The Bargainer, The Depths, and It's Elusive Ancient People
Tears of the Kingdom takes inspiration from various real-world ancient cultures such as Jomon Era pottery designs, Shang Dynasty bronze metalwork, and various South American design motifs to enrich mythology of the many characters such as Ancient Shiekah and the Zonai.
The Zonai, in particular, seem to have some roots in the concept of ancient aliens to enhance otherworldliness and divinity through magic technology. That sounds so history channel but it's canon and it does make an interesting setting that weaves in mystery.
Expanding on this fact, is it really so crazy to apply a similar logic to uncovering the Mysteries of The Depths? The designers left very few clues but the clues they left seem to be very specific.
- There is a Deity that was worshipped a millenia ago. The Bargainer. The attendants of this god may have worn the Depths Set.
- The Bargainers take spirits and transition them into the afterlife.
-The Depths seem to be physically underground but magic in nature to be able to open or close based on events like The Upheaval.
-The Zonai aren't known to actually live in the depths. Just mine them. There is no houses or ruins of them at all, no traces of buildings except for Zonai architecture. A very specific detail. Could the emptiness be intentional?
- Josha theorizes there was a group of people who lived down there that were not Zonai based on the slab mural Link helps her assemble.
- The Mysterious Statues depict a dog like head on a human like torso complete with five fingers on each hand one raised (grasping a brightbloom seed) and upright bipedal digitigrade legs with paws for feet. Overall Canine appearance. Tails appear to be missing on all depictions.
So is there any connections we can draw from the real ancient world mythology to help us with this mystery?
There actually is! And it's possibly an idea Nintendo is reviving and doubling down on.
The Myth Of The Cynocephali
Cynocephali basically means canine-headed in Greek. These beings are said to be an elusive ancient people with dog like heads who lived in mountains or on eastern islands, slept on the floor in caves rather than houses and beds, and ate only meat. (This is all common information for all myths of cynocephali regardless of civility to other nations)
Not a lot more information is known about them as they are also considered something of a cryptid in modern times around the United States Great Lakes region. Point is, they're elusive and tend to leave no traces of settlements since they just used the floor of caves.
The myth of dog people appears in many of the earliest cultures around the world. Most notable Cynocephali in history are Anubis the Egyptian god of the afterlife, and Christian St. Christopher. This goes way back to like the 4th century.
Famous uses of Cynocephali in media include a mention in Jason and the Argonauts and another, slightly obscure feature in the Legends of King Arthur. (The Zelda series takes a lot of inspiration from Arthurian legends)
Some tribes of cynocephali were described as benevolent people who could not speak but understood language and communicated with gestures and hands. Some wore gold or silver jewelery on their heads and fine linen if they could afford to. Some even traded goods with foreign kings in some myths.
Other myths described some Cynocephali as tribes of barbarians who followed only the most powerful. These tribes were said to even be willing to harm their own kin.
Patron saint of travelers Saint Christopher has a very fascinating origin as a cynocephali that converted to Christianity and also converted others until he was killed as a martyr. (Early Zelda entries used Christianity as inspiration thats why im including this info.) Could the Ancient Hero's Aspect be a visual reference to Saint Christopher's cynocephalism?
Anubis of Ancient Egyptian mythology is known as some of the earliest depictions ever of Cynocephali. Anubis happens to be the god of the underworld, embalming and guardian of cemeteries/tombs, and his most famous role was to usher souls into the afterlife.
The Bargainers are a very similar deity. The Depths Set looks like it could be referencing an embalmed figure with the wrappings and paper talisman motifs. He symbolically embalms link when gifting the set to protect him against spiritual evil and decay. I do wonder if the ancient Gerudo ever collaborated with the deity in the past, seeing as they built a graveyard in The Depths.
The Zelda Universe equivalent of the Cynocephali has always been the Goriya.
Goriya seem based on the Greek and Medieval Europe era depictions of the myths following the tales of King Arthur and Jason and the Argonauts. In those stories, the cynocephali are more beastial and warlike. The heroes must vanquish them in their respective quests.
These barbaric Goriya were established as one of the earliest members of Ganon's monster army next to Moblins. The Goriya are implied to follow Ganon because his demonic power was strongest in the land. (Concept reused for the Bublins of Twilight Princess. Interesting connection?)
In Tears of the Kingdom, I believe the Goriya represent ancient Cynocephali, and they worshipped the 3 animal gods.
I believe an enlightened(Ancient Sage Satori intervention?) faction existed that served the goddesses and the hylian priestesses after they established themselves on the surface and later served the newly established royal family as fighters or knights.
Why knights? The Ancient Hero's Aspect and the Darknuts in some games are depicted as cynocephali. Darknuts are knights almost exclusive to tombs, dungeons, or are otherwise buried underground to protect artifacts or locations important to the royal family. Although they do seem to be corrupted by evil or even considered undead in some instances by the time link arrives.
There also has to have been a faction that stayed warlike and maintained alliance with the Gerudo witches or other evildoers through history. Goriya are a part of Ganon's army. They may have even played a part in other conflicts like the interloper war.
Tldr: Goriya/Mogma,Ancient Hero's Aspect, Darknuts, and lack of buildings can support the cynocephali mythology theory to explain mysteries pertaining to the faron barbarians, The Depths and the people who lived there. They're really a secret to everyone.
