I literally just finished SS yesterday and as I understand it, despite the wanton use of the words 'gods' and 'goddesses', it's actually a tier based system. I'll try and describe the hierarchy of divinity in the Zelda games as I understand it below. Mostly this is just vapid fan-theory, so take it all with a falling moon sized grain of salt.
(Spoiler alert, major dorkage follows):
The "Old Gods"
Din, Farore and Nayru
Created life, the world, its laws, the Triforce; and then left the world.
|
|*
|
The 'Lesser' Gods
Hylia, Demise
Gods of duality, light and dark, presumably created by the Old Gods. Light is seemingly purposed for the guidance and protection of life (and by extension the Triforce which seems to have been a tenuous gift of the Old Gods to mortals), and Dark is meant to 'stir the pot' or keep creation moving and refreshing.
|
|**
|***
The 'Lesser Lesser' Gods
Ocean King, Ballum, Malladus (maybe), The Giants, and presumably others that I'm blanking on.
Mighty entities presumably created by the Old Gods, but not quite as powerful as the 'Lesser Gods'.
|
|
|
The 'Spirits'
Eldin, Lanayru, Faron, Ordin (though his status is debatable), Levias (can't remember how to spell his name), Wind Fish****
Powerful guardians of the provinces, presumably created by the Old Gods. They have been given specific tasks by both the Old Gods (in banishing the dark interlopers to the twilight realm), and the 'Lesser Gods' (being trusted with parts of the hero's song). Eldin, Lanayru, and Faron first appear as Dragons in living flesh, but eventually become spirits of light (perhaps their bodies die, or they relinquish some of their power to both the 'Lesser Spirits' and to enact some form of change in a race? *****)
|
|
|
The 'Lesser Spirits'
The Great Deku Tree, Valoo, Lord Jabu Jabu (I guess?), and others I can picture but can't remember the names of.
Guardians of races, or at least their patron deities. They are born and die within the world like mortals, but with far longer life spans. Sometimes tasked with protecting very special items.
|
|
|
The Fairy Queen and The Great Fairies******
I don't remember if they have names.
Magical creatures that are the lords of Fairies. I presume they're immortal, and were created by the Old Gods. They can bestow magical gifts.
|
|
|
Sages*******
Zelda, Saria, Impa, etc.
Mortals with some form of divinity in their blood line. They have some limited magical abilities, which when working in tandem with other sages is greatly multiplied, though limited in scope***.
|
|
|
Normal mortals
*I believe that a mortal in possession of the full Triforce fits into this list between "The Old Gods" and the 'Lesser Gods' in terms of power or capabilities.
**I believe that a mortal in possession of part of the Triforce fits into this list between the 'Lesser Gods' and the 'Lesser Lesser Gods' in terms of power or capabilities.
***I believe the combined powers of the sages as being slightly less than those with part of the Triforce (though limited in scope), as collectively they're able to seal Ganon with the Triforce of Power in the Sacred Realm (with some help).
****The Wind Fish is an awkward character to place. I sort of think that he's Levias (or whatever that giant whale creature was called in SS), but have little to base that on other than their remarkably similar appearance. Additionally, the capacity to suck Link's dream into his own dream seems like some relatively potent mojo, which is why I've placed him so high on this list.
*****I have absolutely nothing concrete to base this on, though it makes some sense in my head that the evolution of some species within the land works less like Darwinian evolution and more-so at the prodding of some semi divine force. For example, I presume the Kiwkiwis (or however it's spelt) become Kokiri (who always struck me as being a little plant-like with their greenish skin), and the Jellyfish people in SS (another brain fart on their names) become the Zora. Indeed, the blue dragon in SS (I want to say Faron) had a face that looked extremely 'zora-ish' to me, and I wonder if in the change from 'living dragon' to 'light spirit', she had some part in their emergence as the humanoid race we know.
In a related aspect, I kind of think the main Kiwkiwi (the big one with the familiar 'stache') could feasibly become the Great Deku Tree, perhaps by either turning into a tree himself or merging with the giant tree in SS (in both cases with some divine prodding like that I've theorized about with the Zora).
Again, this is one giant flimsy theory that just doesn't feel utterly absurd in my head.
******I include the Fairy Queen here though I confess some uncertainty over where to place her. I presume she's just a little higher than the Great Fairies, but ultimately in the same group.
******I include Zelda without the Triforce of wisdom in this group. Also, in my head I do not treat her powers as a sage and wielder of the Triforce of wisdom as 'stackable' powers, meaning that I regard them differently and don't combine the two to make her more 'powerful' than the other two Triforce wielders.
Anyway, that's how I view it all. Some of it's not entirely on topic, so I think I'll start a new thread with this too.
