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The twinbird is said to be the envoy of an outer god, and mother of the Deathbirds. — Twinbird Kite Shield
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The twinbird was an unseen character in Elden Ring.
Overview[]
The twinbird is an envoy of an Outer God of Death and is the mother of the deathbirds.[1] It is portrayed as a two-headed bird with contrasting features. The feathers of the left head are a vivid, bright red,[2] while the right head's plumage is a deep, rich blue.[3]
Background[]
The twinbird was the mother of the Deathbirds
The twinbird once made its nest in the Lands Between, long before the Erdtree grew.[4] The twinbird's offspring were the deathbirds who burned all manner of Death in their ghostflame kilns.[5] Vengeful spirits were released by the ancient death hex as the deathbirds raked the smoldering ashes with barbed bone pokers.[6][7] Even the putrescent sludge interred within the monolithic stone coffins received these final rites.[8]
The servants of Death venerated the violent Deathbirds as evil deities,[9] symbolically invoking them during sacrificial rituals.[10][11][12] Meaningful death was valued, as those who faced death with valor were granted a glorious end.[2][13] Other worshippers preserved their lives in hopes of making a greater sacrifice in the future.[3]
Over time, the influence of the twinbird waned. Some priests pledged their spears to protect the Deathbirds, entering the rite of Death in exchange for a promised, distant resurrection.[11] Later, Gravebird golems were created in the Deathbirds' likeness to guard the spiritgraves on the Gravesite Plain.[14][15][16][17] Although a few hexes continued to be practiced in the tower of Enir-Ilim,[18] the importance of the ghostflame diminished, and its secrets were eventually forgotten.[19]
When the Prince of Death spread his Deathroot through the roots of the Greattree,[20] the Golden Order collapsed.[21][22] Soon, the Deathbirds returned to the world as Those Who Live in Death.[8][14][23][24] A few were rumored to descend from above under the cover of night in places where crumbled ruins have fallen from the temple in the sky.[25]
Notes[]
- The twinbird is believed to persist in some form or capacity.[1]
- Some speculate that the two-headed bird relief in Crumbling Farum Azula depicts the twinbird.
Trivia[]
- The twinbird bears a striking resemblance to the imperial banner of the Holy Roman Empire (800–1806 C.E.).
- Due to its clear associations with fire and life after death, the twinbird is often thought to resemble a phoenix.
- The twinbird embodies the concept of duality, a theme echoed in the contrasting flower fields of the Cerulean Coast and Charo's Hidden Grave, as well as in the lights of Rosus and Tibia Mariner, among other places.
- The twinbird on the blue side of the shield is bright and warm. Its twin appears as a black bird against a red sky. These twinbirds may be symbolic of the sun before and during a solar eclipse.[26][27][28] Additionally, the Deathbirds are described as having black feathers.[17]
Gallery[]
See Also[]
- Charo
- Gravebird
- Tibia Mariner
- Usher of Death, Rosus
- White-Winged Maidens, who were also divine messengers of Death.
References[]
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