The Forgotten Ritual of the Catacombs | Elden Ring Archaeology Ep. 22

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

This video is sponsored by Atlas VPN's Summer Deal. Check it out at get.atlasvpn.com/TarnishedArchaeologist

[@angel_dot_data]

I can’t help but notice some striking similarities between Scylla and Charybdis (from Greek mythology) in relation to the bestial sanctuary and the vortex/whirlpool next to it. I then stumbled upon a photo of The Rock of Scilla, Calabria, which bares a striking resemblance to the edge of the colosseums in Elden Ring. I was wondering what your thoughts on that might be? Personally I can’t tell if it’s alluding to something more, if it’s just inspired by such mythology. Also I love you channel, gives me a lot more insight on one of my all time favorites games and I truly appreciate all the hard work you put into your videos. Much love - Q

[@headecas]

unrelated to this vid but have u noticed that the farum azula gold covered skeletons that are lying down on the ground and on the "tables"(at least in the beguinning parts) are of herbivores and not carnivores while the ones cuffed to the pilars are carnivores?? any thoughts on that?

[@SpringNightAngel]

Do you have a Discord or redit?

[@OldManMcLoyf]

You’re the #1 Elden Ring KZbinr when it comes to small details. Small details always make up big pictures, much respect for you!

[@stourn2399]

aggreeeddd....

[@WeWillAlwaysHaveVALIS]

Number one in general really

[@Jujiro_Hanma]

@@WeWillAlwaysHaveVALISyou don’t play souls games otherwise you wouldn’t be saying that

[@joeclarke7982]

​@Ghost-rv3ru ? I've been playing since Demons Souls and I'd rank TA either #1 or right near the top

[@Chron880]

smoughtown and quelaag do great content too, and as far as im aware these guys all keep in touch and share knowledge too, so making a competition out of it is rather fruitless imo

[@Vaeland]

You’re able to extract so much information that I’m not sure what’s more impressive, your analysis or the fact that they were able to build such an ecosystem of culture hidden in the game world. Fromsoft gameplay is unmatched, but the way they tell a story through community discovery and support this kind of content is what makes them truly incredible imo

[@YamaXI]

Hello? Fallout exists too. But fromsoft and Bethesda definitely put the most love into their projects.

[@AirLancer]

@@YamaXI Bethesda, the company that thinks that people can run a diner in the post-apocalypse, but not even bother to clear out the literal skeletons in the booths from over 100 years ago? They don't even come close to touching Fromsoft's world-building.

[@gagemcmahon9485]

@@YamaXIwhat an unhinged comment, gobsmacked. Fromsoft lore exploring is the definition of missing the forest for the trees. Then noticing the forest, only to get lost in the trees again. One simple sentence phrased differently by someone else, and the entire understanding shifts.

[@Tay-i5u]

I have a theory about the warrior jars that this video inspired. Put yourself in the shoes of a normal person in Elden Ring post shattering. People are starting to question and lose faith in the golden order and it's way of life including erdtree burial, but you still want a way to ensure that you and the people you care about are properly taken care of in death. So with the present societal order failing you look to past great civilizations for answers, civilizations like the Saint and Tree era. Looking to their catacombs leads you to urns and not knowing any better you misinterpret their use and just start putting your dead in jars, sometimes the same jars. Since you have been removed from the life cycle of the erdtree but still can't die because there is no death rune anymore, you get a fascimile of life, the jars taking on a "life of their own" seemingly separate from but I'm fact a consequence of the fact that there is no longer a distinction of separate people in the jar but a consistent corpse pudding. Maybe.

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Fantastic! This is exactly how we think the development team goes about their world building. Add a dash of minor Erdtree to the mix, and you get an internally-consistent narrative, which also mirrors IRL examples of post-collapse societies, unknowingly inventing syncretic culture through a desire to cling on to a previous glorious past. Attempts to reconstruct forgotten ways-of-old from their lingering remains often end up combining remains from several layers deep. As you describe, together with the new givens of the time, attempts to fit all those past elements together, elements that never before coexisted, ultimately creates something new. That is what we have here. Well seen!

[@Tay-i5u]

@@tarnishedarchaeologist Yeah I definitely agree with you about the hook to fromsoft games is all the meticulous world building they do that they, that they then just toss out into the world to find if you want to. Makes you actually want to spend inordinate amounts of time starting at brickwork. Most fantasy you just appreciate that a thing is there and not wonder how or why. Your videos were definitely what opened my eyes to that kind of thing and my experience is much richer because of it. So, thanks for all the hard work. Keep it up! 😁

[@Tay-i5u]

​@@tarnishedarchaeologist Ah jeez! I really should finish a video before commenting. Just realized you pretty much said what I commented very shortly after I posted it lol. Well, if I have to share a hypothesis with anyone, this humble tarnished is honored to share it with the venerable Tarnarch!

[@Devedrus]

Let me just say I love the naturalistic education that comes in these videos. The flow isn't broken to explain achaeological terms or perspectives, but I still find myself understanding through context. Excellent work.

[@YismirGoldFingers]

Beautifully worded my man 👍

[@neos8421]

I just finished the first 5 mins of this video and i had forgotten i wasnt there to learn about funeral rights in our world and this was a video on elden ring i honestly think if you did a video on a topic unrelated to it i'd still be really glued to it (i am a fan of archeology though so maybe i'm an outlier) but still i'm so happy this channel exists, thank you

[@RollMeAFat1]

I second this

[@okname5335]

THAT IS NOT ON THE ROAD TO BECOMING ELDEN LORD

[@thuzzwhistle1028]

@@okname5335 Heresy is not native to the world; it is but a contrivance. All things can be conjoined.

[@hyliadreamer]

Looks like you weren't around to learn to spell "rites", either.

[@neos8421]

@@hyliadreamer look i love too things in this world voluntari typoes and involutnary types

[@ASimpleInternetUser]

Can we just appreciate how much real world history TA teaches us on top of the Elden Ring lore? I've never come across a channel that actually makes me feel like I come out of it smarter for learning about a video game's world development. Also, I should know better than to click on a "part one" that came out earlier today... part two can't come soon enough.

[@PacdemonStudios1]

Elden Ring came out about a year after I got worryingly into Bronze and Iron Age history was a transcendental experience and these videos are immensely gratifying, because i wasnt sure if i was imagining the similarities or not.

[@NayanBeardy]

3:46 That's the most devious griddy I've ever seen. Another Tarnished Archeologist banger, as always.

[@shyboievris834]

I want to bring up: Erdtree burial was reserved for those who "deserved" it, such as heroes or nobles. It could be that some form of cremation is still practiced to this day, which can possibly explain Spirit "Ashes". I don't really believe the previous though, since fire is seen as so heretical in the Erdtree belief. Edit: I really need to finish the video before I comment lmao

[@DanielGarcia-rx3kt]

I am exceedingly impressed at FromSoftware's level of detail and real world history being reiterated in Elden Ring's mythos but I am even *more* in awe in how TA manages to unveil this layer of Elden Ring's narrative. Truly representative of Miyazaki's love for the Occult. So much story hidden in plain sight but isn't realized unless someone unveils it for others. So glad to be following this channel!

[@jake_]

I can't shake the thought that someone ordered a song as a remembrance of his deceased wife and 2200 years later we remember her. Not to mention the fact that the passing of around seventy generations between then and now validates these beautiful lyrics.

[@jacobbenjamin2664]

A Smoughtown AND a Tarnished Archiologist IN THE SAME WEEK?! Elden ring lore people are eating good can’t wait to watch this one man!

[@farisafif3305]

So we basically have several funeral practices: 1. Beastmen practices excarnation in style of Zoroastrian tower of silence, combined with Varna burial practice. 2. And then ghostflame cremation of deathbird and the catacombs, with tightly packed tombstone on the surface probably for burying the severed finger. Given the burial watchdog breathe fire, able to use glintstone magic, and affected by crystal darts just like Golems, this suggests that this burial watchdog related or at the same time where Giants/ancient giants and astrologers thrives and live peacefully together 3. Sarcophagi burial, in catacombs or in the surface 4. Erdtree burial and subsequent use of Jars 5. Sarcophagi and spaces inhumation of Haligtree 6. Skeleton in boat, on watery section of Stormveil castle 7. Remember the eternal cities, you can transport between three cities using sarcophagus that can even ascend through waterfall, and in some sections, red ants seemingly eating and collecting dead bodies from wooden casket seemingly carried by river flow to their domain One thing to note in the opening, you see the corpse of Gideon Ofnir, submerged between ears and several eyes, overlookes by creature, seemingly imps. Does that mean they also manage his revival and sendoff to real world in Lands Between?

[@e2rqey]

It wasn't untill watching this channel that I started really looking at/thinking about the architecture within Elden Ring. Shortly after, I too noticed the seeming contradiction of having all the places for storing bodies in the catacombs, despite the prevalence of Erdtree burial. Couldn't figure it out though, so I'm glad you're covering this!!

[@WanderedIn]

I really appreciate your separation of the different practices, especially your connection between the deathbirds and the catacombs via cremation. That’s a really excellent catch. I’m still not sure the Minor Erdtrees have to be post-Shattering, because there’s a Minor Erdtree Church built before the Shattering (since Marika spoke there). I stand by my theory that they’re clonal sprouts from the root network. This would upset the jar timeline a bit.

[@swordierre9341]

In his timeline the shattering is followed by radagons rise. So the words in the Minor Erdtree church are likely radagons, and there's actually plenty of clues that point to this. The voice doesn't speak with the authority or phrasings associated with marika, golden centipedes are found by the church, and are also found by radagon statues. The golden order seal can be found there which is ties to radagon's golden order principia.

[@WanderedIn]

@@swordierre9341 I think the idea that Marika’s spoken words there are Radagon’s still contradicts the way Marika and Radagon have remained within the tree and the impenetrable thorns; Marika imprisoned, Radagon trying and failing to repair the Elden Ring.

[@MutantHeadcrab]

​@@WanderedIn Alternatively, the Elden Ring has been shattered more than once throughout history. There have been cycles of great tree destruction and regrowth, so it is not unlikely there have been accompanying cycles of shattering and repair of the Elden Ring. This would explain why depictions of the Ring change across the different historical stratum; the Ring was shattered, but then rebuilt into that form.

[@WanderedIn]

@@MutantHeadcrab I think that’s a significant step too far - we have textual references to the uniqueness of the Shattering across the game, and the previous changes in the Ring are easily explained by events like Marika’s creation of the Golden Order by removing the Rune of Death. The golden seeds are said to have been impossible to imagine, and Marika as something God itself intended to be ‘Eternal’ is crucial to the thematic point that what ‘should have been’ eternal cannot be. If the cycle is shattering after shattering, then the story is muddled; the moment of breaking the cycle would not really suggest the possibility of real change (or real despair, or the restoration of the cycle).

[@WanderedIn]

Also, it seems to require the God of the Age to betray the Elden Ring to shatter it, since it was Marika alone who did it, in the end. Let us give her credit for originality, in attempting suicide by cosmic destruction.

[@falgalhutkinsmarzcal3962]

I always name my character "Samsara" in From software games because I die so many times before achieving moksha. Some thoughts: The Romans also used wedding rings to link one spouse to another spouse via a finger which, they believed, had a nerve that went directly to the heart. Deathbed companions are similar to the alchemical belief in ancient China and Japan that an older man sleeping chastely beside a young maiden might restore life to the older/dying man. There is also the story of Abishag in the Torah where Abishag would lay in bed with elderly David to keep him warm and restore his energy. When Fia embraces us she remarks that we are "very warm." And what does she do? She takes part of our life, perhaps using it in the hope of imparting it to Godwyn's corpse. Elden Stars states that the Elden Ring would eventually become the Erdtree, yet Life existed before the Erdtree (as evidenced by the ancient burials, ghostflames, etc.) so does that mean the Greater Will coopted Life by using the Elden Ring? Did Life exist in the Lands Between before the Greater Will asserted itself? Is Gold really essential to Life or is it like the phantasms in Bloodborne, augmenting Life for its own purposes?

[@hyliadreamer]

The Egyptians are the ones who discovered that nerve, actually.

[@jannafrancis7452]

The Elden Ring may be the ‘root’ or the Golden Order, but that does not mean that’s all it’s been. Farum Azula suggests the ER predates it.

[@falgalhutkinsmarzcal3962]

@@jannafrancis7452 but is Farum Azula the oldest part of the Lands Between? The tombs all around the LB may be older. There may have even been a time before the Crucible, perhaps a time when the Crystallians and the Onyx/Alabaster Lords existed, born in the Primeval Current. After all, "primeval" literally translates to "first age".

[@parastroika2393]

It always struck me as odd that "Death" is always capitalised like its a proper noun.

[@Gumper30]

Makes you wonder about "Those who live *in* Death." 👀

[@wulfratha]

Dude, awesome video as always! I'd take one point though, both Lhutel and Oleg EARN an Erdtree burial rather than actually HAVING one... this actually goes back to your serpent video pointing out how Lithuanian kings converted while still practicing 'pagan' rituals. This kinda makes sense if you consider the idea of someone like Oleg, if compared as a crusading night as an allegory for their essentially transitioning to mercenaries, earning Erdtree burial but rejecting it would make a lot of sense. It would be a bit like the Varangian secretly arranging a Scandinavian funeral rite, perhaps even tolerated given the politics of the era

[@aceundead4750]

I felt something i havent felt in a long time, a pang of genuine guilt, when Jarburg was shown.

[@clobbopus_used_beat]

Last night I finished a full rewatch of all the episodes. Perfect timing

[@petro1864]

If only my social studies teacher could’ve mixed elden ring with real world events I might have paid this much attention.

[@Zulurome]

I always thought the boats in the boat burial sight looked more like Owl pellets than actual boats. I love both interpretations but the idea that those are the droppings of either the ulcerated tree spirit or death birds is just lovely

[@shadowxps]

It makes so much sense that you would be a fan of Bloodbourne up close. I watched their videos some time ago and felt like Elden Ring would greatly benefit from someone taking a similar look at it. Thank you for taking up that mantle.

[@NiSE_Rafter]

I just want to say thanks for the great content and thanks for putting part # in the title. Too many youtubers these days just do clickbait titles and you can't tell what's part of a series or not nor in what order.

[@seductiveseaweed]

I've learned so much history from just being an Elden Ring fan

[@justaquietpeacefuldance]

History mixed with myth. Just like the notion that From can make an open and cohesive game world 😉 Still, good for us (channels like the Tarnished Archaeologist) 👍

[@rainbowkrampus]

Hadn't considered the implication that we can see the guidance of the Rosus statues. That is, the statues are meant to guide lost spirits and possibly any wandering undead. Maybe it's just our connection to grace that allows us to see things like the guidance of grace, of Rosus and the Erdtree itself. But it could be saying something about what it means to be tarnished. Obviously tarnished had to die to return to the Lands Between. But the Lands Between seem to have their own system of life and death. So why would we still be tuned into that upon arrival? We should be "alive" by the standards of the realm, right? Maybe there are other aspects of being tarnished we're not explicitly aware of?

[@wpb5876]

Cliffhanger ending has me itching for the next episode. I’ll never go through another catacomb the same way again now lol

[@_ariosto1519]

Yes! 🙌🏿 came for knowledge, stayed for cool intro music!

[@seanconnors1613]

Thank you so much for including English subtitles! We all appreciate the time and effort it takes❤

[@draxyboy]

These videos highlight the absolute genius of the writers and developers of the game and their clue dropping to the sheer brilliance of the lore hunters to decipher it! honestly mindblowing stuff

[@ornu01]

Finally, the second most important question I've had since turning the game on!

[@setsunaes]

And there are people that says that Elden Ring has no story and that the lore is poor... The history, the plethora of cultures, the world itself is as rich and vast as it can get; a truly achievement of human imagination and creation. The thing is that the game doesn't spoon feed anything on the player and that's why people disqualify the rich narrative of the game. The history is there, ready to be discovered to those interested in dissect the archeology of the world of Elden Ring and at the same time people who are not interested on such "trivial" details, can have a blast thru the game only understanding the little lore they can get from a handful of cutscenes.

[@maxg6040]

The Lands Between must reek. You're approach is fascinating, love the videos.

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Many thanks!

[@Legather]

One of the things that struck me as odd was the number of stone sarcophagi 'fields' found in the open world if the ideal form of burial was the rather more grisly Erdtree burial. I'd wondered if it was perhaps a punishment, being both above ground and isolated in stone they would be as far removed from the Erdtree's roots as possible, but the adornment on the stone suggested more care than scorn.

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Vaati (or someone) had an idea that the crucifixes in Limgrave may have played a similar role, a punishment explicitly designed to prevent Erdtree burial. An interesting thought.

[@aifos5171]

I'm not entirely convinced that the catacombs predate the Golden Order because they were build specifically near the roots, so why would the Deathbird culture, who has nothing to do withe the worship of the tree, predates the Erdtree age and possibly the growth of the Erdtree itself from the power of Elden Ring, built the catacombs exactly there? The sarcophagi could simply be a momentary place to store the bodies before the true Erdtree burial ritual, "have patience...until the time comes and the roots call to you" as the spirit says. The urns could have the same purpose: Ranni says that the ash we find around the world are unreturned to the Erdtree and thus we can summon the spirits, but this doesn't mean that ashen remains in general cannot return to the Erdtree. I also think that cemeteries have the same purpose as the catacombs, to return the spirits of the dead to the Erdtree, but they were for the common folk of the Lands Between, so I assume that the process was much slower since they are not directly connected to the roots

[@victorw_nderer]

you are confusing worship of erdtree with the worship of another sacred tree, and that culture did inhumane their dead. it is clear that erdtree worshippers weren't the only one who worshipped the roots of that used to be Greattree. Indeed in Farum Azula, that predates Erdtree worship, in Maliketh's arena you can see older version of elden ring with roots intertwined into it, making it clear that their culture was connected to roots of the Greattree and possible that this was the culture practicing ghostflame burial

[@a.r.h9919]

I always found interesting how life triws to adapt to fill the niche left for the ridance of death as maybe the case with the living jars and for example in caelid after the bloom with the rune of death removed and life unable to die being corrupted and twisted by the scarlet rot just couldn't afford the luxury of an agonizing death but had to twist itself to live alongside the rot and even incorporating it into their lives somewhat similar to Chernobyl wildlife adapting to the radiation irradiated exclusion zone

[@PierreLucSex]

I can't believe you started this video with the song of Seikilos. I had to stop to write this. Hóson zêis phainou... You are incredible ❤️

[@connorsmith1005]

Wish it was so simple to shine bright and never be sad.

[@4Usuality]

I've defended Herodotus so many times I'll just rewrite what I usually do here quickly. He was writing down what people told him, not specifically what was 100% verifiably true in most cases. I think it's way cooler we have those stories than strictly exactly what happened, Herodotus is exactly what I hope an ancient "historian" would have been. He had some real history, some half true history, and some not true history. All of it immensely valuable and all of it incredibly interesting. I respect his travels, his skill, his dedication, and the man himself. Thanks for another great video.

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Agreed!

[@Camaraocompao]

Myasaki is a social scientist, grrm loves antropology and social sciences in general, só its fitting that their atention to historical in game details are so good

[@AyakaruJuuhachi]

My alternate theory to the crypts; the process of connecting a corpse to the roots is a lengthy ritual, and absorption process is slow, the dead are stored in sarcophagi to preserve them as they wait their turn The cremated ones are personal insults, people who were denied a return to the erdtree

[@MissOtaku18]

About to be on a plane for 5.5 hours had to make sure I downloaded this one thanks Tarnished Archeologist 🙏

[@blackrat1228]

If there was ever a video I needed it's this one. ER www as my first foray in Souls games so the death concept never made sense to me like it did to veterans of the series. Just kind of rolled with it.

[@beansnrice321]

Had to watch this one a couple of times to realize of of the implications of what you've described here. It also answers a question I have had for some time, why are the all of the Deathbirds grievously injured and why are they all weak to holy, something that hurts those who live in death, people who were created after the creation of the golden order. When the death's poke item says they raked the ashes of the dead in their kilns, it make me wonder where their kilns where and I'm starting to think they were in the catacombs and that the golden order evicted the death birds with holy weapons which made especially to harm them. This may explain the original need for the creation of holy weapons. This may also be why the death birds are all so horribly injured and/or why all of them are just randomly roaming around the world.

[@Eladelia]

Fantastically detail-oriented work as always!

[@sirreginaldfishingtonxvii6149]

That opening song. It always brings a tear to my eye. Beautiful stuff.

[@yoonseun32]

Wow I was just binge watching your videos and see a new one came out, what a treat :"D

[@protodvd]

I don't think I've ever had such a moment of confusion watching your material as when you referred to "carrion birds" and I first thought "What do the Carians have to do with this?!"

[@MrAtheist89]

I love your content. I got a good laugh out of the captions at 24:09 though. I'm picturing the family ceremonially mounting the finger for a week.

[@fyrebird5898]

Bruh... are you in for a shock when you find out how 'adorable' the story is behind the living jars...

[@Ajehy]

4:15 The SHADE on Indiana Jones is glorious 😂

[@benarendt6835]

These videos are amazing--love the analysis, the storytelling in the narrative flow, and the tie-ins to real-life historical practices. Thanks for putting these out and can't wait to continue watching!

[@federicoforgione]

Can't wait for Part 2

[@TeddyPicker191]

Amazing work as always from the best ER content creator out there! Wish I could contribute to the speculation about the lore but this is all I got 😂

[@felicityseleneford]

In regards to the Spirt Ashes discussion. I wanted to point out that the mehanic is narratively flexible as to what exactly its refering to. When we meet Loretta, shes flesh and blood. But we use the Spirit Ashes UI to access her. Not sure the entire significance of that, but there it is.

[@chandusaha4864]

your openings are just otherworldly man. i really love your videos, thank you for making them

[@beansnrice321]

Yooooooo!!! I just saw a video about the Roman festival of Lupercalia and I think it explains so much about the lore of Elden Ring. The video was on the YT channel, Hearth of Haemonia. She just dropped it the other day and it's named, "What Can We Say About the Lupercalia? *Request*" It involved young men running into the woods and pretending to be wolves. They would sacrifice a goat and then burn the guts and skin the animal. They would then return to the town and cook the meat for a feast and whip women who wanted to get pregnant with the skin. I couldn't get over how much that reminded me of the Celebrants and of the wolf/beast men like Blaidd, Maliketh and possibly pre-Elden Lord Radagon. It also reminded me of the gutless Trolls, Revenants, moaning dead and the Dragonkin.

[@DarthGoss]

All hits no misses… Tarnished Archeologist is on a serious roll

[@marshmellomeat]

Oh my god I'm so early- AND IM SO HAPPY :D Thanks for another upload so soon! I love listening to these on my way home from work. Makes it so much more fun.

[@superdadelen]

Yet another great video! However, like a few others here, I don't see how the idea that the catacombs are pre-Erdtree - otherwise convincingly argued here - squares with the root resin description mentioned: "The roots of the Greattree were once linked to those of the Erdtree, or so they say, and it is for this reason catacombs are built around Greattree roots". I can't parse this any other way than the reason for the placement of the catacombs being this link to the Erdtree via the Greattree roots, i.e. for Erdtree burial. What am I missing? Looking forward to part 2!

[@jeftecoutinho]

22:59 The roots might have simply not yet called them to be absorbed. After all, the ashes haven't even returned to the Erdtree.

[@Daniel-bc5yq]

Your channel inspires a lot of us to keep discussing and searching for things in Elden Ring and feel like being a part of it. Even though you're setting up your own framework fundamentally based on archaeology, I believe a channel for discussions just for viewers like a discord for members is a nice idea. The same way that a network of untrained or partially trained amateur astronomers once in a while find important things for big institutions like NASA, I think a place where your viewers (a.k.a. the untrained archaeologists) can discuss things they found might once in a while be nice for some footnotes in your content

[@feathertop]

Perhaps the Great Tree was able to grow so vast due to the colossal corpses of the giants feeding its growth.

[@christinebaker8754]

16:03 just noticed the incense burners similar to the ones in the opening cut scene ‘Arise, ye Tarnished’ …

[@hyfy-tr2jy]

the niches for the large bodies.....what if the roots can only absorb so many bodies at a time and these areas were used to store bodies awaiting to be installed into the roots once space for them is available? And the cremation urns...they could have been used to store the few remains left after the roots absorbed what they could and then made room for more bodies?

[@ahedkarkour1748]

I've never thought that I'd see a Syrian city in an elden ring video... but you've done it like three times. I can't comprehend how you link all the real world stuff together with the game.. truly amazing work

[@imdefinitelynotjesus]

No lie a video from you is just what I needed today, bless you and all who see it.

[@ThatDemonOverThere]

Regarding the imps and burial watchdogs, they are affected by crystal dart mind control like the large golems. Would this put both these creations in the same civilization? Or was this talked about somewhere and I just can't remember?

[@NumberD2000]

Easily the best Elden Ring youtuber. A real treasure for us nerds!

[@toastycat5475]

I am a fan of your work. I was wondering if you were aware of the fields of flowers that you sometimes encounter throughout the lands between and how they are used by the game to tell a story. For example, the Outer Wall Battleground is the site of one of the most famous battles of the Shattering. It is covered in red flowers, signifying the soldiers who died in battle, with a handle of white flowers around the giant perfumer bolts or near impact sites, showing those soldiers probably died instantly. There are at least a half dozen colors of these flowers, each of which seems to represent what the person was feeling when they died.

[@lephonometrographe]

Holly molly, I never noticed this, nice catch ! Now I am asking myself a question, I have noted the detail of strangely intense blue flowers surrounding mage towers and the carian study hall. Are these the same type of flowers that seem to hint at the death of people?

[@toastycat5475]

​@@lephonometrographe Yeah. So, there are non-glowy blue flowers sometimes, I think it's means someone drowned in a spot that wasn't too deep for a flower to grow. My guess is the glowy blue ones represent a mage whose spirit departed their body (submerging in the sea of stars/knowledge possibly).| There's also 2 patches of black flowers I have seen nowhere else so far, one in the Outer Wall Battleground cemetary, the one with skeletons, and one in Laskyr ruins in Liurnia, where that royal remnant spawns out of the grown to get a cheap kill on you.

[@lephonometrographe]

@@toastycat5475 I see. Interesting ! I wonder if the black ones could tell of some kind of curse then

[@toastycat5475]

@@lephonometrographe Considering that the two patches of black flowers I've seen are in leyndell and liurnia, my guess was that they were connected to Ranni and Godwyn's deaths during the night of black knives. We know Ranni's body is on top of the divine tower in liurnia but we don't really know where either of them actually die. And we know that Godwyn was killed in one location but his body was eventually moved to the deeproot depths. Maybe Ranni's body died in one place and was moved to the other as well. Considering her body is on top of a divine tower, I wonder if it's meant to be a sky burial similar to what Tarnished Archeologist mentioned in his video.

[@toastycat5475]

Some more examples: I'm certain that pink flowers are used to mark areas where people died by being eaten. There are three areas with fields of pink flowers that I think are notable: First, the mistwood forest, which is only inhabited by bears, so probably bears eat people there and that's why you have runebears b/c of all the people they ate. Then the Revenger's shack, it's covered in raw meat dumplings, self explanatory. Finally, the first in the Atlus Plateau that's covered in thick dark fog. Most likely the celebrants who definitely eat people buried their victims in that forest and the minor erdtree that grew there fed off them, which is why that area is haunted with the worm guys.

[@A.H.M.K]

You my friend are no tarnished. You’re a lord, nay a god!

[@cullysloy2705]

Wayy before your channel I always suspected that the catacombs were built first and then the great roots grew towards them like hungry hippos

[@titaniumteddybear]

Fascinating. Really excellent work.

[@ivoyea]

Another banger by TA, let's go🔥

[@rogerarayasaborio549]

I liked the part when the tarnished said: it's archeology time!

[@falionna3587]

Whilst you didn't touch much upon the stormveil boat burials, I have to congratulate you for not presuming it's movie "viking burial" by burning a boat at sea. But rather buried the entire boat with a person. My pet theory is the Tibia Mariner are these graves being afflicted by deathroot.

[@pedroribeiro3404]

Amazing video as usual! Can you recommend any book/ material about ancient rome for a curious reader? I'm always amazed by the historic context in ur videos!

[@radiack123]

always the best from this channel

[@mimuspolyglottos6921]

Your videos are always so informative and interesting. I appreciate immense time and efforts you spend making these videos. Great job ❤

[@Blade_of_Tomoe]

One thing I have learned from your videos: pretty much everything in this game had a different use by different civilizations at some point in the past.

[@hiddenshadow2105]

Dead skeletons in boats in Stormveil is the only place where I remember seeing this ritual. Given that the whole Procession place (where they are) are connected to Nox / Saints era, and given that in Eternal Cities we do travel by means arcane sarcophagus by the river, do you think that the boat burial was the custom of Eternal Cities?

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Stay tuned for next time! We will discuss that Stormveil scene in much more detail.

[@hiddenshadow2105]

@@tarnishedarchaeologist Yes, please. I've also noticed that Procession place has a rather unique female statue I don't recall seeing in other places; there is no whole statue but you can figure our her face from two differently damaged statues nearby. On an unrelated note, I have a quesiton: under Fingerfolk Hero grave there is clearly a shrine with some more (differently) unique statues and what looks like rot at the bottom of the bridge but isn't actually a rot. There are two grafted scions there too. Do you have any idea what and why this area is?

[@krimson4257]

I struggled for a bit to think of where your style of video felt familiar to me from. And after thinking about it, i think its the immortal hulk series. The immortal hulk series starts off each issue with a small segment over a religious belief or philosophical question, and while at first they seem unconnected, you very soon realize that they're asking questions on the series through the use of history and religion. The quotes are putting the comics and the hulk through different contexts. I feel like thats whats done here to as well, and i love it

[@shemsuhor8763]

The lore videos we need.

[@Christmas_Johan]

Your videos are so good that I've started playing them to older family members and they're insanely interested in Elden Ring.

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

That's great!

[@BaconPancakes042]

I havent found a lot of discussion around this topic so I'll ask here : where do humans come from in Elden Ring ? Some arguments would say that they evolved from beastmen or misbegotten, but then how would they be birthed by the Erdtree ? Did they existed before the Erdtree itself and somehow the Erdtree manage to find a way to litteraly make people ?

[@hiddenshadow2105]

I might disagree with the timeline but I do love your intros. So much good music and angles.

[@celiney3978]

Please consider showing us the world of Bloodborne through your eyes. I just know you'd be able to give us groundbreaking insight. I think you would really enjoy it, too (if you haven't played it yet).

[@luciusdebeers6176]

Grant him eyes! GRANT. HIM. EYES!

[@luciusdebeers6176]

Oh wow couple of minutes after that his Bloodborne trailer came out

[@davidfoley8546]

If cremation is incompatible with Erdtree burial, why do we find spirit ashes (literally "ashen remains") of people who were given Erdtree burial? (Oleg, Kristoff, Lhutel, maybe more)

[@internalizedhappyness9774]

Iron armor set is Awesome, you can’t change my mind!

[@Gear3k]

Ever since I realized what Erdtree burials are I've been wondering about those specific "graveyards" you can find on the surface that consist of free standing stone sarcophagi. Assuming the roots still grow (well, nowadays not of the main tree anymore but perhaps the lesser trees?), a body buried in a normal grave could be reached and get absorbed eventually. Even a sarcophagus stored underground could theoretically be reached by the roots and broken into, given enough time. But normal tree roots don't grow upwards. So the sarcophagi on the surface almost seem to be deliberately designed to keep bodies away from the Erdtree roots, no matter what. But since they are so visible to everyone it's hard to believe they're from an older faith, since the Golden Order no doubt would've done something about them. Not to mention, they are present in pretty much every region. And there are no traces of ritual sites or anything like that, even though the sarcophagi seem to be in good shape and perhaps relatively new. So are they perhaps part of some kind of punishment, where people were intentionally removed from the Erdtree cycle? And they are meant to be visible as a warning to everyone else?

[@tarnishedarchaeologist]

Vaati (or someone) had an idea that the crucifixes in Limgrave may have played a similar role, a punishment explicitly designed to prevent Erdtree burial. An interesting thought

[@CrimsonFuqr]

Tarnished Archaeologist is at their best when looking closely at otherwise overlooked details. At their worst, when using grandiose and condesending rhetoric. Bravo regardless, the insights are interesting.

[@beansnrice321]

Been playing a lot of Bloodborne recently and the messengers made me start wondering about Rosus. Good timing.

[@yobama8344]

do you have a channel dedicated to actual history? I love the intros you do and I wish I could listen to longer versions

[@PaszerDye]

Ah, the return of Ljos Detta. Alex Roe did an excellent job, and to my ears, it's become your signature of sorts. Almost like how Howard Shore composed the Fellowship theme for LotR.

[@steamedhamlet]

All dead bodies in this game hold power after death. Every single one.

[@batinimagus]

Let's gooooo! I'm even delaying Sunday beer to watch this!

[@sweatychaw3105]

*Part 1* -Hyped

[@FromAshToLife]

You are a fantastic human. I just found your channel and its what i hoped for! You rock!!!! 💀

[@willadkins1354]

I’m working on a short story for heavily Slavic and Souls inspired core setting, and videos like these are invaluable.