This HUGE clue about Marika might solve the timeline | Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Lore

*MELINA NOT MALENIA! I knew I’d fall prey eventually to the name mixups, sorry ladies!! Adobe didn't upload the full video the first time this uploaded and I'm so sad I lost SO many of your amazing comments before I even had a chance to read-- I'd love to read them though if you remember please share!! 💙

If the Fingers can see the world through Empyrean Eyes, then that would explain why Ranni and Melina have eyes that are permanently closed. They've killed the surveillance feed.

I think the reason why the Hornsent were obsessed with the "jar mixing" is probably to recreate the power of the Crucible. In the Crucible, all things were together and life spawned from it. So, the jars are like the Crucible in their way.

If Queen Marika is a Jar Saint that was created by mixing different forms of life together that may explain why her children were so influenced by the outer gods. If the ingredients used to make her a jar saint were creatures of the outer gods, then that could explain why her children, especially when she had children of Radigon, were so chimeric.

When you talk about marika being made out of emulsified flesh blended together in a jar, it made me think of the importance of butterflies in the story. That's essentially what Marika would be, metaphorically speaking, with the flesh being the caterpillar and the jar her cocoon. Even the mask that the people wear during this horrible ritual is called the "caterpillar mask" Then, of course, you have many different butterflies in the game that each represent a unique child of Marika's. Perhaps to say that she is the "mother" of these butterflies as well. Its an interesting motif that I'll definitely be thinking about on a future playthrough. Thanks for a thought provoking video!

"if I fits I sits' dead

Being disgusting by a late revelation about the circumstances of her birth almost makes it sound like Marika's story could parallel, of all people's, Rya's.

You raised some unreal points here. I believe alot of Marikas origin story is hit right on the nail in this vid. Although im not too sure she is purposely putting her curses into her children, instead randomly showing up in each child as a consistent reminder of the hornsent and where she comes from. This would help explain why she loved Godwyn the golden best, he was the uncursed, untainted child. The shining example of Marikas ideal world. and because of his death, thanks to Ranni (and quite possible Miquella to get him as a consort) she finally breaks mentally. She tries so hard to save her loved ones from death, such as removing the rune of death from her reign as a way to recompense the massacre of her people from the shaman village. Despite this Godwyns death comes anyways just like how she lost her village and this is where she realizes that all shes done, that even becoming a GOD couldnt stop the ones she loved most from death, and due to this she shatters the Elden ring. All along all she wanted to do was save the people she loved from death but inevitably fails at every turn. Such a tragic and nuanced character Marika is, im really happy SOTE helped explain Marikas origins and why she did what she did in the main game. Also, since your analysing the statues so much I wanted to bring up something interesting. Did you notice that the earlier statues of Marika seems to be more structured. She starts her reign with hee hands at her waist and as time progresses you can see her slowly and slowly lowering down into his classic crucafixtion pose? I urge you to look into it as I could also help explain the timeline of events.

I love the hypothesis presented here. Shows a lot of thought was put into them. One thing I want to point out is that Marika didn't give traditional birth, but she relied on Erdtree births for her children. Basically, she harvested them like fruit from the tree. We know this because Melina says as much when she asks about Bok and what it's like to be born of a mother. I've been assuming that each is the demigods are reborn Empyreans and lesser gods, killed by Marika's Golden Order and forcefully recycled through the Erdtree.

Do NOT let the hornsent learn about the slap chop....

Turns out adobe was the real dark souls the whole time.

Good theory. We know that Millicent and her sisters are aspects of Malenia that were thrown off after her battle. We know that Miquella divested himself of St Trina. Therefore it seems the Empyreans have an ability to excise parts of their selves as independent entities. Would show how Marika was able to create Messmer.

"What is it? The braids?" - Marika to the Hornsent, probably.

Its funny how you mention their eyes, because Malenia, Miquella, Mesmer, and Marika herself all have their eyes closed. Malenia has her eyes missing, while Mesmer had a fake glass eye.

"really helped tie everything together" I see what you did there girlie haha

My favourite part was when you said "(the biblical story of Samson) might be a reference to Godfrey pulling apart Serosh"

This is honestly the most well thought out theory i've seen about Marika's history in the land of shadow, the idea that Marika was essentially "raised" by the hornsent is something i hadnt heard being talked about before but it helps piece out a lot of the environmental storytelling.

Radagon was a man who also got put into the jar with Marika. Their flesh melded perfect together. His red hair symbolises the Crucible. Probably something related to the old tree got dumped in the jar with them

Casually dropping one of the greatest elden ring lore videos ive ever seen. Marika's children were aspects of herself she picked up in the jarring process...what a wonderful theory. Well done.

Yeah, this is the one. This is the first video on the DLC where I went "Oh shit, this is it, someone's cracked the final piece of the code." So many acute insights packed in here. I vary just slightly on a small point though. Marika "putting" the aspects she doesn't want inside her inside her children sounds off to me, as a reaction. I think they were in her, and because they were in her, they got passed on to her kids. Birth defects, essentially.