- For the Dark Souls III character, see Velka, the Goddess of Sin.
Velka, Goddess of Sin (罪の女神ベルカの) is a mentioned character in Dark Souls.
In-Game Description
- For each sin there is a punishment, and it is the task of Goddess Velka to define the sin, and mete out the punishment.[1]
Description[]
Little is known of her appearance other than that she has long raven-hair,[2][3] and statues of her depict her as a slender woman.[4][5]
Lore[]
Dark Souls[]
Velka is one of the members of Gwyn's clan who resided in Anor Londo during the Age of Fire.[6] She was worshipped by the humans as the "goddess of sin".[7][8]
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The secret dark miracles of Velka
As the deity of sin, Velka's focus is on humans and her job is to define sins and mete out the associated punishments,[7] overseeing the list of the guilty who have disrespected the gods or their covenants.[8] She also contends that punishment isn't the only path for men; the deity in fact employs "pardoners" among them. These clerics are tasked with hearing the confessions of sinners; they urge reflection and offer deliverance from the wrath of the gods.[9] These pardoners wear a mask that symbolizes their detachment from worldly desires and a uniformly black attire that is imbued with the mystical power of Velka, protecting them from all magic.[10] These clerics are also inhuman swordsmen who possess occult-infused blades.[11]
Velka is a peculiar deity who is addressed as a "witch" and "heretic deity";[3] although she remains in the Anor Londo pantheon, her ideas and practices deviate from dominant tenets.[12] She is involved with secret rituals capable of denying the use of magic in an area,[3] as well as sacrificial rituals for creating mystical rings,[13] and the talismans crafted with her hair are used to cast miracles drawing not upon faith but intelligence, implying that the goddess favors the latter among her followers.[2] Velka is nonetheless greatly influential in the world of men and of gods, and is versed in arts both new and old, given her interest in the most recent sorceries.[3]
At some point after Gwyn linked the First Flame and Gwyn's firstborn son was dethroned and exiled,[14] she abandoned Anor Londo along with nearly all of the other deities and moved to an unknown location.[6][15] She continued to collaborate with Dark Sun Gwyndolin and his Blades of the Darkmoon, knights tasked with hunting down blasphemers to inspire fear and respect for the gods.[16] The Goddess of Sin determined the sinners and marked them on her Book of the Guilty so that one day they would face the wrath of the Blades of the Darkmoon;[8] Gwyndolin's followers would cut off an ear from the corpse of the sinners they vanquished, bringing them to their god as proof of their task accomplished.[16]
As the Goddess of Sin, Velka would eventually spread her influence inside the Painted World of Ariamis, an artificial realm that the gods exploited as a safe to seal away dangerous artifacts, abominations, sinners and Hollows; several of Velka's artifacts and miracles can be found inside of it.[17][18] Dozens of her cultist followers, humans whose appearance was twisted to that of corvids, found refuge there and potentially endeavored to protect Crossbreed Priscilla from the other gods.[19]
Velka is able to infuse the weapons of her clerics with occult power.[11] At one point occult-infused weaponry was used to hunt the gods and their followers[20] and some heretical cultists even went so far as to plot to destroy the gods, an attempt that culminated in failure.[21] The connection between the source of their dark powers and their involvement with Velka however remains uncertain.
Dark Souls II[]
A statue of Velka inside the church of Tseldora
At some point, Velka's influence and her followers reached Drangleic, who began creating magical rings with the shape of crow claws around a gem attuned with different elements,[22] artifacts that remain in the region even centuries after the collapse of Vendrick's kingdom.[23]
In Tseldora a church was built venerating the dark goddess, depicted with her iconic Book of the Guilty and talisman.[4] Above the building Cromwell can also be found, a man who wears the robes of her ancient pardoners and performs the ritual function of absolving humans of their sins, offering forgiveness to anyone as long as they are sincere.[24]
Despite the presence of pardoners like Cromwell, the very name Velka was lost to time in Drangleic, even as the pardoner outfit continued to serve its intended purpose; albeit under the mere shadow of the authority it represented, not the forgotten Goddess of Sin herself who was once feared by many.[25]
Dark Souls III[]
A statue of Velka inside the sewers of the Undead Settlement
At some point Velka and her followers reached Lothric and continued creating their magical rings with the shape of crow claws around a gem attuned with different elements[26] and her mystical rings created with sacrificial rites,[27] artifacts that were spread through the entire region.[28][29]
Velka also appears to have come into contact with Londor, the realm of hollows, as the Sable Church and the three sisters who lead it have learned the goddess' ancient dark miracles.[30] Furthermore an old fable in Londor claims that the lure of her clutch rings reaches out to the crestfallen, who might otherwise be overcome by despair.[26]
A statue of Velka can be found in the Undead Settlement over a grave, holding her Book of the Guilty and with her arm outstretched to welcome sinners.[5] The goddess was known in the village and the inhabitants addressed their prayers to her, coming to the grave to have their wrongdoings forgiven and to be cured of curses.[31] The statue is in fact capable of absolving and purifying sin, but without the need for a pardoner to act as an intermediary as in the past, simply working through prayer and the offering of souls. The statue is also capable of undo an undead's hollowing, though without closing their Dark Sigil.[32] However the statue and the grave are now confined to the sewer system beneath the village and no longer receive visitors.[31]
Theories[]
- It can be theorized that Velka's symbol are crows/ravens (鴉).
- Crow Demons are humanoid creatures that are present all over the Painted World of Ariamis, a place filled with artifacts of Velka,[17] and drops blood-drained, shrunken ears, the symbol of the sinner hunted by the Darkmoon Knights.[16]
- The clutch rings associated with Velka are designed with the claws of crows/ravens.[33]
- In an interview, producer Miyazaki has stated: "I always thought of the painted world as somewhere where things go to escape, and the bird men but no different. They were originally designed as worshippers of the Goddess Velka whose bodies were warped by their devotion. I think this obsession makes them really interesting characters." If the object of worship in question was associated with crows, these men's obsession could have plausibly warped them into that very object.
- Trivially, Velka is also said to be "raven-haired".[3]
- It can be theorized that Caitha, Goddess of Tears is actually a "reformed" and "cleansed" version of Velka.
- Carim, a place once associated with the creation of heretical rings[34] and where at least one of her pardoners come from,[35] has become the realm that now worships Caitha.
- Forbidden rings obtained thanks to sacrificial rites similar to those of Velka[13] are now produced freely by the clerics of Carim.[36]
- Carim's talismans of Caitha acts similarly to those of Velka, employing the user's intelligence in addition to their faith and also working to produce dark miracles.[2][37]
- Both goddesses are considered witches and demonesses[3][37] but both dedicate themselves to the suffering of men, in one case forgiving their sins and in the other offering comfort to those in need.[9][38]
- The Caressing Tears miracle, describing the many deaths surrounding Caitha, is a story developed only in Drangleic times but whose effect actually derives from the Remedy healing sorcery of New Londo, a civilization of humans.[38][39][40]
- Caitha should have been a true member of the race of the Gods, so that she could be inducted into the Way of White pantheon by the Chief God, not a false deity of Drangleic that disappeared by the time of Dark Souls III. This would also testify to the goddess's longevity to have remained active from the times of Drangleic up to those of modern Carim.
Artifacts[]
- Velka's Rapier
- Velka's Talisman
- Karmic Justice
- Vow of Silence
- Book of the Guilty
- Black Set
- Judgment Set
- Black Set (Dark Souls III)
- Ring of Sacrifice
- Ring of Sacrifice (Dark Souls III)
- Dark Clutch Ring
- Fire Clutch Ring
- Lightning Clutch Ring
- Sorcery Clutch Ring
Trivia[]
- The English localization of the Vow of Silence describes Velka as a "rogue deity".[41] However, a more accurate translation of 異端 (itan) would be "heretic". This term indicates religious movements that do not deviate from the dominant doctrine but possess different and marginal ideas without however detaching themselves from the main ones. As a result, despite her secret rituals and the use of occult magic, Velka continues to be part of Gwyn's order of the gods and their faith.
- Cut content reveals that there was a covenant devoted to Velka which was tasked with hunting down Blades of the Darkmoon. Because of this, it is possible to imply that Velka and Gwyndolin were supposed to be enemies before the final version of the game. However, in the final version of the game, Velka and Gwyndolin work together, as the sinners whose names are written on her book are at some point hunted by the Darkmoon Knights.[8]
- The word 'Velka' means 'debt' in Finnish.
References[]
- ↑ Karmic Justice description.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Velka's Talisman description.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Vow of Silence description.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 File:Velka_Statue_Tseldora.jpg
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 File:Velka.jpg
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ring of the Sun Princess description.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Karmic Justice description.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Book of the Guilty description.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Mask of Velka description.
- ↑ Black Set description.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Velka's Rapier description and Velka's Rapier#Characteristics
- ↑ Velka, Goddess of Sin#Trivia
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Ring of Sacrifice description.
- ↑ Soul of the Nameless King and Lightning Storm and Golden Crown and Ring of the Sun's Firstborn description.
- ↑ Darkmoon Seance Ring description.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Souvenir of Reprisal description.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Vow of Silence, Ring of Sacrifice and Velka's Rapier drop inside the Painted World, where the Dark Ember is also located
- ↑ Painted World of Ariamis#Items
- ↑ File:Statue.png
- ↑ Dark Ember description.
- ↑ Effigy Shield description.
- ↑ Dark Clutch Ring description.
- ↑ Availability of Dark Clutch Ring, Lightning Clutch Ring, Fire Clutch Ring and Sorcery Clutch Ring
- ↑ Cromwell the Pardoner dialogue.
- ↑ Judgment Set description.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Dark Clutch Ring (Dark Souls III) description.
- ↑ Ring of Sacrifice (Dark Souls III) description.
- ↑ Dark Clutch Ring (Dark Souls III)#Availability and Lightning Clutch Ring (Dark Souls III)#Availability and Fire Clutch Ring (Dark Souls III)#Availability and Magic Clutch Ring#Availability
- ↑ Ring of Sacrifice (Dark Souls III)#Availability
- ↑ Vow of Silence (Dark Souls III) description.
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 Grave Key description.
- ↑ Velka, the Goddess of Sin#Services
- ↑ Dark Clutch Ring and Dark Clutch Ring (Dark Souls III) description and appearance.
- ↑ Bloodbite Ring description.
- ↑ Oswald of Carim
- ↑ Bloodbite Ring (Dark Souls III) description.
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 Caitha's Chime description.
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 Caressing Tears description.
- ↑ Remedy description.
- ↑ Caressing Prayer description.
- ↑ Vow of Silence description (JT): "Secret rite of black-haired witch Velka. Prevents casting of magic within effect area. Velka, the Goddess of Sin, is a rogue deity, but she is versed in arts both new and old, and is considered to have a great range of influence even as gods are concerned."
