#sazzah

I’m gonna let her answer this for you because I think she nailed it. Please read this. It’s brilliant and I’m so happy I relayed your question to her:

@blunaowl: Okay so. I had a thought this morning. The girls are BOTH the fifth spirit right? And they are both born of Iduna. Iduna was the voice that all the spirits could hear (at least Bruni heard it as well). 

Could it be that Iduna WAS the fifth spirit, or some sort of precursor, perhaps even an unknowing tool of the spirits? (They were trapped too, as far as we know.)Iduna was Northuldra, and (apparently) willingly left the village for Arendelle, and the spirits KNEW this. 

Gale even covered her with the blanket when she got in the cart - Iduna didn’t hide herself. Perhaps the spirits allowed/helped her to leave, in order that her eventually having a family with someone in Arendelle (whether or not they knew it would be the son of the idiot King who caused all the problems in the first place, I don’t know, maybe that was coincidence) would result in the birth of someone like Elsa, who might be able to correct the wrongdoings of Bruneard. 

Or, perhaps the spirits were just protecting the Northuldra, waiting for a time that someone could return and right the wrongs, and prove that those outside Northuldra (specifically the Arendellians, who are the enemy in the spirits eyes - they were all individually VERY aggressive towards Frohana when they first entered) can be trusted once more. 

Elsa sings about how hard it is to stay put as her powers grow.  Maybe as her powers grew, so did her connection to the spirits (as well as the bond with her sister), and that’s why when she finally felt the desire to explore deeper, the spirits knew that, right. It’s time. 

She’s got this; get those people the heck outta Dodge so she can fix the past. As for how Ahtohallan works..? I don’t think it’s something that can be explained, just believed in. The spirits themselves aren’t something that should “work” according to modern science, but they clearly have an effect on the world around them. For example, salamanders (like Bestest Boy™ Bruni) were often seen to be scurrying from burning buildings, giving rise to the belief that they were born of fire. 

Ahtohallan is obviously a physical place, with a myth surrounding it (the lullaby), but all myths have some basis in fact. The fact that I don’t believe anyone other than Elsa could possibly survive there for any period of time probably adds to its mystery. Has anyone else ever actually been down there? (Maybe a previous “fifth spirit”, given the architecture in place down there already.)

Iduna and Agnarr tried to get to Ahtohallan and their ship was destroyed by the water - by the Nøkk? Did the spirits know Iduna was on the ship, and the only way to get things in motion was to give the girls a reason to return years later? The spirits can’t exactly leave a note saying, “Oh hey, do you mind coming to the big cloud when you’ve got a minute, we need to tell you something,” maybe it was their only option. 

When Elsa looked for answers within Ahtohallan, she didn’t have the full story until she dove too deep. All she saw was her grandfather being a bit of a forker with little to no context. In order to truly see what had happened, in order to find out how to free the Northuldra, she had to be willing to dive deeper into the past, and in turn, drown. When she was down there and saw herself begin to freeze, there didn’t seem to be any fear or panic, just continued curiosity and a need for answers. 

There was fear at the end, but she trusted that her message would get through to Anna. She had complete faith that her sister would be able to continue where she could not. She knew Anna would save the Northuldra; I wouldn’t be surprised if she hadn’t even thought about Anna saving her. (Again.) 

If she hadn’t gone further… she wouldn’t have seen what really happened. All she would have is more questions, and for that reason, I don’t think she could’ve stayed above the water (so to speak). She needed to go there; she needed to fully understand her purpose, her reason for being - it’s been a question of hers for so long: why do I have powers? 

I think Elsa is still human. She did die even after she was transformed. Anna broke the dam, and that’s the only reason why Elsa’s alive because the spirits were pacified. Wrongs were corrected, and what Runeard did was pardoned because of Elsa and Anna’s sacrifice. If Anna didn’t succeed, Elsa would still be dead - and if Elsa didn’t live, Arendelle would’ve been wiped out by the flood. 

Elsa was written as a mythic character and Anna, a fairy tale character. I’ve mentioned a few times before that in theory, mythic characters are doomed to tragic fates - they’re either immortal or they die, they live in isolation, and they never really find true freedom unless they’re apart from the people they love. Fairy tale characters usually get their happy endings (romance, happiness, a kingdom, etc).

But Elsa and Anna were also written in a way where one won’t make sense without the other… and this is why I think Jenn Lee is a genius. They will always be inseparable and their (newfound) love for themselves and each other is what makes them both the fifth spirit - the bridge to humans and magic. 

And a bridge has two sides. If the other side is gone, the whole thing collapses. 

I showed your message to one of my best friends, and here’s what she said:

The fifth spirit is the bridge between spirits and humans.

Both ends - Elsa & Anna - need to be there for the bridge to exist.

If Elsa were immortal, Anna certainly wouldn’t be. She’s completely (extra)ordinary. So Anna would die of old age, and Elsa would remain, but the bridge would be broken and then… what, the fifth spirit is just stuck? Who else fills that gap? No one can. Only Anna fits.

Elsa is human, despite her ethereal appearance and her magical ability. One day, the role of fifth spirit will be passed on, perhaps to one of Anna’s children, or grandchildren, or perhaps Elsa will have children, or maybe one of the Northuldra will be born with magic, in a kind of… alternating sharing of powers.

Who was the fifth spirit beforehand? The Northuldra leader murdered by Bruneard (who certainly didn’t look “young”)? Iduna? And before them? The role will be passed on, perhaps after Elsa and Anna have passed away.Only Ahtohallan knows.

- @blunaowl

In addition, the filmmakers really emphasize the power and resilience of the human heart - how strong it is even if it’s without magic (Anna), and how it will continue to prevail in spite of overwhelming hardships (The Next Right Thing). Elsa was born from human parents, and I think she will die of old age, maybe a few years later than Anna (assuming that her magic will prolong her lifespan for just a little while) – but she will not die without the assurance that someone will come after her to make sure Northuldra and Arendelle are safe. And with that said, I think she’ll live many years fulfilled, happy, free, and with her family. 

Maybe she’ll have an heir and a baby or two. Maybe someone else will be appointed to take her place. 

But what I know in my heart is this: even death cannot separate these girls. Those are solid facts from the first movie and the sequel.  In another lifetime, they’ll meet again and again and again. Always.