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i know I keep hyperfixating on the Solas/Ghilan'nain flashback but there is SO MUCH to unpack there and I want to talk about the VERY FIRST THING we see when we start the FIRST GAME. (DAV spoilers ahead)
The VERY FIRST
This is the very first thing we learn about the entire setting of the game. It's the foundational piece for the Chantry's concept of sin. And as we learned in one of the random Veilguard videos, The Chantry's interpretation is completely fucking wrong.
The Blight not only predates the first Archdemon, it predates the creation of the Veil and the sundering of magic into The Fade. It dates back to late period Elvhenan.
So where did the Canticle of Threnodies originate? Hint: NOT THE CHANTRY.
Slave uprisings? Oral tradition? Hmm, which people relied near-exclusively on oral tradition for centuries? Who did Tevinter primarily enslave? Who has a history of slave uprisings that predates Tevinter itself? Elves. What happened to the Elves of Arlathan after it fell? Enslaved in the founding of modern day Tevinter.
Ancient Tevinter Slaves (hint: Elves) have an ancient oral dirge about a "golden city" being "blackened", and about a singular pissed off narrator telling someone that their every step blackens the city and brings doom upon the world.
A dirge primarily sung during slave uprisings. Whose big thing was a massive slave uprising or uprisiings in Elvhenan and Arlathan?
I posit that Canticle of Threnodies 8:13 is the Chantry's translation/appropriation of Solas telling off the Evanuris once and for all, and was part of his final rebuke to them before trapping them in the Golden/Black City (Arlathan) and sealing the city off and creating the Fade.
The warning survived into Elven oral tradition as they were then enslaved by the humans in the founding of Tevinter. When the Magisters then breached the Black City and found the blight waiting for them (as Corypheus confirms, although I wonder where the Evanuris were hiding), it was retconned to apply to the Magisters when the original sin...was the Evanuris.
(PS: There are literally dozens of these examples of history retcon all throughout Thedas in past games.)
#dragon age#dragon age origins#dragon age veilguard#veilguard spoilers#dragon age spoilers#dragon age the veilhuard#chantry#the chant of light#chant of light#canticle of threnodies#tevinter#darkspawn#doom upon the world#black city#golden city#dragon age lore#solas#fen'harel#evanuris#magisters sidereal
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#dragon age#bioware#andraste#dragon age inquisition#dragon age origins#dragon age II#dragon age 2#chantry#dragon age lore#da#da meme#dragon age meme#dragon age memes#dragon age funny#da memes#da lore#ass deep in demons#follow for more dumb dragon age memes#[dragon age]
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Snow Elf Sanctum
Concept art for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Dawnguard DLC
Art by Lucas Hardi
#lucas hardi#art#the elder scrolls#concept art#tes#skyrim#forgotten vale#falmer#snow elf#vampire#statue#sanctum#auriel#chantry
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I just had an epiphany.
There's a tiktok trend, where people post pictures of them and their father/mother/paternal figures. Typically the parental figure was emotionally absent, a deadbeat, or manipulative/abusive.
No hold on, I'm going somewhere with this.
Cullen and Meredith.
I want to dive deep into their relationship, and how we actually don't see much of it. This is where headcanons come in.
By the time Cullen came to Kirkwall, he was traumatized, mentally broken, and grieving not only his friends in the circle, but his parents that died during the blight. Now let me explain where I'm going.
I have a theory.
A game theory, if you will.
I believe that Cullen, in his broken state, began to idolize Meredith, and view her as a mentor at least, and a sort of maternal figure at most. I believe somewhere in-between.
Meredith was cruel to the mages, treating them unfairly and making many mages tranquil for small offenses. Cullen most likely saw this as justified, because of the trauma he went through in Kinloch Hold and how he viewed mages as 'non human'. Meredith saw how full of hatred he was, and how he idolized her heavy-handed punishments. She played into his fears, feeding him skewed beliefs. She wanted him to feel his hatred, and to let it consume him as it did her. As long as he was full of hate, angry, hurt and traumatized, he would be a perfect pawn to enact her bidding.
So she favored him, almost like a favorite 'son'. She promoted him quickly, and made him her right-hand man. In reality, she didn't give much of a fuck about him. She only cared about him because he was useful. Maybe in her own way, she cared about him, but probably not much.
Cullen thinking so highly of her is probably why her red Lyrium poisoning went unnoticed for so long. He didn't want to have any doubt in his mind about Meredith. To him, she was 100% right, and after all he's seen, he probably wouldn't have been able to handle her being wrong.
He most likely thought that the sheer numbers of blood mages was why Meredith became more and more strict, without realizing the reason as to why there were so many blood mages. The vice grip is that Meredith had on the Kirkwall circles balls was why the mages there began to resort to blood magic. They were tired of being harassed and beaten, which Meredith allowed under her supervision.
Okay thanks for coming to my ted talk
#dragon age#dragon age inquisition#lol#cullen rutherford#cullen dragon age#cullendai#cullenmance#dai cullen#commander cullen#cullen#cullen rutherford dai#meredith da2#meredith stannard#meredith#da2#dragon age 2#kirkwall city#kirkwall#blood mage#Templar#dragon age templars#Chantry#chantry
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Do you believe that when the Chantry finds out that The Herald of Andraste helped convince Solas to let the Veil as it is, they become completely hysterical about it and use the fact as propaganda?
Conveniently hiding the fact that the same Dread Wolf belonged to the Inquisition for a time, in their twisted narrativeâŠ
"The Herald of Andraste, by her unyielding Determination and Grace given by the Maker, stops the infamous Dread Wolf in his attempt to tear down the Veil and killing thousands !"
"Be thankful for the action of the Herald, for she saved our world again fighting against falsely self entitled Elven God! "
(This might be even more ironical if Solas is ever confirmed as the Maker as one theory suggests)
And of course, no mentions of the actions of Rook and Morrigan, or maybe as footnotes (lol)
#solas#lavellan#solavellan#dragon age the veilguard#dragon age the veilguard spoilers#veilguard spoilers#datv#dav#datv spoilers#dav spoilers#chantry#no hard feeling toward andrastian but the idea makes me laugh so much#solas x lavellan
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CONFESSIONS:
Sometimes it does annoy me because like. The Chantry is an ancient, continent spanning institution made of people from all walks of life, and I think it deserves a more nuanced take than what some of the fandom has. All the awful stuff people see in it is real, but itâs also more than that.
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Sometimes you just gotta blow up a building after facing decades of horrendous suppression <3 <3
Original Meme under cutoff
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I'm curious. Is there anyone in the Dragon Age fandom who fully supports the Chantry or genuinely likes it?
I suppose as an addendum, I'll say that when I put "I love or like the chantry" as an option, it doesn't mean "I am fascinated by it and think it is very interesting", I mean "I support it's goals and actions", just as "I don't like the chantry" means "I do not support it's goals and actions"
Had to explain it to a friend of mine, so I thought I might also add that here
#dragon age#dragon age inquisition#dai#dragon age origins#da2#dao#dragon age 2#chantry#dragon age: origins#dragon age the veilguard#dragon age veilguard#dragon age poll
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Anyone else deck out Skyhold overwhelmingly with Chantry and Orlesian custumisations when playing a Lavellan, to really drive home the theme of them being swallowed up by this organisation and the narrative of the Herald? Or am I being problematic?
Not like we get a Dalish throne or decor anyway. Wonder why that is.. And since we don't actually get to influence the Inquisition in any way towards a more Dalish take on what is happening, no matter what we learn in WPHW even, and our own identity as a believer in the Dalish gods gets just brushed aside all the time and in CotJ a noble even gets to make flippant quips about the Exalted March against the Dales to you as if he's talking about the weather, and all of this is kind of the point of the narrative even... idk, I feel like this little customisation choice can really drive these constant slights and erasures home.
Lavellan gets to pick the curtains maybe and the bed in their own room, but the throne room will be whatever makes the Inquisition most pallatable to the Andrastian hegemony. Cause this isn't about them.
#dragon age#dai#da inquisition#dragon age inquisition#lavellan#inquisitor lavellan#dalish inquisitor#dalish elves#orlais#chantry#dragon age chantry#fuck the chantry#dragon age meta#dai meta#da meta#my obsessive da ramblings#chantry critical#anti chantry
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'Kvatch is lovely enough, once you tune out the chanters yelling about Akatosh in the streets.'
-- Stops-His-Heart, on Kvatch
#tes#tesblr#the elder scrolls#lore#argonian#Kvatch#Stops-His-Heart#Cyrodiil#Dark Brotherhood#Akatosh#assassin#Chantry
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honestly i do believe you could usurp the chantry and dismantle it or at least diminish it's power greatly
you are growing in power just as the chantry's has crumbled
you are the herald of andraste. no cleric can speak for her better than you. and you are the one who is personally saving people, walking among them, providing aid, fighting for them as andraste once did
you are solving national problems, indebting the rulers of countries to you, setting up fortresses within their borders
people en masse and of all races are flocking to your banner. you are welcoming those traditionally rejected by the chantry
you are either absorbing the templars--previously the chantry's strong arm, or the mages--people of considerable power who have been abused by the chantry for centuries. and the one you don't pick is decimated by the events of inquisition, removing both from the chantry's use
you defeat corypheus. you prove yourself akin to a god. and you are personally involved in deciding the next divine
so yeah. i do think a determined, charismatic, and politically savvy inquisitor could use their power to crush the chantry
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Dragon Age Iconic Patterns: The Sun
In this post I will try to extensively gather all the sun-based or sun-like imagery that we find in all the games of Dragon Age. From the most typical ones to those which may seem obscure or with a hidden allegory/design. I will qualify their resemblance with the Sun symbol as Strong, Weak or other.
This post contains the following symbols
Chantry Sunburst
Elvhenan Culture: Sun symbol among the Evanuris
Elvhenan Culture: Asterisk Symbol and Elvhenan Doors
Elvhenan Culture: Golden Ring
Elvhenan Culture: Crappy Sun
Elvhenan Culture: Elgarânan and Sylaise
Elvhenan Culture: Murals
Tevinter Culture: Green Star
Tevinter Culture: different decorative elements
Dwarven Culture: Fairel and Dwarven art
Ferelden Culture: The Sun Face and the geometrical Sun
Grey Wardens and the Sun
Avvar and the Sun
Flemeth
Qunari, Par Vollen, and the Solium Constellation
DAO design
Free Marches Rural Areas
[This post belongs to the series âAnalysis and speculation of Statuesâ]
[Strong] Chantry Sunburst
The most typical one that appears in DA series is the Sun or Sunburst with wavy rays, repeated so much along the games that we can identify it immediately. Itâs the unequivocally symbol of the Chantry. We found it in many versions, and it represents the âdawnâ with the idea of hope and ânew beginningsâ, but also the fire that âpurifiedâ Andraste in her pyre to let her ascend to the Makerâs side. In the posts of Andrastian Art [Andrastian Design: Stained Glasses], we also find that âballs of fireâ [which can be interpreted as a Sun in another way] are shown to represent the Maker or the Faith in Him.
Andrasteâs single spiked helm seems to be inspired in a single sun ray, at least this is what an illustration in the Chant of Light [book of World Of Thedas] seems to suggest.
In general, most of the representations of the Chantry Sun have 16 rays.
The same sun-like symbol appears in its Tevinter version when we see the Imperial Chantry; the only difference with the Orlesian one is that the Tevinter Sunburst has straight rays.
As a detail, in DAO, we had the typical representation of the wavy sunburst present in some strange devices of Tevinter origin, for example, the ones we found in [Brecilian ruins], while the main Church in Denerim, or in Haven, display spikes that, more than resembling a sun, look like thorns or even a thorny vine. This may be a consequence of an original plan in linking, design-wise, the chantry symbology with the thorny vines that represent the Blight or the Darkspawn [As we explained in the section âNon-mural symbol: Thorny vinesâ from Murals in DAI: Basics], or merely it was a limitation of the design of the game, as we know DAO suffers from.
We also know that tranquils should display this symbol on their foreheads, burnt with lyrium, but as we saw along DAO, none of them had it. Later we were informed that the devs had problems to add this mark on the npc, therefore, it was never shown until DA2. When it comes to this symbol, it is interesting to see that tranquils carry the metaphor of âa Sun burning their minds and emptying themâ, which may or may not be related with Dwarves and their fear to the Sun and potential relatinship of Elgar'nar shoving a fire ball into their underground lands [More details of this concept in Deep Roads [DLC Trespasser]: Lower Walkways in particular with the codex  Torn Notebook in the Deep Roads,].
[Strong] Elvhenan Culture: Sun symbol among the Evanuris
Strangely close to the Chantry Sunburst symbol, we find the âhalfâ sun symbol [tagged along the blog as Sun-head creature] in what we suspect was one of the ancient primordial dragon symbols that some Evanuris took over when they claimed Divinity [for more context, read Attempt to rebuild Ancient Elvhenan History]. Itâs hard to say which Evanuris took control of this symbol, but we know there is a clearly sun-like symbol present in the Crossroads of the DLC [as a statue, check The Crossroads [DLC Trespasser]: Entrance] and in the Shattered Library [as an Eluvian, check  Shattered Library; Entrance and Courtyard]. With the release of the Vinyl, we also discovered and reinforced the hypothesis that this symbol belongs to or was co-opted by an Evanuris [read Speculations about the Vinyl Art for details] thanks to the image of an elf wearing a hat with that shape.
A consistent detail of this image is that itâs a half-sun with exactly 7 rays.
[Weak] Elvhenan Culture: Asterisk Symbol and Elvhenan Doors
If we extend this imagery, and check other symbols that may look similar to a sun, we find the ancient Elvhenan Doors [Elven Ancient Shard-based door], which top displays a pointy sun of 8 rays that may or may not be related to the Asterisk symbols [also related to the Titanâs core, which I talked about in the post of Murals  âThe Death of a Titanâ]. In the way the door gets illuminated when activated also makes us see a âcircleâ in it that can be loosely related to the âGolden Ring shapeâ. More details about this ring will be treated below.
This strange sun on the ancient door also makes us think in the Asterisk Symbol [made of 8 points], which lays at the centre of the yellow mosaic, which may be related to the core of a Titan [asterisk of 8 points too]. The link is immediate when we see that this asterisk is outlined by a shape that looks like a star or a Sun, inside a big ball with triangular-shape ends. This same symbol appears in the last Trailer of DA4, behind Solas, when he is presented like an Hermit, mysterious, apostate mage. Around this âsunâ we can make out several concentric lines that may refer to a âGolden Ringâ.
The Asterik symbol also appears in murals such as  âThe Creation of the Veilâ or âThe Death of a Titanâ, which allowed us to relate them with the core of a Titan and its immense power of "making real what you imagine"reinforcing the reality", but this symbol also appears in a corner of Solasâ tarot card.
The yellow mosaic also has some shapes at the four corners that may represent eluvians or something related to Mythal. In the mural of âthe Temple of Mythalâ from  âThe actions of the Inquisitorâ, we see that Solas draw a particular star of 8 points inside a door frame that resembles this âeluvian outlineâ, but itâs also the shape of the doors of the Temple of Mythal which represents Mythal herself in her dragon shape. All these symbols seem to reinforce the idea we explored in âThe Death of a Titanâ: Mythal seems to be related to the core power of a Titan represented by an asterisk that evolves into a golden ring and into a sun.
As I repeated several times in Speculations about the Vinyl Art, at times, we find some hints where stars or balls of fires [also understood as suns] are related to Mythal and Elgarânan, making us suspect that, maybe, Mythal and Elgarânan share a nature similar to FalonâDin and Dirthamenâs: apparently, the same creature with two different aspects from them. If this were the case, associating Mythal with the Sun would make sense, and it would also explain why, if Elgarânan was so central in the Elvhenan culture, there are so few representations and statues of him, while Mythal overwhelms it.
[Weak] Elvhenan Culture: Golden Ring
During the last trailer of DA4, we see Solas turns into the Black Dread Wolf as a sun in the background becomes a moon [single golden circle] and later, it separates itself into concentric rings, that may or may not be related to the âGolden Ringâ so deeply entangled with Elvhenan culture. Thanks to this imagery, we may relate the Sun to the Golden Ring [specially if we consider that the mural presented in Nation Art: Elvhen displays the yellow ring in a position that may be considered âthe sunâ, but also the "authority/power above"]
We need to remember that the Golden Ringâs presence is always associated with control, power, and occasionally to Mythal and Dirthamen. In the mural of the âzombie elvesâ, itâs above all of them, and due to this position, it could be interpreted like a âsunâ or moon upon the controlled, zombified elves. But Iâm not too convinced in this interpretation, since we already explored in posts such as: Nation Art: Elvhen, Exalted Plains: Ghilanânainâs Grove and the Dead Hand, DLC: Jaws of Hakkon - Frostback Basin, Elvhen Tomb, Ancient Elven codices; FenâHarelâs mountain ruins, The Crossroads [DLC Trespasser]: Elven Mountain Ruins; Vine-covered Tower, Murals in DAI: The Death of a Titan, and Speculations about the Vinyl Art that this ring was more related to control, power, or even forced change/shape in some cases. Due to its power or potential knowledge, it's also associated to Dirthamen Owl [which also could be Andruil's owl according some inconsistencies in the same Unreliable Dalish legends].
On the other hand, itâs never clear if this symbol may have morphed into a sun along the ages with the loss of memory that the Elves had throughout generations when they lost their immortality. However, I tend to consider that this Golden Ring may have changed into a Sun when it entered in contact with human groups, in the same way that I see the story of Fen'Harel gave enough context for humans to create the Maker myth based on him, potentially during the time of Halamshiral [for more details, read The Chantry and the Mythology of the Chant of Light]
This ring also appears in the last scene of DAI, when we defeat Corypheus, showing Mythal inside it, as bits of red lyrium sprout around it. This can be related to many speculations done in Speculations about the Vinyl Art, where we can conclude that another fragment/part of Mythal is still trapped in the Black City, corrupted, and contained by an immense power that may have been used before by the rest of the evanuris to control their own people.
The Golden Ring has also been seen enclosing Elven Tree Statues and Elven Orbs, implying its relationship with elvhenan power and/or Mythalâs [after all, we know that Mythal took the power from a Titan from which elvhen orbs were developed, and trees are also her symbol, according her vallaslin]. It's worth noting that the only working orb we saw in the game was Mythalâs, so far.
[Weak] Elvhenan Culture: Crappy Sun
There is also a strange symbol that I called âcrappy sunâ in the ancient tablet we find at the entrance and deep into the tomb of Forbidden Oasis: Solasan Temple [along this blog Iâve tagged it as âStone in Razikale-Ceremony-styleâ]. Itâs hard to say if it represents a sun or a breach. It may be related to a sun similar to the one of the Elven Ancient Shard-based door that, later, Tevinter co-opted to turn into the several versions of pointy suns we see in Tevinter Pre-blight ruins, [letâs remember they were not Andrastian yet, and still they had this symbology in their buildings and elements because it may have been related to ancient dragons, or taken from another elvhen symbology during the time of the Dreamers since there are some proofs, such as the Tevinter Mosaic [Invasion], that may show that Tevinter had a better relationship with elves back then].
Maybe the original symbol was related to Elgarânan, as we see in his mosaic, where he shoves down the sun into the earth, and its rays are wavy and a bit âcrappyâ. If this relationship is correct, maybe what Elgar'nan shoved into the Earth to destroy the dwarves/Titans was not a sun but a breach? Again, a very unlikely hypothesis.
This âcrappy sunâ also has 8 rays.
[Strong] Elvhenan Culture: Elgarânan and Sylaise
Elgarânanâs mosaic was interpreted in the post Evanuris, and basically shows an elf shoving down a Sun of wavy rays into the Earth. Itâs easy for us to relate this image to the unreliable Dalish legend of Elgarânan [read Elgar'nan: God of Vengeance]. Elgarânan is presented here as the son of the Sun itself, who tried to burn all life on the Land out of Jealousy, so Elgarânan vowed vengeance against his Fatherâs cruelty, and his rage won against the fire of the Sun. Then, âElgar'nan threw the sun down from the sky and buried him in a deep abyss created by the land's sorrow.â
This story can be followed later in the post Emprise du Lion: Pools of the Sun, where we find another unreliable Dalish legend claiming that this place has spring waters because it was here where Elgarânan shoved the sun into the Earth. I also made a link to Sylaise considering the Elvhenan arenas we can see in this region, the presence of Sylaiseâs Shrine, and her thirst for being always competing with someone. These details can make us suspect that this Sun could have been Sylaise [so deeply related to fire, the sun, and also as angry as Elgarânan according the Song to Sylaise].
Itâs very worth noting that these two legends, said by different clans, claim that Elgarânan pushed the Sun into the Abyss. Another detail we have to assume is that "Abyss", "Beyond the Deep Roads" and "The Void" seem to be one thing related to the places where the Titan sleep [or even inside the Titan themselves] instead of a strange dimensional pocket we never saw before. This links the Elvhenan with the Dwarven in what we speculated in Murals in DAI: The Death of a Titan.
With this relationship, we see again the Sun as a weapon of destruction and control.
[Weak] Elvhenan Culture: Murals
Murals present a red sphere with rays that may imply a Sun .
In the mural âThe Creation of the Veilâ [1], we find a red sphere inside a black one, making us suspect itâs the big evil released by the Evanuris that Solas isolated with the creation of the Veil. Around it, there are seven âbubblesâ with similar âraysâ in grey and golden colours that may imply âgatesâ that would allow us the access to the central âsunâ or red sphere.
In the mural âThe Death of a Titanâ [2] we talked extensively about the asterisk symbol, its representation of a Titanâs heart and all that power associated with it, as well as with Golden Rings. The codex in here speaks of a red sphere that contains fury, and maybe all of this can be related to a sun, or better said, the other way around: a Sun as a sphere of fire, related to fury, and buried below underground to contain its destruction. This also brings us some similarities with the unreliable Dalish legends about Elgar'nan.
In the mural  âRed Lyrium Idolâ [3] we also commented how the image looks as if Solas were walking on a sphere of fire. It may be related to the red lyrium idol too. Here, we keep linking this idea of a âsphere of fireâ as a potential Sun.
In the murals of âThe actions of the Inquisitorâ [4], we see several times that the red sphere associated with the big evil isolated behind the thick, impenetrable barrier of the Black City seems to be positioned in places that may allow a soft interpretation as a âsunâin the sky.
These symbols seem to gather more importance as we analysed the Vinyl Art, where we find the concept of the Eclipse [as an ominous symbol of FenâHarel that covers and hides the Sun] and a lot of iconography of stars, which can be interpreted as âsunsâ.
[Weak] Tevinter Culture: Green Star
Pre-Blight Tevinter art has a âstarâ symbol that may be interpreted as a sun, specially if we consider that the inside of this green star displays the symbol of the elvhenan Golden Ring in red colour. However, it seems more likely to be a symbol representing the power that one can extract from the Breaches. The green colour helps in this interpretation and puts it a bit farther away from a sun interpretation than other symbols. However, it keeps linking the Golden Ring with the power of creating a Breach.
[Confusing] Tevinter Culture: different decorative elements
The rest of the symbols in Tevinter objects may have some relationship with the Sun. For example, we find doors, boxes, and columns decorated with an 8-pointed star [1] but we also find another one with 6 points in something that looks like a box [2]. The shape of an âhexagonalâ sun of 8-pointy rays can be found as well in objects like the âscrying orbâ [4].
Among the outfits, we find a 3-ray comb used by Tevinter women [3], which may be related to the sun-based symbol of an Old God [and potentially related to the corresponding Evanuris associated with it]. This symbol is a lot closer to the "Sun-head creature" we found among Elvhenan objects.
As a curious one, I will always point out the strange, hidden Sun figure that belongs to the Free Marches decoration that can be found at the entrance of the Inner Sanctum in Western Approach: The Still Ruins, Viridis Walk and Inner Sanctum.
I think itâs clear and safe to say that most of the sun-based symbols present in Tevinter culture [and previous to their conversion to Andrastian religion] may have been originated from the contact with the Elvhenan [during the Dreamer time where we can see less repulsion to Elvhen according the Tevinter Mosaics] or [most likely] with the dragons that may have been related to the Elvhenan, as I made the connection in the comic post The Missing.
[Weak] Dwarven Culture: Fairel and Dwarven art
The Dwarves, at least the ones in the Fairelâs ruins, may have some link with the Sun as well. In these ruins we find the same exact stone tablet we find in the Ancient Elvhenan tombs [1], which displays the âcrappy sunâ I commented above. Once again, it could be a sun but also a breach, so there is no much sense to keep focusing on it.
Another symbol to relate the Sun to the Dwarves may or may not be an old âDwarven stone-paintingsâ we saw since DAO, which basically shows a dwarf working the stone [3]. Based on symmetry, we could assume that the triangles on the background are stalagmites, but if we stretch-out this interpretation, they could even be seen as a sun with its rays. Itâs very unlikely, since it seems to be more a design resource to highlight the scene of the stone-painting, but for completionâs sake I think itâs worthy to keep it commented here.
However, this simple design allows us to interpret it in different ways: the spikes we see can be pieces of rock protruding from the ground and the Dwarf in it is mining them [as its original codex in DAO seems to imply], but also it could be understood as a quarter of a Sun peeking through the corner of the image as a Dwarf works tirelessly.
Later in DAI we are introduced to another piece of art of similar characteristics [2]. The building was never possible to be identified unequivocally, and in posts like âArchitecture of Kirkwall : Gallows and Lowtown/Darktownâ I related it to representations of Kirkwall or cities that may be similar to Kirkwall where the runecraft mastery of dwarves was used [and probably, it was a source of pride for these clans, who may have kept the achievement immortalised in a piece of art reproduced among the noble dwarven families]. This piece also shows a background very similar to the one in [3] that may be a representation of stalagmites or a sun, if itâs stretched-out enough.
Another strange symbol in the dwarven furniture is the one presented in some stone-seats: an elaborated metal image that shows thorny vines on or over a sun [4]. This symbol appears in many other parts of the game where there are dwarven rooms, but also in Arbor Wilds :Cradle of Sulevin where we can read the Vir Tanadhal, However, in this case, the symbol is not completely the same one than in the Hissing Wastes: Fairel tomb.
Itâs hard to suspect if this is a mere reuse of assets, it has a lore-related meaning, or itâs just a reflection that the Dwarves and the Ancient Elvhen had a relationship quite ancient [as it shows the Elvhen tree and its dwarven, more geometrical style, that Iâve been pointing out since DAO in Orzammar]. We have to remember that the Ancient Elvhenan saw the dwarves as soulless creatures, workers of the âpillars of Earthâ and worthless. However, I always claimed it was never clear if this was a reference to ancient Dwarves that were linked to the Titan deeply to the point that they became Sha-Brytol after the break of the link, or were related to more independent dwarves as the ones we see now, who have a sense of Stone, but canât understand the Titan with the exception of some gifted ones [such as Valta].
Finally, the dwarves have an additional aspect related to the Sun in the very unreliable codex called Torn Notebook in the Deep Roads, Section 2. I wrote about this codex in a more integral way in Deep Roads [DLC Trespasser]: Lower Walkways. But basically an ex-Dalish elf [now a Qun converted] relates Elgarânanâs fire [which another unreliable Dalish legend, Elgar'nan: God of Vengeance, claims he shoved the Sun into the Earth] to the fear to the Sun that Dwarves experience [Read the section Elgarânan and Sylaise above]. This may have been a Devâs choice to makes us aware that there exists a relationship between the Sun and the dwarves, even though there is no lore material that can make it clear enough.
[Strong] Ferelden Culture: The Sun Face and the geometrical Sun
In the Tryptich presented in Andrastian Design: Tapestry and Tryptich, we find three symbols on top of each part of the scene: the six-snakes that represent Tevinter, the golden city above all the image representing the Maker or the Chantry Religion, and over the section of Ferelden/Orlais chantry, a 8-pointed sun which rays look like triangles. Once again, the resemblance of this symbol with the elvhenan sun in the mural âTemple of Mythalâ is remarkable [check the Temple of Mythal in âThe actions of the Inquisitorâ] or the sun shape in the elvhenan yellow mosaic or in the background of Solas in the Trailer of DA:D. This could come from different roots:
1- An Orlesian root, considering how much of the elvhenan influence it had during the time of the Halamshiral and the coexistence of humans and elves in the Dales for some years [to the point where inter-racial families were made, as it was hinted all over the Exalted Plains]. I spoeculated how the idea of the Maker may have been developed during this time in the post The Chantry and the Mythology of the Chant of Light
2- Another potential root is related to the Alamarri root, and therefore, linked to the Avvar: this sun may be a representation of the Lady of the Sky for the same reasons I will explain below in the Section Avvars and the Sun.
We can find similar icon in the book World of Thedas, where they show a unique Ferelden Tryptich [3], which top displays this symbol with a sun that even may have a shape of a Golden Ring within it. In either case, we know that this symbol later was part of the Ferelden Chantry, which sun is very pointy, as DAO showed it [see the first section in this post: Chantry Sunburst].
In DAI, we find in some small towns of Ferelden, a unique strange Sun with a crying face [1]. On it we see a bird and a squirrel. Itâs hard to know exactly what this is, [check the post Nation Art: Ferelden], but maybe it can be understood as a representation of Andraste made by Ferelden culture mixed with some local animals and fables created as a mixture of cultures, similar to the tale that related Wyverns to Andraste [check the wyvern section in Dragon Age Iconic Patterns: The single spike].
There is also a fish drawn in the DLC of Hakkon on a fisherman shack [2], which displays a pattern that can be related to the âcrappy sunâ designs on its skin. Not sure what to make about it. The closest is that the Avvar represented this symbol as a way to reflect what they may have seen in the Isle of the Lady, where a big ancient breach have been there, open, since the time of Telana [read about this in âThe Veil and the preservation of the Waking Worldâ from the post Frostback Basin [DLC]: Miscellaneous ].
[Strong] Grey Wardens and the Sun
The typical symbol of the Grey Wardens involves a chalice that represents the Joining ritual. It always displays a Sun, and not any sun: itâs one with a strong resemblance to the Sunburst of the Chantry. Letâs remember that the Grey Wardens was and is an independent Order that doesnât respond to the Chantry, and even more so: it was created before the existence of the Chantry, and before Andraste was born. So any quick explanation that this sun is present in this object due to some potential influence from the Chantry seem unlikely.
However, as I showed in Western Approach: The Still Ruins, Main Chamber and Hall of Silence, there are griffons with this same chalice that belonged to pre-Blight Tevinter, maybe remotely associated with Dumat in some ways [since they appear in a hall called âHall of Silenceâ, and Dumat=Silence]. We know that the Joining, as a ritual of blood magic, came from the knowledge of Arlathan elves and Tevinter Mages during the desperate times of the First Blight when nothing seemed to stop the darkspawn and even slaying Dumat did not work the first time. Therefore, this Sun may have some relationship with the elvhenan, the Old Gods, or just the blood magic that allowed the creation of the Joining.
[Curious] Avvar and the Sun
The Avvar have a symbol that I always found very Sun-like due to its design and cultural concept: The Lady of the Sky. Itâs not only the concept; the lady of the sky can be any important object in the sky; moons or suns. Since Thedas has two moons, it seems more plausible to think of her as unique as the Sun itself.
In the painting that represents her (found on a wall in the Frostback Mountains) we see a design of an owl which shape looks like a Sun. Even her sculpture in Skyhold displays small spikes around her neck which give her a low-key âsun-likeâ design, specially if we relate this shape with the âsunâ shape we saw in the Ancient Elvhenan Yellow Mosaic or with the star we saw in the âTemple of Mythalâ mural [in âThe actions of the Inquisitorâ] or with the Sun that appears behind Solas in the trailer.
Curiously, her banner displays her eyes in a shape that looks similar to the Golden Ring shape, but in black colour. That the Avvar have an art that may have resemblance with Elvhenan's is not strange for me if we remember that  Tyrdda Bright-Axe Pathâs story narrates that her lover was an elf that, as it is hinted, may have been the Lady of the Sky herself. This means that the Avvar always were a culture under the influence of the Elvhenan and the Dwarves [due to the marriages they arranged with the children of the Stone].
[Weak] Flemeth
Flemeth also had a unique concept art that shows all of her nature in one drawing: her dragon shape, Mythal, as the central part of it over a human figure that may be a petitioner; a bit aside and as if she were in a inner ring of a brown sphere, The Witch of the Wild: Flemeth, with a very particular staff inside a yellow circle that may be interpreted as a Sun. And very hidden in the corner, in the core of this sphere, now black, we see her as an "old, old woman" with a big eye drawn on her apron, at the edge of a cliff [potentially representing the fragment of Mythal that lives inside her]. This kind of eye is very similar to the ones that we see in the concept art armours of Mythalâs temple guardians. I assume it has to do with her omnipresence due to the manipulation of dreams [we know that she presented herself in dreams to an elf and marked him with the Vallaslin of Mythal after awakening, check the video]
Mythal also has bland hints related to Elgarânan symbology, which is related to the sun, fire, and balls of fire with anger [check all this in the posts Speculations about the Vinyl Art and âThe Death of a Titanâ]. Flemeth ends up being related to all this since she carries a fragment of Mythal in her.
[Strong] Qunari, Par Vollen, and the Solium Constellation
The Qunari have little link with the Sun, but not the land they conquered. In the book World of Thedas we are informed about the existence of the Fex, a race we never saw nor had much information beyond the fact that they exist. May they be related to the Sun or a Sun-base proto religion? We don't know.
In the Codex Constellation: Solium, we learn that this constellation [which looks like a Sun/Star, image above, pretty similar to the Chantry Sunburst I may add] may have been a representation of the Sun or the Moon [or both] for the Neomerian [Ancient Tevinters], however, it could also represent Elgarânan, since unreliable Dalish legends claim him to be the âeldest of the Sunâ.
Another Codex, called  The Pyramids of Par Vollen, tells us that the Jungles of this continent have ancient ruins that doesnât seem to be tombs but places of scientific purposes. The shape of these ruins fits perfectly with the constellation of Solium, making them, in some way or another, related to the Sun. These pyramids are a great mystery in the DA lore, especially for their total lack of information beyond this codex. We know their walls show images of âintricate sea creatures, shipwrights, musicians, archers, and kings. Odd figures are depicted, tall, horned, always in a position of authority and respect.â It seems that there was no resistance when the Qunari came to conquer this place, so we can suspect that this previous civilization embraced the Qun without much resistance, in part, because the Qunari have horns, and that caused respect and authority. Or the civilisation had been gone long ago when they came. Or it was a civilisation that was developed by or under the authority of the Kossith, the ancient Qunari who had no Qun.
The brief description of these ruins also makes me link it, potentially, with the underground ruins we find in  The Horror of Hormak .
[Confusing] DAO design
This section tries to relate the Sun shape with designs that may make the connection a bit stretched or not truly reasonable, therefore, DAO leads this part, lol.
We find that many places along the game, specially the ones related to puzzles [Honnleath and Enchanter Wilhelmâs basement] or to Tevinter experiments [Ruins of Brecilian Forest] display a platform on the ground with a symbol similar to the Sunburst of the Chantry. Iâm not sure why they are there, specially in the Brecilian Forest, since we know this was a fortress probably developed by Tevinter [ which potentially may have co-opted, as usual, an ancient Elvhenan building and claimed it as its own] just to be taken by Dalish and humans later. This Fortress is a mess in terms of design and statues that it displays, so itâs hard, if not impossible, to truly take it seriously. To me it all feels more like a reuse of graphical resources, but just for the sake of completion, I add the present section.
More of these sun-like platforms can be found in the Tower of the Circle of Magi [which could potentially make sense since the tower was made by Avvar and Dwarves, and it may be a representation of the Lady of the Sky, as we saw in the Avvar section of this post] but also in the Temple of Andraste or in Denerim at the Fort Drakon which makes less sense [unless it is taken as a symbol from the Chantry itself]. Again, these inconsistencies make me suspect the reuse of assets in a game that could not afford to have 5 different platforms designs.
[Confusing] Free Marches Rural Areas
Another place where I found a sun-like symbol was in a very disturbing image of the book World of Thedas associated with a cautionary tale told to Free Marches kids. In it, we see that people/children are punished if they go outside a bubble of darkness with small âsun-likeâ symbols floating around. Each of these kids have a symbol on their belly or head. Curiously, one of these symbols is a small spiral that Iâve brought the attention upon long ago in the post Hinterlands: Statues, paintings, and structures found in the open where we found the alamarri statue I called Eroded dragon skull which has a âG symbolâ on its back, which, at the same time, seems similar to the one present in a reiterative way all over the elvhen artefacts and in some dwarven rug designs.
I don't know how to interpret this image, mostly like the big black bubble that contains these klids seems to protect or shield them from the dangers outside. The kids that "behave badly" are dropped outside of it and are consumed by the dragon fire/jaws of the dangers outside. So in a very stretched way, we can interpret this image that the bubble filled with Suns protects people, or at least, it's the right path to follow not to be eaten by those monsters outside.
Conclusions
To put an end to this post, I would like to bring a short conclusion that we may have reached together along it. The Sun in Thedas is an ancient symbol that mostly every culture took to exploit and use in their own representation of gods/power.
This fact alone is not strange, since in anthropology we can see that severals cultures on Earth have developed religious rites or created Gods out of the Sun itself. The Sun is a symbol related to warmth, light, food, life, and security, so it seems reasonable for DA Lore to take it as the main symbol of Thedas civilisations.
The Sun in current Thedas is immediately associated with the Chantry and Andraste: it is a symbol of hope, of dawn, that provide the idea of new beginnings; itâs also the idea of the Maker itself and the Faith people have in him. It's also the fire that purifies in order to grant ascension [Andraste's case].
When it comes to Elvhenan, the Sun is immediately related to Elgarânan, who was considered, according to the underaliable Dalish legends, the son of the Sun itself, who in order to save the Land shoved the sun into the ground, potentially causing a great damage to Dwarves and Titans.
There is also a symbol of a half-sun in an Eluvian, a statue, and in a hat worn by an elf, that may suggest that an original god, represented by the sun [potentially an ancient Dragon] was worshipped by the Evanuris. Lately, that symbol may have been co-opted by one of the Evanuris when they took divinity and the identity of the ancient gods they worshiped.
Elvhenan also seem to take the symbol of the asterisk as an oversimplification of the Sun, which across the murals, is also related to the heart of Titans, to power, and to the Golden Ring, which is also associated with control. So, for Elvhenan, we may suggest that the Sun represents immense power, if not, Divinity itself, that may end up being related to the core of Titans. The asterisk is also associated to the orb, a big power object.
Since Elvhenan were the first civilisation we know that started in Thedas [besides the Titans and their children], their symbols of power [asterisk, orb, golden ring] may have evolved along time to reach human groups which developed, later, all the sun symbols that ended up in the Chantryâs.
Thanks to Tevinter, we also can suspect that the Sun may have been a representation of an Old God, since they have a lot of sun-related images in their decoration and objects that belong to ancient times in which they were not Andrastian yet [in fact, so ancient times that Andraste herself was not born yet]. This may mean that the Sun symbol cloud have been taken from the Elvhenan or from the Ancient Dragons. Through Tevinter style, we also realise that the Elvhenan Golden Ring may have been used to create Breaches, which again shows and seems consistent with the idea of relating it to power and control. The symbol of Sun in Tevinter culture may be related originally with Elvhenan or with Ancient Dragons that Tevinter used to worship.
Dwarves have little representation of the sun for obvious reasons, but due to the unreliable legend of Elgarânan and the war with the Titans, we may establish a relationship in which the dwarves endured the Sun [or the Elvhenan power] at some point in their story.
Thanks to the Grey Warden we can relate a sun with the idea of ancient Blood magic or ancient Dragon blood knowledge, since the Joining is represented by a chalice with a Sun on it.
The Avvar also have a low-key representation of the Sun in their Lady of the Sky, which may be just consequence of their deep relationship with the Elvhenan culture.
Par Vollen may have more answers about the Sun and ancient times, but the lore of DA world is very scarce on this region of the map of Thedas, so we can only speculate.
#Analysis and speculation of Statues#golden ring#alamarri#avvar#Chantry#Dragons#Elvhenan#Flemeth#Grey Warden#High Speculation#Old Gods#Tevinter#Par Vollen#sunburst#Sun-head creature#evanuris#Elven Ancient Shard-based door#yellow mosaic#mythal#flemeth#Elven Owl statue#Stone in Razikale-Ceremony-style#Sylaise#Elgar'nan#Asterisk Symbol#Free Marches Sun#Dwarven stone-paintings#lady of the sky
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*Orleasian voice* Zere is an aire of faggotness in ze Chantry
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I think that Bioware missed a great opportunity.
At the start of Dragon Age: Inquisition we are told that Divine Justinia perished during the explosion at the Conclave and there was no funeral held for her. During my studies I came across something called Castrum doloris - Castle of grief. These "castles" were build during the funeral of high ranking members of the church in the 17th and 18th century (for example Pope) or other important people (kings/emperors etc.). Look at this picture and tell me that the pompous Orlesians would miss the opportunity to show off like this.
Not to mention that this event could be used in the Game - nobles fighting with each other about who donated the most to build this "castle" etc.
It would also be more dramatic if the Herald (a person who is believed to be responsible for the Divine's demise) showed up during the funeral rather than at the Val Royeaux plaza when trying to speak with the clerics. Not to mention how scandalous it would be if the Templars also showed up only to announce that they are breaking away from the Chantry moments later.
I presume that Orlais have the same burial customs as Ferelden and burn their dead, in that case there might be no need for Castrum doloris, but the thing is, that they do not have the Divine's body so Castrum donoris might as well work as a symbolic funeral.
Maybe the funeral couldn't be held because the Chantry was at its lowest at the time - everyone who was important enough went to the Conclave and perished along with the Divine, which only led the lesser clergy to fight for influence in the Chantry. On the other hand, if someone crasping for power would organise a funeral for the beloved Divine, it might streghten their chances.
So this is why I think that this could have been a part of the game.
#dragon age#bioware#dragon age inquistion#dragon age: inquisition#herald of andraste#divine justinia#dai#da:i#2 am thoughts about dragon age#orlais#chantry#da: inquisition
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Guys I have an idea
What if some girl started training as a Templar, hates mages, the whole thing
Then develops her magic comically late
Like extremely late (mid teens-late teens)
That would be scarring but funny
#dragon age#dragon age inquisition#templar#dragon age templars#chantry#mages#andraste#circle#circle of magi
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"The air itself rent asunder, Spilling light unearthly from the Waters of the Fade, Opening as an eye to look Upon the Realm of Opposition In dire judgment."
Exaltations 1:2
#dragon age#thedas#chantry#chant of light#tevinter#imperium#dragon age ii#dragon age mage#dragon age origins#orlais#hero of ferelden#champion of kirkwall#fereldan#dragon age the veilguard#veilguard spoilers#da veilguard#solas dragon age#evanuris
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