Elden Ring Lore - The Ancestral Followers, Shamans & Spirits

The long-requested story of the Ancestral Followers and their Ancestral Spirits will finally be told...
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[@shogomakishima7224]

Let me say some things that no one spoke about ancestral followers: 1. Some of their warriors underground can enchant the horns on their headbands. When they do so the horns start to glow white blue. 2. The shamans actually buff the warriors through their rituals. When the shaman sings and dances the ancestral follower warriors regain health with each hit. When you kill the shaman or the shaman stops to sing the effect ends.

[@ctyoro5086]

I find the connection between this culture and the deathbirds really interesting

[@sayanchandaroy7420]

Was watching this and the Winged Greathorn's description including the word "envoy" made something go off in my head, so I did some Googling, and it turns out that all the Oracle bubble weapons are called the "Envoy's Horn/Longhorn/Greathorn." The Claymen's bubble sorceries all mention the Claymen "searching for their lost oracles within their bubbles," implying the Oracles were once tied to them but have now abandoned them for the Erdtree. What's also interesting is that the above-ground Followers are close to statues that are found frequently underground and appear to be associated with Claymen, in the Uld Palace Ruins. It's loose, but all of this could potentially imply a tie between the Followers, Claymen, and Oracles - perhaps, even, the above-ground Followers actually do know what they're doing, and have turned to Erdtree worship as the Oracles did?

[@shogomakishima7224]

I believe that ancestral followers are essentially trying to become Omen. That is what they would be if the horns sprouted from their bodies. They somehow have a lot in common with the omen even putting aside the looks: 1. Firstly, their fascination with horns 2. Secondly that their faith is outside of the Eardtree 3. The rebirth (from the dungeater questline we find out that omen somehow reborn without relying on a Eardtree) 4. The spirits (horned omens are somehow connected to the yellow golden wraiths very similar to the spirits we can summon through the Winged Greathorn) 5. I also believe that the description of the Winged Greathorn is a reference to the Death Birds: "In the ancestral spirit-worshipping faith, these are considered envoys' wings, made to reap the lives of beings which experience no sprouting." Essentially what it implies to me is that before the golden order, only the omen were able to be reborn and thus avoid death. Normal huans were subjected to destined death, and their souls were reaped by the envoys of death that are the Death Birds.

[@jamesnorman9160]

Found these guys annoying to fight at first, but after some time they might be one of my favourite factions within the game. The Lands Between might be fractured and falling apart, but these guys are still happily running their own civilization down in the underground. Plus their belief system and the themes of them worshipping the cycle of life and death is a far cry from the Golden Order, where Destined Death has been removed and all live forever. Also, they have access to the game's version of a fifty cal rifle in bow form, so good for them.

[@bw5020]

That last part was a chef's kiss whiplash moment of awesome.

[@megabytz8129]

Amazing theme, annoying fight. Nailed the vibe, made me feel bad.

[@Etothe3rdPower]

Great lore, great thumbnail art as usual!

[@riverfern458]

so Siofra translates to "fairy" in gaelic. and in some older irish stories, fairies do not like or go near metal, in particular iron; so much so that it became a custom to arm oneself with some iron before traveling into the woods. could these old irish metal hating fairies be a real world analogue to the ancestral followers?

[@square-table-gaming]

It would make a lot of sense for Miyazaki to think, "fairy" and create large naturalists

[@Esoteraeon]

​@@square-table-gaming Fairies, or faes/fae folk, can actually be of various sizes and shapes in mythology. Not just the stereotypical small pixie we see in Hollywood.

[@TheCursedOni]

no one ever talks about the one in the lake of rot

[@square-table-gaming]

We mentioned and linked zulies video which goes in depth on that one

[@TheCursedOni]

@@square-table-gaming damn I must have not heard that part,My bad! 🙏🏻

[@joedominguez8064]

These people really exemplify my only real unhappiness with Elden Ring which is that there are so many enemies that I wish we didn’t have to fight 😢 all I wanted was to leave this beautiful culture at peace but sadly the path to Elden Lord is paved in blood 😭

[@colddash5598]

Hey , I just heard on the radio today that the astrological pattern referred to as the Bull has a star creating one horn that makes it referred to as the “budding horn”. I think the star’s name was Annoth or similar. I didn’t get to hear the backstory or relevance, but maybe it was a real world lore inspiration.

[@hutchensdl]

The underground sections make me think of Astel, and his remembrance says he leveled an eternal city...that might explain the ones on the surface near the Uld Palace ruins...maybe it was an eternal city at one point?

[@finalbreath15]

I'm glad you posted cus i'm getting exhausted by rap beef 😆

[@smashbros.5426]

Great video! There is just one small misconception I wanted to point out with the Remembrance of the Regal Ancestor. “Hewn into the Erdtree” doesn’t imply the Ancestor Spirit returning to the Erdtree after death, rather it’s just a memory of the foe cut into the Erdtree. Kinda like how kids will carve their crushes names into trees inside of a heart. Hewn means to chop, cut, or make a shape into materials like wood. Hope that clears things up a bit.

[@square-table-gaming]

If it's created upon their death though, wouldn't that imply their spirits are literally cut into the Erdtree? Hence re-entering it?

[@smashbros.5426]

I guess it can be interpreted numerous ways. I personally don’t think it’s their “spirits” that are cut into the Erdtree, just a memory or maybe a carving that serves as a reminder of the player characters victory over a particularly difficult foe. My reasoning for this is that there are remembrances of bosses whose spirits I don’t think should be able to return to the Erdtree, like Astel or Rykard. And this interpretation actually strengthens the thesis of your video in my opinion. But who knows, I could definitely be wrong about this.

[@D.boys6t9]

Since death was stolen that’s Probubly it’s cursed form, like the death birds who couldn’t do rebirth into the fire hawk

[@e.fikle13]

new lore video to do my makeup to yay

[@Kraziel797]

Thank you for honering my requests

[@momzilla2010]

the reaping wings seem to be a theme

[@merleetomlin6218]

I just had a thought. What if the Lion Dancer boss in the DLC isn't Omens but instead are Ancestral Followers. The horns that adorn the dancer appear to be decoration rather than on their person, and in the few shots of the people under the robes I never once spotted a horn. What if they are followers of the crucible where horns are seen as holy. Just a little unhinged speculation 😅

[@Nemo12417]

I'm pretty sure the Remembrance doesn't really have too many lore implications. The Remembrance is the equivalent of the Memories you get in Sekiro. It is your memory of the battle, not the legend itself.

[@square-table-gaming]

The fact that they are hewn into the Erdtree means they come into being through the spirit of the character you defeated, personally I think that connects the remembrances more closely to the Erdtree and cycle of rebirth.

[@craignaylor2648]

Whats crazy is the second regal ancestor spirit uses its magic and kills the spirit deer when it attacks the deer that are normally Unkillable

[@timcall279]

Been waiting for this one

[@Anton2046gfkn]

Love this. :) i was looking for this lore last week and checked the channel. Now it's here. You guys are the best.

[@AegisKHAOS]

I initially thought they were minotaurs till I actually got a real good look at them. I don't enjoy getting shot by their arrows, but I liked their designs alot, especially the female variant with the singing. Very interesting with how all those religions in the game come together.

[@jessiesewell4076]

Before starting I hope you point out the curious little charms on the Shaman Horns. Makes me wonder if they realized the metals they scrapped were sentient or perhaps they too come from Silver. They almost look like less maladjusted Omen or if Omens were treated right.

[@whysosleepyjoe2811]

I am kinda hoping for a video about grandsax if you can. I cant find any lore about how he turned to stone, where he came from, If the stone scales are from him or other dragons that have fallen from faram azulas structures, and was the time bending powers used aginst him

[@FloppeyPyro]

I mean, the Dragons could have always been stone of some kind.

[@redheadsilver8041]

I think the spiritual state of the ancestral spirit and the spirit animals around it, as well as the culture of the ancestral followers, may have inspired a young Marika in creating the concept of "immortal essence".

[@Kulthul]

Nice video, thanks!

[@sladoid]

You guys make the best videos

[@hosuff6267]

Hell yeah, I’ve been waiting for this one you the best!!

[@square-table-gaming]

Nah you the best

[@Joshua_Shadow_Manriguez]

The Ancestral Spirit bosses are also deathly allergic to Holy Damage.

[@queertitan]

Did you mention the one in the lake of rot along with the dragonkin knight soldier?

[@square-table-gaming]

We called out the video zulie the witch made explaining the possible origins of that follower and linked it.

[@murderycatdoll1380]

And here we come, slaying these innocent Spirits for no real reason 😑

[@gonzoevolved2552]

Yo! Why is a misbegotten holding Radagons sacred relic sword (forgot the full name but the one that renala gave him n he changed it.) n the cave is called something forlorn. Meaning he was left abandoned? U guys work ur magic! Its my lore n I want it now! Call jg went………🤦

[@YATZIwastaken]

what the story of some of them being spirits and some being physical in flesh, did the spirits somehow escape from rejoining the erdtree without becoming someone who lives in death? How come they remain sentient completely and basically behave as if they weren't spirits

[@square-table-gaming]

They definitely did not go back to the Erdtree. They are reminiscent of the animal spirits in the mountaintop of giants, the same kind of spirits the ancestral spirits can use to revive and heal themselves.

[@ballalpatil6512]

Would love to know more about death birds and death rite birds.

[@square-table-gaming]

We have a video on them! Check it out

[@Runefather]

How does the Erdtree create life from death?

[@square-table-gaming]

Recycling souls

[@whatsnewbois9814]

Pls do Beast Clergymen of Farum Azula and their Twinbird Seal

[@square-table-gaming]

We actually have a video on the Beast clergyman, Gurranq, or rather Maliketh. We didn't go into the twinbird imagery on the clawmark seal though. Arguably because it doesn't line up with our only depiction of the twinbird

[@whatsnewbois9814]

@@square-table-gaming just hoping to hear more on the beasts that served/worshiped the dragons, since they can use *red* lightning unlike the dragon cult

[@darnellsimpson4413]

How can they survive, without metallic weapons?

[@square-table-gaming]

Weapons crafted from horn seem to do just fine for their way of life.

[@travisf2240]

These guys are annoying when all I want to do is talk to Blaiid and advance Raniis quest

[@kevinsmoon3257]

First

[@RTX101]

Your voice sounds weird today

[@square-table-gaming]

You think?

[@RTX101]

@@square-table-gaming yeah I listen to your videos everynight to fall to sleep. Very meaningful lore discoveries and pleasant voice. Thank you! Did something changed with your mic?

[@square-table-gaming]

@@RTX101 nope not sure what was off here. I have had significantly less sleep lately since we've got a lot of projects going on over here haha