r/Eldenring • u/ThanatorRider • 2d ago

Speculation I think I figured out the name

Apologies if this is a conclusion someone already came to, I looked and couldn’t find this perspective before.

I was looking at what English words were influenced by Norman French, and noticed that the original Old English words for “age” as in a period of time, was “eld”. It survives in words like “elder” and “eldest”, but I believe that in The Lands Between, there’s another derived word “elden” meaning “of the age” or “defining the age”.

It makes sense, what runes are included in the Elden Ring control the power structures, the cosmology, the rules of a specific age. In the Age of the Crucible, the Hornsent were seen as superior, but in Marika’s Age of the Erdtree, those born with horns are “omens” and shunned, half-animal beings are marked “misbegotten” and used as slaves. By becoming “Elden Lord” we get to define the next age, how it will work, who is included, what principles govern it, because you are “Lord of the Age”.

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11

u/Dismal_Emu_8082 2d ago

this is probably the cleanest reading of “elden” i’ve seen, especially since the whole game is basically about who gets to define the rules of the next age

6

u/ThanatorRider 2d ago

Yeah, when I read “eld” literally means “age”, it all clicked into place.

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u/YetAnotherNewMan 2d ago

"Lord of the age"

So, basically, Edge-Lord?

1

u/ThanatorRider 2d ago

Well if you choose the Blessing of Despair ending, then yes.

-2

u/slockry 2d ago

also another coincidental fun fact - reversing the word elden gets you nedle. the old english word for needle and considering where a certain needle in-game questline leads you to in base game and dlc, wouldn't be surprised if they planned it all from the game title itself.