Can we just take a minute to appreciate the fact that this game is deep enough to actually get insights into the lore based on archaeological evidence?
The ruler was a terrible painter and was so proud of his kitty drawing in a clay tablet that he made it the national depiction of him. Later on he learned how to draw a tree and changed it to that then, showing his incredible progress in skill.
@@tarnishedarchaeologistSpeaking of things that looks like cats: The visuals of the stun/frenzy effect on golems (like imps and watchdogs) are actually bubbles, very similar to the bubbles of claymen and their sorceries. Were the ancient dynasty the creators of the golems i the Lands Between?
At first I was like "He's not really going to try and analyze the barely-visible symbols on this tablet texture, is he?" but then the Imago Mundi appeared and I was like "HOLY SHIT IT ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE" Even after nearly 2 years, I'm still finding ways to be impressed by the knowledge and research that went into Elden Ring's worldbuilding
I've been staring at these ruins for months and researching architecture to get a better understanding. While I'd tracked a lot of it down to the Euphrates river, the Imago Mundi was something I completely missed and blew my mind, so well done.
The discovery that the tablet is not just inspired by, but a direct import of a real world tablet is chilling. Combined with all the other amazing connections you have drawn, the game begins to feel more and more like an alternate reality that could truly exist.
This is absolutely fascinating and a joy to watch; you made hearing about the lost culture of a fantasy world feel more like reading a history of a real-life dynasty. Good stuff, you. Keep it up!
@@tarnishedarchaeologist Greetings! I apologise, but I must once again ask another question like last time: Do you think this old natural religion preceding the emergence of the Dynast was related to the Ancestral Spirits and their Followers? An Ancestral Spirit is summoned by burning fires in front of the pillars connected to those of the temple it resides within. The temples seem to be theirs, being called Hallowhorn Grounds, but was it always this way? Did they take over the remnants of the Dynasty's temples, or were they there all along?
@@alyseleem2692 Yes, as you suggest, they seem to have moved into the ruins. They are part of the prehistoric tension between the first urbane societies and the hunter-gatherers at their fringes. We do hope to get to them at some point.
As an ER lore enthusiast, and a layman with a lifelong fascination with RW archaeology, I have to say this was f'ing brilliant! There were a few moments in which I seemed to forget that I was not watching an engaging and erudite documentary on PBS about a real civilization, but instead watching a UA-cam video about lore in a fantasy game. This clearly was the product of a lot of thoughtful work and analysis. Thank you!
6:20 I wonder if this was the god that came before Marika, as she's the only person with a comparable number of depictions of her in the lands between.
@@WanderedIn both the sacred relic sword and the fingerslayer blade where forged with the sacred rite of a gods body. It is entirely possible that an ancient god of the ancient dynasty or the nokroms became the blade.
I'd noticed the statues and that they seemed to be separate from the Nox cities, but I never gave them much thought otherwise. Looking back, they bare a similar prominence and level of detail to those of Radagon or Marika, and we all know how important those two are
It blows my mind this dude has so few views. His analysis is amazing and the way he ties real world inspirations to the actual in game world is so powerful. It’s like a peek into the deeper thoughts of the developers and shows truly how many layers of detail there are in these games. I’d say this dude gives Vaati a run for his money.
Uhl is definitely older than the Age of the Erdtree. It seems like we can conclude that there was worship of another great tree prior to the current age's Erdtree, yes? Perhaps from the previous great cycle?
@@tarnishedarchaeologist the crucible might have had this form of a tree the greater will might be an outer god of life and death it established all life through the crucible as we read from elden stars it is the most ancient that derives from the erd tree meaning the elden ring predates the crucible the elden ring represents how life and fate is governed in the lands between it represents life and death of all of these civilizations they rise and fall marika removed destined death thus establishing the eternal erd tree and the eternal golden order the greater will must have been displeased with this when it tried to replace marika her black knives assisted ranni in slaying her flesh thus securing her position as a god
I think that’s a bit of a leap - Farum Azula is explicitly prior to the Age of the Erdtree, but that is the only period that is described as such. I’m inclined to the position that ‘the crucible, the primordial form of the Erdtree’ is very literally a way of saying ‘the young Erdtree’ rather than the elaborate and debatable separate great tree - it seems to multiply entities unnecessarily. If the Erdtree had been a slowly growing force that the Ancient Dynasty came to worship prior to the Nox enraging the Greater Will by killing a god (on the order of Marika), this would seem fully compatible. One tree, variously burnt and recovered, with various stages (and Elden Ring expressions). This would fit the Ancient Dynast into the model of an Elden Lord or even a God like Marika, directly venerating the early Erdtree. The single-tree theory simply seems more parsimonious to me, and allowing for a clear connecting line even as the actual understanding of the Erdtree has changed; the Crucible being a still-extant part or aspect of the Erdtree that is now seen as crude or atavistic, though it was once considered the highest.
@@WanderedIn there is no other explanation that doesn’t cause a contradiction crucible incantations say they are of the ancient erd tree elden stars says it is the most ancient of incantations that derive from the erd tree meaning more ancient than the ancient crucible incantations meaning the elden beast is older than the crucible the crucible knights armor says all life was blended together in the crucible meaning after that part all life derived from it there can be no civilization that comes before the elden beast and the crucible because life wasn’t yet established by it so no matter how many fancy words you throw around you can’t avoid the obvious contradiction you are pointing towards
I think an important part of the dynasts statue is that the tree roots on his design seem to come from within him, they creep out from under his clothing. This could be metaphor, as he is "revealing" the divinity of the tree... But perhaps it suggests that he is "part tree" in the sense that he really could be an early envoy of the erdtree, something like an ancient version of Marika, but instead of carrying the golden light of the order within himself (likely didn't exist at that time) he holds the roots of the worldtree in himself instead. This symbolism links to farum azulas depiction of the eldenring as being more root-like too
Enia’s dialogue reading the Two Fingers also calls the Elden Ring “the root of the Golden Order” and the Elden Beast has roots for a tail - I think the idea that the Ring was something that ‘took root’ is a very real possibility!
I believe him to be the "old version" of Marika. Placidusax is said to be Elden Lord in a time before Marika etc. In Farum Azula you can see an old version of the Elden Ring, the most notable feature of which is a root-like pattern in the background that, on the newer Elden Ring, is replaced by Radagons orderly cross hatch pattern. The Crucible Knight's armor also have patterns that have the same root-like appearance. But also, the Crucible Knights were in service to Godfrey (they even use his stomp) at some point, so that makes things tricky with the timeline. I don't know what to make of all this but it feels significant.
This could very well be! In the DLC, Marika's grandmother is within/grew a tree around her. And in Bonny Village, behind the beheaded statue where we get the O Mother gesture, is also a tree. Maybe the dynast is also numen. This could explain why the Twin Eternal Cities are connected to the Uld ruins. And we do know in the base game that the Nox are descendants of the numen. Did the numen always served the Greater Will? Did the Nox draw the ire of the Greater Will (banished below ground) because they attempted/had killed one of its vassal Two Fingers with the fingerslayer blade having learned that they are broken/mired in madness as we had learned in Count Ymirs questline? Were the numen subservient to the hornsent before? Was the sacrifice of shamans sanctioned by numen society/leaders/elders? We do know that the hornsent were supposedly betrayed by Marika. And Melina, her left eye is closed prior the Frenzied Flame ending, and it contains a gloam eye. Did she inherit this eye? If so, from whom? We know of Marika and her grandmother, but what about her mother? Was Marika's mother the gloam eyed queen? So many questions...
Hi TA! Since you're the most savvy archaeologist in the community when it comes to the Ancient Dynasty, I'd like to leave a thought: have you ever considered the possibility that the "ancient dynasty" wasn't actually a unified state, but rather a collection of city states governed by priest-kings? A detail often overlooked is that the two named palaces in the game don't share the same dynastic name, they're named after the two dynasties of Uhl and Uld. Moreover, the Uld palace ruins are also called a labyrinth (site of grace), which I think is a reference to the Knossus palace ruins, which are thought to have inspired the legend of the labyrinth. The Minoans were a palatial civilisation divided in city states. My strongest suggestion though draws a parallel to the Sumerians, who were divided in city states, each devoted to a specific god in their common pantheon, so far as to identifying the city with its god in some historical records. Sumerians were also ruled by priest-kings at an early point in their history. Now look at the Grand Cloister and at Mohgwyn Palace, and consider that the Rot Lords seem to have originated in the Grand Cloister. I think the ancient dynasties were organised in a similar manner to the Sumerians and that this brought to their downfall in the end. Given the presence of the Dynasty pretty much everywhere, does this mean that the dynasties in time have forgone his teachings to worship various, more active gods? Were they tired of waiting? Did this turn lead to the later era of a single, polytheistic empire down the line? If anyone has read this wall of text, thanks! Any feedback is appreciated.
Since he describes different phases of the ancient civilization, I think the era of the giant man is the era of unification of the civilization, while the Uhl and Uld dynasties probably either preceded him or came after his empire fractured
I love this! Wonderfully written and given me much to think about. Can’t wait for your next one, and I hope you get more viewers because you deserve it!
This is a fresh take on lore hunting, and boy I am impressed, for the video and for Fromsoft, they did not have to go all the way and put all these details in the world, which most people would just say "woah beautiful!" but will miss the historical storying telling, mind blowing amount of dedication...
@13:45 I never noticed how these statues, unlike the others of this prophet found in the world seem to have lost their legs entirely, to be replaced with roots. Much smaller roots can be seen growing several seconds later in the video, but there are clearly legs. Thanks for shedding some light on this character, decoding that tablet adds so much to this mysterious figure
Yes! Great work brother, you’ve earned a subscriber. The environmental story telling in these games is phenomenal. Crumbling Farum Azula holds many interesting statues and architecture as well.
Very thorough and well put exploration. It’s great to find a video that focuses on lore without relying too heavily on item descriptions, for it leaves out many aspects of the lands between. As demonstrated in the video
yeah. as much as i love Vatti for his movie quality and storytelling channels like these are essential to understanding more of the lore from a fundamental standpoint
This actually blew my mind. You recognised the tablet…!! Holy crap! And the connection to the Tigris and the Euphrates, and Mesopotamia, and the cradle of civilisation…the lands between are just so fascinating
nice to see thoughts i had been attempting to do more digging into myself (particularly the idea of cultural/religious values being echoed in the art and architecture in the lands between + references to ancient mediterranean thought) but put in a way more cogent manner!
Your work here will be more and more crucial to properly understanding the lore. Thank you, sir. You locked in a sense of true revelation at the end. It helps many things make sense and shows a clear timeline and evolution of cycles in the Lands Between. Great videos.
Truly amazing video. The tablet absolutely blew my mind. I've just discovered your channel and am now watching all of your videos from oldest to newest.
This was absolutely awesome. Uhl is one of my bigger facsinations in the game and your succinct analysis of the topic was really well done! Great work, please make more.
Not sure if you still read the comments of this ancient video, but what comes to mind is the bible verse Daniel 4, where the emperor of Neo-babylonia, Nebuchadnezza II has a dream of a great tree reaching the skies. He later converts to to the religion of Daniel, throwing away his old pagan beliefs which were full of imagery of lions and bulls.
Fantastic insight! As a matter of fact we are working on a episode in which this will definitely feature. First an episode about the Stone Coffins of the DLC, and then a follow up relating to the Ancient Dynasty, all of which have Neobabylonian and biblical inspirations. We'll give you a shout out if we end up mentioning this specific overlap.
The Dynasty's tablet map is of OUR world... Meaning the Dynast comes from Earth, and perhaps brings with him immense knowledge such as that their civilization resides within digital code meant to be conveyed through electricity-based technology for entertainment purposes of a spectating (as well as participating) audience
Holy cow. When you showed the diagram of the Imago Mundi and the translation of the text, I saw the words 'Scorpion-Man' and my eyes bugged out. The same type of ruins the statues are present in for the Cloister has the artifact of the God of Rot sealed by the Blind Swordsman, a scorpion dagger. Amazing!
THANK YOU! This Tablet has been KILLING ME. The obelisks that I've been looking at seem to replicate the obelisks of Sumer, the Labyrinth in Crete, and some other ancient cities. The Uld Palace and the Dynast (who my community calls "Elden John") seem to have united the stretch of the undercities. There is also a bearded figure in the bellfry, as well as the bearded king figure in Farum Azula! Im unsure if these are also the Dynast, but its so curious!
Another interesting thing to add about the Siofra and Ainsel: They also align with the 2 springs that come from Nifelheim in Norse mythology. The oracles are found in one, and the eye of Odin is found in the other (the mudmen with oracle bubbles + the scarseal of marika is found in the other well). It absolutely seems that the undercity represents many ancient cultures and depict the ways in which they overlap in their storytelling. How myths change and evolve over time.
Another thing Id like to mention: The obelisks that resemble the obelisks of sumer are often accompanied by ancestral followers who are hoping to grow horns and become ancestral spirits. If you check out some of their items and summoning ash, it says they abstain from metalworking and writing/reading! Sumer was the first civilization with a comprehensive reading/legal system!
Happy you were as thrilled by the tablet discovery as we were. Something tells me the bearded figure in the Belfries will feature on this channel soon enough...
@@tarnishedarchaeologist Do you mind if I credit you in one of my videos for the tablet find? I have a whole bunch of historical / art references compiled that span the entire silk road if that would be okay! It would be awesome to include this and your video!
Omg. Instantly subscribed for life even if your next 1000 videos are just you making fun of my mom. Top notch quality and a step above and beyond anything out there, amazing stuff.
That is pretty damn impressive to be able to positively identify the actual real-world inspiration for the Imago Mundi tablet. Or maybe that just shows my ignorance, but still I'm hella impressed.
Wait, what if the name "The Lands Between" came from the Ancient Dynasty, where it was "the lands between two rivers", and then outlived both its origin and its meaning, becoming a common noun instead?
I feel like this gives a lot of credence to the idea that the Great Tree has been around for a very long time, and also it becoming the Erdtree itself. sort of like the middle ground between the age of the crucible and the age of the Erdtree anyways. great contribution to the lore research!
I'm watching this series out of order and coming from your recent video on the divine towers. The bull engraving depicted here at 12:28 has a circular pattern above it that's reminding me of the patterns surrounding the embedded meteorite pieces on the divine towers. It also might be a nod to the falling star beasts that are fairly bull-like.
@@tarnishedarchaeologist since this Ive watched most of your other content. The editing, the music. All fuckin phenomenal. I love the way you connect it to real world stuff too.
Gosh, this is something I wanted to do. I've been working on a master's in archaeology, which has limited the time I could put towards actually doing it
Brilliant video. Really well researched. Considering the paternalistic flavor of this revealed religion, what do you think drew the Nox to these sites? They seem firmly matriarchal. Also, from a timeline perspective, when did it flourish? Before the age of dragonlord placidusax? Was it during the age of stars?
I think it must be post-Farum Azula, being early history rather than prehistoric; my current guess at the series of major civilizations is: Farum Azula, under Placidusax The Ancient Dynasty, and the early Erdtree* The Nox, who slew a god and received the wrath of the Greater Will, but did not slay the Elden Beast The period of astrologers, Numen, and fire giants contending, which ends with- Marika’s Age of the Erdtree, and her two Elden Lords. *strangely, the iconography described in this video points to a similar arc of the Dynast’s Erdtree worship from a plurality to the Erdtree, as is seen in Marika’s rise to godhood. It’s a long shot - but maybe the Nox slew the Dynast, and so earned the wrath of the Greater Will.
@@WanderedIn hmm, the early Erdtree is referred to primordial form of the Erdtree right?, which is the crucible of life. Based on the color of the leaves, the Elden Ring formation in Farum Azula and design of the dragonlord bossfight, it seems to me the dragon and beastman civilization is more in-line with the early Erdtree era. The Nightfolk, Nox and Numen are likely outsiders coming to the Lands between through meteorite strikes in the age of stars, while the Ancient Dynasty being the aboriginal of the Lands Between at the time. I like your guess that the Nox slew the Dynast tho, it is definitely a possibility.
10/10 Amazing work. It is wonderful to get an actual archeological perspective on these things, and I am overjoyed to have a solid explanation of the ancient ruins! My only question is this: where does the god of rot fit into the timeline? Did its worshippers just inhabit existing architecture, or was it a phase of worship for the ancient dynasty?
The God of Rot was imprisoned long after the fall of the Ancient Dynasty by the Blind Swordsman, who used both his technique and the power bestowed by a mysterious fairy( said to be the embodiment of Siofra River) to bind it forever to the what is now the Lake of Rot, the end of both the Ainsel and Siofra Rivers. In other words, no, they didn't worship Rot. Rot isn't exactly good a getting actual converts, these days 🤔.
@@alyseleem2692 Okay, so the ancient dynasty fell, then later, the god of rot moved into the grand cloister and ruled from there with Lords of Rot and whatever?
@@snakelady647 I think so,yes, except he didn't move out of his own free will. He got trapped in the Lake, but his influence endures through his emissaries.
Absolutely brilliant - Amazing that I can no see this insight in Elden RIng. Clearly shows the Elden Tree was important for a long, long time. Amazing. Thank you.
me and a few close friends decided that we want to write a book one day, based on our mod of a game called Freelancer, because we were so intrigued by the setting and lore. And not only that, but we also want to incorporate certain player actions during planned events - the idea is to essentially create a decade long D&D campaign where players can influence the larger story based on their actions, and one day look back and read about how their actions shaped this universe. We have spent.. honestly, over a thousand hours since 2016 just brainstorming ideas, thinking of circumstances, explanations, reasons, characters, motivations and whatever you can come up with during any story.. nevertheless, your work and the absolute storm of ideas that culminated in Elden Ring is honestly mind-boggling, and trying to wrap my head around how in the hell someone could come up with something so interesting and exciting based on real life while also making it fantasy is beyond reason for me personally. Freelancer, as many other sci-fi products of its time were heavily influenced by Frank Herbert's Dune, so we are having quite a few problems trying to come up with actual, original ideas that are not rooted in other franchises and whatnot, and now Elden Ring completely obliterated a couple of ideas when it comes to planets that can be found in Freelancer's Sirius Sector lmao Can't sing my praises enough, this video is such a treat, your work on the subject is extraordinary and can't thank you enough for making these videos for us!
This channel just came up on my random recs, and I absolutely love it. Just finished my third playthrough and you're showing me tons of stuff I never noticed. Vids remind me a bit of the Fall of Civilizations podcast/vid series. Looking forward to watching the whole series! btw, what music did you use in the background during the Ancient Dynasty section? It sounded like ER's soundtrack but I can't place it.
Quality content. This video blew my mind! It makes so much sense. I'm a big history and archeological fan and one of the biggest questions I had from this game was why they called it the land between. The connection between Elden Ring and Babylon being literaly the Land between two rivers blew my mind. I cant wait to watch your other videos.
TA’s keenest insight, of many, was connecting the pluralistic “natural” past faith to the adoption of the monotheistic Tree religion. An echo of real world history, and told only through the medium of ruin. Ancient beyond imagining. FromSoft ain’t slacking on their worldbuilding
I wonder if the dynast was the Marika of his time? I can't remember anything that strictly says that Marika was the first person to be the first Empyrean. We also know that the greater will has a pension for erasing history (ignoring Placidusax and calling Godfrey the FIRST Elden Lord)
Greater Will is not calling anyone anything. It seems to be perfectly content to let people to be autonomous, as long as they won´t try to directly attack its vassals. It is Marika who has motive to erase or at least ignore history to boost her own position. Because it is her Golden Order that claims Godfrey is the First Elden Lord. And Marika´s Golden Order which fought a war against dragons. Dragons were original worshippers of the Greater Will, but because their dragon god (Marika equivalent) essentially left, Greater Will had to choose someone else instead. Which is why dragon cult actually is accepted inside the dogmatic Golden Order and not heresy, because both humans and dragons essentially worship the same Outer God, despite their differences.
@@matiasluukkanen7718 I guess yeah, that was probably Marika's doing. Idk why I thought the two fingers played a role in erasing placidusax from history.
First thing First you did a amazing work on all this Series so far!!! Second: To all of you tarnish who can read those line : as a nearly-blind (charity based streamer) for Elden Ring and souls like games, on UA-cam and Twitch. Pride Elden Lord ; One in the first ten % to get Frenzed flame ending 16/04/23 MAY CHAOS TAKE THE WORLD. Embark with me ; On this journey that will at some, time thin the line between are world and the land between. Dive deep With me into our lore. AND FINISHED THIS SERIE. and for you The Tarnished Archaelogist ; i just to point it out if not ready done more then once you did a great Work. For The part in your analysis, when you speak of the second part of the tablet : that there a symbol of a tree. Speaking of numerous place mentioning some other part in our world where is a tree figure, but you forget the tree of knowledge ( good and evil ) But for the rest i'm so in to it. I really appreciated your work enjoy every second of it in a great time of need thanks. it's 3 am i should go sleeping 😅
Great video! If I could give some constructive feedback: I feel like the background music is a bit too loud, it's distracting a bit from what you're saying. Other than that, this is a very well made and researched video, keep up the good work! Earned my sub for sure!
Outstanding video! Edit: The fact that this game can interpreted so effectively through an archaeological lens blows my mind and shows the depth of Michael Zaki's thinking. The way you present your video is great, the music choice brings a real sense of history to it - I thoroughly enjoyed your unique take and style. What do you think are the ramifications of an interpretations that includes our real world ancient Babylon and the change from the Imago Mundi to the World Tree? Are they aesthetic choices or is Michael Zaki trying to say something? Edit 2: And what's the significance of the ancient dynasty being BOTH underground AND populated by the Nox people - named after night and sleep? Is it some reference to the development and expansion of individual human consciousness and the resulting changes in society? Similar to how the human brain develops outward from the ancient parts near the brain stem. John Vervaeke's series on human psycho-technology, cognition, philosophy, history and psychology talks about this and would be a fascinating watch if historical human development is interesting to any of you. ua-cam.com/video/54l8_ewcOlY/v-deo.html&ab_channel=JohnVervaeke
I've watched a few of your videos now, and have just subscribed. I would have done it after the first video, but I got too wrapped up in the content. Awesome stuff. This is the epitome of a deep dive.
I have a newfound appreciation about the underground ruins now. But I contend that the bulls are depicted on some steles are not bulls at all, rather the Fallingstar Beasts that we find on the world. There are no forms of cattle that we find in the Lands Between, at least alive anyway judging by the Great Horn Headband, but even then it looks like it came from a buffalo than a bull. All mentions of bulls are only associated with Tragoth's Armor Set, with him being called a Bull-Goat.
Can we just take a minute to appreciate the fact that this game is deep enough to actually get insights into the lore based on archaeological evidence?
🙄
@@BleachDemon707So what's the other games who do that then if it's so eye roll inducing?
Have you looked into this thing called Heraldry?
@@GhostWriter-Gohan Yes. Why do you ask? Genuine question.
7:27: "By themselves, these simple geometric features are quite difficult to interpret ..."
My dumb ass: "IT'S A KITTY!! 😺"
Lol, excellent!
😂
The ruler was a terrible painter and was so proud of his kitty drawing in a clay tablet that he made it the national depiction of him.
Later on he learned how to draw a tree and changed it to that then, showing his incredible progress in skill.
@@tarnishedarchaeologistSpeaking of things that looks like cats: The visuals of the stun/frenzy effect on golems (like imps and watchdogs) are actually bubbles, very similar to the bubbles of claymen and their sorceries. Were the ancient dynasty the creators of the golems i the Lands Between?
I was like “it’s obv a cat” lol
At first I was like "He's not really going to try and analyze the barely-visible symbols on this tablet texture, is he?" but then the Imago Mundi appeared and I was like "HOLY SHIT IT ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE"
Even after nearly 2 years, I'm still finding ways to be impressed by the knowledge and research that went into Elden Ring's worldbuilding
I've been staring at these ruins for months and researching architecture to get a better understanding. While I'd tracked a lot of it down to the Euphrates river, the Imago Mundi was something I completely missed and blew my mind, so well done.
It’s like he cracked a code or something. That image could be the whole idea behind the elden ring map
@@sandcrawlerstudios2013 in case you were curious I did some super-imposing of the two maps - no relation. It's just a neat Easter egg I think.
@@puzzleheaded6195 Please stop doing this, it's starting to get creepy.
@@teslobo Just watched this video for the first time and I didn’t read your username, my apologies 👍
@@puzzleheaded6195 Even if it wasn't me, is this really appropriate to dump on a random commenter from 4 months ago?
The discovery that the tablet is not just inspired by, but a direct import of a real world tablet is chilling. Combined with all the other amazing connections you have drawn, the game begins to feel more and more like an alternate reality that could truly exist.
you should check out Borges' "Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius" if you've never read it
Ok, now THIS channel is why I love From's Games and it's community - creating a field of virtual archeology just to explain a lore intricacies
This is absolutely fascinating and a joy to watch; you made hearing about the lost culture of a fantasy world feel more like reading a history of a real-life dynasty. Good stuff, you. Keep it up!
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@tarnishedarchaeologist Greetings!
I apologise, but I must once again ask another question like last time:
Do you think this old natural religion preceding the emergence of the Dynast was related to the Ancestral Spirits and their Followers?
An Ancestral Spirit is summoned by burning fires in front of the pillars connected to those of the temple it resides within. The temples seem to be theirs, being called Hallowhorn Grounds, but was it always this way? Did they take over the remnants of the Dynasty's temples, or were they there all along?
@@alyseleem2692 Yes, as you suggest, they seem to have moved into the ruins. They are part of the prehistoric tension between the first urbane societies and the hunter-gatherers at their fringes. We do hope to get to them at some point.
@@tarnishedarchaeologist Thanks! Looking forward to it!
As an ER lore enthusiast, and a layman with a lifelong fascination with RW archaeology, I have to say this was f'ing brilliant! There were a few moments in which I seemed to forget that I was not watching an engaging and erudite documentary on PBS about a real civilization, but instead watching a UA-cam video about lore in a fantasy game. This clearly was the product of a lot of thoughtful work and analysis. Thank you!
RW? What's that stand for? Stop abbreviating everything
@@Anton2046gfkn I believe it's meant to be "real-world".
The best lore video I’ve ever seen, the Imago Mundi recognition blew me away. The Siofra and Ainsel as the Tigris and Euphrates is fantastic.
6:20 I wonder if this was the god that came before Marika, as she's the only person with a comparable number of depictions of her in the lands between.
I think this is extremely likely; and we might be able to identify the god who became the Nox Fingercutter Blade as the Dynast as well…
@@WanderedIn both the sacred relic sword and the fingerslayer blade where forged with the sacred rite of a gods body. It is entirely possible that an ancient god of the ancient dynasty or the nokroms became the blade.
My god, lining up that tablet to imago mundi is truly a feat worthy of the title Tarnished Archaeology
I'd noticed the statues and that they seemed to be separate from the Nox cities, but I never gave them much thought otherwise. Looking back, they bare a similar prominence and level of detail to those of Radagon or Marika, and we all know how important those two are
It blows my mind this dude has so few views. His analysis is amazing and the way he ties real world inspirations to the actual in game world is so powerful. It’s like a peek into the deeper thoughts of the developers and shows truly how many layers of detail there are in these games. I’d say this dude gives Vaati a run for his money.
yeah he`s a better rival to Vatti then SmoughTown is.
Hawkshaw and Tarnished Archaeologist make a better duo than Vaati and SmoughTown could ever dream of being
I haven't watched such an enjoyable lore video in a long time.
Just... wow.
Uhl is definitely older than the Age of the Erdtree. It seems like we can conclude that there was worship of another great tree prior to the current age's Erdtree, yes? Perhaps from the previous great cycle?
Yes, that is exactly what the evidence points to.
@@tarnishedarchaeologist the crucible might have had this form of a tree the greater will might be an outer god of life and death it established all life through the crucible as we read from elden stars it is the most ancient that derives from the erd tree meaning the elden ring predates the crucible the elden ring represents how life and fate is governed in the lands between it represents life and death of all of these civilizations they rise and fall marika removed destined death thus establishing the eternal erd tree and the eternal golden order the greater will must have been displeased with this when it tried to replace marika her black knives assisted ranni in slaying her flesh thus securing her position as a god
I think that’s a bit of a leap - Farum Azula is explicitly prior to the Age of the Erdtree, but that is the only period that is described as such. I’m inclined to the position that ‘the crucible, the primordial form of the Erdtree’ is very literally a way of saying ‘the young Erdtree’ rather than the elaborate and debatable separate great tree - it seems to multiply entities unnecessarily. If the Erdtree had been a slowly growing force that the Ancient Dynasty came to worship prior to the Nox enraging the Greater Will by killing a god (on the order of Marika), this would seem fully compatible. One tree, variously burnt and recovered, with various stages (and Elden Ring expressions). This would fit the Ancient Dynast into the model of an Elden Lord or even a God like Marika, directly venerating the early Erdtree.
The single-tree theory simply seems more parsimonious to me, and allowing for a clear connecting line even as the actual understanding of the Erdtree has changed; the Crucible being a still-extant part or aspect of the Erdtree that is now seen as crude or atavistic, though it was once considered the highest.
@@WanderedIn there is no other explanation that doesn’t cause a contradiction crucible incantations say they are of the ancient erd tree elden stars says it is the most ancient of incantations that derive from the erd tree meaning more ancient than the ancient crucible incantations meaning the elden beast is older than the crucible the crucible knights armor says all life was blended together in the crucible meaning after that part all life derived from it there can be no civilization that comes before the elden beast and the crucible because life wasn’t yet established by it so no matter how many fancy words you throw around you can’t avoid the obvious contradiction you are pointing towards
@@tarnishedarchaeologist "evidence"
I think an important part of the dynasts statue is that the tree roots on his design seem to come from within him, they creep out from under his clothing.
This could be metaphor, as he is "revealing" the divinity of the tree... But perhaps it suggests that he is "part tree" in the sense that he really could be an early envoy of the erdtree, something like an ancient version of Marika, but instead of carrying the golden light of the order within himself (likely didn't exist at that time) he holds the roots of the worldtree in himself instead.
This symbolism links to farum azulas depiction of the eldenring as being more root-like too
Enia’s dialogue reading the Two Fingers also calls the Elden Ring “the root of the Golden Order” and the Elden Beast has roots for a tail - I think the idea that the Ring was something that ‘took root’ is a very real possibility!
I believe him to be the "old version" of Marika. Placidusax is said to be Elden Lord in a time before Marika etc. In Farum Azula you can see an old version of the Elden Ring, the most notable feature of which is a root-like pattern in the background that, on the newer Elden Ring, is replaced by Radagons orderly cross hatch pattern. The Crucible Knight's armor also have patterns that have the same root-like appearance. But also, the Crucible Knights were in service to Godfrey (they even use his stomp) at some point, so that makes things tricky with the timeline. I don't know what to make of all this but it feels significant.
This could very well be! In the DLC, Marika's grandmother is within/grew a tree around her. And in Bonny Village, behind the beheaded statue where we get the O Mother gesture, is also a tree. Maybe the dynast is also numen. This could explain why the Twin Eternal Cities are connected to the Uld ruins. And we do know in the base game that the Nox are descendants of the numen.
Did the numen always served the Greater Will? Did the Nox draw the ire of the Greater Will (banished below ground) because they attempted/had killed one of its vassal Two Fingers with the fingerslayer blade having learned that they are broken/mired in madness as we had learned in Count Ymirs questline?
Were the numen subservient to the hornsent before? Was the sacrifice of shamans sanctioned by numen society/leaders/elders? We do know that the hornsent were supposedly betrayed by Marika.
And Melina, her left eye is closed prior the Frenzied Flame ending, and it contains a gloam eye. Did she inherit this eye? If so, from whom? We know of Marika and her grandmother, but what about her mother? Was Marika's mother the gloam eyed queen?
So many questions...
Hi TA! Since you're the most savvy archaeologist in the community when it comes to the Ancient Dynasty, I'd like to leave a thought: have you ever considered the possibility that the "ancient dynasty" wasn't actually a unified state, but rather a collection of city states governed by priest-kings?
A detail often overlooked is that the two named palaces in the game don't share the same dynastic name, they're named after the two dynasties of Uhl and Uld. Moreover, the Uld palace ruins are also called a labyrinth (site of grace), which I think is a reference to the Knossus palace ruins, which are thought to have inspired the legend of the labyrinth. The Minoans were a palatial civilisation divided in city states.
My strongest suggestion though draws a parallel to the Sumerians, who were divided in city states, each devoted to a specific god in their common pantheon, so far as to identifying the city with its god in some historical records. Sumerians were also ruled by priest-kings at an early point in their history.
Now look at the Grand Cloister and at Mohgwyn Palace, and consider that the Rot Lords seem to have originated in the Grand Cloister. I think the ancient dynasties were organised in a similar manner to the Sumerians and that this brought to their downfall in the end.
Given the presence of the Dynasty pretty much everywhere, does this mean that the dynasties in time have forgone his teachings to worship various, more active gods? Were they tired of waiting? Did this turn lead to the later era of a single, polytheistic empire down the line?
If anyone has read this wall of text, thanks! Any feedback is appreciated.
Since he describes different phases of the ancient civilization, I think the era of the giant man is the era of unification of the civilization, while the Uhl and Uld dynasties probably either preceded him or came after his empire fractured
I love this! Wonderfully written and given me much to think about. Can’t wait for your next one, and I hope you get more viewers because you deserve it!
it's so refreshing to find a lore video that isn't just someone reading item descriptions in a "cool" voice and speculating out of their ass.
Vaati and Jake sobbing rn
This has Vaati written all over it.
@@joshuahendricks9558 yeah i also forgot to mention felicitating FromSoft and Displate ads.
Smoughtown 😂
@@joshuahendricks9558Vaati is cool tho, other channels are def like that tho
This is a fresh take on lore hunting, and boy I am impressed, for the video and for Fromsoft, they did not have to go all the way and put all these details in the world, which most people would just say "woah beautiful!" but will miss the historical storying telling, mind blowing amount of dedication...
@13:45 I never noticed how these statues, unlike the others of this prophet found in the world seem to have lost their legs entirely, to be replaced with roots. Much smaller roots can be seen growing several seconds later in the video, but there are clearly legs. Thanks for shedding some light on this character, decoding that tablet adds so much to this mysterious figure
Yes! Great work brother, you’ve earned a subscriber. The environmental story telling in these games is phenomenal. Crumbling Farum Azula holds many interesting statues and architecture as well.
Stay tuned...!
Heads up @Robes272, Farum Azula video posted! ua-cam.com/video/JW6A53xgfsg/v-deo.html
@@tarnishedarchaeologist its good of you to remember that someone asked about a topic then a month later letting him know.
Heroic effort
Tarnished Archaelogist @ 7:32 : "But we recognize these features to be..."
Me: "A kitty!"
love the use of the ancient greek quotes, especially with so much inspiration from ancient/byzantine greece in the game
Very thorough and well put exploration. It’s great to find a video that focuses on lore without relying too heavily on item descriptions, for it leaves out many aspects of the lands between. As demonstrated in the video
yeah. as much as i love Vatti for his movie quality and storytelling channels like these are essential to understanding more of the lore from a fundamental standpoint
This actually blew my mind. You recognised the tablet…!! Holy crap! And the connection to the Tigris and the Euphrates, and Mesopotamia, and the cradle of civilisation…the lands between are just so fascinating
This was a delight to watch. Please keep it up, excellent content!
Fifteen out of ten
Most succinct and clearly well researched Elden ring lore video I've ever seen.
dude you're the man of the lore, i understand what you wanted to say at the end of the video
nice to see thoughts i had been attempting to do more digging into myself (particularly the idea of cultural/religious values being echoed in the art and architecture in the lands between + references to ancient mediterranean thought) but put in a way more cogent manner!
It's 1am and your delivery of this script is really hitting my brain the right way tonight
Your work here will be more and more crucial to properly understanding the lore. Thank you, sir. You locked in a sense of true revelation at the end. It helps many things make sense and shows a clear timeline and evolution of cycles in the Lands Between. Great videos.
Truly amazing video. The tablet absolutely blew my mind. I've just discovered your channel and am now watching all of your videos from oldest to newest.
This was absolutely awesome. Uhl is one of my bigger facsinations in the game and your succinct analysis of the topic was really well done! Great work, please make more.
The sheer amount of detail that you cover is truly remarkable. Thank you for everything that you do. Nice work!
discovering channels like this must feel so good for the creators. true passion for their work
Not sure if you still read the comments of this ancient video, but what comes to mind is the bible verse Daniel 4, where the emperor of Neo-babylonia, Nebuchadnezza II has a dream of a great tree reaching the skies. He later converts to to the religion of Daniel, throwing away his old pagan beliefs which were full of imagery of lions and bulls.
Fantastic insight! As a matter of fact we are working on a episode in which this will definitely feature. First an episode about the Stone Coffins of the DLC, and then a follow up relating to the Ancient Dynasty, all of which have Neobabylonian and biblical inspirations. We'll give you a shout out if we end up mentioning this specific overlap.
The Dynasty's tablet map is of OUR world... Meaning the Dynast comes from Earth, and perhaps brings with him immense knowledge such as that their civilization resides within digital code meant to be conveyed through electricity-based technology for entertainment purposes of a spectating (as well as participating) audience
Holy cow. When you showed the diagram of the Imago Mundi and the translation of the text, I saw the words 'Scorpion-Man' and my eyes bugged out. The same type of ruins the statues are present in for the Cloister has the artifact of the God of Rot sealed by the Blind Swordsman, a scorpion dagger. Amazing!
THANK YOU! This Tablet has been KILLING ME. The obelisks that I've been looking at seem to replicate the obelisks of Sumer, the Labyrinth in Crete, and some other ancient cities. The Uld Palace and the Dynast (who my community calls "Elden John") seem to have united the stretch of the undercities.
There is also a bearded figure in the bellfry, as well as the bearded king figure in Farum Azula! Im unsure if these are also the Dynast, but its so curious!
Another interesting thing to add about the Siofra and Ainsel: They also align with the 2 springs that come from Nifelheim in Norse mythology. The oracles are found in one, and the eye of Odin is found in the other (the mudmen with oracle bubbles + the scarseal of marika is found in the other well).
It absolutely seems that the undercity represents many ancient cultures and depict the ways in which they overlap in their storytelling. How myths change and evolve over time.
Another thing Id like to mention: The obelisks that resemble the obelisks of sumer are often accompanied by ancestral followers who are hoping to grow horns and become ancestral spirits. If you check out some of their items and summoning ash, it says they abstain from metalworking and writing/reading! Sumer was the first civilization with a comprehensive reading/legal system!
Spot on.
Happy you were as thrilled by the tablet discovery as we were. Something tells me the bearded figure in the Belfries will feature on this channel soon enough...
@@tarnishedarchaeologist Do you mind if I credit you in one of my videos for the tablet find? I have a whole bunch of historical / art references compiled that span the entire silk road if that would be okay! It would be awesome to include this and your video!
I wonder what you could/would add now after Shadow of The Erdtree??? The stone coffin boats are surely those boats depicted on the stele, right?
Omg. Instantly subscribed for life even if your next 1000 videos are just you making fun of my mom. Top notch quality and a step above and beyond anything out there, amazing stuff.
We do NOT currently have an episode planned on that topic... unless, that is, you have Erdtree heritage. Very much digging the enthusiasm!
That is pretty damn impressive to be able to positively identify the actual real-world inspiration for the Imago Mundi tablet. Or maybe that just shows my ignorance, but still I'm hella impressed.
it reminds me of the stones binding morgot and morgwyn, similar to the stone that we see inside the trolls, all 3 have roots growing on it
This is a great watch, very well researched and reasoned. Got chills when you named the Imago Mundi as the exact tablet
Didn’t expect to find Elden Ring archaeology in my recommended lol. Interesting content.
Wait, what if the name "The Lands Between" came from the Ancient Dynasty, where it was "the lands between two rivers", and then outlived both its origin and its meaning, becoming a common noun instead?
I feel like this gives a lot of credence to the idea that the Great Tree has been around for a very long time, and also it becoming the Erdtree itself. sort of like the middle ground between the age of the crucible and the age of the Erdtree
anyways. great contribution to the lore research!
I'm watching this series out of order and coming from your recent video on the divine towers. The bull engraving depicted here at 12:28 has a circular pattern above it that's reminding me of the patterns surrounding the embedded meteorite pieces on the divine towers. It also might be a nod to the falling star beasts that are fairly bull-like.
from the first second of this video I knew I was in for something special. cant wait to see you become one of the best youtubers I enjoy
Wow, thanks
@@tarnishedarchaeologist since this Ive watched most of your other content. The editing, the music. All fuckin phenomenal. I love the way you connect it to real world stuff too.
Extremely underrated video
I wish I could like all of these videos twice! Amazing work!
Yooo awesome work man, really top tier content here
Your subscriber count isn't nearly high enough, you are awesome. We truly appreciate top tier quality content like this!
Thanks for making this! Worth a sub!
You pronouncing Siofra River correctly earned my sub. It's the little things that matter lol
That's some really cool observations and I was gobsmacked by the ties to the real world tablet
So were we!
Gosh, this is something I wanted to do. I've been working on a master's in archaeology, which has limited the time I could put towards actually doing it
astonishing job! It makes a lot of sense, and the babilonian link is a stroke of genius!
Can I just say you’re takes on this have been fantastic. I truly hope you keep it up.
Brilliant video. Really well researched. Considering the paternalistic flavor of this revealed religion, what do you think drew the Nox to these sites? They seem firmly matriarchal. Also, from a timeline perspective, when did it flourish? Before the age of dragonlord placidusax? Was it during the age of stars?
I think that the change in architecture as you go up the eternal cities leads to the conclusion that this was before the age of stars even.
I think it must be post-Farum Azula, being early history rather than prehistoric; my current guess at the series of major civilizations is:
Farum Azula, under Placidusax
The Ancient Dynasty, and the early Erdtree*
The Nox, who slew a god and received the wrath of the Greater Will, but did not slay the Elden Beast
The period of astrologers, Numen, and fire giants contending, which ends with-
Marika’s Age of the Erdtree, and her two Elden Lords.
*strangely, the iconography described in this video points to a similar arc of the Dynast’s Erdtree worship from a plurality to the Erdtree, as is seen in Marika’s rise to godhood. It’s a long shot - but maybe the Nox slew the Dynast, and so earned the wrath of the Greater Will.
@@WanderedIn hmm, the early Erdtree is referred to primordial form of the Erdtree right?, which is the crucible of life. Based on the color of the leaves, the Elden Ring formation in Farum Azula and design of the dragonlord bossfight, it seems to me the dragon and beastman civilization is more in-line with the early Erdtree era. The Nightfolk, Nox and Numen are likely outsiders coming to the Lands between through meteorite strikes in the age of stars, while the Ancient Dynasty being the aboriginal of the Lands Between at the time. I like your guess that the Nox slew the Dynast tho, it is definitely a possibility.
Aren't the Nox Numen?
All kingdoms in the present at the lands between is very matriarchal,with Caria and Eternal City being even more than Leyndell.
10/10 Amazing work. It is wonderful to get an actual archeological perspective on these things, and I am overjoyed to have a solid explanation of the ancient ruins! My only question is this: where does the god of rot fit into the timeline? Did its worshippers just inhabit existing architecture, or was it a phase of worship for the ancient dynasty?
The God of Rot was imprisoned long after the fall of the Ancient Dynasty by the Blind Swordsman, who used both his technique and the power bestowed by a mysterious fairy( said to be the embodiment of Siofra River) to bind it forever to the what is now the Lake of Rot, the end of both the Ainsel and Siofra Rivers.
In other words, no, they didn't worship Rot. Rot isn't exactly good a getting actual converts, these days 🤔.
@@alyseleem2692 Okay, so the ancient dynasty fell, then later, the god of rot moved into the grand cloister and ruled from there with Lords of Rot and whatever?
@@snakelady647 I think so,yes, except he didn't move out of his own free will. He got trapped in the Lake, but his influence endures through his emissaries.
Absolutely brilliant - Amazing that I can no see this insight in Elden RIng. Clearly shows the Elden Tree was important for a long, long time. Amazing. Thank you.
me and a few close friends decided that we want to write a book one day, based on our mod of a game called Freelancer, because we were so intrigued by the setting and lore. And not only that, but we also want to incorporate certain player actions during planned events - the idea is to essentially create a decade long D&D campaign where players can influence the larger story based on their actions, and one day look back and read about how their actions shaped this universe. We have spent.. honestly, over a thousand hours since 2016 just brainstorming ideas, thinking of circumstances, explanations, reasons, characters, motivations and whatever you can come up with during any story.. nevertheless, your work and the absolute storm of ideas that culminated in Elden Ring is honestly mind-boggling, and trying to wrap my head around how in the hell someone could come up with something so interesting and exciting based on real life while also making it fantasy is beyond reason for me personally.
Freelancer, as many other sci-fi products of its time were heavily influenced by Frank Herbert's Dune, so we are having quite a few problems trying to come up with actual, original ideas that are not rooted in other franchises and whatnot, and now Elden Ring completely obliterated a couple of ideas when it comes to planets that can be found in Freelancer's Sirius Sector lmao
Can't sing my praises enough, this video is such a treat, your work on the subject is extraordinary and can't thank you enough for making these videos for us!
This channel just came up on my random recs, and I absolutely love it. Just finished my third playthrough and you're showing me tons of stuff I never noticed. Vids remind me a bit of the Fall of Civilizations podcast/vid series. Looking forward to watching the whole series! btw, what music did you use in the background during the Ancient Dynasty section? It sounded like ER's soundtrack but I can't place it.
bro these videos are so good
this is the channel i never knew i needed
Quality content.
This video blew my mind!
It makes so much sense.
I'm a big history and archeological fan and one of the biggest questions I had from this game was why they called it the land between.
The connection between Elden Ring and Babylon being literaly the Land between two rivers blew my mind.
I cant wait to watch your other videos.
You just blew my mind with the tablet at the feet thing
Wow this video is really awesome, I'm learning things ab Elden ring but also really fascinating real word facts too 👍 love it man
Great work! Keep it up
thanks for the video its really good
TA’s keenest insight, of many, was connecting the pluralistic “natural” past faith to the adoption of the monotheistic Tree religion. An echo of real world history, and told only through the medium of ruin. Ancient beyond imagining. FromSoft ain’t slacking on their worldbuilding
Ok I need to ask: state your armor please I love the look!
I am really amazed by the quality and the depth of your work. It's really impressive. Thank you for sharing.
More people need to see this video. It's probably one of the most amazing revelations of the history of the lands between
Your videos are value man
Amazing work.
Wonderful video, very insightful and full of great visuals for a perfect picture. Keep it up tarnished friend
I wonder if the dynast was the Marika of his time? I can't remember anything that strictly says that Marika was the first person to be the first Empyrean. We also know that the greater will has a pension for erasing history (ignoring Placidusax and calling Godfrey the FIRST Elden Lord)
Greater Will is not calling anyone anything. It seems to be perfectly content to let people to be autonomous, as long as they won´t try to directly attack its vassals.
It is Marika who has motive to erase or at least ignore history to boost her own position. Because it is her Golden Order that claims Godfrey is the First Elden Lord. And Marika´s Golden Order which fought a war against dragons.
Dragons were original worshippers of the Greater Will, but because their dragon god (Marika equivalent) essentially left, Greater Will had to choose someone else instead. Which is why dragon cult actually is accepted inside the dogmatic Golden Order and not heresy, because both humans and dragons essentially worship the same Outer God, despite their differences.
@@matiasluukkanen7718
I guess yeah, that was probably Marika's doing. Idk why I thought the two fingers played a role in erasing placidusax from history.
First thing First you did a amazing work on all this Series so far!!!
Second:
To all of you tarnish who can read those line : as a nearly-blind (charity based streamer) for Elden Ring and souls like games, on UA-cam and Twitch. Pride Elden Lord ; One in the first ten % to get Frenzed flame ending 16/04/23 MAY CHAOS TAKE THE WORLD.
Embark with me ; On this journey that will at some, time thin the line between are world and the land between.
Dive deep With me into our lore. AND FINISHED THIS SERIE.
and for you The Tarnished Archaelogist ; i just to point it out if not ready done more then once you did a great Work.
For The part in your analysis, when you speak of the second part of the tablet : that there a symbol of a tree.
Speaking of numerous place mentioning some other part in our world where is a tree figure, but you forget the tree of knowledge ( good and evil ) But for the rest i'm so in to it. I really appreciated your work enjoy every second of it in a great time of need thanks.
it's 3 am i should go sleeping 😅
This content is absolute top tier
it only gets better...
Absolutely mind blowing, in both the analysis and scriptwriting.
Great video! If I could give some constructive feedback:
I feel like the background music is a bit too loud, it's distracting a bit from what you're saying.
Other than that, this is a very well made and researched video, keep up the good work! Earned my sub for sure!
Very true. We're working on it and hopefully the subsequent videos are better.
Outstanding video!
Edit: The fact that this game can interpreted so effectively through an archaeological lens blows my mind and shows the depth of Michael Zaki's thinking.
The way you present your video is great, the music choice brings a real sense of history to it - I thoroughly enjoyed your unique take and style.
What do you think are the ramifications of an interpretations that includes our real world ancient Babylon and the change from the Imago Mundi to the World Tree? Are they aesthetic choices or is Michael Zaki trying to say something?
Edit 2:
And what's the significance of the ancient dynasty being BOTH underground AND populated by the Nox people - named after night and sleep? Is it some reference to the development and expansion of individual human consciousness and the resulting changes in society? Similar to how the human brain develops outward from the ancient parts near the brain stem. John Vervaeke's series on human psycho-technology, cognition, philosophy, history and psychology talks about this and would be a fascinating watch if historical human development is interesting to any of you.
ua-cam.com/video/54l8_ewcOlY/v-deo.html&ab_channel=JohnVervaeke
i was starting to get bored of elden ring stuff but this is next level and i get to learn keep up the great work
Great video!!
The tablet reminds me of the stones inside the chest of all trolls.
I've watched a few of your videos now, and have just subscribed. I would have done it after the first video, but I got too wrapped up in the content. Awesome stuff. This is the epitome of a deep dive.
Is the tablet in the giants the same one?
Bro! Your take on lore hunting is eye-opening! Nice video.
I have a newfound appreciation about the underground ruins now. But I contend that the bulls are depicted on some steles are not bulls at all, rather the Fallingstar Beasts that we find on the world. There are no forms of cattle that we find in the Lands Between, at least alive anyway judging by the Great Horn Headband, but even then it looks like it came from a buffalo than a bull. All mentions of bulls are only associated with Tragoth's Armor Set, with him being called a Bull-Goat.
Fantastic video. So very well written.
This is the kind of content I'm here for.
I personally believe the Dynasty of The Dragons and Beasts is the oldest.
Birds, lions & birds/pluralistic, natural religion- that matches right up to the Crucible & its Aspects.
"Mesopotamia means land between two rivers"
so the Lands Between?
WOW! THIS VIDEO IS SOO GOOD! Your observations and analysis are simply mind blowing!
Pretty cool video to watch man,
I like your style
Yeess I can finally get my fix for both archaeology AND Elden Ring lore! Love it, subscribed!