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Author's Note: Hi, everybody. I would like to share an academic research paper I wrote exploring the Arthurian roots in A Link to the Past (1992). I was inspired to write this partly because I had read SpiritualMaskSalesman's blog on the comparisons between Excalibur and the Master Sword. My research paper is more significant in scope, and I pool Arthurian information directly from Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur (1470). For context, I just finished a summer course about Arthurian Literature, so this research paper was the last assignment I wrote for the class. The original document is not illustrated, so I will be providing images for improved reading and viewing immersion. My knowledge of Arthurian literature is above average, so if anyone has questions after reading this, I will happily provide elucidation.
In Malory’s Le Morte Darthur (1470), the noble Arthur is shown rising to the role of kingship when he pulls the sword from the stone. In the video game, A Link to the Past (1992), the heroic Link pulls the Master Sword from its pedestal and rises to fulfill the roles of herodom and knighthood. View attachment 66345Arthuriana can, therefore, be shown to trans-mediate its elements or tropes into other works. In popular culture, the Arthurian implications and/or influences seen in The Legend of Zelda (1986-present) have been observed by gamers. The evolution between a warrior-king (King Arthur) and a knight-hero (Link) is significant. The video game adaptation offers a certain rhetorical hemisphere to modern audiences that Medieval Arthuriana could not. It allows players to experience these iconic Arthurian moments in a revitalized format. By imbuing Arthurian tropes into A Link to the Past, gamers become engaged with an Arthurian-esque narrative. The evolution of the warrior-king role (King Arthur) to the hero-knight role (Link) allows any consumer to project the role onto oneself. To great effect, Link has remained voiceless to emulate this experience.
Perhaps the most iconic of Arthurian tropes to become stapled into A Link to the Past is the legitimization of roles which the Master Sword offers to Link. The sword could be found embedded in a pedestal by gamers deep within the bowels of an enchanted forest known as the Lost Woods. The pedestal’s inscription is written in Ancient Hylian (the fictional language of the kingdom of Hyrule) and reads, "The Hero's triumph on Cataclysm's Eve wins three Symbols of Virtue. The Master Sword he will then retrieve, keeping the knights' [Knights of Hyrule] line true" (A Link to the Past). This is an important passage because it reveals the Master Sword as being tied to a bloodline. When Link successfully pulls the blade from its pedestal, he fulfills his role as both a foretold hero and a descendant of the Knights of Hyrule. In essence, only Link could have wielded the Master Sword. In Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, Arthur ascends to the throne of Britain similarly. The inscription inscribed on the sword said, “Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born of all England” (Malory 46).
The act of wielding the sword legitimizes King Arthur’s reign of Britain, but unlike in A Link to the Past, readers cannot relate to the epic narrative. In Stock’s “Reinventing an Iconic Arthurian Moment,” (2015) explains that the Sword in the Stone is so iconic that audiences expect it in any trans-mediated format of Arthuriana (Stock 2). While A Link to the Past (1992) or any Legend of Zelda video game is not a direct adaptation of Arthuriana, the iconic Sword in the Stone moment has survived as a trope. Fans worldwide likewise expect to see the Master Sword in every Legend of Zelda game since its iconic first appearance in A Link to the Past. Excalibur is just as renowned, but this was not the sword that Arthur withdrew from the stone. When then, does King Arthur come to possess his iconic blade, Excalibur?
Later in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur in “How Uther Pendragon begot the Noble Conqueror King Arthur” the Lady of the Lake bequeaths Excalibur to King Arthur. King Arthur and the wise Merlin were on a hermitage when King Arthur espied a lake where a hand gripped the pommel of a rich sword. As Arthur questions Merlin, he is told “yonder is the sword that I spoke of” (Malory 69). When the king inquires about the identity of the mysterious maiden, Merlin tells him that it is The Lady of the Lake (Malory). The Lady of the Lake promises to bequeath the sword to King Arthur if he swears by oath to fulfill a gift to her later. In “The Tale of Balin and Balan”, King Arthur learns the name of the sword when The Lady of the Lake reveals, “The name of it is Excalibur” (Malory 76). Like the initial sword in the stone, Excalibur also legitimizes Arthur as king of Britain, which is proven in the tale “Of Nenive and Morgan le Fay”. Sir Accolon, the beloved of Queen Morgan le Fay, is gifted Excalibur by a dwarf whom Morgan le Fay sent (Malory 105). The dwarf explains the purpose of the sword, “for ye shall fight tomorrow” (Malory). Sir Accolon was charged by Morgan le Fay to fight Arthur using Excalibur. The ownership of Excalibur becomes crucial because Arthur and Sir Accolon are symbolically fighting for the throne of Britain. How so? During the battle between Arthur and Sir Accolon, Malory never refers to Arthur by his title of king, he is merely referred to as “Arthur” or “Sir Arthur” (Malory 107). It is only when Arthur regains Excalibur by the intervention of the Damosel (Lady) of the Lake that Arthur’s rightful title is restored to him. The text reads, “Sir Accolon struck at him such a stroke that by the damosel’s [Lady of the Lake] enchantment the sword Excalibur fell out of Accolon’s hand to the earth. And therewith, Sir Arthur lightly leapt to it and got it in his hand” (Malory 108). When Arthur addresses Sir Accolon, the text acknowledges him as king once more (Malory 109). Sir Accolon could have fought Arthur with any sword, but he fought using Excalibur. Therefore, Excalibur must represent Britain’s throne and Arthur’s kingship. Naturally, A Link to the Past offers more than just an adaptation of the Sword in the Stone moment in tandem with Excalibur’s legitimization of roles. The video game also allows players to undergo a transformative experience where they, as an avatar, can experience the hero’s journey. In conjunction with Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, this means the transformative experience of an Arthurian-esque hero’s journey.
In the Mythopoeic Narrative in the Legend of Zelda (2020), Cirilla’s chapter, “The Hero of Faërie: The Triforce and Transformational Play in Link’s Mythopoeic Journey” discusses the rhetorical significance of Link as an avatar. Cirilla argues that “transformative play” is an interface where players must solve a fictional problem-based situation by taking on the role of a protagonist, which inevitably shapes the player as he/she undergoes the hero’s journey (Cirilla 76). The problem-based context of the hero’s journey is an important element featured in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, such as in “Of Nenive and Morgan le Fay”, the story where Arthur battles against Sir Accolon for the throne of Britain, represented by Excalibur. When Arthur defeats Sir Accolon, the latter man explains what Morgan le Fay had intended, “if she might bring it about to slay Arthur by her crafts […]and then had she devised to have me, king, in this land [Britain]” (Malory 110). The machinations of Morgan le Fay’s intention
to have Sir Accolon be seated on the throne of Britain in place of King Arthur is an element that is brought forth in The Legend of Zelda, most notably in A Link to the Past. The evil Ganon depicted as an anthropomorphic pig, (in popular culture, pigs are associated with the devil or evil) seeks to have dominion over Hyrule by acquiring the holy relic, the Triforce. The Triforce contains three core values, as mentioned in Cirilla’s chapter, which is, “power, wisdom, and courage” (Cirilla). As one recalls, these are the three symbols of virtue that the fabled hero must retrieve, but in the form of pendants. Ganon’s ambitions are symbolic of Morgan le Fay’s machinations for Britain, but A Link to the Past allows consumers to directly engage in the Arthurian-inspired narrative. Consequently, the malevolent Ganon exists to challenge Link, and the player, in a transmediation of Arthuriana. As Arthur had to overcome Morgan le Fay and her attempts to dethrone him, Link had to challenge Ganon as a hero-knight from plunging Hyrule into eternal darkness.
The struggle to defeat Ganon is especially profound because the Triforce, in lore, is stated to have the power to grant a wish to any who touches it. The game’s exposition says, “Long ago, in the beautiful kingdom of Hyrule surrounded by mountains and forests... legends told of an omnipotent and omniscient Golden Power [Triforce] that resided in a hidden land” (A Link to the Past). The Triforce, in many ways, can be compared to Malory’s “The Sangrail” albeit with the caveat that anyone can behold the Triforce. When King Arthur enquires about the empty seat at the Roundtable, he is told by a hermit that the one who would occupy the seat would be worthy of the Sangrail (Malory 343). The quest for the Sangrail is one of the most important adventures undertaken by the Arthurian knights in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur. The quest to save Hyrule from Ganon involved Link’s journey to acquire the Triforce after the kingdom was plunged permanently into the Dark World because only a virtuous individual could undo true evil. In the quest for the Triforce, however, players experience this “transformative play” that Cirilla spoke of enabling players to experience an adaptation quest like Malory’s “The Noble Tale of the Sangrail”. When Sirs Galahad, Percival, and Bors finally behold the Sangrail in its absolute glory, they meet Jesus Christ/God. Jesus explains to the Grail Knights that, “thou must
go hence and bear with thee this holy vessel [Holy Grail]; for this night it shall depart [to Heaven] from the realm of Logris” (Malory 469). The implications of the Sangrail’s spiritual residence are akin to the Triforce’s location in the Golden Land (in later games, this location changes to the Sacred Realm). The adaptation of the Sangrail into the Triforce is explored in A Link to the Past with greater rhetorical context because heuristically, as Link, players become worthy of a holy relic instead of imagining it, as readers would. What then of the antagonist (s) Ganon and Agahnim in A Link to the Past?
There is no shortage of antagonists in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, but how can their tropes or elements trans-mediate into Link’s world? Howey’s “Arthur and Adaption”, discusses the nature of “adaptation theory” in conjunction with Arthuriana (Howey 2). Adaption theory is crucial for relating the correlation between Le Morte Darthur and A Link to the Past because it stresses the importance of conventions and genres of popular culture for youth (Howey). Video games are a subgenre of popular culture and usually appeal to younger demographics. A Link to the Past, therefore, becomes a portal for imagination and role-playing. Role-playing is a vital effect of video games. Consider, once more, “Of Nenive and Morgan le Fay” where Arthur’s grip over Britain is challenged by Morgan le Fay. A Link to the Past takes the issue of political upheaval/instability and uses that to tell a tale about an adolescent who must embark on a journey to save his kingdom from a threatening force who wishes to similarly overtake Hyrule. Link, as an adolescent, appeals to youth, especially boys because every young boy yearns to embark on a hero’s journey. As a model of Arthurian adventure, A Link to the Past allows this to happen. Ganon and Agahnim, both sorcerers practicing black magic, echo Morgan le Fay, who uses her sorcery for wicked schemes. King Arthur, King Uriens, and Sir Accolon come across a mysterious ship. After King Arthur goes to sleep in the ship’s bed chamber, he awakes to find himself in a dark prison while King Uriens awakes to find himself sleeping next to his wife, Morgan le Fay in Camelot. (Malory 103). It could only have been through Morgan le Fay’s sorcery that this was possible at all. Ganon and Agahnim are different characters, but their cunning use of dark magic, characterized by the latter’s ability to transport the player character, Link, into the Dark World is exceptionally profound.
Readers could not identify with King Arthur’s sudden imprisonment, but Link’s impromptu teleportation is directly experienced by gamers. The Dark World, for clarification, is the antithesis of Hyrule – a parallel reality, and yet one that players can observe, explore and interact with at will. Parallel realities also make themselves known in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, as seen in “The Death of Arthur”. A mortally wounded King Arthur is depicted being carried off on a barge by a company of fair ladies and a queen to Avalon (Malory 599). It is here where King Arthur addresses Sir Bedievere as such, “For I will into the vale of Avilion to heal me of my grievous wound” (Malory). Avilion/Avalon is implied by King Arthur to be a different dimension, parallel to Britain. It can be compared to the Golden Land as mentioned in A Link to the Past or the explorable Dark World. Malory’s use of parallel realities, as in Avalon, has been transmedial, in a way, into A Link to the Past because of the existences of the Golden Land and the Dark World. As players through Link explore a manifestation of Hyrule as projected by the Dark World, they undergo a feeling of utmost peril and dread as, when initially thrust into the realm, they are utterly helpless without the assistance of divine magic. This is because the Dark World transforms any who enter its realm, into helpless woodland creatures or monstrous beings. Fortunately, the experience of an Arthurian-esque narrative is also assisted by the wisdom of a wise man, who guides the player-character (Link) through the hero’s journey.
The staple of a wise man is as ancient as Biblical canon, but in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, the wise man can be viewed as an adaptation of the prophet Merlin. The primary wise man in A Link to the Past is an NPC (non-playable character) named Sahasrahla. As Link, players rely on the guidance of Sahasrahla as they experience the hero’s journey. This echoes King Arthur’s dependence on Merlin’s wise council. It is only by the wisdom of Sahasrahla, that Link can traverse the corrupted Dark World while retaining his Hylian form. Unlike King Arthur and Merlin, the relationship that gamers cultivate with Sahasrahla feels experientially consistent with Cirilla’s transformational play. As an element of the hero’s journey, Sahasrahla is fully interactive in the world of Hyrule whereas Merlin could only be imagined in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur. Interaction is a heuristic consequence of video games akin to role-playing and immersion. This asserts a crucial Arthurian element in A Link to the Past, one where Link, as the hero-knight and as an avatar, enables players to treat Sahasrahla as a spiritual guide, who exists to inform the player of how to solve conundrums while simultaneously providing geographical directions by marking places of interest on the game’s map. Still, how is that compared with Malory’s Merlin?
In Le Morte Darthur, Merlin takes on the role of a prophet and sage who counsels King Arthur and others. He oftentimes takes on the form of a disguise, such as in “The Tale of Balin and Balan”, where only his cunning can be used to extrapolate his identity. Indeed, siblings Balin and Balan encounter a disguised Merlin while travelling. The wise Merlin deduces the purpose of Balin’s and Balan’s quest, enabling Balin to exclaim, “ye are Merlin; we will be ruled by your council” (Malory 78). Sahasrahla never takes on any guises throughout A Link to the Past, but his presence is manifested throughout Hyrule eerily. Like Merlin, Sahasrahla seems omniscient and omnipresent. One of the most instrumental lessons that Sahasrahla imparts to Link is the various ways he can navigate through the cluster of elaborate dungeons while making use of that dungeon’s unique item. Merlin is shown doing the same for Arthur and other knights, most notably when he advises King Arthur by stipulating, “In the Marriage of King Arthur,” “[…] that ye take a wife, for a man of your bounty and noblesse should not be without a wife” (Malory 91). The purpose of marriage was to strengthen King Arthur’s reign over Britain, as marrying Guinevere would have secured a political alliance with King Lodegreance. Merlin did more than advise Arthur to marry, he sought out worthy knights to seat at the Roundtable at the king’s urging (Malory 92). Given the trope of the Arthurian wise man surviving in Sahasrahla fulfilling as the player’s veritable own Merlin, there is another prudent trope to unravel: battle prowess.
Indeed, the most powerful rhetorical influence of A Link to the Past and its Arthurian roots is Link’s godlike battle prowess. The Arthurian character which comes to mind is the noble Lancelot, who Link echoes uncannily. The moment Link procures a sword, he summons a dormant warrior of unparalleled skill. Link’s skill with a sword is so otherworldly that he can overcome brainwashed Hylian knights in single combat. In Malory’s “A Noble Tale of Sir Lancelot du Lake”, Lancelot’s prowess is marked as being the paragon of all knights. Lancelot’s inspiring feats single him out as an epic Christian hero who “passed all other knights” (Malory 139). Unless by treason or enchantment, Lancelot was undefeated. Yet, there is something truly immersive about running around Hyrule embodying the hero-knight that is Link. Players, of all ages, become a skilled and extraordinary hero whose battle prowess exceeds all others. Cirilla’s “transformative play” takes on new angles here. The hero’s journey cannot be complete without a godlike hero whose skills seem to be a divine gift. The problem-based context takes on more physical challenges when players must overcome goblins, warlocks, and dungeon bosses in exciting, epic battles where the player feels invigorated for triumphing. While readers may cheer on the mighty Lancelot, such as when he participated in a tourney, it is another feeling to become the mighty knight (Malory 147). The adaptation of Lancelot’s fighting ability is perfectly demonstrated in Link, and so is his courage. Lancelot is always in pursuit of adventures, as seen when he chances upon a fair damsel. The fair damsel has an adventure in mind, but it is reserved for the “best knight and mightiest that ever thou found” (Malory 149). The damsel sends Lancelot to fight against Sir Tarquin, to liberate his fellow knights, as a test of his courage and prowess (Malory).
Lancelot’s quests or errands as an Arthurian element is a great staple in The Legend of Zelda, and indeed in A Link to the Past. As Link, the player is often tasked with assisting other characters in Hyrule. One such adventure or side quest has Link, the player, embarking into the Dark World to rescue a trapped wandering Hylian and return him to Hyrule proper. The reward for doing so sees the player’s Master Sword permanently enhanced because the Hylian is a blacksmith. The reward system of A Link to the Past in tandem with quests/adventures echoes the rewards offered to knights in Le Morte Darthur. Lancelot is rewarded with the loyalty of the knights he liberates from Sir Tarquin, as they wish to help him on his adventures (Malory 152). Finally, the reward system imbued within the adventure quest is rhetorically significant because players feel proud of their efforts. Since Link is an avatar for the player, his accomplishments become the player’s accomplishments.
Conclusively, the Arthurian roots in A Link to the Past have been rhetorically significant and philosophically impactful. The player agency as Link has allowed the consumer to project oneself into the hero-knight role wonderfully well. From the sword in the stone and legitimization of roles, the element of holy relics, parallel realities, the wise man trope, battle prowess and adventure quests, A Link to the Past has taken the best of Malory’s Le Morte Darthur and made it into its own Arthurian-esque experience.
Works Cited
Cirilla, Anthony G. “The Hero of Faërie”. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group, 2020.
Howey, Ann F. “Arthur and Adaptation.” Arthuriana, vol. 25, no. 4, 2015, pp. 36–50. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44697438. Accessed 17 Jul. 2022.
Malory, Thomas. Le Morte Darthur. 1470.
Stock, Lorraine K. “Reinventing an Iconic Arthurian Moment: The Sword in the Stone in Films and Television.” Arthuriana, vol. 25, no. 4, 2015, pp. 66–83. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44697440. Accessed 18 Jul. 2022.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Super Nintendo Entertainment System, 1992.
In Malory’s Le Morte Darthur (1470), the noble Arthur is shown rising to the role of kingship when he pulls the sword from the stone. In the video game, A Link to the Past (1992), the heroic Link pulls the Master Sword from its pedestal and rises to fulfill the roles of herodom and knighthood. View attachment 66345Arthuriana can, therefore, be shown to trans-mediate its elements or tropes into other works. In popular culture, the Arthurian implications and/or influences seen in The Legend of Zelda (1986-present) have been observed by gamers. The evolution between a warrior-king (King Arthur) and a knight-hero (Link) is significant. The video game adaptation offers a certain rhetorical hemisphere to modern audiences that Medieval Arthuriana could not. It allows players to experience these iconic Arthurian moments in a revitalized format. By imbuing Arthurian tropes into A Link to the Past, gamers become engaged with an Arthurian-esque narrative. The evolution of the warrior-king role (King Arthur) to the hero-knight role (Link) allows any consumer to project the role onto oneself. To great effect, Link has remained voiceless to emulate this experience.
Perhaps the most iconic of Arthurian tropes to become stapled into A Link to the Past is the legitimization of roles which the Master Sword offers to Link. The sword could be found embedded in a pedestal by gamers deep within the bowels of an enchanted forest known as the Lost Woods. The pedestal’s inscription is written in Ancient Hylian (the fictional language of the kingdom of Hyrule) and reads, "The Hero's triumph on Cataclysm's Eve wins three Symbols of Virtue. The Master Sword he will then retrieve, keeping the knights' [Knights of Hyrule] line true" (A Link to the Past). This is an important passage because it reveals the Master Sword as being tied to a bloodline. When Link successfully pulls the blade from its pedestal, he fulfills his role as both a foretold hero and a descendant of the Knights of Hyrule. In essence, only Link could have wielded the Master Sword. In Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, Arthur ascends to the throne of Britain similarly. The inscription inscribed on the sword said, “Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born of all England” (Malory 46).
The act of wielding the sword legitimizes King Arthur’s reign of Britain, but unlike in A Link to the Past, readers cannot relate to the epic narrative. In Stock’s “Reinventing an Iconic Arthurian Moment,” (2015) explains that the Sword in the Stone is so iconic that audiences expect it in any trans-mediated format of Arthuriana (Stock 2). While A Link to the Past (1992) or any Legend of Zelda video game is not a direct adaptation of Arthuriana, the iconic Sword in the Stone moment has survived as a trope. Fans worldwide likewise expect to see the Master Sword in every Legend of Zelda game since its iconic first appearance in A Link to the Past. Excalibur is just as renowned, but this was not the sword that Arthur withdrew from the stone. When then, does King Arthur come to possess his iconic blade, Excalibur?
Later in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur in “How Uther Pendragon begot the Noble Conqueror King Arthur” the Lady of the Lake bequeaths Excalibur to King Arthur. King Arthur and the wise Merlin were on a hermitage when King Arthur espied a lake where a hand gripped the pommel of a rich sword. As Arthur questions Merlin, he is told “yonder is the sword that I spoke of” (Malory 69). When the king inquires about the identity of the mysterious maiden, Merlin tells him that it is The Lady of the Lake (Malory). The Lady of the Lake promises to bequeath the sword to King Arthur if he swears by oath to fulfill a gift to her later. In “The Tale of Balin and Balan”, King Arthur learns the name of the sword when The Lady of the Lake reveals, “The name of it is Excalibur” (Malory 76). Like the initial sword in the stone, Excalibur also legitimizes Arthur as king of Britain, which is proven in the tale “Of Nenive and Morgan le Fay”. Sir Accolon, the beloved of Queen Morgan le Fay, is gifted Excalibur by a dwarf whom Morgan le Fay sent (Malory 105). The dwarf explains the purpose of the sword, “for ye shall fight tomorrow” (Malory). Sir Accolon was charged by Morgan le Fay to fight Arthur using Excalibur. The ownership of Excalibur becomes crucial because Arthur and Sir Accolon are symbolically fighting for the throne of Britain. How so? During the battle between Arthur and Sir Accolon, Malory never refers to Arthur by his title of king, he is merely referred to as “Arthur” or “Sir Arthur” (Malory 107). It is only when Arthur regains Excalibur by the intervention of the Damosel (Lady) of the Lake that Arthur’s rightful title is restored to him. The text reads, “Sir Accolon struck at him such a stroke that by the damosel’s [Lady of the Lake] enchantment the sword Excalibur fell out of Accolon’s hand to the earth. And therewith, Sir Arthur lightly leapt to it and got it in his hand” (Malory 108). When Arthur addresses Sir Accolon, the text acknowledges him as king once more (Malory 109). Sir Accolon could have fought Arthur with any sword, but he fought using Excalibur. Therefore, Excalibur must represent Britain’s throne and Arthur’s kingship. Naturally, A Link to the Past offers more than just an adaptation of the Sword in the Stone moment in tandem with Excalibur’s legitimization of roles. The video game also allows players to undergo a transformative experience where they, as an avatar, can experience the hero’s journey. In conjunction with Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, this means the transformative experience of an Arthurian-esque hero’s journey.
In the Mythopoeic Narrative in the Legend of Zelda (2020), Cirilla’s chapter, “The Hero of Faërie: The Triforce and Transformational Play in Link’s Mythopoeic Journey” discusses the rhetorical significance of Link as an avatar. Cirilla argues that “transformative play” is an interface where players must solve a fictional problem-based situation by taking on the role of a protagonist, which inevitably shapes the player as he/she undergoes the hero’s journey (Cirilla 76). The problem-based context of the hero’s journey is an important element featured in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, such as in “Of Nenive and Morgan le Fay”, the story where Arthur battles against Sir Accolon for the throne of Britain, represented by Excalibur. When Arthur defeats Sir Accolon, the latter man explains what Morgan le Fay had intended, “if she might bring it about to slay Arthur by her crafts […]and then had she devised to have me, king, in this land [Britain]” (Malory 110). The machinations of Morgan le Fay’s intention
to have Sir Accolon be seated on the throne of Britain in place of King Arthur is an element that is brought forth in The Legend of Zelda, most notably in A Link to the Past. The evil Ganon depicted as an anthropomorphic pig, (in popular culture, pigs are associated with the devil or evil) seeks to have dominion over Hyrule by acquiring the holy relic, the Triforce. The Triforce contains three core values, as mentioned in Cirilla’s chapter, which is, “power, wisdom, and courage” (Cirilla). As one recalls, these are the three symbols of virtue that the fabled hero must retrieve, but in the form of pendants. Ganon’s ambitions are symbolic of Morgan le Fay’s machinations for Britain, but A Link to the Past allows consumers to directly engage in the Arthurian-inspired narrative. Consequently, the malevolent Ganon exists to challenge Link, and the player, in a transmediation of Arthuriana. As Arthur had to overcome Morgan le Fay and her attempts to dethrone him, Link had to challenge Ganon as a hero-knight from plunging Hyrule into eternal darkness.
The struggle to defeat Ganon is especially profound because the Triforce, in lore, is stated to have the power to grant a wish to any who touches it. The game’s exposition says, “Long ago, in the beautiful kingdom of Hyrule surrounded by mountains and forests... legends told of an omnipotent and omniscient Golden Power [Triforce] that resided in a hidden land” (A Link to the Past). The Triforce, in many ways, can be compared to Malory’s “The Sangrail” albeit with the caveat that anyone can behold the Triforce. When King Arthur enquires about the empty seat at the Roundtable, he is told by a hermit that the one who would occupy the seat would be worthy of the Sangrail (Malory 343). The quest for the Sangrail is one of the most important adventures undertaken by the Arthurian knights in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur. The quest to save Hyrule from Ganon involved Link’s journey to acquire the Triforce after the kingdom was plunged permanently into the Dark World because only a virtuous individual could undo true evil. In the quest for the Triforce, however, players experience this “transformative play” that Cirilla spoke of enabling players to experience an adaptation quest like Malory’s “The Noble Tale of the Sangrail”. When Sirs Galahad, Percival, and Bors finally behold the Sangrail in its absolute glory, they meet Jesus Christ/God. Jesus explains to the Grail Knights that, “thou must
go hence and bear with thee this holy vessel [Holy Grail]; for this night it shall depart [to Heaven] from the realm of Logris” (Malory 469). The implications of the Sangrail’s spiritual residence are akin to the Triforce’s location in the Golden Land (in later games, this location changes to the Sacred Realm). The adaptation of the Sangrail into the Triforce is explored in A Link to the Past with greater rhetorical context because heuristically, as Link, players become worthy of a holy relic instead of imagining it, as readers would. What then of the antagonist (s) Ganon and Agahnim in A Link to the Past?
There is no shortage of antagonists in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, but how can their tropes or elements trans-mediate into Link’s world? Howey’s “Arthur and Adaption”, discusses the nature of “adaptation theory” in conjunction with Arthuriana (Howey 2). Adaption theory is crucial for relating the correlation between Le Morte Darthur and A Link to the Past because it stresses the importance of conventions and genres of popular culture for youth (Howey). Video games are a subgenre of popular culture and usually appeal to younger demographics. A Link to the Past, therefore, becomes a portal for imagination and role-playing. Role-playing is a vital effect of video games. Consider, once more, “Of Nenive and Morgan le Fay” where Arthur’s grip over Britain is challenged by Morgan le Fay. A Link to the Past takes the issue of political upheaval/instability and uses that to tell a tale about an adolescent who must embark on a journey to save his kingdom from a threatening force who wishes to similarly overtake Hyrule. Link, as an adolescent, appeals to youth, especially boys because every young boy yearns to embark on a hero’s journey. As a model of Arthurian adventure, A Link to the Past allows this to happen. Ganon and Agahnim, both sorcerers practicing black magic, echo Morgan le Fay, who uses her sorcery for wicked schemes. King Arthur, King Uriens, and Sir Accolon come across a mysterious ship. After King Arthur goes to sleep in the ship’s bed chamber, he awakes to find himself in a dark prison while King Uriens awakes to find himself sleeping next to his wife, Morgan le Fay in Camelot. (Malory 103). It could only have been through Morgan le Fay’s sorcery that this was possible at all. Ganon and Agahnim are different characters, but their cunning use of dark magic, characterized by the latter’s ability to transport the player character, Link, into the Dark World is exceptionally profound.
Readers could not identify with King Arthur’s sudden imprisonment, but Link’s impromptu teleportation is directly experienced by gamers. The Dark World, for clarification, is the antithesis of Hyrule – a parallel reality, and yet one that players can observe, explore and interact with at will. Parallel realities also make themselves known in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, as seen in “The Death of Arthur”. A mortally wounded King Arthur is depicted being carried off on a barge by a company of fair ladies and a queen to Avalon (Malory 599). It is here where King Arthur addresses Sir Bedievere as such, “For I will into the vale of Avilion to heal me of my grievous wound” (Malory). Avilion/Avalon is implied by King Arthur to be a different dimension, parallel to Britain. It can be compared to the Golden Land as mentioned in A Link to the Past or the explorable Dark World. Malory’s use of parallel realities, as in Avalon, has been transmedial, in a way, into A Link to the Past because of the existences of the Golden Land and the Dark World. As players through Link explore a manifestation of Hyrule as projected by the Dark World, they undergo a feeling of utmost peril and dread as, when initially thrust into the realm, they are utterly helpless without the assistance of divine magic. This is because the Dark World transforms any who enter its realm, into helpless woodland creatures or monstrous beings. Fortunately, the experience of an Arthurian-esque narrative is also assisted by the wisdom of a wise man, who guides the player-character (Link) through the hero’s journey.
The staple of a wise man is as ancient as Biblical canon, but in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, the wise man can be viewed as an adaptation of the prophet Merlin. The primary wise man in A Link to the Past is an NPC (non-playable character) named Sahasrahla. As Link, players rely on the guidance of Sahasrahla as they experience the hero’s journey. This echoes King Arthur’s dependence on Merlin’s wise council. It is only by the wisdom of Sahasrahla, that Link can traverse the corrupted Dark World while retaining his Hylian form. Unlike King Arthur and Merlin, the relationship that gamers cultivate with Sahasrahla feels experientially consistent with Cirilla’s transformational play. As an element of the hero’s journey, Sahasrahla is fully interactive in the world of Hyrule whereas Merlin could only be imagined in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur. Interaction is a heuristic consequence of video games akin to role-playing and immersion. This asserts a crucial Arthurian element in A Link to the Past, one where Link, as the hero-knight and as an avatar, enables players to treat Sahasrahla as a spiritual guide, who exists to inform the player of how to solve conundrums while simultaneously providing geographical directions by marking places of interest on the game’s map. Still, how is that compared with Malory’s Merlin?
In Le Morte Darthur, Merlin takes on the role of a prophet and sage who counsels King Arthur and others. He oftentimes takes on the form of a disguise, such as in “The Tale of Balin and Balan”, where only his cunning can be used to extrapolate his identity. Indeed, siblings Balin and Balan encounter a disguised Merlin while travelling. The wise Merlin deduces the purpose of Balin’s and Balan’s quest, enabling Balin to exclaim, “ye are Merlin; we will be ruled by your council” (Malory 78). Sahasrahla never takes on any guises throughout A Link to the Past, but his presence is manifested throughout Hyrule eerily. Like Merlin, Sahasrahla seems omniscient and omnipresent. One of the most instrumental lessons that Sahasrahla imparts to Link is the various ways he can navigate through the cluster of elaborate dungeons while making use of that dungeon’s unique item. Merlin is shown doing the same for Arthur and other knights, most notably when he advises King Arthur by stipulating, “In the Marriage of King Arthur,” “[…] that ye take a wife, for a man of your bounty and noblesse should not be without a wife” (Malory 91). The purpose of marriage was to strengthen King Arthur’s reign over Britain, as marrying Guinevere would have secured a political alliance with King Lodegreance. Merlin did more than advise Arthur to marry, he sought out worthy knights to seat at the Roundtable at the king’s urging (Malory 92). Given the trope of the Arthurian wise man surviving in Sahasrahla fulfilling as the player’s veritable own Merlin, there is another prudent trope to unravel: battle prowess.
Indeed, the most powerful rhetorical influence of A Link to the Past and its Arthurian roots is Link’s godlike battle prowess. The Arthurian character which comes to mind is the noble Lancelot, who Link echoes uncannily. The moment Link procures a sword, he summons a dormant warrior of unparalleled skill. Link’s skill with a sword is so otherworldly that he can overcome brainwashed Hylian knights in single combat. In Malory’s “A Noble Tale of Sir Lancelot du Lake”, Lancelot’s prowess is marked as being the paragon of all knights. Lancelot’s inspiring feats single him out as an epic Christian hero who “passed all other knights” (Malory 139). Unless by treason or enchantment, Lancelot was undefeated. Yet, there is something truly immersive about running around Hyrule embodying the hero-knight that is Link. Players, of all ages, become a skilled and extraordinary hero whose battle prowess exceeds all others. Cirilla’s “transformative play” takes on new angles here. The hero’s journey cannot be complete without a godlike hero whose skills seem to be a divine gift. The problem-based context takes on more physical challenges when players must overcome goblins, warlocks, and dungeon bosses in exciting, epic battles where the player feels invigorated for triumphing. While readers may cheer on the mighty Lancelot, such as when he participated in a tourney, it is another feeling to become the mighty knight (Malory 147). The adaptation of Lancelot’s fighting ability is perfectly demonstrated in Link, and so is his courage. Lancelot is always in pursuit of adventures, as seen when he chances upon a fair damsel. The fair damsel has an adventure in mind, but it is reserved for the “best knight and mightiest that ever thou found” (Malory 149). The damsel sends Lancelot to fight against Sir Tarquin, to liberate his fellow knights, as a test of his courage and prowess (Malory).
Lancelot’s quests or errands as an Arthurian element is a great staple in The Legend of Zelda, and indeed in A Link to the Past. As Link, the player is often tasked with assisting other characters in Hyrule. One such adventure or side quest has Link, the player, embarking into the Dark World to rescue a trapped wandering Hylian and return him to Hyrule proper. The reward for doing so sees the player’s Master Sword permanently enhanced because the Hylian is a blacksmith. The reward system of A Link to the Past in tandem with quests/adventures echoes the rewards offered to knights in Le Morte Darthur. Lancelot is rewarded with the loyalty of the knights he liberates from Sir Tarquin, as they wish to help him on his adventures (Malory 152). Finally, the reward system imbued within the adventure quest is rhetorically significant because players feel proud of their efforts. Since Link is an avatar for the player, his accomplishments become the player’s accomplishments.
Conclusively, the Arthurian roots in A Link to the Past have been rhetorically significant and philosophically impactful. The player agency as Link has allowed the consumer to project oneself into the hero-knight role wonderfully well. From the sword in the stone and legitimization of roles, the element of holy relics, parallel realities, the wise man trope, battle prowess and adventure quests, A Link to the Past has taken the best of Malory’s Le Morte Darthur and made it into its own Arthurian-esque experience.
Works Cited
Cirilla, Anthony G. “The Hero of Faërie”. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group, 2020.
Howey, Ann F. “Arthur and Adaptation.” Arthuriana, vol. 25, no. 4, 2015, pp. 36–50. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44697438. Accessed 17 Jul. 2022.
Malory, Thomas. Le Morte Darthur. 1470.
Stock, Lorraine K. “Reinventing an Iconic Arthurian Moment: The Sword in the Stone in Films and Television.” Arthuriana, vol. 25, no. 4, 2015, pp. 66–83. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44697440. Accessed 18 Jul. 2022.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Super Nintendo Entertainment System, 1992.