some way. I mean the ash of war is called “rivers of blood” yada yada yada. Just wanted to add info. You’re cleverer than me on lore connecting but thought it’d be a good share.
No worries about commenting, I welcome other perspectives and you seem to have a lot of knowledge on topics I’m not very familiar with.
Some of my favorite theories have come from talking to people that knew a lot about things I was unfamiliar with. If I didn’t talk to people like you, my ideas would be limited by my own experiences and knowledge.
That info on the sea of reeds and the Red Sea is a perfect example 🤌. That’s almost definitely relevant in some way and I had no idea.
The immortal serpent is really interesting though, because the Duelist Helm says it’s considered a traitor to the Erdtree. That means the serpent was once allied with the Erdtree.
Also, like the 3 Fingers, it’s got a lot of similarities with the Law of Regression. The 3 Fingers want to melt all life back into the One Great, and the Serpent wants to consume and absorb all life into itself as one being.
Oh god I’m actually just now realizing how many connections there are between the crucible and the serpent and I’m kicking myself for overlooking it when I made this video.
If you look really close at the Taker’s Cameo, on the right side there are serpents consuming/surrounding a depiction of the Great Tree.
There’s also a whole can of worms we could get into with the similarities between the way the serpent consumes others to gain their power and dragon communion, but I’m sure you see where I’m going.
@@SinisterStromboli dude, thanks for the videos and replies. I am really enjoying how you’re analyzing the lore. I hope you blow on on yt from your work.
More Christianity stuff. (I went to Catholic school from pre-k through college, so lots of knowledge on Christian dogma). You might know but Lucifer was originally part of the highest order of angels known as the seraphim that could directly see God. In the creation story when God “separated the light from the dark” that encapsulates the story of the throwing out of the devil who “swept his tail across heaven” which is how he got demons and such (demons being former angels, whatever). That happens before the devil appears as a serpent in the garden of Eden. SO, it’s a lot like how the serpent in ER used to be allied with the Erdtree and probably the golden order. The paradox for the devil, the serpent and Rykard is that they defy the golden order but they cannot deny it. They are rebels at war with reality in which they have no choice but to believe. I’m gonna keep looking into this. There is so much Christian dogma strewn into ER, if I had the time and skill, I would make a video on it lol. Would def collab if you’d like.
ONE MORE THING. I had to look it up. The 8 with the 1 in the center reflects how the seraphim used to surround God viewing Him. It became 7 after the casting out of Lucifer so it’s taught that there are 7 seraphim with the understanding it was originally 8. Since the beginning of “man” or the story of the Garden of Eden, there has been 7. But before Creation, there were 8. Seraphim are known as “the burning ones” being made of fire. The Hebrew “sarap” translates to “destruction by fire”. The Bible hints that they are “purification agents”. Purification by fire. Sounds a lot like the 3 fingers goal.
Love your pikmin shirt.
I’m so excited for pikmin 4!
The star in marika's chamber design is different than the blood star spikes , its probably the Golden star not the red star , the Star representing the Greater will
I'm only 9 minutes in, but before I continue I have to address this: in the history of fromsoftware games english adaptations there's always some kind of inaccuracy somewhere. In elden ring, It has been discovered that basically any time a description refers to a "great tree" in the english version, the japanese text uses a similar term but IMPLICITLY referring to the Erdtree. But now that I've seen closer the depiction on the entrance of the Erdtree thanks to your video, i'm not so sure there's an errore anymore:)
The haligtree crest surcoat says the Haligtree could have grown into AN Erdtree, so THE Erdtree is only called that because it’s the only one around at the time.
I think that the Great Tree was AN Erdtree that was cut down so that THE Erdtree could be grafted to it’s stump.
In other words, I think the translation isn’t an inaccuracy, it’s just not quite what we thought.
The blood star could be a leech bite mark.
Whoa that’s cool! Thanks for letting me know
Could the blood star be the envoy of the formless mother?
It’s extremely possible that it’s an envoy or vassal. The Elden Stars incantation says that the Elden Beast is a star, and it’s a vassal of the Greater Will.
9:02 I just realized, the dragon communion altars all depict lions....an odd and very particularly loaded choice, given the importance of lions to several key figures in The Lands Between. Why are lions key to dragon communion, and does that inform or is it informed by their connection to other figures?
i doubt that the developers thought this much about the symbols they put in game, but your take on it creates a mythology that makes a lot of sense! love it
lol are you new here?
The company that developed this game is called FromSoftware and their games are very intentionally filled with subtle details that are very important
So you think the Elden Ring symbol is using the three stars for it's circles?
I think its possible, but its worth noting that theres a 4th circle at the center of those three rings.
Maybe its just to "hold them together", but idk
A question I have for you which I still just don't get is: why is the volcano manor torturing albinaurics? The black dumpling description implies that there's some kind of information to which the albinaurics are privy which the people at volcano manor are (or were) trying to extract from them... but is it to do with artificial life (ideas for the snake people) or is it to try to find Miquella's Haligtree so Rykard can eat him? Does it make any sense to you?
I don’t think it’s for any good reason. The winged Misbeggoten ashes say that the Misbeggoten are treated like slaves or worse because of the fact that they’re “impure”
The Albinaurics are also impure, and the Black Dumpling says that they put that on their victims when they don’t care about answers, only inflicting pain.
So I think they’re just a bunch of religious zealots being awful to “lesser beings”
Can you examine the Elochaid symbols on Elmer of the Briars shield, as well as the Elochaid weapons? I've tried to look at it and the shield looks like its depicting some kind of story as if it were a medieval tapestry but i cant tell because of how faded it is.
Its some kind of knight fighting off two skeletons, but I think there are more details that are hard to make out from the fading you mentioned along with the thorns all over. I've noticed lion iconography on his armor though, so I've begun to wonder if Eochaid is where Serosh and the beasts are from.
@@SinisterStromboli hey sorry for the late reply, but there is another elochaid weapon that can shine a light I think. I think its called "sword of elochaid" or something, but along its blade and hilt might be some details. Also, I think its safe to assume that the technique lifesteal fist comes from elochaid... and considering Ensha, who wields an arcane weapon that deals magic damage (like the sword of elochaid), also has Lifesteal fist as its unchangeable ash of war.
My theory is that Ensha comes from Elochaid, which must be completely overrun by those who live in death... and that Lionel comes from Elochaid too! Considering his involvement with death sorcery and how similar the chivalrious iconography of his cape is to the briar greatshield.
Posting this here since none of the other lore TH-camrs have any idea what I am talking about. I am pretty sure I have found the black sun in game. 2 places (so far)
- in Nokron/Siofra/Lord of Blood Land - LOOK AT YOUR SHADOW!!! Look at how whatever "light" source is casting it seems to suck the color from your character model. The source appears to be a black hole in the north.
- Halligtree Prayer room - this is the really exciting/fked up part - look up at the light coming through the Glintstone stained glass windows. The source is again in the absolute north of the map.
- the Halligtree site of grace behind the putrid tree dude also has these windows with the same impossible light shining through them. However that area actually has a third distinct light source which will cast an entirely different shadow. That one I understand the least. It appears like some attempt to recreate the light of grace (with the door the light is coming from held fast by tree roots.
I really don't want to make my own lore channel, please help the community advance their understanding
This is extremely interesting and sounds like it could be related to the Somber Smithing Stones that have been “drained of color”.
I’ve been thinking about things that have been drained of color a ton recently, so I’m going to check this out ASAP.
Thanks so much for letting me know!
@@SinisterStromboli np, I am currently running through the game to see if I can find any more weird shadow stuff and also I am not sure if any of it works before lighting the Erdtree & releasing destined death as I only noticed this quite late into my last playthrough. Fun stuff
@@SinisterStromboli oh wow so the black sun effect from the north appears to only happen in the Mohg area. In Siofra there's an unmoving shadow casting light from the east.
@@SinisterStromboli well I guess it's probably not a coincidence then that the effect is most obvious when you compare what your model looks like covered in blood oh gross vampire light
This is a fantastic video
Thanks so much!
Btw, that “white whale” Elden Beast sigil has at least one rune which appears on the Blue-White wooden shield, which depicts the stars of the night sky. The shield also has the 8-pointed polar star and a symbol which appears on Starcaller brooches, plus one more which I don’t recognize. Love your content btw 👍
@@CrunchyVideos I found out that apparently those symbols are part of the Elden Ring and can be seen in some of the Elden Beast’s attacks and also THE MAIN MENU.
I was pissed lol
14:20 I'm not sure that Iji is referring to Sellen when he talks of "a certain sorceress". I don't think Sellen was ever immortal, she was just a witch who used primal glintstones to cheat death (which she can still do even after the festival).
Personally, I think it makes more sense that the "certain sorceress" is Ranni, as her immortality as a demigod AND her lack of a "fate" have now been done away with thanks to the Night of Black Knives and the Radahn Festival. The "Carian weed" might as well be Ranni's Two Fingers, as in the fingers have been a troublesome pest to the family for generations.
That wouldn't really make much sense though.
The following is what Iji says when we ask him about Jerren, who has Sellen locked up in Witchbane Ruins.
"Now the festival is over, and General Radahn is defeated... Jerren's duties are finally fulfilled. Though we served different masters, I could see he was truly adept in his role.
Now the time has come to remind him of an old promise made.
With the starts of fate set into motion, a certain sorceress is dispossessed of her immortality... Finally, we can be rid of a longstanding Carian weed..."
If you talk to Sellen in Witchbane Ruins after beating Radahn she asks you for help and says "A star has fallen, and my fortunes waver. someone may come for my life. And so, I entrust it with you. My self." And then she gives us her Primal Glintstone so that we can bring her back to life, which already feels like a confirmation of the fact that the stars were keeping her alive.
Why would Jerren have locked her up if he could have just destroyed her Primal Glintstone in the first place? Jerren knows how Primal Glintstones work and could tell hers was gone as soon as he finally killed her, so he knew she had one on her person.
Yes Ranni lost her immortality too, in the video I say that all the Carians lost their immortality, so I think Sellen is a Carian. There are pictures of her in the Debate Hall of the Academy that show her reading scrolls with the Carian Crest on them, and she had a puppet ready for her by Seluvis's Rise. We don't know the original name of that Rise, but its in a place called 3 sisters, so its almost definitely a Carian Princess.
I think it would be really strange for Iji to suddenly mention ranni losing her immortality and going after her Two Fingers at the end of a dialogue about Jerren. If you side with Jerren and help him kill Sellen, he tells us that we helped him fulfill an old promise. So Iji was saying that Jerren promised to kill Sellen, and now he finally can because shes lost her immortality.
*hits meth pipe* im ready to go on this journey with u brother
Lolol
Sssssssssssymbolism is the word you are looking for :) Clearly you haven't watched 'Boondock Saints'
Lol it’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but I’ve been getting that a lot. I remember it being pretty awesome.
I googled it first bc I was terrified of discovering it wasn’t a word after making an entire series of videos with the word SYMBOLOGY on the thumbnails
Watching yours and many other Elden ring lore video gave me idea oh how vastly Other Gods interconnect to each other and had grant and even influence before age of the Erd Tree. So here is my theory
First of all I'm not sure that all Gods are truly labeled as Outer Gods or is it just global community wise assumption that All gods that not present in mortal realm are Outer, Like Marika is Mortal Existing God And Greater Will is Outer and we all just calling them same but in reality there is difference, if it says so in game place correct me.
But I do belle that some "Gods" or "God" are "local" and they bring the life in Lands between in to the motion.
The Gods that have Star like symbols and association with fire (Lighting maybe being another form of more stringer fire or another form for powerful energy, please correct me if you have better idea),
While "Fate guided by Stars", and Moon having ice association (we also have ice lighting like more powerful form of same energy),
Which can extinguish the fire, and also "Stars are guided by the Moon", each have connection to Crucible of life, presumably made of stone (like scales of ancient dragons) and capable to hold fire like Giant's Forge,
Presumably 'fire' that all live started from and state that Frenzy Flame wants to bring existence back to (an analogy for a Big Bang Theory and how the universe gradually fades away or perhaps returns to the original nothingness hmmm?).
Makes me believe that before there was are Community of Gods or Singular, but Multy-powerfull God that responsible for beginning of life and that their power represent different basic universe energies (if you add alchemy and physics in to the mix, you have fire and cold that control life and dead, stone\earth make matter, and combined with lighting \electricity you have gravity and what not
(fun fact how everybody speaks about how every "God" have something to do with live and dead, but nobody says what type of energy they represent lol, also point to my theory that if they all have deal with "dead or life" situation then it singular god but with multiple aspects to control different energy aspects and forces of universe))
That makes more sense when you look at the actions of 'Greater Will', either a true Outer God that like parasite trying to leach power from Lands between, or some concept that risen from and above the basic ones of original godly being I'm not sure, because Greater Will hold a concept of light, a product of flame, but that still works for my theory, making "Willy" either a rebellion or imitator, more like second actually
So we have Greater Will, being that holds light element, lending and controlling people of Lands Between thru Marika to either overpower or destroy other universal elements ,
or take their worship under control (like with the Lucaria, which is funny if you apply that sorcery is aspect of intellect and mid,
that resisted blinding light of faith the most, but still being blinded by feelings (what God answers to that aspect hmm?^-^) of love between Radagon and Rennala,
which "Willy" exploits and uses this weakness, making Radagon betray Rennala, resorting in breaking state of her mind, thus weakening 'Mid' concept and in addition those who could figure out their "Greater" games)
Erd Tree, which is looks just like a light construct that sits on top of Crucible of life and stump of primordial Tree, is just a fancy gold and glowing covering, while you still can see stony part of original tree underneath in the clearing that is entrance at the arena with Morgott, the part with roots that still connects all lands
and how Arena with Elden Beast surrounded with simular "Pillars of light", maybe other world under influence of "Willy"
How Radan, blinded by glory of his father and Godfrey, holds the very "Stars" in place, even more sealing ther influence
The breaking of Five Fingers (5 is also symbol of universe in Buddhism btw (actually meaning of numbers brights up lore in new colors XD)), who I will guess served similar role to communicate with old order of force, as now their separate parts do now
How Lands Between and ppl in it being drained of power via old roots, changing the life and death cycle, giving "Grace" in exchange, farther establishing their influence, thus slowly bringing before balanced life system to collapse, with Marika breaking free from influence and breaking the Elden Rune, only for her to be punished by
Also, the fact that Marika take away the "Grace" from Godfrey and created tarnished and send them to war outside of the Lands, can be not just so they can bring more 'power' back to fix the lack of such in Lands, but so Tarnished can be freed from influence of "Willy", gain more power, and be able to overcome the "order" when it weakened by the "shattering" when they return, so more Godfrey because she believes he can achieve that
This make sense because Gideon says that tarnished can't become Elden Lord (which is true because normal ending implies that we do not fix the problems and gain nothing) and that it was Not Marikas Plan, but we being "guided" by "two fingers" to restore the ring, not become lord, and Godfrey caught back in to influence by either dead of Morgott, and how his corpse turns in to the "ray of guiding Grace" in cutscene, same "Grace guides" us to the Rune Holders (btw very cool way in making influence of main 'evil' God in to gameplay mechanic and player guide XD) or "Golden Construct of light" of Serosh on his back, the beast that "controls his wrath", you get where I'm going with that? :)
How Morgott, chained underground for his "cursed birth", still becomes defender of Erd tree, even tho hi is Omen and possess Fire power and , while his brother breaks free from influence
Basicly most of your video just connected this idea of "Gods before being one" and "Greater Will breaking that unity and exploiting it" while "What left of Old Gods are trying to break free" in my head, here i just bring it in form and try to prove with my own examples of game events and my interpretation of them
Thanks for your thoughts! There’s a lot to think about here.
It’s hard to say what an outer god is, but they definitely don’t seem to be “physical” like normal gods.
Like the outer god of rot is said to be rot itself, and the formless mother literally has no form. Either way, my current theory is that Outer Gods handle death, and Gods handle life. That may be totally wrong, but we’ll see!
……. So we know that a consort is basically the emperyan queen to the elden lord king…. And obviously Mohg stole Miqullea for basically that exact reason so the president is there…. But did Miqullea really plan on raising his brother from the dead so he could marry him and bare his children both figuratively and probably literally too? I mean I believe it i guess but the lore is getting mighty strange 😂
It’s very common for gods to have children with their siblings in mythology, even though it seems very strange.
For instance, in Greek mythology Zeus’s wife is Hera, who is also his sister
@@SinisterStromboli 😂 yes I’m aware. The part that probably makes it most unlike most well known mythologies is the ambiguity of Miqulleas gender. But ancient mythological incestuous relationships usually aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when trying to figure out video game lore😂 guess I’m just not thinking outside the box enough yet
Ooooooooooooooo - so 'black' flame isn't actually 'black.' it only looks black because something in the environment is actively blocking the color of light which would be emitted. We are otherwise largely missing the green spectrum order in game.
Check the chemical process of 'salt lamps'
Green is usually associated with stuff like endurance and turtles, but its definitely one of the least present colors.
You just gave me an idea for a video though. On TikTok, I made a series about the meaning of colors in Elden Ring and its definitely a subject I could make a TH-cam video about.
@@SinisterStromboli ish. Imo the regimes pregolden order monopoly also break down by day & night cycle, by season cycle, by visible light spectrum, & by associated element or mineral.
Hmm black flame looks very similar to death bird's ghostflame to me, although one is fire damage, the other is cold damage. It seems to me blackflame has same origin as ghostflame but 'black flame is more weighty'.
miquella being saint Trina is unconfirmed right ?
Like a lot of other things in Elden Ring, its never explicitly stated, so technically its unconfirmed yeah.
In some cut content, a character does specifically say that they're the same person, but I don't consider cut content to be canon.
In my opinion, the clues we're given very strongly suggest they ARE the same person though. St Trina's Torch mentions that depicting them as an adult is unusual or strange, and they're very closely connected to the concept of sleep. The circumstances of Miquella's birth gave him a kind of "curse" that keeps them a child forever, so he went into a deep sleep inside the Haligtree to become an Adult.
St Trina's Torch is also found in the Consecrated Snowfield, which is where Miquella's Haligtree is.
The most convicing thing is Fevor's Cookbook [3] though. The description of all three cookbooks say they were made by a man that was obsessed with St Trina, and the first two hold recipes for sleep-related items. However, the only recipe in the third cookbook is the Bewitching Branch. The Branch is made of unalloyed gold, which is pretty exclusively tied to Miquella, the item's description mentions Miquella, and Miquella's Haligtree Crest appears when using the item.
So while its not confirmed, its so strongly implied that I consider it as close to confirmed as something like this can be.
What the name of the track at 6:41 plz
i think 8-pointed star is the sun and 6-pointed star is the moon
I haven't seen anything that would make me think the 6-Pointed star is the Moon, but it could be possible
@@SinisterStromboli nvm i was confused when i wrote it
The Crucible is a metaphor for a previous Erdtree. It was still a tree. There's just a bit of a mistranslation.
Sounds like we’re both saying the exact same thing. The Great Tree was a larger Erdtree that preceded “The Erdtree”. They’re both Erdtrees, and we call the old one the Great Tree
The Formless Mother is mostly a goddess of corrupted blood. Does ritual combat really fit her personality?
What personality have you decided she should have?
Mohg turned Okina into a blood crazed madman with the Formless Mother’s power, so idk why you think that’s such a wild idea
Gd lore video.
Thanks, glad you liked it!
@@SinisterStromboli np man, you had some in-depth and very sharp observation, noe agree on all of them but you are definitely as crazy as me when interpreting the art designs, exceptional stuffs.
I think you're tying things too tightly together. A lot of your connections themselves seem reasonable, but maybe just because two things are related or work similarly doesn't mean they're the same thing.
At the beginning of the video I said that I think the pieces are more closely connected than they seem.
I stand by that. It’s interesting that you’re willing to accept that all the connections could be coincidences.
Sure each individual connection is rather insignificant, but once a bunch of connections start showing up all over you’ve gotta wonder why that is.