The City in the Sky
“When they created the people of Hylia, they simultaneously created a new capital, a city that floated in the heavens. They dwelt there . . . and some scholars believe that this race lives there still, somewhere in the great sky.”
— Shad, Twilight Princess
Two things invariably surround talk regarding the Oocca. The primary attendant to discussion is the sheer number of incoherent and farfetched theories concerning evolutionary history and the Oocca's connection to the remnants of some previous people. Secondly, this floating civilization is absolutely befuddling. For as complex as it appears to be in terms of technology and engineering, there appears to be curiously little culture — meaning that complexity and advancement were pursued in some fields but forgotten or ignored in others. That a people capable of building an entire city suspended in the firmament should lack the motivation, imagination, or need to give meaning to its existence, condition, and purpose seems absurd. This alone is strikingly inconsistent with any definition or view of humanity, or, in fact, of any culture present in Hyrule. What race of sentient creatures does not at least show a little effort in describing its surroundings or past? Given the dearth of anything resembling culture for culture’s sake within the bounds of this place, I do not think that humans ever dwelled within the City in the Sky, at least not for any lengthy period of time. And because I do not buy into the theories that this floating city is in fact the Skyloft of old, it only makes sense that it would have been constructed either by or for the Oocca. They are, after all, the ones that have inhabited this island in the heavens in the ages prior to the events of Twilight Princess. So, if we are to believe Shad that this race created its own floating capital, it would make sense that, while this complex could potentially have hosted human emissaries of the Royal Family, it is not, in essence, human.
So what can we glean about this place? We know that, as it now stands, this place appears almost entirely artificial in nature. Granted, there is soil, and there are grasses and trees, but these things do not constitute the foundation of the city; rather, they are mere embellishments. It is not akin to the island of Skyloft, which consisted of large pieces of terrain raised from the earth into the sky, nor is it its own heavenly body. It is a structure of consummate technological skill suspended in the air by means of myriad wind tunnels, propellers, and an unparalleled mastery over the elements. It is starkly different from Skyloft in that the City in the Sky seems a product of scientific innovation and inquiry, whereas the former was uprooted and sustained by the unfathomable power of a goddess.
— Shad, Twilight Princess
Two things invariably surround talk regarding the Oocca. The primary attendant to discussion is the sheer number of incoherent and farfetched theories concerning evolutionary history and the Oocca's connection to the remnants of some previous people. Secondly, this floating civilization is absolutely befuddling. For as complex as it appears to be in terms of technology and engineering, there appears to be curiously little culture — meaning that complexity and advancement were pursued in some fields but forgotten or ignored in others. That a people capable of building an entire city suspended in the firmament should lack the motivation, imagination, or need to give meaning to its existence, condition, and purpose seems absurd. This alone is strikingly inconsistent with any definition or view of humanity, or, in fact, of any culture present in Hyrule. What race of sentient creatures does not at least show a little effort in describing its surroundings or past? Given the dearth of anything resembling culture for culture’s sake within the bounds of this place, I do not think that humans ever dwelled within the City in the Sky, at least not for any lengthy period of time. And because I do not buy into the theories that this floating city is in fact the Skyloft of old, it only makes sense that it would have been constructed either by or for the Oocca. They are, after all, the ones that have inhabited this island in the heavens in the ages prior to the events of Twilight Princess. So, if we are to believe Shad that this race created its own floating capital, it would make sense that, while this complex could potentially have hosted human emissaries of the Royal Family, it is not, in essence, human.
So what can we glean about this place? We know that, as it now stands, this place appears almost entirely artificial in nature. Granted, there is soil, and there are grasses and trees, but these things do not constitute the foundation of the city; rather, they are mere embellishments. It is not akin to the island of Skyloft, which consisted of large pieces of terrain raised from the earth into the sky, nor is it its own heavenly body. It is a structure of consummate technological skill suspended in the air by means of myriad wind tunnels, propellers, and an unparalleled mastery over the elements. It is starkly different from Skyloft in that the City in the Sky seems a product of scientific innovation and inquiry, whereas the former was uprooted and sustained by the unfathomable power of a goddess.
Above right — Perhaps the most important and incongruous symbol to be found within this subterranean chamber is the pseudo-Triforce upon the lintel. It is not a full crest but the simplest icon of the Goddesses. If the sky people are said to be the race closest to the gods, it is strange that this is the only manifestation of holy iconography to be found within their cultural heritage.
What also comes quickly to light is the connection between the Hyrulean Royal Family and these beings of the sky. Evidence of their existence is hidden all across Hyrule — from the detailed reliefs and sky writing under Renado’s house in Kakariko Village to the owl statues standing enigmatically in broad daylight all across Hyrule Field. In fact, the world below this city holds more in the way of their culture than does the city itself. Within the cannon chamber below the sanctuary of Kakariko Village, and encircling the dilapidated cannon therein, is an entire wall of repeated shapes and symbols, fascinating and enigmatic to behold; large carvings depicting the Oocca face blocks of ancient and unreadable text, and stick-figure humans linger on the edges of these larger carvings. The smaller status of the humans within these depictions may reflect the views of those that made them with regard to the real-life relationship between these two powerful peoples. If these representations are, in fact, showing humans, these humans are prostrating themselves at the feet of the Oocca, who appear as giant-sized gods. Of course, this is simply an artistic fiction, given the real-life size discrepancy between the two races. Yet, it may hint at a rather curious aspect of historical power dynamics between the peoples of the earth and sky.
What also comes quickly to light is the connection between the Hyrulean Royal Family and these beings of the sky. Evidence of their existence is hidden all across Hyrule — from the detailed reliefs and sky writing under Renado’s house in Kakariko Village to the owl statues standing enigmatically in broad daylight all across Hyrule Field. In fact, the world below this city holds more in the way of their culture than does the city itself. Within the cannon chamber below the sanctuary of Kakariko Village, and encircling the dilapidated cannon therein, is an entire wall of repeated shapes and symbols, fascinating and enigmatic to behold; large carvings depicting the Oocca face blocks of ancient and unreadable text, and stick-figure humans linger on the edges of these larger carvings. The smaller status of the humans within these depictions may reflect the views of those that made them with regard to the real-life relationship between these two powerful peoples. If these representations are, in fact, showing humans, these humans are prostrating themselves at the feet of the Oocca, who appear as giant-sized gods. Of course, this is simply an artistic fiction, given the real-life size discrepancy between the two races. Yet, it may hint at a rather curious aspect of historical power dynamics between the peoples of the earth and sky.
In other reliefs within this room, humans are seen ascending into the sky by means of a rope, or what may be a simplistic depiction of the clawshot, one of which is housed in the City in the Sky. This may suggest that the large cannons left behind by the Oocca were once not the only means of traveling into the skies. A more-probable explanation might be that the clawshot is an essential tool needed to gain access to the cannons. Either way it is approached, however, without the clawshot hidden in the Lakebed Temple (by the Oocca themselves, or perhaps by the Royal Family, or some other entity), and without the clawshot taken by the Oocca into the heavens, it is impossible to reach the City in the Sky.
There is a notebook of sky lore held by Shad, given to him by his father, which is the most detailed record of the Oocca within all of Hyrule. Sadly, though, it is incomplete, missing key components of sky writing, an odd written language about which almost nothing is known. However, whether it is alphabetic, a syllabary, or a pictographic language of characters or hieroglyphs, its basic designs are ovate in nature. Reflective of, or inspired by, their form, the Oocca have mythologized the egg in their writing, as well as in their architecture. The world, or cosmic, egg is a motif found in a significant number of mythologies from around the world — Chinese, Vedic, Egyptian, Greek, to name but a few — and signifies that from which the world is born. [1] The egg is, most broadly, a symbol of fertility, and it was doubtlessly a source of mystery and power to ancient peoples. Likewise, it remains an enchanting and revealing symbol to the Oocca, who immortalized its form in what art they left behind.
Concerning the floating city itself, there is far less to analyze here than below the clouds. The curious remnants of Oocca culture within Hyrule are nothing like those found in the sky; they are far more primitive (or at least made to look that way), and reflect a civilization separated from its current state by many centuries. Contact between the races was broken in long-ago years, and it would seem as though the City in the Sky flourished after or during the creation of the reliefs, prior to falling into its current state of dereliction. Even so, we can still glean that the city was made both for the Oocca and for their human visitors. An overly-large pool of water acts as a landing platform for travelers, and the walkways and arches are all curiously large for a species as diminutive as the Oocca. At present, few Oocca seem to know Hylian, but the shopkeeper still remembers fragments of the language, meaning that there was probably a good reason for him to learn it in the first place — either for tourism or for a more official capacity. In light of the age of this structure, that he still remembers the language hints at a few possible explanations: either communication was broken only in recent years, which seems highly unlikely given what we know, or the lives and memories of the Oocca show a great degree of longevity. As we do not know the current lifespan of the Oocca, this last possibility seems the most likely.
The only signs of home, or of any kind of living arrangement for the Oocca, are found in the shop; egg-shaped chairs, circular perches of metal, and a warm atmosphere simply do not exist throughout the rest of the dungeon. Rather, it is a cold, empty place under the dominion of the wind, filled with enemies and crumbling walls. In the hope of understanding what these spaces actually represent, we must do away with all human conceptions of homes, cities, and living spaces. After all, the Oocca are not human, and therefore it seems odd to judge their culture solely from the vantage point of human civilization. It seems there are no houses, community gathering places, or restaurants in the city, but even if there were, they may prove unintelligible to a human observer. It is better, then, that we analyze what is there rather than what we believe should be there. What we can see, though, with a large degree of certainty, is that this location is not experiencing a golden age. The reason for this decline is currently unknown, but we can easily discern that the civilization which built this place was consummately skilled with technology. It is highly futuristic in design, drawing from modern day science fiction for many of its architectural and design elements. Metal and stone make up the majority of the complex, with sleek, almost contemporary columns and door frames; the walls are simple, made of untouched stone and metal screens. Large fans are embedded in many of the walls, and huge propellers can be seen below the egg-shaped buildings, keeping the city sustained in the ether.
Yet, for all of its mechanical features, there are still tracts of grasses with occasional trees, and ubiquitous vines coat the surfaces of many walls and columns. These organic objects seem more like nuisances, however, as though they have crept unbidden through the stone and metalwork, relegated to the periphery.
Yet, for all of its mechanical features, there are still tracts of grasses with occasional trees, and ubiquitous vines coat the surfaces of many walls and columns. These organic objects seem more like nuisances, however, as though they have crept unbidden through the stone and metalwork, relegated to the periphery.
Having been through the entirety of this complex several times now, I must admit to a bit of confusion concerning a few things. Several bridges within the city are activated to span chasms by use of the Spinner, which is an ancient item locked away in the desert far below. For such a technology to also be represented here brings up an interesting potential relationship between two disparate areas. For all we know, the Oocca were far more prolific in their inventions than was previously imagined, and that they saw fit to leave evidence of their magnificence all throughout the lower world. Secondly, directly below the city is a circle of pure blue sky, whereas everything else surrounding the city is obfuscated by thick clouds. I have no answer for this, except that the hovering of the city simply displaces the clouds directly beneath the supporting turbines. And as to how the complex adheres to itself, instead of certain regions of the city floating off into the clouds? Your guess is as good as mine.
For me, though, these technological quandaries are far less interesting than the seeming lack of culture found within the City in the Sky. The Oocca represent a great many conflicts dualistic in nature, and that is why they are ultimately so fascinating. They are technological yet organic, futuristic yet ancient, and for all their advancements and scientific achievements, the individuals encountered are surprisingly childlike in countenance. They seem to dwell in a space not built for them, though all evidence points to the fact that it was. The Oocca are a prime example of the statement that those things which seem simplest are often the most complex.
For me, though, these technological quandaries are far less interesting than the seeming lack of culture found within the City in the Sky. The Oocca represent a great many conflicts dualistic in nature, and that is why they are ultimately so fascinating. They are technological yet organic, futuristic yet ancient, and for all their advancements and scientific achievements, the individuals encountered are surprisingly childlike in countenance. They seem to dwell in a space not built for them, though all evidence points to the fact that it was. The Oocca are a prime example of the statement that those things which seem simplest are often the most complex.
Works Cited:
[1] Long, Charles H. "Creation Myth." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2 Nov. 2016. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.
[1] Long, Charles H. "Creation Myth." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2 Nov. 2016. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.