The Lost Realms of Robert Holdstock
*the following theories are not definitive and may undergo revision.
Within Robert Holdstock’s book ‘Lost Realms’ there are a number of lands referenced collectively; these also appear in the Elite Dangerous game within close correlation to each other. These realms are similarly referenced in the Raxxla codex:
‘
Much like the ancient myths of Atlantis, El Dorado and the kingdom of Prester John’.
This hypothesis I have proposed previously, however that assessment was from evidence obtained independently of this Robert Holdstock book. For some time I’ve wanted to review the book to assess if there were any specific correlations.
The following then, is an analytical breakdown of the book, identifying how certain systems are grouped.
Key findings:
The introduction
Within his introduction Holdstock draws together many of the key mythical locations mentioned throughout his book, attributing these as prime example’s of the primordial lost land
Eden, a recurring theme throughout the text.
This introduction is key because it is reflected in the Raxxla Codex as: ‘
Much like the ancient myths of Atlantis, El Dorado and the kingdom of Prester John’.
Elysian Fields -RH p12 Greek, Not in game but ‘
Elysia’ is - has bodies Cronos and a Kailas reference to a world-mountain).
- Avalon - RH p12 Celtic, in game has a station called Persephone.
- Lyonesse - RH p12 Celtic
- Atlantis - RH p15
Contextual research:
El Dorado is mentioned in this section of RH’s book, who correctly identifies its not a place but a person. This is not a system in game, however references to the
Seven Cities of Gold are (cover in ‘cities’).
Chapter 1: Avalon
Here Holdstock draws upon the story of King Arthur and of
Avalon, and attempts to highlight its similarities with many earlier Celtic spiritual lands.
The vale of Avalon - RH p18; RH talks of a Moon goddess associated with horses p22 and a mystic earth goddess, neither he names (this might be
Epona who he mentions on p27), but then he associates Morgan La Fay as a possible link with the triad Celtic goddess ‘
The Morrigan’, a fertility and war goddess p23.
With Excalibur - Lady of the lake RH attributes with ‘
BrIgga’ p25 a water goddess. RH identifies here how water is barrier between the real and these other worlds.
Morgan La Fay is mentioned again on p25 accompanying Arthur on his death barge with three hooded women or three queens, RH then calls these women
the tri-partite goddess; fecundity (youth), motherhood and death, who control entry to the realm of healing P25.
RH calls Avalon an
Otherworld, the Delightful Plain, the Land of Promise, and the Many coloured land. Later RH states it can be traveled to only by two methods, first through an un-named island over water; second is via a magic cave in an un-named hill or burial mound, that ultimately Avalon is associated with gateways to the land of a vanished folk dating 4,000 years ago p25.
RH names Avalon as the realm of
Avallach (not in game) the Lord of the dead p26, the Delightful Plain, or the Beautiful Valley p26.
RH identifies the lineage of the Celts as originating from Switzerland and talks of the sacred mountain and caves of,
Hallstatt as being a proto-gateway to Avalon and then the Tor of Glastonbury p26 (not in game).
RH alludes that early stories of Arthur said he fought under the heraldry of the
Virgin Mary p27. RH then discusses the early Celtic gods such as
Cernunnos the Lord of Animals, of
Brigga and of
Epona, RH then hypotheses that it’s more likely Arthur fought under the banner of Epona the moon goddess and queen of horses p27.
RH then draws references to previous kings, of Peredur, Owein, Bran, and Nuadd, none in game.
- Avalon - RH p18
- Morrigan - RH p23
- Cernunnos - RH p27
- Brigga / Brigid - RH p27
- Epona - RH p27
Contextual research:
Avallach / Avalooc is derived from the Welsh word
afall "apple tree"; and Avalon was known as the land of apples, in Welsh mythology this was
Ynys Afallach, there are a number of systems in this area linked with the mythology of apples, eg the Isle of Apples is a part of, or certainly an entrance to, the Celtic Otherworld also known as
Annwn (in game).
Avallach is also thought to be known as the King of
Annwn and the same person known as
Arawn (both in game and in tight correlation to Avalon). Avallach is also thought to be the farther of the goddess Modron (not in game) a prototype of Morgan Le Fay (born of the sea (not in game).
Avalon was also called ‘The Fortunate Isles’ because it grew bountiful fruit; there’s also
Idun close by, the goddess and holder of the apples of youth (see chapter: land of youth).
The delightful plain, the multi Coloured land is generally accepted to be
Tir Na Nog (in game); it is not mentioned in this chapter, but it is later on p102 as a land of youth, likewise this system is in relatively close proximity, it’s likely the Land of Youth and Avalon systems may be interconnected in game.
Brigga a water goddess, is not in game nor can I find any link historically attached to that name, however the closest associated Celtic deity is a ‘
Brigid’ a triad goddess also worshipped in conjunction with Cernunnos - both are in game.
In mythology ‘The Morrigan’ was a triad of goddess consisting of
Badb;
Danu and
Morrigan, all are in game, these are all in the upper celestial hemisphere.
In the system
Avalon there is the planet
Grach, orbiting this is the station
Persephone. In Welsh Grach is associated with hill.
View attachment 368046
Chapter 2: Lyonesse
Lyonesse RH p30 describes as being accessible via a
land bridge on the west coast of England, and RH identifies it as the home of Tristam and Sir Galahad, who after the battle of Badin return passing St Michaels mount in Cornwall. RH identifies Lyonesse as a
drowned land.
RH briefly notes Lyonesse is known as the British
Atlantis p31 and equally overlain is the myth of the city of
Ys p31 and notes how the link between these lands is strong, giving the term ‘the land below the waves.
- Lyonesse - RH p30
- Atlantis - RH p31
- Ys - RH p31
Contextual research:
There also exists a
Gwaelod in game, it is commonly known as the Welsh Atlantis, and like the other systems above is relatively close.
The system
Ys has the planet
Chroin, which in Celtic means hill/mountain.
View attachment 366468
Chapter 3 Islands
This chapter does not draw on any of the mythological lost ‘islands’ or ‘Otherworlds’ mentioned in previous chapters; rather it focuses primarily on ‘
fictional’ islands from published contemporary stories.
It seems this chapter draws from the expectations of the age of discovery, to provide context to how such realms may have been imagined, through exploration and exaggeration; none of the fictional lands are in game.
Chapter 4: Continents
This chapter focuses upon how continental drift and the rise and fall of oceanic water levels or cataclysms may have hidden certain lands, such as
Atlantis.
But like the last, much of this chapter focuses upon fictional stories, in this case that of Tolkien, and
pseudoscience lands Lemuria p47 (not in game) and of
Hyperborea (in game) which HR links to Atlantis p47)) and the land of Mu p51 (not in game),
- Atlantis - RH p44
- Hyperborea - RH p47
Contextual research:
Lemuria is the land of Mu and is a fiction continent which was an explanation for Atlantis.
No map built, as both Atlantis and Hyperborea appear in other correlations shown here, and there being only two points of interest it serves no purpose to build a map in this instance, but we ought to note this links the two together
Chapter 5 Cities
RH again talks of the ‘first or fabled’ cities, such as Ophir, Uruk, Alecia p55 then Troy p56 which ultimately were
real cities. RH then discusses such cities as storehouses of wealth and knowledge, mentioning
Shambhala aka Shangri-la or Belovodye p56 and RH calls it the land of ‘peace’ or ‘white waters’ and attributes it with being
beyond the north wind, the mythical land of the
Hyperboreans p56 or the world mountain of
Meru p57.
Interestingly in relation to the codex, and it’s peculiar overuse of the word ‘seven’ in this chapter p56 RH talks of the number seven as having importance in religious traditions, and links them to many aspects including the constellation Ursa Major and RH coins the phrase of ancient wisdom “
as above so below”.
RH then talks about mountains of mythology, the
world mountain of Meru, Olympus etc then back to land of the Hyperboreans p57. And identifies it as the origin point of Apollo and his sister Artemis, who had Ursa Major as her sign; and again RH notes both gods have attributes measurable in
seven!
RH then moves back onto the subject of Eldorado p58 and the association of
the seven cities of gold, of El Dorado being Spanish for ‘golden man’, linking it to the golden king of Chibcha and the lake of Gustavia p59 then another supposedly lost city Vilcabamba p62.
RH then again moved back towards fictional, then finally real re-found cities like Troy and
Petra p70.
- Shambhala - RH p56
- Hyperboreans - RH p56,57
- Petra - RH p70
Contextual research:
Petra is an interesting system because it’s not actually a lost realm, it was rediscovered, it’s likely unrelated.
The actual Seven Cities of Gold are not discussed by RH outside the emphasis on El Dorado, however this phrase is associated more so to ‘
the seven cities of Cibola’, and 4 of these locations are in game and in very close relation. El Dorado is associated with the lake Parime at
Manoa.
- Cibola
- Paititi
- Quivira
- Maona
Ophir - RH p55? Is an Old Testament region linked to King Solomon and likely linked historically to any number of lands in Asia, it likely does not qualify as a lost realm.
Uruk - RH p55, is now known as Warka but is in game but only as a body in 51 Arietis.
Alecia - RH p55, is an unknown reference which I cannot identify outside RH text.
Meru is s real mountain and likely does not qualify as a lost realm, although it is in game as body in the system Wakea.
The system
Hyperborea has the planet
Boreas, the personification of the north wind.
The system
Cibola has the planet
Quivira which is another city of gold, and system.
View attachment 366481
Chapter 6 Undersea
RH uses this chapter to hypothesise realms lost to the oceans, such as
Atlantis p73 and the Celtic The Land Below the Waves p74 and the explorer Bran and the god of the waves,
Manannan Mac Lir p74 and the glowing realm of
Tir fo Thiunn and of
Hy Brasil p75.
RH then again moves over to fiction again and the ‘old ones’ of H P Lovecraft naming the undersea realm of
R’Lyeh and of Cthulhu p75 none of these are in game.
Contextual research:
Tir fo Thiunn Is also known as, An tEilean Uaine, the Green Island, but like Hy Brasil neither are in game.
No map built due an absence of information.
Chapter 7 Mermaids
This is one of the shortest chapters consisting of only 2 pages, and doesn’t really provide much context only in providing a rational explanation, although it does note the names of Celtic entities of the Roane and Selkie, neither are in game.
No map built due an absence of information.
Chapter 8 Underworld
Within this chapter RH again returns to use of fictional examples of
underground kingdoms and touches upon the concept of a ‘
world mountain’, but it is not until p86 where RH returns to use mythical lands in his text where he looks at the concept of hell.
Gilgamesh p86 and the Land of No Return beyond the abyss of
Aspu, guarded by seven walls and gates. Then the Egyptian concept of concept of an immense
serpent, which he then links to Norse myth namely the serpent of
Midgard p86.
The nine loops of the river
Styx p86 is used to identify concepts of difficulty in entering the underworld and again it being protected by water or an
underground sea.
RH then draws upon Finnish
Tuonela and the land of
Tuoni p87, 87, and its story related to
Vainamoinen. RH draws upon the similarities of its guardian beast Surma, with that of the Greek Cerberus and the Norse
Garm and the realm of
Niflheim and the realm of Scathach or Annwyn alt
Annwn p86 in the dark side of the Celtic underworld.
RH then contemplates the Greek underworld, identifying
Tartarus as a lost city, and then the
Elysian fields p87.
RH then reflects on Celtic mythology, of
Annwn p87 the shadow realm and
Scathach (not in game), and finally of Norse mythology, which RH states consisted of three realms: The abyss the realm of men named
Midgard; the land of clouds and shadow to the north is named
Niflheim, and to the south
Muspellsheim p87.
RH then goes over a Norse creation myth at the end of this chapter, where ice from Niflheim combined in the abyss of Midgard with poisonous waters from Muspelheim created a solid hoar-frost, this melted to form the giant Ymir, who later died, whose rotten corpse made the earth and dwarves. Humans were made from two lifeless trees on the giant, called Ash (Askr) and Vine (Embla) first man and woman.
RH also names three Norse gods responsible for creating humans; Odin, Horner and Lodur p87.
- Apsu - RH p86
- Midgard - RH p86
- Styx - RH p86
- Tuoni - RH P86
- Garm - RH p86
- Niflheim - RH p86
- Muspellsheim - RH p87
- Annwn - RH p86
- Tartarus - RH p87
- Elysium - RH p87
Contextual research:
RH mixture of various references to mythological underworlds
does not logically correlate in game; this either identifies this analysis method is open to
pattern bias; or certain systems hold a higher/lesser relevance over others or are
intentionally separated, the emphasis in game may be far simpler; eg that
Norse mythological systems are not necessarily interlinked to other pantheons.
RH does not name the Midgard serpent in this chapter which is in game named as
Jormungandr.
Scathach is not an actual lost realm, but rather a mythical female warrior from the Isle of Skye, not attributable to concepts of an underworld.
RH does not go into detail in this chapter concerning the
Classical Greek Underworld, other than name two of the classical three regions:
Elysium and
Tartarus, a third realm also exists which RH does not name -
Asphodel. This may be due to the fact descriptions of the Greek underworld varied or that Asphodel is confused with ‘heaven’.
Elysium - is not in game but ‘
Elysia’ is, “she from the blessed isles of Elysium”.
The following additional locations are also in game with relevant meanings and distance to the above mentioned systems but are not named by RH.
Nysa - birthplace of Dionysus, home of Hyades Nymphs and where Persephone was abducted, said to have an entrance to Hades.*
Pandemonium - John Miltons capitol of Hell, illustrated as off centre from the burning lake of hell (at the centre).*
Neither Odin, Lodur nor Embla are in game; but Hoenir also known as Honir and Askr - are in game.
Close by in this area is a system called
Agartha, is a legendary kingdom that is said to be located on the inner surface of the Earth. It is sometimes related to the belief in a hollow Earth and is a popular subject in
esotericism, I don’t recall this system being named in Lost Realms but this seem like another worthy addition.
View attachment 366492
View attachment 369899
Chapter 9 Yggdrasil
Here RH describes Yggdrasil as, its branches reaching towards
heaven, its trunk being the
earth and it three roots reaching down to the
three worlds below.
One of these realms RH names Aesir, attributed to those who killed the giant Ymir and home of the gods who formed the earth. In this realm below its first root lay the well
Urdr concerning fate. The three
Norns guarded this well p90 RH but does not name these Norns.
The second root reached the land of the frost giants, beneath which was a spring of wisdom, RH does not provide names but identifies it as the location where Odin lost his eye.
The third root passes down to
Niflheim, kingdom of the goddess
Hel and land of the dead and another spring which RH does not name p90.
Here RH attributes a shared commonality with Greek mythology and that of the rivers
Styx,
Lethe and
Acheron (not in game).
RH identifies that far below Yggdrasils ‘roots’ lay the huge snake
Nidhoggr, RH also identifies an eagle in Yggdrasils branches and a squirrel which ran up and down between them, but does not name them.
RH finishes this chapter briefly with Ragnarok identifying how Lif and Lifdrasir woukd hide in Yggdrasils trunk (not in game).
- Niflheim - RH p90
- Hel - RH p90
- Nidhoggr - RH p90 in game as body in Nastrond*
- Styx - RH p90
- Lethe - RH p90
Contextual research:
Common interpretation of Yggdrasil shape and realms does vary dramatically being a modern interpretation of an unwritten verbal story.
Currently there is understood to have been at least nine realms not just three. Certain roots may have been the heavens as with the springs or wells. Apart from those names already mentioned there are actually a large number of Norse named systems linked to Yggdrasil in game and is a very large structure.
Aesir is not in game, but wider research identifies this word is used to describe the Norse pantheon, who resided in Asgard - neither are in game.
The well of Urdr is not in game under that description, in Norse mythology it’s name may have been interchangeable and know simply as ‘Uror’s well’.
The three Norns were deities of fate and may have been known commonly as: Urd or Uror (Wyrd), Verdandi, and Skuld (Skulu). They attended the well of Urðarbrunnr or Uror’s well / Urd’s well.
- Uror
- Verdandi
- Skuld
- Uroarbrunnr
The eagle and squirrel RH mentions are in Norse mythology. The eagle has no name, except for a bird perched on its head called Veðrfölnir, Vedrfolnir, Vedurfolnir or Vetrfolnir, none of these are in game.
The squirrel is in game and called
Ratatosk. Four stags may have also fed on Yggdrasils leaves, Dainn, Dvailnn, Duneyrr and Durathir, none are in game.
Odin king of the gods was also called Hrafnaguð or Raven god, he had two crows, Hugin and Munin which brought him information, none are in game.
View attachment 366498
Chapter 10 Faerie
This chapter like previous before, does not establish any lost realms but primarily focuses upon Victorian fiction.
Contextual research;
Within the lost realms area in game there exists various systems linked to Celtic mythology, especially Irish mythology which was the inspiration for Victorian Faerie fiction.
These have not been mapped at present.
Chapter 11 Edgewood
This chapter like previous does not establish any lists realms but focuses upon contemporary fiction.
Not mapped, due to absence of information.
Chapter 12 Land of Youth
In this passage Holdstock describes the lands of youth and pleasure, naming it also as the ‘
Otherworld’, the Land of apples (Avalon), the Land under the waves, the Delightful plains, Field of happiness, the Many coloured land, Land of promise and Land of women.
Later in the text Holdstock draws on how realms may interconnect via paths underwater, via mountains or underground bridges/portals.
- Tir Na Nog - RH p102 Irish land of youth.
- Danu - RHp102 goddess of Tir Na Nog.
- Ossian/Oisin* - RH p103 person who traveled there/and returned.
Contextual research:
Other names attributed to these lands which can be found in game (but not Holdstocks books) include:
Mag mell - alternate Irish name, or a plain of honey that is attributed to link to Tir Na Nog.
Annwn - Welsh The Otherworld, linked to Arthurian Christian paradise!
Taliesin - Welsh ruler of Annwn.
Arawn - God of Annwn.
Idunn - Norse goddess holder of the apples of eternal youth.
View attachment 366501
Remainder of book
The rest of the book and final chapter again falls into fiction, no additional mythological lost realms are covers.
Conclusion:
The various lost realms, individually and as a whole, all fall within a tight correlation advocating the assessment they are hand placed.
An assortment of other Lost Realms, not prescribed in RH book, also exist in game, within this same correlation.
Certain areas identified in this analysis may in my opinion be conflated, eg the
Underworld, by this method of analysis; I feel is actually relatively simpler, focused I suspect only on the Greek underworld; the same is for
Yggdrasil, which is evidently far more expensive in game.
Thread 'The John Milton conundrum'
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/the-john-milton-conundrum.607684/
When all are layered over each other a focal point is logically evident.
*All realms layered over whole Yggdrasil tree and the path of Persephone, and the Fall to Pandemonium.
View attachment 366509
Mountains
The Lost Realms focal point also intersects another in game grouping; such as the hypothetical ‘mountain’ systems.
These are systems and or bodies which seemingly have consistent naming after mountains; one side linked to concepts of a ‘world mountain’ the other to Celtic and Old English Mountains.
View attachment 367844
This sector also aligns with the sphere of influence set by 2296, and the path of Persephone.
The first stage of M Brookes memorial also intersects this area, specifically containing a series of
triad goddesses linked to the journey to Avalon.
This area also abuts the Yggdrasil systems, especially those systems linked to the Norse concept of the ‘edge’ of the world and of water.
View attachment 366510
Assessment:
The placement of systems in game having a relationship to concepts outlined in Robert Holdstocks book Lost Realms, I identify as
probable (55 -75%) to be intentional, this can be identified due to the relative close proximity to other systems sharing similar relationships and being grouped tightly into a common focal point.
The placement of systems in game relating to the description in the ED Codex, I identify is
probable (55 -75%) to be intentional, this can be identified due to their replication and their placement within a focal point. Namely the segment relating to Atlantis, El Dorado and Prester John.
Assumptions:
The hypothesis concerning ‘
mountains’ based upon positions in game in relation to the
Lost Realms and
Yggdrasil systems can be ascertained to Robert Holdstocks prevailing theme from his book Lost Realms, and Ragthorn, which is that mountains or hills attributed to Saxon / Celtic burial mounds known as
barrows or
tumul act as the boundaries or doorways to the
Otherworld which likewise ascribed in myth to be a fulcrum of a
mystical tree or thorny trees or Ash as a world tree which sits upon an axis mundi.
Concerning the Codex the introduction when married with the recent Brookes Tours quote, can be ascribed to John Miltons
Paradise Lost description of Paradise/Eden.
In Robert Holdstocks book Lost Realms,
Eden is likewise catalogued as a lost realm, the replication of these realms within a focal point I believe acts as a method to ‘obfuscated’ Raxxla, which is part of a Robert Holdstock Easter egg.
I don’t believe the similarities between book and game are ‘definitive’, rather the Lost Realms define an area of influence, as there exist other systems with similarities:
Examples:
- Agartha - kingdom of the Hollow Earth
- Themiscrya - nation of the Amazons
- Thule - kingdom beyond the map
- Cockaigne - fools' paradise
- Summerland - Wican afterlife
Such systems I suspect were added to add weight and prominence to these realms, to make these correlations more obvious.
In conclusion I believe FD has constructed a cosmological world tree, Yggdrasil which sits upon Axis Mundi, denoting the boundary to the Otherworld, which is outlined by regions of Mountains and Water; that Raxxla or access to it, is within the Lost Realms area, across water and through mountains, which is obfuscated upon the outer rim of this construct.
