The Hylia - The Once and Future Hylian

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The Legend of Zelda is a part of almost every gamers' soul. The fairy tale created by Shigeru Miyamoto and company has become a classic in its own right. Yet, it's always interesting to step back and take a look at what inspired some of the fable in the narrative of this series. Each game is unique in its own way, but still each game borrows just a bit, even if unintentionally, from classic stories and lore.

(Editor's Note: This is solely the interpretation of the author, this is by no means an argument claiming the games are officially inspired by any fictional story mentioned in this article) Perhaps most people see the connection between the Legend of Zelda series and the King Arthur legend. While the "truth" of the Arthurian legend is as heavily debated amongst scholars as the Zelda timeline by fans, there is a central premise to the legend that almost all agree on. According to the legend, Arthur as a young lad drew the sword "Excalibur" from the stone pedestal (or just a plain rock), proving himself to be worthy of the blade and thus became king. If you haven't already guessed, this aspect of the legend is translated into the Legend of Zelda series in the form of the Master Sword, a blade stuck into a stone pedestal and could only be wielded by the true hero.
From Hallmark's "Merlin" - Merlin casting back Excalibur into the lake.
In the Arthurian legend, many seek to draw the sword, but none can until Arthur comes. In Zelda, none can wield the blade unless they prove themselves worthy (usually through the collection of items). It is interesting to see that the original Link to wield the Master Sword is labeled the "Hero of Time" - King Arthur is also a "hero of all times" of sorts since his legend his so timeless.

Upon drawing the blade in both tales, both heroes set in motion a chain of events which eventually lead to their downfall and the downfall of their kingdoms. In Ocarina of Time, Link's drawing of the Master Sword sets in motion the events that lead to Ganondorf becoming King of Hyrule, though Link in the end triumphs over evil, but it symbolically lead to Link's "demise" according to The Wind Waker's prologue - The Hero of Time never reappeared after Ocarina of Time, and even further there is speculation to his fate after this game involving his demise. In Arthurian legend, King Arthur's removal of Excalibur sets in motion the events that lead to his illegitimate (not confirmed, but widely believed) Mordred being born and Arthur's eventual death at his hands.

In both tales, the kingdoms come crashing down in the end. Arthurian legend states that by either the treachery of Guinevere and Lancelot or by Mordred's armies, Camelot comes crashing down after the death of Arthur and the death of the code of chivalry. In Zelda, though it does not happen at the end of Ocarina of Time, the eventual events in Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker result in the ultimate destruction of the Kingdom of Hyrule.

Though Arthurian legend is probably the most common place in the Zelda series, many other tales contribute to the lore. The fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty can be seen in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, where Link has to awaken Princess Zelda by completing an epic adventure. The popular story of "The Wizard of Oz" also contributed to the games Link's Awakening and Majora's Mask, both which feature Link traveling to "parallel" dimensions in which familiar faces take on different roles. Link's Awakening perhaps shares a stronger connection because both are "dreams" of the protagonists, who eventually wake up and return to the normal world. Majora's Mask has more in common with Alice in Wonderland, where the world has been turned topsy-turvy and things aren't quite what they seem. The beginning when Link falls down the hole is likened to the "rabbit hole" Alice tumbles down at the start of her adventure.

Another great piece of fictional work that seems to have inspired Zelda is Peter Pan, which apparently is present in Ocarina of Time. The Kokiri Forest and the Kokiri themselves are best seen as Miyamoto's take on the Lost Boys from Peter Pan, which they never age as long as they remain in Neverland. Peter Pan is aided by his trusty fairy companion, Tinkerbelle, just like Link is accompanied by Navi. Instead of the benevolent Mermaids and Indians, Link has the Zora and Gorons. Even the dastardly pirates and Captain Hook are present in the form of the Gerudo and their leader, Ganondorf, who wants nothing more than to rule Hyrule (Neverland) and destroy Link (Peter Pan).

Even the newer titles borrow from classic mythology and lore. The Wind Waker seems to base its premise on the legend of Atlantis, an ancient island with a civilization which doomed itself to sink below the waves, much like Hyrule did. The Wind Waker was, at least for me, the first Zelda title which made apparent the influence of Japanese works; in particular anime. The Koroks, children of the forest, seem to heavily resemble Miyazaki's "Forest Spirits" from Princess Mononoke. Even The Minish Cap has some classic influence, with the mythology of Santa Clause and the fairy tale of Gulliver's Travels mixed in. The Minish, or the Picori, are tiny elf/gnome creatures which are only visible to children, much like only children believe in Santa Clause and his elves. The Minish are also extremely tiny, much like the Lilliputians found in Gulliver's Travels.

This is by no means an attempt to undermine the creativity and genius of the tales found in each of the Zelda games, but rather an attempt to point out how influential some of the classic fairy tales are in the works of the creators of the Zelda series and how these allusions enrich the overall experience. Perhaps one day, creators will reference Zelda materials in their works because of the timelessness of the Legend of Zelda series.

- Mike "TSA" Damiani is the Senior Editor and Owner of The Hylia Discuss this article in the forums.