The Forest Temple (OoT)

HAY GUYS, am I the only guy who wonders what actually happened to the forest Temple pre-Ocarina of Time? Apparantly, yes. Now, let's luck at the facts:

Hidden in a cursed forest/woods
In bad state of decay
Quite old
Abandoned
Mansion/Manor
Potraits
Red carpets
Haunted
Courtyard

What we know about the Forest Temple is that it is in a bad state of decay when you first visit it, and it is, simply to say, abandoned. The building itself appears to be some kind of manion or monor, and it has a courtyard. It is haunted my 4 angry deceased sisters whose potraits can been seen in the mansion itself. The stairs leading up to the enterence look as if someone purposly destroyed them, like they were trying to stop someone getting in or out of the building.

The building itself most likely existed before the forests grew, and was overgrown by the Lost Woods Saria mentions that there are spirits in the area, or something along those lines, further indicating the status of the whole area as haunted and distressed.

In more intereting- who killed the poe sisters? How did they die? Why did they die in the manion/manor? Why do they seem to have such hatred (hostile, attack Link)?

So, the temple's enterence looks as if it was purposly destroyed for reasons unknown, the temple is in a bad state of decay, surrounded by a supposdly cursed forest, the temple is hautned by angry spirits of four sistsers and all enemeies there seem to be undead, and the fact that the sisters are dead at all and angry indicates that someone most likely killed them in the building, or something worse.

I once read an interesting theroy about the Forest Temple and the things that it seems to show, and it gives it just a grim backstiry as the Shadow Temple. For a start, the dead sisters in the building and their hate towards Link might indicate a hate towards men (the other undead are mostly stalfos, who wear soilder armor, I believe), and that ultimately could mean that sistsers in the Forest Temple were in fact raped (undead hatred) and killed (undead).

There is a common theroy I hear about Poes: when you die without fufiling something, you become a restless poe, per say. That would mean the sisters are angry and restless, died in the manion, and they even seem to care for each other (I heard something about the last one briefly crying over the loss of her sisters if you examine her close enough).

I don't know what to think actually happened in the Forest Temple or to it, but I personally believe the theroy I read a while ago that the sistsers there could have been raped and killed, and lived there. Of course, Ninteodo wouldn't just state something like that outright in the game, but they hint towards certain things.

So, what is your theroy on the mysterious Forest Temple?

Saria mentions that there are spirits in the area, or something along those lines, further indicating the status of the whole area as haunted and distressed.

From memory, Saria claims that her song allows her to communicate with the spirits of the forest, implying that whatever she is referencing is probably not a typical haunting - as in; not 'negative'. Eg -

The forest spirits were calling for help, so I went to check it out...

If you play the Ocarina here, you can talk with the spirits in the forest.

The spirits that Saria references appear to be friendly, or 'positive', not indicative of a typical haunting.

In more intereting- who killed the poe sisters? How did they die? Why did they die in the manion/manor? Why do they seem to have such hatred (hostile, attack Link)?

Wether or not they are 'native' to the temple is questionable; Phantom Ganon was directly implied to be a creation of Ganondorf, and was likely a result of his 'corruption' of the temple, as he corrupted the others. The Poe sisters appear to be of similar power, considering the paintings. They were likely a result of the temples 'corruption', by Ganondorf.

and all enemeies there seem to be undead

Many, but not all. However a good point; Stalfos, Skulltula, Bubble, Dead Hand and the Poe Sisters appear traditionally undead in description. Although the Giant Babas and Octoroks breach the trend.

(I heard something about the last one briefly crying over the loss of her sisters if you examine her close enough).

Interesting. I remember what is being referenced here, the last Poe Sister appears to be 'crying' before you approach them, although it's hard to say, the truth of the matter is that they are in the centre of the room making indistinct movement and noise.

but I personally believe the theroy I read a while ago that the sistsers there could have been raped and killed

Rape? Assuming you are being remotely serious, I don't think Nintendo would imply it. However, if they are typically undead, and were once involved with the Temple, there could be implied backstory, but I don't think Nintendo were looking to deeply.

The Forest Temple did appear to be quite a large, imposing stone structure. If anything, it has always reminded me of some of Termina's stranger elements. For example, bringing each of the Poe Sister's flames to the central point of four is very similiar to the situation with the Four Giants and Clock Town. Furthermore the twisting Corridors reminded me of the entrance to Termina. Just to clarify though - I don't think it means anything other than Nintendo reusing or having certain types of ideas.

Remember that the Forest Temple contains elements relating to the Sages - such as the forest sage emblem, found throughout the Temple. Furthermore, a 'Door of Time' block is found within the Temple also. In regard to all of the Temples, we must remember that they will always hold a postive element. According to Sheik, the Temples assist in the Awakening of the Sages by sending out an 'Awakening call'. Whatever the prior history of the Forest Temple, or any other Temple, at some point they were utilised by the power of the Sages.

I don't know what the Forest Temple was prior to OoT, but I think it becomes the ruined buildings we see next to the Temple of Time in TP.

What Link92 said. I too believe that. Because when I first went to the Sacred Grove I looked around and said to myself, "This looks like the entrence to the Forest Temple in OoT."

This is a about pre-Ocarina of Time Forest Temple, not a Sacred Grove debate.

Yeah I know sorry. I believe that the Forest Temple was what it says it is a temple.

By common sense, no. In the pre-Ocarina of Time world, it was a mansion. Temple's don't have manion hallways, a courtyard, paintings of what appears to be previous owners, a fancy manions staircase, ect..

Naming is the current, as the Forest Sage took charge of the building. This thread is about its original purpose. There is only one actual temple in Ocarina of Time: the Spirit Temple.

The other places? Mansion, prison, execution ground, ect..

I actually believed that it was a mansion. Though it would be one freaky mansion.

On my recent playthrough of TP to gather evidence for my timeline, I was uncannily reminded of the forest temple by Snowpeak Mansion. Portraits and red carpets. They can't be the same though. They're laid out differenly, and the geographical locations are almost opposite.

I was reminded of the Forest Temple by Snowpeak Ruins, too. But one in deep in the southern forest and the other on a snowy mountain in the north! Though Snowpeak Ruins may have been based on the Forest Temple in their appearance and mansion feel...

I think the Forest temple is related to the shadow temple in a way. For instance out of the five temples, those two are basically entirely ignored and abandoned until you get to the point where you go to them.

Originally Posted by Hyperactivity

From memory, Saria claims that her song allows her to communicate with the spirits of the forest, implying that whatever she is referencing is probably not a typical haunting - as in; not 'negative'. Eg -
The spirits that Saria references appear to be friendly, or 'positive', not indicative of a typical haunting.

I always thought that she was referencing the skull kids.

I would agree with the majority of the posters, I doubt Nintendo implied anything about rape. That's a bit much to assume.

I always simply figured that the Poe sisters were 'guardians' of the temple. I felt they hadn't yet been put to rest because they were waiting for the Hero of Time. Or perhaps it was unknown to them why they were there, but were being held on earth nonetheless. They were tasked with defending the temple and its various puzzles for an eternity, and their bodies simply died away.

As much as it is a mansion, I don't think that should be a serious factor. I think each temple was turned into a temple because of each buildings influence in its respective element. For example, the Shadow Temple may have been a place where an unusual amount of people were put to death, perhaps during the civil war, and thus was a center for dying spirits, and was a fit place to be a temple of shadow. The Forest Temple may have just been a mansion, overtaken by the Lost Woods, thusly nature, and the various spirits that fill the mysterious wood, making it a fit place to become a temple of the forest.

Originally Posted by Potent Col

I was reminded of the Forest Temple by Snowpeak Ruins, too. But one in deep in the southern forest and the other on a snowy mountain in the north! Though Snowpeak Ruins may have been based on the Forest Temple in their appearance and mansion feel...

It's not where they are on the map that bothers me. There doesn't seem to be any corrolation between TP's map and OoT's. It's the environments they're in that's the problem. Georaphy can change over time, but not that much.

Originally Posted by Ollathir

It's not where they are on the map that bothers me. There doesn't seem to be any corrolation between TP's map and OoT's. It's the environments they're in that's the problem. Georaphy can change over time, but not that much.

Lake Hylia to the west, Gerudo Desert in the west, Kakariko Village in the east, Death Mountain in the north east (as always), castle town around the north, forests to the south, Hyrule Field in the middle of it all.

Hyrule in Twilight Princee is nearly identical to how it is in Ocarina of Time, aside from the really large Hyrule Field, which makes things look further apart. Aside from that, nearly everything is the same.

And yeah, deep forests don't turn into snowy mountains. If possible, that would take absolute over, say, one millions years for that to happen. Even then, the manion would be destroyed in the proccess.

Besides, the Forest Temple was in the south of Hyrule, which is full of forests. The forests are all still there in Twilight Princess. There is a small possibility that the Forest Temple in Twilight Princess could be the same from from Ocarina of Time- their first rooms before entering the main temple are exactly the same, for a start. Judging my geography changes, that small tree outside of the Forest Temple in Ocarina of Time could have grown and eventually completely over taken the temple, destroying the building enterior.

The Forest Temple Ocarina of Time itself appeared to be slowly being overgrown by plant life and ther eas the tree outside of it, so I wouldn't be suprised it it became a completely overgrown hollow tree by the events of Twilight Princess. As for other changes- there is a huge chasm near the Twilight PrincessForest Temple almost as if there has been massive geography shifts in the area, and the Sacred Grove - the Lost Woods - is pretty close to the Twilight Princess Forest Temple...

Originally Posted by Potent Col

Besides, the Forest Temple was in the south of Hyrule, which is full of forests. The forests are all still there in Twilight Princess. There is a small possibility that the Forest Temple in Twilight Princess could be the same from from Ocarina of Time- their first rooms before entering the main temple are exactly the same, for a start. Judging my geography changes, that small tree outside of the Forest Temple in Ocarina of Time could have grown and eventually completely over taken the temple, destroying the building enterior.

wait, so that dead tree outside just grew and consumed the entire structure, but kept the interior perfectly intact?

Originally Posted by Tyras

wait, so that dead tree outside just grew and consumed the entire structure, but kept the interior perfectly intact?

I agree, that doesn't hold up very well. I think saying its the remnants of a Deku Tree makes more sense.

I was just looking at the maps for both of them- they are very similar in shape and where things are, the front enterence is the same, they have the same name, both are assosiated with Kokiri, among other things.

The Forest Temple was slowly being overgrown by roots benath it and plants and the structurue was decaying, so leave it about 1,000 years, the there will be nothing left but a large, hollow strucutre full of plant life. You have the remember that Twilight Princess is a long time after Ocarina of Time. The Forest Temple was being overgrown, as evidenced in the temple itself. Eventually, the decaying strucutre would be gone. Interesting, the main room of both temples are about the samze size as each other, both have doors to the north, east, south, and west, and both have four toches in the middle of the room.

Not too far from the enterence to the Forest Temple in Twilight Princess is ruins of stone structure near the temple.

I think the Forest Temple may have been where the Dark Mirror was kept.
(Explaining how OoT Ganondorf called forth Phantom Ganon and Dark Link)

My other theory is that the Forest Temple is related to the Four Sword Shrine.
Consider the Poe Sisters. They are the color of the 4 elements. Additionally,
the twisted corridor has a symbol that looks like the engraving of Vaati's eye
on the Four Sword Shrine.

Additionally, the twisted corridor has a symbol that looks like the engraving of Vaati's eye on the Four Sword Shrine.

The eye symbol you reference is used throughout Ocarina of Time, within the Deku Tree, Shadow Temple, Dodongo's Cavern, Water Temple and other places.

Not too far from the enterence to the Forest Temple in Twilight Princess is ruins of stone structure near the temple.

Potent, the two temples are dramatically different. Twilight Princess' Forest Temple is filled with a variety of wooden structures, and little else. Ocarina of Time's Forest Temple wouldn't totally decay in one thousand years; it was ultimately a very secure building, made almost entirely out of stone. Additionally, how long after Ocarina does Twilight Princess take place? The similarities are minimal. Indeed the fact regarding the four torches is the only real similarity, and is actually shown to a greater degree within the Arbiter's Grounds.

I always thought that she was referencing the skull kids.

That cannot be what she is referencing, because she mentions that the forest spirits were calling for help when the Forest Temple was corrupted.