What’s Hylia got to do with it? — A look at the goddess’s history and importance in the Zelda series

What does the name Hylia mean to you? Depending on which Legend of Zelda games you’ve played, it may not mean much, aside from being a map location or a vague reference to a long-departed goddess. In many games, it is far more common to hear the stories of the Goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore. We only delve into lore associated with Hylia while playing Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild. So what is Hylia’s significance to the land of Hyrule? 

Getting To Know Her Grace

Many gamers are likely playing Skyward Sword on the Nintendo Switch for the first time, thanks to the HD remaster. I want to focus on some commonly known facts about Hylia without giving away too much about Skyward Sword — no spoilers here! Hylia is a goddess whose story is central to Skyward Sword and whose imagery is significant in Breath of the Wild. Outside of these two games, you don’t see or hear about Hylia much.

You may hear the reference that the Hyrulean Royal Family is descended from Hylia herself. This is the reason why Princess Zelda has various powers or duties depending upon the game, but that is more or less where the references to Hylia stop. We can assume the land of Hyrule is a direct derivative of her name. And Lake Hylia, which we can find on the map in many Zelda games, is an obvious reference to the goddess herself. So why do we not hear more about her? 

There could be many reasons why we don’t hear more about Hylia throughout the Zelda series. Many of you are likely familiar with the timeline. We know it takes several directions, each one with unique and important story points. Simply put, it might be that it isn’t important to fit Hylia into the game, depending on which part of the timeline we are playing in. The addition of her history or presence may seem forced or not fit. The Goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore are more important to many of the in-game storylines in association with the Triforce, which is why they are more prominently featured.

Hylia’s Impact On The Era Of The Wild

Skyward Sword aside, the only other game that Hylia has a heavy presence in is Breath of the Wild. Every village features a Goddess Statue. In places such as the Temple of Time, the Forgotten Temple, and at each of the Springs Zelda prays at to unlock her sealing power, there are also very large Goddess Statues. An interesting observation is that even in Gerudo Town, where it is shown that they worship the Seven Heroines, they have a Goddess Statue tucked away in a more forgotten area of the town. This reinforces the importance of the worship of Hylia throughout the land of Hyrule.

In some towns, the statues are adorned, and in others, they are featured in a prominent locale. The monks in each Ancient Shrine have been blessed with Hylia’s sight and recognize Link as the Chosen Hero. As such, they offer him blessings of the goddess before departing a completed Shrine. For every four Spirit Orbs Link gains, he can pray to Hylia at the statues and gain an additional Heart Container or enhance his Stamina Gauge.

My belief is that Hylia is so important in Breath of the Wild because the game extensively calls back to ancient history. While we always hear about history throughout the Zelda series, we don’t necessarily focus on it to the extent that we do in Breath of the Wild. We frequently hear the story of 10,000 years before from Kass. These tales make me wonder, how far back into the timeline was Skyward Sword in relation to Breath of the Wild, and is there some sort of direct connection between the two games? 

In the Era of the Wild, the worship of the Goddess Hylia must have remained an important source of faith for the people of Hyrule. It seems likely that the denizens of Hyrule believed she helped protect them from the Great Calamity. This protection was via the sealing powers passed from generation to generation within the Hyrulean Royal Family. This type of historical focus is a crucial plot point as Link regains his memories as to what happened 100 years prior. It makes sense then that Hylia is more prominent in Breath of the Wild than in other games.

Her Importance Is Primed To Grow

With the release of Skyward Sword HD, I am eager to rediscover Hylia’s story many years after playing the original Wii release. With so much inclusion and idolatry in Breath of the Wild, I am also excited about the potential of learning more about her contribution and importance to Hyrule with the upcoming release of the Breath of the Wild sequel — especially with the addition of the land in the sky that we’ve seen in the trailer.

Regardless, Hylia’s legacy is secured in various ways, in various timelines, throughout the land of Hyrule. It will be interesting to see if developers take Hylia’s story even further or include her worship or history in future games. For now, I will leave you with a Spirit Orb and a token of blessings from the monks of the shrines — “May the Goddess smile upon you.”