Termina Dream Theory

I present to you a novel and far-reaching theory on the existence of Termina.

Proposal:

Termina was created from the mind of Skull Kid, in a way similar to Koholint Island being a dream of the Wind Fish. I believe there are hints that all point to this; while Termina is real, its existence is like the permanence of dreams floating in a child's mind.

Evidence:

Termina is notable for its surreal, often dreamlike, interpretations of innocuous things, such as the unrealistic and colorful design of the Astral Observatory, Southern Swamp and Deku Palace, Great Fairy's Sword, Music Box House, etc. The moon has a face, anthropomorphized like a child's view of the world in general. Small children tend to draw people as circular faces sprouting two arms and two legs, and this is how the giants appear.

Skull Kid, while being an unimportant and little-known imp of the forest, is somehow:
1) best friends with the four creators of the world
2) famous in Termina for no obvious reason (he is known by name, for example, to Koume and Kotake)
3) the owner of a lair situated not only underneath the monument central to the whole world of Termina, but the Clock Tower's layout is literally a path TO his lair, as if his lair precedes the creation of the world and its locale was selected to suit his needs

Dreams tend to include people you know in real life, while often portraying them doing odd or different things than they do in real life. In Termina, all of the people of Hyrule are portrayed like this.

Shy or unpopular children can be obsessed with people's impressions of them. They perform bids for attention, and want to feel accepted. Majora's Mask took advantage of these feelings of Skull Kid in order to use him, but indeed the fact that he is friends with the giants themselves, as well as known all over Termina, is exactly what you'd expect from the dream of a child who wishes to be known and loved.

I look forward to hearing any thoughts on the matter.

Edit: It's perhaps more likely that Termina is real but the game is an interpretation of events as seen through the childlike mind of Skull Kid: see posts below

You know, that's actually quite a good idea...

It's further propounded by the fact that Link leaves at the end... And I'm trying to think of something that disproves this... And I can'e find nothing. Call in the experts!

Originally Posted by MajorasWrath1

Proposal:

Termina was created from the mind of Skull Kid, in a way similar to Koholint Island being a dream of the Wind Fish. I believe there are hints that all point to this; while Termina is real, its existence is like the permanence of dreams floating in a child's mind.

I don't quite understand what you mean by this. Is it a dream or is it a reality?
In Link's awakening, the land ceased to exist once the Windfish awakened.
And how could the Skull Kid 'create' so to speak, Termina with his dreams? With the power of Majora's Mask, sure. But there are multiple references to the Skull Kid from long ago before he had the mask. Without it's power, he was just a Skull Kid.

Termina is notable for its surreal, often dreamlike, interpretations of innocuous things, such as the unrealistic and colorful design of the Astral Observatory, Southern Swamp and Deku Palace, Great Fairy's Sword, Music Box House, etc. The moon has a face, anthropomorphized like a child's view of the world in general. Small children tend to draw people as circular faces sprouting two arms and two legs, and this is how the giants appear.

The moon is a point I agree with you on. It's interior in particular represents a chlidlike mindset of a dream.

1) best friends with the four creators of the world

They aren't the creators. They are the protectors. Big difference.
It's said in the game that all the races used to live together in Clock Tower Town. It's also implied that the giants were known/loved by all and that there was a closeness to them

2) famous in Termina for no obvious reason (he is known by name, for example, to Koume and Kotake)

For no reason?!? He caused so much trouble that the people begged the Giants to have him banished from the land.

3) the owner of a lair situated not only underneath the monument central to the whole world of Termina, but the Clock Tower's layout is literally a path TO his lair, as if his lair precedes the creation of the world and its locale was selected to suit his needs

What do you mean by his lair?

In closing, if the director's say it's a parallel universe, and if nothing contradicts that in the game...it's a parallel universe.

Originally Posted by Erimgard

I don't quite understand what you mean by this. Is it a dream or is it a reality?
In Link's awakening, the land ceased to exist once the Windfish awakened.
And how could the Skull Kid 'create' so to speak, Termina with his dreams? With the power of Majora's Mask, sure. But there are multiple references to the Skull Kid from long ago before he had the mask. Without it's power, he was just a Skull Kid.

Skull Kid is not an ordinary child. For example, in Twilight another Skull Kid has the ability to change the woods and create puppetlike beings at whim.

Originally Posted by Erimgard

For no reason?!? He caused so much trouble that the people begged the Giants to have him banished from the land.

People knew of him before he got the mask. When Link first talks to Kotake, she knows of Skull Kid and is surprised someone as weak as him could hurt Koume.

Originally Posted by MajorasWrath1

Skull Kid is not an ordinary child. For example, in Twilight another Skull Kid has the ability to change the woods and create puppetlike beings at whim.

Having minions and manipulating an already magic forest is different from creating an entire world from dreams.

People knew of him before he got the mask. When Link first talks to Kotake, she knows of Skull Kid and is surprised someone as weak as him could hurt Koume.

He was banished before he got the mask.

Your theory is quite good.

This makes sense. Nice Theory and would also explain the grass on the moon.

I was thinking the same thing Link540; it really does suggest some very possible situations.

Originally Posted by Erimgard

if the director's say it's a parallel universe, and if nothing contradicts that in the game...it's a parallel universe.

It's also possible that Termina existed previously but that Link's entry to it is a dream of Skull Kid. Or, that Majora's power caused Link's view of things to become influenced by Skull Kid's own, after Link hit his head at the beginning, so that the game and Termina are real but interpretations through Skull Kid's mind.

I haven't fully explored these possibilities yet.

Or it was a dream made real by the Mask, in which the skull kid had a dreamed up back story for himself... Heck, a good half of the things I do in dreams don't make sense.

On a side note, I don't think I like it, since really where does this leave us. "Hup, Link's left Hyrule, somebody must be asleep." It's a good theory, I just think it's too derivative a plot device.

Originally Posted by Avalon

Or it was a dream made real by the Mask, in which the skull kid had a dreamed up back story for himself... Heck, a good half of the things I do in dreams don't make sense.

On a side note, I don't think I like it, since really where does this leave us. "Hup, Link's left Hyrule, somebody must be asleep." It's a good theory, I just think it's too derivative a plot device.

Majora can't dream itself into existence. Skull Kid is from Hyrule; Majora is not.
Besides, the childlike qualities would be something in Skull Kid's mind, not Majora's.

When I proposed that Termina was created from Skull Kid's mind like a dream, I didn't mean he had literally just fallen asleep and somehow Link had been absorbed into it; I meant that perhaps his mind had created a physical world. But maybe my last idea, that:

Originally Posted by MajorasWrath1

Majora's power caused Link's view of things to become influenced by Skull Kid's own, after Link hit his head at the beginning, so that the game and Termina are real but interpretations through Skull Kid's mind.

is more feasible.

I like the concept of MM being a dream. Not a bad idea a all. Makes the grass in the moon make sense aswell as it being a clear blue sky inside the moon. Plus Link was knocked out when he was thrown from his horse, who can say without a doubt that him waking up from that, wasn't where the dream started?

Originally Posted by MajorasWrath1

Skull Kid is from Hyrule. Majora is not.

Prove either one of those statements please.

Originally Posted by MajorasWrath1

Majora can't dream itself into existence. Skull Kid is from Hyrule; Majora is not.
Besides, the childlike qualities would be something in Skull Kid's mind, not Majora's.

Sorry, I misinterpreted what you were saying... I was going with the idea that Majora (which I hadn't caught that according to your theory, was an element of said dream.) I was suggesting that Majora was giving the skull kid the power for the Skull Kids dreams reality, like the Grimore for Mewt from FFTA or the Neverending Story for Bastian from the eponymous book.

Wow that's a crappy dream... he's completely kicked in the shins for the climax... considering that all the people are based on people Link knows though, your acceptance of the quote later in your post makes this more reasonable, like a combined dream... though this would make Tatl and Tael Hyrulian Fairies, having been seen prior to Link having his his head, correct?

Skull Kid is from Hyrule; Majora is not.

Skull Kid is most definitely from Hyrule...whenever he appears, it's in Hyrule (e.g. Lost Woods in both Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess), except in MM, but that's because he fell into Termina.

how do you know Majora is not from Hyrule? the Happy Mask Shop guy only said that he found the mask in a cave or something like that...he never said which land he found it in

Originally Posted by Erimgard

Prove either one of those statements please.

At the end of the game Skull Kid says to Link that Link smells like the fairy boy he met a long time ago in the Lost Woods, or played a tune with in the woods, or something like that. I forget the exact statement, but it's implied that he's one of the Skull Kids from Ocarina.

Originally Posted by Zora Link

how do you know Majora is not from Hyrule? the Happy Mask Shop guy only said that he found the mask in a cave or something like that...he never said which land he found it in

There is a strong association between Majora's Mask and the Stone Tower Temple; see the Stone Tower of Babel thread.

Originally Posted by Avalon

though this would make Tatl and Tael Hyrulian Fairies, having been seen prior to Link having his his head, correct?

If Termina is real but Link's view of it influenced by Skull Kid's thoughts, then Tael and Tatl would be either imagined, or real fairies of Termina.

Originally Posted by MajorasWrath1

At the end of the game Skull Kid says to Link that Link smells like the fairy boy he met a long time ago in the Lost Woods, or played a tune with in the woods, or something like that. I forget the exact statement, but it's implied that he's one of the Skull Kids from Ocarina.

Oh, he's definitely been to Hyrule, no doubt about that. However, it's entirely possible he's from Termina.
When he gets kicked out of Termina, he doesn't have the mask yet. Thus, it's entirely impossible he was from Termina, got banished to Hyrule, found Majora's Mask, and then returned.

And Majora's Mask could be from Termina, but keep in mind the only person who gives us information about the mask [Happy Mask Salesman] is from Hyrule.

Originally Posted by Erimgard

And Majora's Mask could be from Termina, but keep in mind the only person who gives us information about the mask [Happy Mask Salesman] is from Hyrule.

Not that this has anything to do with it, but how do you know the mask salesman is originally from Hyrule? His shop is the "new mask shop" in town; where was he before that?

Originally Posted by MajorasWrath1

Not that this has anything to do with it, but how do you know the mask salesman is originally from Hyrule? His shop is the "new mask shop" in town; where was he before that?

It's a new shop, but he's not necessarily new to Hyrule. It's a valid point though, we don't know for sure where HMS is from.

I suppose the theory is possible.
But not hinted at or likely.