Clock Town and the Heart of Termina
"Each year, the season of harmony begins when the sun and moon are in alignment. Paying homage to the way that both nature and time are tirelessly in the process of progressing . . . the Carnival of Time is when the peoples of the four worlds celebrate that harmony and request fruitfulness for the year."
— Anju's Grandmother
It could be said, and perhaps even defended, that Clock Town exists for a single purpose. Though the townspeople certainly have purposes and aims of their own, the town itself has but one function: that of facilitating the annual Carnival of Time, the holy day which transcends all cultures and peoples of Termina. It is the one religious occurrence that we know of that can be called truly universal, as it is a time when people from all four lands gather together to summon the gods and ask for fortune and prosperity for the year ahead. Others have written about the vast tourist economy of Termina in years past, but let us give further context to that concept, while not losing sight of the reasons for which such travels and pilgrimages exist. While there are undoubtedly material motivations behind the traveler economy — with its hotel, entertainment, and banking scene — so too are there religious motivations, and oftentimes we conflate the two while muddling up them both. In our discussion, then, let us keep in mind the distinction as well as the connection between them. And because we have already aimed for the heart of Terminian culture, let us too begin at the spatial heart of Termina — with Clock Town and its four main neighborhoods, each reflecting one of the four main regions of the world.
— Anju's Grandmother
It could be said, and perhaps even defended, that Clock Town exists for a single purpose. Though the townspeople certainly have purposes and aims of their own, the town itself has but one function: that of facilitating the annual Carnival of Time, the holy day which transcends all cultures and peoples of Termina. It is the one religious occurrence that we know of that can be called truly universal, as it is a time when people from all four lands gather together to summon the gods and ask for fortune and prosperity for the year ahead. Others have written about the vast tourist economy of Termina in years past, but let us give further context to that concept, while not losing sight of the reasons for which such travels and pilgrimages exist. While there are undoubtedly material motivations behind the traveler economy — with its hotel, entertainment, and banking scene — so too are there religious motivations, and oftentimes we conflate the two while muddling up them both. In our discussion, then, let us keep in mind the distinction as well as the connection between them. And because we have already aimed for the heart of Terminian culture, let us too begin at the spatial heart of Termina — with Clock Town and its four main neighborhoods, each reflecting one of the four main regions of the world.
South Clock Town is the hub of the entire city, being the neighborhood from which all others can be reached. Like a canyon, this district forms a deep heart in the center of Clock Town, surrounded by the high and heavy walls of the town’s other three precincts. Here is the ceremonial square within the town, having far less to do with commerce than the other neighborhoods; there are no houses to be found in this plaza, nor are there shops or permanent stalls. It is likely that this was planned with some foresight, as the citizens of the town likely knew that large crowds would be drawn in during the Carnival of Time. This absence of mercantilism also serves to highlight more traditional — perhaps even religious — elements of Terminian culture. So far as we can tell, the only permanent structure here is the monolithic Clock Tower standing at the dead center of Termina, a building so important as to negate all others; it stands alone and monumental, while all around it continues the ephemeral buzz and bluster of a town on the verge of celebration. Acting as a lighthouse during the night, and as a stark reminder of the passing of Time during the day, this tower is perhaps the preeminent location in the game. It is through the enigmatic underbelly of the tower that Link first enters Termina, it is here to where Link returns each time he restarts the Cycle of Days, and it is here that the final battle for Termina takes place. During the Carnival of Time, at midnight, the structure appears to collapse, causing the upper level to open, allowing the people of Clock Town to enter and offer up their prayers for fortune and good harvest. Anju’s Grandmother relates to us that it is upon the tower that the townspeople initiate a ceremony to call the gods, and an ancient song is intoned as a plea for the granting of their prayers. [1]
Standing against walls of tan stone, decorated with curving designs in forest green, crimson, blue, orange, and white, and encircled by strings of colorful flags hung between low stands of thatched-grass roofs, the Clock Tower rises above even the Mayor’s House, a dark structure against brighter stones. Decidedly phallic in form, this tower is constructed of dark-grey stone, painted with the same devices as those upon the surrounding walls; large gears on the sides likely enable the building to complete its function during the yearly festival. [2] Two doors lead in and out of the tower, and both are decorated in designs of burnt orange, like rising fire toward the sky. A large sun disc rests atop the platform to the second-level door, directly under the enormous Terminian clock that dominates the entire plaza. As the colossal clock tower and the name of the town suggest, this civilization was built around the concept of Time. The theme of time is everywhere — in nomenclature, in the cultural objects of the town (exemplified most obviously in the Bomber’s Notebook, which is a meticulous schedule), and in every home and shop. Small clocks of similar design are in nearly every building inhabited by the people of Clock Town, and this thematic focus on time simply cannot be overlooked.
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The clock itself is a strange artifact of an unfamiliar culture, and it may help us to analyze it more closely. As the Terminian cycle of time is, like ours, based around the concept of the twenty-four-hour day — roughly half of which is night, and the other half, day — the Terminian clock is arranged as a dodecahedron. Twelve o’clock is marked by a red oval, and the other three-hour markers are this same shape, but in teal. Each hour thereafter is signified by an inward-facing triangle, further divided by four lines marking fifteen minutes, and even smaller lines denoting a further division in half. The center clock face has a rotating panel that, during the day, shows the face of the sun, and, during the night, the face of the moon. Many of these aspects are familiar to us. What is noteworthy is that there are two different designs for these clocks. The clock of the clock tower is greatly different from the clocks found within private citizens’ homes, which should not surprise us, given what we know of public, binding rituals and religious ostentation in art. The less-embellished (seen above-left) clock faces show twelve orbs that create an inner circle, much like that of the outer, with an almost floral scene upon the clock face. The art is in green, red, and orange, with a large, unfinished circle at the bottom in teal — and this may represent the earth at noon and midnight, and the moon at dawn and dusk, based on its positioning upon the clock face. The larger, more ornate, device (seen above-right) upon the tower is colored with red, yellow, and two different shades of blue, standing in muted contrast to the others. Yellow wings spread outward from decorative red designs, and a ring of undulating blue around the outside gives the illusion of rolling clouds on the horizon. In all, these clocks take a significant craft to create and maintain, and their ubiquity throughout the town denotes an important facet of Terminian civilization.
The Laundry Pool may be the most pleasant place in all of Termina. A well-trodden dirt path from South Clock Town descends a diminutive hillock tucked away in the corner of town, gently enclosed by strong walls, tall buildings, and the open sky. A youthful tree grows in this courtyard, surrounded by bright, varicolored flowers, and green, neatly-trimmed grass. Ivy grows long upon the rough-hewn walls, and a wooden bridge arcs gently over a clear and lazy stream. A small wooden bench sits nearby, affording those who come here a restful view of the open yard, while a few small steps lead down into the still water of the river. The path on the other side of the stream leads to the backdoor of the Curiosity Shop, and a bell stands near at hand for those wishing to do business. Many side quests and relationships depend upon this unassuming location in Clock Town, granting this humble place a station far above its original intent. Because it is out of the way, quiet, and generally empty of people, it attracts those with problems, giving them some semblance of peace in a town otherwise bustling with activity and noise.
North Clock Town is the natural garden of the city. Apparently a dedicated green space — like the modern notion of the public park — there are no buildings in this section of the community, and it likely functions as a civic, recreational space. The far northern wall has a classical Fairy Fountain upon a slight hill which overlooks the rest of the small field — an area with two trees, a playground slide, a mailbox, minuscule bushes, and the requisite guard posted at the gate. As with the Laundry Pool, this open space is a breath of wholesome air in an otherwise crowded and commercial city.
North Clock Town is the natural garden of the city. Apparently a dedicated green space — like the modern notion of the public park — there are no buildings in this section of the community, and it likely functions as a civic, recreational space. The far northern wall has a classical Fairy Fountain upon a slight hill which overlooks the rest of the small field — an area with two trees, a playground slide, a mailbox, minuscule bushes, and the requisite guard posted at the gate. As with the Laundry Pool, this open space is a breath of wholesome air in an otherwise crowded and commercial city.
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Above left: The open field of North Clock Town
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Above right: The gentle staircase of West Clock Town
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The western portion of the settlement is a curving, upward staircase, lined with shops, stalls, and businesses. Exposed bricks line the lower portion of the wall, where they meet with white plaster leading up to a thatched roof which protects the shops from the elements. Under this shelter rests a line of potted plants which divides the staircase from a gentle ramp on the inner side of the climb. One of the two commercial hubs of Clock Town, this neighborhood is home to the Bomb Shop, Curiosity Shop, Trading Post, Bank, Lottery Shop, Post Office, and the Swordsman’s School. Many of the day-to-day tasks of average citizens would be handled in this area of town, making it a pivotal, though mundane, part of the community.
East Clock Town is probably the true core to the city, as it seems to be the civic center as well as the entertainment center, including the Mayor’s House in addition to the town bar, inn, and several gaming establishments. It is here that we see the apogee of architecture in Clock Town. Thatch has so far played a large role in the design elements of Clock Town, but in the eastern neighborhood it takes a place of even more prominence. High thatched roofs, stacked and layered like the iconic roofs of Thai Buddhist Temples, stretch the horizon, and plastered walls and exposed stone mix with a dark, natural wood, connecting the marvelous roofs to the ground. As with the other precincts of the town, fanciful designs play upon the walls, flags hang between establishments, and ornate embellishments show the best that Clock Town has to offer. This region is, without doubt, the most festive area of the city, and it is likely the most popular plaza and gathering-point during the Carnival of Time.
Above: The ranch-style gate leading from the Milk Road
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The guarded gates of Clock Town all empty out onto the large field encircling the settlement. With paths running to the Mountain Village, Ikana Canyon, the Southern Swamp, and the Great Bay Coast, we are reminded that Clock Town represents the very center of Termina — the proverbial axle around which all of Termina rotates. The field leads also to two other places in Termina: Romani Ranch and the Astral Observatory. Romani Ranch, which is accessed by a long path called the Milk Road, is a charming country estate of rough, wooden fences and thatched barns, all under a vast open sky. The barn, house, and several outbuildings make up this rolling plain, which is a gentle, quiet spot largely untouched by outside events.
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The last structure of note rests just outside the outer walls of Clock Town. Nestled up against the cliffs and hills of Termina Field is the Astral Observatory, a place of scholarship and study overseen by Professor Shikashi, a man well-versed in the movements of the heavens. A whimsical fence, topped with red circles and statues of yellow stars, bars off this area from the field, making its only access point a secret alleyway in East Clock Town. Beyond the rather plain fence, however, is a dome of blue and white, marked with the signs of the firmament — and rising above these constellations and charts is an enormous silver telescope aimed at the moon. The inner structure is comprised of two levels. The lower level, which is almost a museum storage room, connects to the tight sewers leading from Clock Town, and a spiral staircase leads to the second floor, which is the observatory proper. Encased on a pedestal is a moon’s tear, and nearby stands Professor Shikashi, gazing at the ever-nearing moon. The structure itself is surprisingly colorful, where the floor and walls are concerned; tiles are in almost-neon colors, and some bear a five-pointed star, while the walls are decorated in rising geometric cubes, almost metallic in their luster. The dome’s interior is meshed like a cage, behind which stretches the cosmos in black, with clouds of galaxies and clusters of stars in stark white contrast. The Astral Observatory is perhaps the most opulent building constructed by the citizens of Clock Town, though this should be easily understandable, given the extent to which their civilization rests upon the notion of time and its passing. A careful study of the heavens would enable accurate time-telling, and a learned scholar like Shikashi likely holds one of the most important stations of anyone in Termina.
Of course, these adventures in and out of Clock Town all lead us back to our original point: that the center of Termina exists for the celebration of the Carnival of Time, the worship of the gods, and as a religious city which draws pilgrims from all parts of the world. As with ancient religious cities in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and India, some settlements exist almost solely for religious purposes, and these cities give us an incredible insight into the nature of cultural diffusion, trade, and the spread of religion and belief. Clock Town is just such a place — not only a center for trade and tourism, but of spirituality: a pan-Terminian spirituality that transcends race, people, and time.
Of course, these adventures in and out of Clock Town all lead us back to our original point: that the center of Termina exists for the celebration of the Carnival of Time, the worship of the gods, and as a religious city which draws pilgrims from all parts of the world. As with ancient religious cities in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and India, some settlements exist almost solely for religious purposes, and these cities give us an incredible insight into the nature of cultural diffusion, trade, and the spread of religion and belief. Clock Town is just such a place — not only a center for trade and tourism, but of spirituality: a pan-Terminian spirituality that transcends race, people, and time.
Notes and Works Cited:
[1] Majora’s Mask. Anju’s Grandmother. Nintendo. 26 Oct. 2000. Video Game.
[2] A large waterwheel on the interior, as well as other wheels and cogs, may further contribute to the structural changes during the festival. On a related note, the inside of the Clock Tower shows a confusing image on the wall opposite the door. The Ikanan device of the squat-bellied figure looms large upon the wall behind the Happy Mask Salesman, and similar designs can be found upon the segmented pillars of the room. What connections may be drawn here are all theoretical, though this image is certainly a fascinating and memorable aspect of this tower.
[1] Majora’s Mask. Anju’s Grandmother. Nintendo. 26 Oct. 2000. Video Game.
[2] A large waterwheel on the interior, as well as other wheels and cogs, may further contribute to the structural changes during the festival. On a related note, the inside of the Clock Tower shows a confusing image on the wall opposite the door. The Ikanan device of the squat-bellied figure looms large upon the wall behind the Happy Mask Salesman, and similar designs can be found upon the segmented pillars of the room. What connections may be drawn here are all theoretical, though this image is certainly a fascinating and memorable aspect of this tower.