Please ignore this if you're already feeling sad or if you don't give a damn about my problems (which is perfectly fine).
Spoiler
Cute cheerful Solas art? Good not-sad songs? Solas' butt?
http://archiveofouro...hapters/7007324
Here's a silly Solas crackfic. *Hugs* And a big hug from me.
The note about Keeper Gisharel is what's super interesting to me. If you look at our Codex entries by him, you'll see that he is almost the sole resource on the Elven pantheon--all the entries for the gods & both for Arlathan were written by him (here's his list of entries)
There's not much information about the dude himself though, other than that he was Keeper for the Ralaferin (that I could find at least). He doesn't have his own page in the wiki, though he's mentioned in the "Keepers" article & those sources. If there is more, someone please link me!! I really wanna know. We have a bit more info about the Clan since it's where the multiplayer characters are from, but not much on Gisharel specifically.
It's worth noting he also authored the information on Vallaslin. So: we know already that he got one thing majorly wrong.
So: was he just misinformed about the gods? Or deliberate reshaping of Elven mythology in order to provide guidance/hope for a now fragmented & dying people? Unfortunately, we don't know where Gisharel got HIS information from. It's possible he was misled, or unknowingly spread things that weren't true. But since the game specifically has someone questioning him as a source of information, idk, it seems like a hint to me that more is up with that?
I'm not 100% sure what, but I enjoy putting on the tinfoil hat & calling it suspicious.
Also worth note is that Tevinter may have tried to twist Elven mythology themselves after their enslavement/before their uprising. Can't have a god of Rebellion being idolized by the people you're forcing to work for you! It could be possible that the reformatting of Elvhen lore began even before the elves reclaimed independence, but without access to tevinter libraries/resources, wouldn't know about the alterations (if there were even records of this sort of thing).
(ETA: my grasp of timing for things is not foolproof, I don't have that darn timeline memorized as well as most of you
so my theories may grow leakier with more research)
Wasn't it Brother Genitivi who pointed out how it's always Keeper Gisharel who wrote stuff on Dalish lore? I had a good chuckle reading that. 
This is a very interesting observation, I never thought to pay attention to it before. Suspicious indeed! This makes me think of another possiblity... Someone had already suggested some pages back about a common war tactic being to spread false information on the enemy to weaken the enemy support base. What if that's what's happening here? What if Keeper Gisharel is under the influence, willingly or not, of one of the more malevolent figures of the elven pantheon as a long-term sabotage plan? Use Gisharel to spread false information, weakening support for Fen'Harel when the time comes for whatever reckoning they have planned.
When elves play the Great Game, they play for millenia, and the stakes are as high as the Breach in the sky. Take that, Orlais.
I would like to offer my personal Solasmancing coping playlist, in case anyone else might also find these songs fitting.
1. Change of Time - Josh Ritter - https://www.youtube....h?v=2iSmrryfxGM
2. The Eraser - Thom Yorke - https://www.youtube....h?v=yb1oge5nHQk
3. Undisclosed Desires - Muse - https://www.youtube....h?v=bWTuKd2lTo4
4. Drowning Man - U2 - https://www.youtube....h?v=PAdgJJH3ZBI
5. Golden Slumbers - The Beatles - https://www.youtube....h?v=OUd9Sx5Pumg
6. How My Heart Behaves - Feist - https://www.youtube....h?v=sNYIvIRJJU4
7. Don't Be Shy - Cat Stevens - https://www.youtube....h?v=TDUuBfpbwOs
8. Do What You Have to Do - Sarah McLachlan - https://www.youtube....h?v=N1KnE1Zu_84
9. Milk Thistle - Conor Oberst - https://www.youtube....h?v=DIBoEZOVLIE
10. Fitzcarraldo - The Frames - https://www.youtube....h?v=Jy5AKZxmXlM
11. Howl - Florence and the Machine - https://www.youtube....h?v=JZweDwbJ_Ic
12. What Happens When the Heart Just Stops? - The Frames - https://www.youtube....h?v=jAUq0p1B6Ic
Does anyone know what is the inquisitor's fear? Spiders? You're afraid of spiders?
In games? Psh, cave fodder...
In real life? AHHH It's touching my stufff!!!
Meant to include this in original post, editing it in now but also posting it here
If we DO consider the tevinter-imperium-deliberately-reshaping-elven-mythology angle:
By transforming him into a trickster god, they not only get rid of "rebellion" as a theme but turn him into someone to be distrusted & wary of. This way, if any lore DOES survive intact, Elvish slaves are still unlikely to trust it--it could just be another of Fen'harel's tricks to mess with them again. Get rid of the idol for uprising as well as aquire a scapegoat, two birds, 1 stone, etc.
In games? Psh, cave fodder...
In real life? AHHH It's touching my stufff!!!
When you go into the fade and face the fear demon all you see is spiders lol.
Tyrdda Bright-Axe Analysis
<It's like, two posts up. Go read it.
Holy fudge cakes, Batman!
I haven't found the Bright-Axe War Table quest. That will have to be rectified.
I remember someone freaking out on Twitter shortly after release about Tyrdda Bright-Axe and how so much lore-shaking clues were in it, and Weekes grinning and saying that he was glad she noticed and laughing his ass off that theory-crafters weren't going over it obsessively yet.
FINISH THE REST. 
Does anyone know what is the inquisitor's fear? Spiders? You're afraid of spiders?
As a gamer, I am terrified of video game spiders. RL spiders, fine. I even try to get them outside before my kitty inevitably turns them into a snack. But game spiders are never, ever good news, and I find it very funny on a meta level that Hawke and quizzy BOTH see spiders 
After that, she saves her voice for when they are alone. Reading, patrolling, or under her covers ready to drift off into the Fade, she sings as freely as any bird. The songs are happy, sorrowful, and sometimes silly; sometimes downright filthy, and Solas wonders where she learned such limericks (perhaps Sera). But none of it bothers him, because as he tells her stories of the Fade, this is her exchange. It is their own, odd, round-about way of communicating something deeper between them without actually saying, and he would not have it any other way.
Yay for quizzies who can sing! Though mine never freely sings, not even for Solas. He catches snatches of it every now and then, more than anyone else, but she's so sick of the comparisons to Andraste that I don't think she ever feels comfortable singing for anyone while she's Inquisitor, at least not during the timespan of the game 
It'll take a long, long time before she gets over that mental hurdle.
When you go into the fade and face the fear demon all you see is spiders lol.
Oh right. well they are a good thing to be scared of.
Wasn't it Brother Genitivi who pointed out how it's always Keeper Gisharel who wrote stuff on Dalish lore? I had a good chuckle reading that.
This is a very interesting observation, I never thought to pay attention to it before. Suspicious indeed! This makes me think of another possiblity... Someone had already suggested some pages back about a common war tactic being to spread false information on the enemy to weaken the enemy support base. What if that's what's happening here? What if Keeper Gisharel is under the influence, willingly or not, of one of the more malevolent figures of the elven pantheon as a long-term sabotage plan? Use Gisharel to spread false information, weakening support for Fen'Harel when the time comes for whatever reckoning they have planned.
When elves play the Great Game, they play for millenia, and the stakes are as high as the Breach in the sky. Take that, Orlais.
Oh wow! Imagine if that's what really happened?
Ugh! So many awesome theories! The Dragon Age series is going to be the death of me. I currently have this great thirst for wanting to know the truth of what actually happened in the past. Sometimes I feel like marching up to Bioware HQ, give Gaider (and Weekes) a good shake while yelling "TELL ME THE SECRETS OF THE (DRAGON AGE) UNIVERSE!!! I NEED TO KNOW!!"
*cough*
Meant to include this in original post, editing it in now but also posting it here
If we DO consider the tevinter-imperium-deliberately-reshaping-elven-mythology angle:
By transforming him into a trickster god, they not only get rid of "rebellion" as a theme but turn him into someone to be distrusted & wary of. This way, if any lore DOES survive intact, Elvish slaves are still unlikely to trust it--it could just be another of Fen'harel's tricks to mess with them again. Get rid of the idol for uprising as well as aquire a scapegoat, two birds, 1 stone, etc.
AAAAAND ANOTHER THING: we have OTHER proof of Tevinter messing with elvish history in the constellation codex entries from the Astrarium quests.
For some of the constallation entries, it's noted that some scholars suspect the Tevinter Imperium overwrote/displaced older, Elvhen constellations--usually ones of the Elvhen gods. Specifically, the constellations below all mention that they could actually correspond to the listed god:
In all these codex entries, it explicitly mentions the corresponding god, along with some handwavey "~BUT WE DON'T HAVE CONCRETE PROOF THAT THAT'S THE CASE GUYS~". If they did that just once, I'd be inclined to say it wasn't much, but since it happens for 6 of the 16 constellations, it seems like a pattern to me.
So: possible proof of erasure of Elven mythology by the Tevinter imperium? *dons tinfoil hat* Maybe!! Maybe also unintentional loss.
HOWEVER: we DO have proof that Tevinter DID make a deliberate effort to change at least one of the constallations on purpose to make them look better--Satinalis.
"Referred to as either "Satina" (after the moon) or as "Satinalia" (after the holiday) in common parlance, the constellation Satinalis has always been depicted by the Celebrant: a seated man playing a lyre. It should be noted that, in ancient Tevinter, the constellation was known as "Mortemalis," and was represented by a warrior holding aloft a head (usually that of an elf). The movement to officially rename it took hold in the Divine Age, and after eight hundred years, the original is all but forgotten."
Interestingly, of the other constellations we get, a lot used to represent old gods but have also changed, whether on purpose or not.
So! Basically:
- Did Tevinter purposefully supplant parts of Elvhen history to keep their slaves timid & obedient? There's evidence they may have at least replaced the constallations with newer versions that no longer corresponded to the Elven Gods.
(Why did you memorize all the constellations, you may ask??? Because I freaking loved those puzzles. I did them all. I'm like the only one apparently. And stuff like that just sticks in my head easy. Maybe it's not the best line of support for crackpot theories but I am new to this theory-game & I'm bringing what I can).
AAAAAND ANOTHER THING: we have OTHER proof of Tevinter messing with elvish history in the constellation codex entries from the Astrarium quests.
For some of the constallation entries, it's noted that some scholars suspect the Tevinter Imperium overwrote/displaced older, Elvhen constellations--usually ones of the Elvhen gods. Specifically, the constellations below all mention that they could actually correspond to the listed god:
- Equinor = Ghilan'nain
- Fenrir = Fen'harel
- Fernenial = Andruil
- Silentir = Mythal
- Solium = Elgar'nan
- Tenebrium = Falon'Din
In all these codex entries, it explicitly mentions the corresponding god, along with some handwavey "~BUT WE DON'T HAVE CONCRETE PROOF THAT THAT'S THE CASE GUYS~". If they did that just once, I'd be inclined to say it wasn't much, but since it happens for 6 of the 16 constellations, it seems like a pattern to me.
So: possible proof of erasure of Elven mythology by the Tevinter imperium? *dons tinfoil hat* Maybe!! Maybe also unintentional loss.
HOWEVER: we DO have proof that Tevinter DID make a deliberate effort to change at least one of the constallations on purpose to make them look better--Satinalis.
"Referred to as either "Satina" (after the moon) or as "Satinalia" (after the holiday) in common parlance, the constellation Satinalis has always been depicted by the Celebrant: a seated man playing a lyre. It should be noted that, in ancient Tevinter, the constellation was known as "Mortemalis," and was represented by a warrior holding aloft a head (usually that of an elf). The movement to officially rename it took hold in the Divine Age, and after eight hundred years, the original is all but forgotten."
Interestingly, of the other constellations we get, a lot used to represent old gods but have also changed, whether on purpose or not.
- Bellitanus = Urthemiel
- Eluvia = Razikale
- Kios = Zazikel
- Servani = Andoral
- Toth = ...Toth
- Draconis possibly corresponds to an "unknown eighth Old God that was stricken from historical record" [¿¿¿???!!!!]
So! Basically:
- Did Tevinter purposefully supplant parts of Elvhen history to keep their slaves timid & obedient? There's evidence they may have at least replaced the constallations with newer versions that no longer corresponded to the Elven Gods.
(Why did you memorize all the constellations, you may ask??? Because I freaking loved those puzzles. I did them all. I'm like the only one apparently. And stuff like that just sticks in my head easy. Maybe it's not the best line of support for crackpot theories but I am new to this theory-game & I'm bringing what I can).
I loved the puzzles too. And all the constellations.
It seems that the Tevinters did borrow a ton from Arlathan when it came to religion. Which makes me suspect that the Old Gods and the Creators are tied together. There was also probably a lot of deliberate cultural smearing and twisting to prevent the slaves from having something to rally around. Interesting that Mortemalis was changed. The early Chantry feeling a little awkward about the past?
Oh god.
Does anyone know what is the inquisitor's fear? Spiders? You're afraid of spiders?
I think it's mostly because gameplay reasons. Hawke sees spider too though, it could be that the Nightmare demon couldn't find anything tangible and went for something generic
I headcannon that my Lavellan sees her clan, her friends, the inquisition... infected with red lyrium.
Yea right, one torch light scene again and you come crawling back
<snip>
(Why did you memorize all the constellations, you may ask??? Because I freaking loved those puzzles. I did them all. I'm like the only one apparently. And stuff like that just sticks in my head easy. Maybe it's not the best line of support for crackpot theories but I am new to this theory-game & I'm bringing what I can).
I actually love doing the Astrarium puzzles. Some were trickier than others but I still managed to figure them out, and without a guide as well. 
(One of my proudest moments lol!)
The note about Keeper Gisharel is what's super interesting to me. If you look at our Codex entries by him, you'll see that he is almost the sole resource on the Elven pantheon--all the entries for the gods & both for Arlathan were written by him (here's his list of entries)
There's not much information about the dude himself though, other than that he was Keeper for the Ralaferin (that I could find at least). He doesn't have his own page in the wiki, though he's mentioned in the "Keepers" article & those sources. If there is more, someone please link me!! I really wanna know. We have a bit more info about the Clan since it's where the multiplayer characters are from, but not much on Gisharel specifically.
It's worth noting he also authored the information on Vallaslin. So: we know already that he got one thing majorly wrong.
So: was he just misinformed about the gods? Or deliberate reshaping of Elven mythology in order to provide guidance/hope for a now fragmented & dying people? Unfortunately, we don't know where Gisharel got HIS information from. It's possible he was misled, or unknowingly spread things that weren't true. But since the game specifically has someone questioning him as a source of information, idk, it seems like a hint to me that more is up with that?
I can't remember my source (codex probably) but Gisharel's claim to fame was being very open with Elven knowledge toward those outside the Dalish. What we've known since DA:O is that the Dalish are big on keeping their history by passing it on orally. A tradition that brings up questions of literary rates in the Dalish (even with their faulty history the Dalish might be better educated than City Elves, everyone panic). Anyway, Gisharel might be the only written Dalish source of Elven history lore culture. Whether he had any sway in what the Dalish believed or simply wrote it down is still up in the air. Also check the flavor text for the Neria, the First from the multiplayer, it indicates that Gisharel set precedent for Ralaferin Clan to keep up contact with the rest of the world which two of it's elves joined the Inquisition.
Now deliberately reshaping Elven mythology in order to provide guidance/hope. That's really intriguing to me because the Dalish seem to be riddled with good intentions as much as historical inaccuracies. Vallaslin being the best example: slave markings for the Elvhen, coming of age ritual for the Dalish. On top of that there are the reinterpretations of their gods. It wouldn't surprise me if an elf at some point decided to just say what would give their people hope even if it was wrong. Mother Giselle admits to doing that to keep people hopeful so it wouldn't be unprecedented from the writers. It'd kind of suck for an entire culture to have to handle though.
Also Lizasaurus you're the best. The moment I saw those sonnets I said to myself "Nope. I've spent 2 years of college analyzing sonnets. I respect you for all your effort Bioware but there is no way in Hell I'm decrypting another sonnet". So yeah, thanks for keeping my curiosity from overpowering my lazier sense.
AAAAAND ANOTHER THING: we have OTHER proof of Tevinter messing with elvish history in the constellation codex entries from the Astrarium quests.
For some of the constallation entries, it's noted that some scholars suspect the Tevinter Imperium overwrote/displaced older, Elvhen constellations--usually ones of the Elvhen gods. Specifically, the constellations below all mention that they could actually correspond to the listed god:In all these codex entries, it explicitly mentions the corresponding god, along with some handwavey "~BUT WE DON'T HAVE CONCRETE PROOF THAT THAT'S THE CASE GUYS~". If they did that just once, I'd be inclined to say it wasn't much, but since it happens for 6 of the 16 constellations, it seems like a pattern to me.
- Equinor = Ghilan'nain
- Fenrir = Fen'harel
- Fernenial = Andruil
- Silentir = Mythal
- Solium = Elgar'nan
- Tenebrium = Falon'Din
So: possible proof of erasure of Elven mythology by the Tevinter imperium? *dons tinfoil hat* Maybe!! Maybe also unintentional loss.
HOWEVER: we DO have proof that Tevinter DID make a deliberate effort to change at least one of the constallations on purpose to make them look better--Satinalis.
"Referred to as either "Satina" (after the moon) or as "Satinalia" (after the holiday) in common parlance, the constellation Satinalis has always been depicted by the Celebrant: a seated man playing a lyre. It should be noted that, in ancient Tevinter, the constellation was known as "Mortemalis," and was represented by a warrior holding aloft a head (usually that of an elf). The movement to officially rename it took hold in the Divine Age, and after eight hundred years, the original is all but forgotten."
Interestingly, of the other constellations we get, a lot used to represent old gods but have also changed, whether on purpose or not.
- Bellitanus = Urthemiel
- Eluvia = Razikale
- Kios = Zazikel
- Servani = Andoral
- Toth = ...Toth
- Draconis possibly corresponds to an "unknown eighth Old God that was stricken from historical record" [¿¿¿???!!!!]
So! Basically:
- Did Tevinter purposefully supplant parts of Elvhen history to keep their slaves timid & obedient? There's evidence they may have at least replaced the constallations with newer versions that no longer corresponded to the Elven Gods.
(Why did you memorize all the constellations, you may ask??? Because I freaking loved those puzzles. I did them all. I'm like the only one apparently. And stuff like that just sticks in my head easy. Maybe it's not the best line of support for crackpot theories but I am new to this theory-game & I'm bringing what I can).
Liza I love you. All hail butt-sensei, Queen of Lore and Curator of the Temple of Sacred Asses.
HAIL!
I can't remember my source (codex probably) but Gisharel's claim to fame was being very open with Elven knowledge toward those outside the Dalish. What we've known since DA:O is that the Dalish are big on keeping their history by passing it on orally. A tradition that brings up questions of literary rates in the Dalish (even with their faulty history the Dalish might be better educated than City Elves, everyone panic). Anyway, Gisharel might be the only written Dalish source of Elven
historyloreculture. Whether he had any sway in what the Dalish believed or simply wrote it down is still up in the air. Also check the flavor text for the Neria, the First from the multiplayer, it indicates that Gisharel set precedent for Ralaferin Clan to keep up contact with the rest of the world which two of it's elves joined the Inquisition.
Now deliberately reshaping Elven mythology in order to provide guidance/hope. That's really intriguing to me because the Dalish seem to be riddled with good intentions as much as historical inaccuracies. Vallaslin being the best example: slave markings for the Elvhen, coming of age ritual for the Dalish. On top of that there are the reinterpretations of their gods. It wouldn't surprise me if an elf at some point decided to just say what would give their people hope even if it was wrong. Mother Giselle admits to doing that to keep people hopeful so it wouldn't be unprecedented from the writers. It'd kind of suck for an entire culture to have to handle though.
Also Lizasaurus you're the best. The moment I saw those sonnets I said to myself "Nope. I've spent 2 years of college analyzing sonnets. I respect you for all your effort Bioware but there is no way in Hell I'm decrypting another sonnet". So yeah, thanks for keeping my curiosity from overpowering my lazier sense.
Ahhh, thanks for the additional info!! It totally makes sense that 'recorded' Dalish lore would come from one of the few elves that wants to share it, & helps explain why Gisharel is overabundant as a source.
It's been a couple years since my Origins play through & it took me till this game to get into the speculation side, since i played the others years after their release. I haven't attempted multiplayer (I fear my internet is too poor) so I missed that flavor text about the Ralaferin Clan, thanks!
Oh good, I'm really tired and scatterbrained right now and was worried I wasn't going to make sense.
Sigh, poor Dalish, they'll probably throw the baby out with the bathwater when they realize they got their history wrong. Is a culture and history filled with falsehoods but has potential value and keeps a people together more important the truth? If Dragon Age actually wants to touch that question then I applaud the writers.
Oh wait a second, that's close to Jorge Luis Borges' "Theme of the Traitor and Hero". It is a Borges story so it's blurred by postmodernism but the gist is that a hero of one of the Irish rebellions was assassinated and only generations later was is it discovered that he was a traitor. The assassination was a cover up to not have to publicly expose the man as a traitor and ruin his image as a hero and ruin the people's hope. It's basically the exact opposite of what we assume happened to Fen'harel.
...And I really am tired if I'm relating Borges to Dragon Age.
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