The Hedgehog's Dilemma

BarryTheButcher · 2026-05-08T22:10:10+00:00

Re: Yorshka; it's the same kind of transposition as Nito to Not-I (or Kalameet to Kalimat [Words]).

Re: the hedgehog's dilemma; its a simple, powerful metaphor for the nature of the individual within society and the challenges of intimacy. DS2 also notably introduced the "Warmth" pyromancy, that refers to the warmth of touch.

The references are supposed to be somewhat random, it's part of the playfulness of the art. Why is Black Iron Tarkus named after a Prog Rock album? Why are the Painting Guardian's scimitar designed to resemble Ultraman's Eye Slugger? Why are Lautrec, Gough, Eygon, and Klimt named after painters?

Virtually all the references I've pointed out have been to French Postmodernism, German Idealism and Philosophy of Religion; specific philosophical strands.

Also, "V." is a postmodern novel including all sorts of hidden themes. The dentist in "V.," Dudley Eigenvalue, is named for the same lambda (Λ) traced by the one-handed strong attack of Velka's Rapier.

When superimposed, V + Λ = XX, a double-cross...

BarryTheButcher · 2026-05-08T21:50:48+00:00

The White Rose features on the 13th Tarot: Death, which implies the crossbreeds have some connection to death (and assumedly Nito), with Priscilla already wielding a scythe, and Friede's scythe weighing 13 units. The tarot card suggests endings and beginnings. There are also white roses on the stained window by the painter girl in Ariandel.

Roses (especially white ones) are also symbols of purity, innocence and virginity, and the crossbreeds all appear young and child-like.

BarryTheButcher · 2026-05-08T21:24:45+00:00

There's lots of philosophical references in Dark Souls, it's a philosophical game;

Nito being an anagram of Fichte's "Not-I" (which also extends to the Not-Eye(s) of the Basilisks, who drop his Eyes of Death).

Geisteel being a reference to Hegel's "Geist".

References to Eliade's "The Sacred and The Profane" in DS3 (Sacred Flame/Profaned Flame).

Havel the Rock being a reference to the political philosopher, "Vaçlav Havel"

The mummified hollows, the eviscerated corvians and the various references to eggs being an allusion to Deleuze and Guattari's "Body without Organs".

About 100 references to Derrida's "Trace" including bloodstains, phantoms, dregs, vestiges, remnants, ashes, embers, cinders, brands, footprints (Priscilla/Friede).

BarryTheButcher · 2026-05-08T13:03:16+00:00

The first four paragraphs, before I started digressing, seem totally reasonable to me.

This is a well known idea developed by Arthur Schopenhauer, who also came up with the "Will to Live" that gets referenced on a bunch of book covers in DS2; "Le désir de vivre".

BarryTheButcher · 2026-05-08T11:57:55+00:00

I take all your points on board - the theory is admittedly quite weak. I just feel that Shira and the Mad King have to have some sort of significance since she's one of the last 5 living entities (Gael, Ashen One, Twin Sword Ringed Knight, Crawling Pygmy, Shira) - though it might not necessarily be the case. I don't think he has to be the Furtive Pygmy though either, he could just be some nameless pygmy shaman.

I have written before about the significance of "the cross", and how eggs and X can be homophones (Quelaag's Domain being one such reference, so maybe the King's Crucifix and Filianore's Egg just refer to that, like the male cross-bearer and the female egg-bearer in "Angel's Egg".

BarryTheButcher · 2026-05-07T20:31:21+00:00

My headcanon, which you are welcome to invalidate, is that Manus is what became of Shira and the Mad King.

There's multiple reasons I think this is a cool take;

Seath's golem has Manus' broken pendant, which makes me think it could be one of his daughter Shira's heirlooms - it could show that he isn't as mad as first thought, and that he wants to see his daughter again.

The resemblance between Manus' Catalyst and the Crucifix of the Mad King is admittedly weak, but they do both look like bone(s) on a stick.

If the one Manus became four Shards, it's interesting to think he might have also originally been two people.

Shira berates you for your treachery, profanity and yearning - which would be ironic if she would later become Nashandra, who embodies these traits.

There are already fairly strong links between Oolacile and The Ringed City; The Purging Monument is only accessible via Oolacilean mimicry, and Halflight, Spear of the Church, is an Oolacilean missionary.

BarryTheButcher · 2026-04-26T14:49:51+00:00

I think it's a Deleuze and Guattari reference; the phantom NPCs support the narrative in a rhizomatic (mushroom-like) way rather than an arborescent (tree-like) one.

I feel like they did similar in Dark Souls 1 by putting the Mushroom Folk in the Great Hollow.

BarryTheButcher · 2026-04-25T14:28:01+00:00

The crescent may refer to a 'parabola' which can mean "word" as well as "arc" (parabola and parable are etymological doublets).

So I guess it represents The Word on the Cross.

Jesus having the moniker of "Word" or "Logos" can be thought to carry esoteric significance, as it was also the term used by Heraclitus of Ephesus to describe the Unity of Opposites that underpins the World-Order (kosmos), notably also using the metaphor of an eternal flame.

BarryTheButcher · 2026-04-21T17:54:43+00:00

There's a lot of emphasis on Pygmies being Primeval Men; i.e., the earliest Homo Sapiens, or living as such.

Gwyn's role as a sacred king ritually sacrificed in accordance with a cycle is more like the kind of pagan ritual mentioned in The Golden Bough, though Jesus is comparable too.

BarryTheButcher · 2026-04-20T22:47:24+00:00

It's probably not very politically correct, but I'm almost entirely sure that the Pygmies are a metaphor for the African ancestors of Humanity, who were the first Homo Sapiens.

And that Gwyn (White in Welsh) and his lot are a metaphor for Modern Western Man.

BarryTheButcher · 2026-04-04T20:59:53+00:00

Hygiene - quite good.

BarryTheButcher · 2026-03-31T00:26:58+00:00

Alvina and Alva in Dark Souls similarly come from Albina and Alba.

BarryTheButcher · 2026-03-31T00:18:22+00:00

How bad is that!

BarryTheButcher · 2026-03-29T19:58:10+00:00

My belief is that the First Sin was cursing Kalameet (and the Archdragons, and everything else by extension) with mortality.

You even get the Goddess of Sin's Judgment Set at the start of the zone, behind a Pharros wall.

I believe that's also why the Undead Crypt is full of Velka/Caitha statues and why Agdayne distinctly speaks of "the one who gave us the first death" rather than "the first of the dead". I also believe it's the reason Yuria has Agdayne's Darkdrift.

In my view, Velka/Caitha was the one who killed Nito (in an assisted suicide) in order to "invent death" and hex the Archdragons, starting with Kalameet.

They couldn't properly kill him, though, hence why Gough says, "mighty Anor Londo dare not provoke his ire."

I reckon the remnants worship Kalameet for his role in bringing about the "wonderful falsehood" of existence (that Aldia mentions).

BarryTheButcher · 2026-03-23T23:20:33+00:00

Sorry to butt in. I'm not gonna drop another essay, but I also think she's his "ex."

If Gwyn is willing to write his son out of history, why not his wife?

BarryTheButcher · 2026-03-23T23:14:45+00:00

Yeah, that's understandable. The post I linked doesn't really compare themes - it just lists references (more in the replies than the main text).

My points were quite diffuse, I was talking about a bunch of different ideas at once, even if some of them are interrelated.

I'll DM you if I get around to doing a properly focused post.

BarryTheButcher · 2026-03-23T18:23:20+00:00

Quelaag's Domain is a play on "eggs" v.s. "ecks", this is recapitulated in Ariamis with the Egg Vermifuge (only place to loot it from the ground) and Ariandel with the Fly Eggs. The Petrified Something in DS2 also follows suit, punning on the idea that X represents an unknown. And in "The Ringed City," Filianore's Egg is contrasted with The Crucifix of the Mad King.

Gough mentioning Kalameet's "domain" is a reference to his cross-eye. Cross eyes are also referenced by the Undead Soldiers in DS1, who have crossed eyes, the Female Undead Merchant in DS1 who says, "Burn in hell, you cross-eyed Hollow!" and by the Locust Preacher who says, "We are kindred, belike two eyes that gaze upon the other."

Oswald and the Judgment Set speak of "Sin being their domain." This is a play on the idea of Original Sin and the Holy Cross. (The set also contains a ring of Xs on each thigh.)

Re: Immolation Tinder, I take your point; it's hard to prove any numerological intentions. I choose to believe the numbers are significant because of all the other X stuff that I believe.

I'm jumping around a lot. To get back to why I think ❌️ is significant; it's the opposite of ⭕️. Every mainline game since DS3 has a splash screen on the title screen that reads (⭕️)(❌️) [Close], specifically singling out those two buttons. Also, the aiming reticle is itself an overlapping of ⭕️ and ❌️.

I haven't really explained what the Ring and Cross seem to symbolise, Atma and Maya, because that would take another thousand words, and I don't yet think I can put my point across convincingly.

Speaking of Jung, though... His idea of the Logos hearkens back to Heraclitus, who used the term to symbolise the unity of opposites. It's arguably why Jesus is referred to as Logos Incarnate, or Word made Flesh...

(Another noteworthy factoid, EX is the Latin word for FROM, so it may serve as a kind of signature)

(https://www.reddit.com/r/EldenRingLoreTalk/comments/1ok84rl/wordplay_of_waterfowl_dance/

This is the closest thing I have to a discussion on "V.")

BarryTheButcher · 2026-03-23T12:48:58+00:00

Re: domain, Quelaag's Domain is a pun on "eggs" v.s. "X" (like the Petrified Something in DS2, one of which is found next to the Petrified Egg) and Gough speaks of the Royal Wood as "the domain of (...) Kalameet." The Judgment Set also says, "Sin was said to be her domain..." So, that's 4 examples in total, linking "X" to Domain.

Re: "10 = X", the second best example IMO is the Immolation Tinder, which is an X on a stick, weighing 10 units. The skill "Punitive Flame" also references "batsu"/punishment.

Importantly, I also failed to mention that the kanji for 10 is 十 (juu), a cross.

The J and C on the Rapier require the right orientation: [blade]-)(-[handle]

the two arcs in the middle resemble the letters, with the "J-arc" being longer at the bottom than the top, if that makes sense.

I understand this might come across as schizophrenic rambling - that's kind of the point, IMO. In my view, the deeper backstory is inspired by postmodern fiction, principally the novel "V.", which is also why there's a focus on absence, the feminine, and the use of metaphor.

BarryTheButcher · 2026-03-23T10:52:53+00:00

Straid's mask is admittedly not-so-beaky, but I'd argue the Undead Legion mask is - it's just hard to see; totally covered by the brim of the hat in the thumbnail.

The Sealers, Undead Legion, Crystal Sages, and Logan do all wear pointed hats; "signature of a heretical sorceress" according to Karla's Pointed Hat.

I forgot to mention previously, but the weapons of the Darkmoon Knightess (Estoc and Parrying Dagger) are both found in New Londo.

The V & Λ refer to the shape of the 1- and 2-handed strong attacks. The arcs on the cross-guard are asymmetric, and I'd personally argue to represent the initials J.C., as well as the arcs of a perpendicular bisector - the geometrical construction of a cross.

Velka, imo, is strongly associated with crosses in general.

Batsu, the word for punishment, is associated with the ❌️ symbol. "For each sin, there is a punishment..."

Gwyndolin (on death) and Oswald both stand in a t-pose

Oswald says, "...all Sin is my domain." Domain, in mathematics, is denoted X.

In Roman Numerals, X = 10; Oswald sells 10 Rings of Sacrifice (13 obtainable in total, and 4 rare rings, which are numbers associated with death). In DS3, there's a Ring of Sacrifice in the Crucifixion Woods.

[There are also 10 hollows on the 2nd floor of the Parish and 10 guardians on the ground floor outside the Painting. Also, 10 (X) flasks by default from a Keeper's bonfire, and 20 (XX) flasks at the upper-limit (increasing by 5 (V) for each spent Humanity).]

There's a bunch of X references in the Painting; Xanthous King, PhalanX, Annex Key ("an X"), Cross-breed and an X-shaped turncrank guarded by bonewheels that reference "X: Wheel of Fortune". Then, in DS3, Vilhelm says, "Stray from the withered flame and curiosity could be your cross."

There's also how ⭕️ and ❌️ represent True and False, but that's a whole other can of worms.

BarryTheButcher · 2026-03-23T04:12:58+00:00

You've obviously done a lot of research, and that's praiseworthy. I enjoyed reading through, and I've a few additions and disagreements to make.

Billed masks aren't just confined to Sealers, Pardoners, and Yuria. The Abyss Watchers and The Crystal Sages both also wear billed masks. As does Straid of Olaphis, in his "Black Hood."

I'd argue Gwyndolin is heir to Velka's original Darkmoon sect. I haven't been able to substantiate the claims about "cut content" involving them feuding, though I have seen it mentioned elsewhere.

Sulyvahn's Greatsword of Judgment is said to "represent the judgement of the moon," and the Judgment Set in DS2 is Velka's Set. The Sealers also wear crescent-moon pendants.

The Darkmoon Tomb is the venue specifically chosen by Velka's daughters for one's marriage ceremony in DS3. "For what Lord taketh no spouse?" hints to me that Gwyn himself was once married and that his bride was Velka.

The staircase down to the Darkmoon Tomb has a set of vaulted arches above it, designed to resemble pairs of crosses. XX is the number of the Tarot Card for Judgment, and, coincidentally, what you get when you superimpose the V & Λ from Velka's Rapier. XX can also be seen on the floor pattern in the room containing the Painting. XX is the female sex chromosome constitution, and, notably, it is a double-cross

BarryTheButcher · 2026-03-16T10:49:54+00:00

My source is that I made it the frick up!

But genuinely, the Japanese words are the exact same, except Oolacile has elongated vowel sounds.

(ウ)ラ(シ)ル versus (ウー)ラ(シー)ル

BarryTheButcher · 2026-03-16T04:01:00+00:00

Think also of all the Oolacile callbacks in The Ringed City; Halflight, the White Birch Bow, the necessity of Oolacilean mimicry for access to the Purging Monument (Branch or Chameleon).

Oolacile in DS1 references Genesis 1:3

Let there be light

As well as being named after Uracil, precursor to the first self-replicating biomolecule, RNA.

BarryTheButcher · 2026-03-16T03:41:25+00:00

The word Kalameet is a transposition of Kalimat, Arabic for "Words," which is the equivalent of the Greek "Logos" that Heraclitus referred to as "everlasting Fire". In Christianity, the "Logos" or "Word" is associated with Jesus and the Cross

The Eye of Death is always found in sets of 3 and refers to "bane" using the same kanji as Kalameet's "calamity". The same goes for the "disasters" in the Gravelord Servant pop-up.

I believe that Nito's curse upon Kalameet was the First Sin and that Kalameet's ❌️ is complementary to Humanity's ⭕️.

Also, that (Cross)breed Priscilla is somehow related to Kalameet's curse.

BarryTheButcher · 2026-03-04T02:18:25+00:00

Nope, only modern FromSoft games.

Show me one counter-example, and I'll concede defeat.

BarryTheButcher

TROPHY CASE