In silksong, Motherhood is one of the themes present in the game. But one interesting aspect on it is how it exists in conflict to Instinct.
"Maternal Instinct", as generally understood, is the idea there is a group of people in our society who "naturally" have the need and inherent ability to be mothers (This is a myth and there is no such thing as someone having it hard-wired into their DNA the need to have babies).
In silksong, we do see multiple mentions of one's nature and natural instincts and having to fight against them. Even Hornet admits, her weaver nature is one that seeks power and to conquer, which is a bad thing and she has to fight it.
She is an NPC who the player meets surrounded by her eggs, which are about to hatch. After some dialogue, she will task Hornet with gathering meat for her babies to eat when they are finally born.
Once we finish the quest we learn the truth: In her species, when the babies are born, they are so hungry they eat their mom. Her tasking Hornet was about surviving her babies.
Except, interestingly enough, her reason for survival are so she can raise her children herself. Be present in their lives and actually be a mother for them.
Her dialogue suggests this is odd for her species. Like her being eaten is the expected outcome and her desire is against the norm. Almost like she is going against her own nature.
And the thing that is against her nature... is wanting to be a mom.
Hornet was born because her mother Herrah made a deal with the Pale King: she would go along with his plan to stop Radiance, but in exchange she would spawn a child with him.
But we are never explained why she wanted a child.
Herrah is a weaver. That is to say, it is in her nature to "bind her opponents", to conquer and dominate. In the original game, she even was queen to the most dangerous zone in all of Hallownest. So it would make sense, almost be expected, that Hornet be a part of some sort of plan or a desire to grow Deepnest stronger with her in charge.
But nothing in her dialogue suggests that is the case.
In the original game, her dying words imply Hornet herself was the point.
In Hornet's memories, she encourages to go crave her own path. While fully expecting for Hornet to forget her. She is a weaver, a selfish species, yet she is selfless in her actions towards Hornet.
Which is in contrast with Grandmother Silk,
She is a higher being who very much embodies the nature of weavers. Pharloom's current state are the result and consequence of her desire to dominate.
And she is extremely possessive of her family of weavers. She sees them and Lace as hers to own and possess. She might care for them, but in that selfish nature, in that instinctual need to control them, she can only hurt them.
It is fitting then that her name, Hornet, was probably given by the Hive. To whom she was an outsider, yet was welcomed and raised as one of her own.
It is fitting that she was raised in the courts of The White Lady, her father's wife, who treated her fondly as the child she never had.
And that the key to save Lace is given by her memory.
In Silksong, To give birth and to be a mother are two different things. The latter can only be from a conscious decision to be so, not from any sort of "natural instinct" you may have
gracieabrams
origamiaround
kianamaiart
