Lore(spoilers): Maybe I (and some others) solved the ...(Elden Ring Theory)

[Lactose_Intolerance]

First of all, sorry for the clickbait. I watched a video by HYG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaCZjHOtk04
where he claimed that he solved the mystery of the shadow of the Erdtree.
I and some others disagreed with parts of this video. I want to be constructive so therefore I will share my theory with you. Feel free to add additional information, comment and critique and I will possibly reevaluate (parts of) the theory.
First of all: I never played the game but I am invested in watching the lore and (given improved financial stability) I will buy the game in the future!

Second the theory:

1.) (I agree with the mentioned video): The Hornsents had a serpent god called the Gloom-eyed queen. The consort was Placidusax. Placidusax was wounded by Bayle.

2.) The Gloam-Eyed Queen now needed a new consort.

3.) (Look out for lore on the jars, shamans) Marika was a shaman that was either caught by the Hornsent and combined in a jar with Radagon (maybe a firegiant or offspring of such) or was able to "melt" freely (due to her shamans flesh) with him into a culmulation of both Marika and Radagon. She wanted revenge of the potting practices of the Hornsent who put her people into jars.

4.) Marika seduced the Gloom Eyed Queen as Radagon after Pladasudisax's battle with Bale.
(This would be the both the seduction and betrayal. Marika as Radagon was to be the 2nd Elden lord of the Crucible Era.

5)This union birthed Messmer and his little sister Melina. Messmer, a child fused with a serpent not unlike the godskins and a darkness like the black flame, with powerful flame magic. Both have the red hair of their father Radagon (and are therefore also offsprings of Marika (since they are interwoven at this point)) and the Gloam-Eyed Queen. You can even see Melina with a gloam coloured eye of her mother in the Frenzied Flame ending.

6.) Marika stole Messmer and Melina after their birth and claimed to be their mother.

7.) Shortly after Messmer's and Melinas birth,

Marika stole the Elden ring from inside the Gloom eye queen's bodies womb after killing her. Giving birth is not easy afterall. Maybe she used her shadow Maliketh to do her bidding and thats the reason he got the rune of destined death.
The queen would be heavily tired, weakend and be completly vulnerable as she would never suspect her new consort, the father of her child to try kill her. (Marika mabye even shifted back to her form from Radagon to break the Gloom Queens spirit and the trailer looks more like Marika in my opinion.

8.) She sealed destined death inside her shadow Maliketh and spread rumours he killed the Gloom Eyed Queen to her people. The priesthood of Hornsent knew of her betrayal.

9.) Marika is both the god and Lord consort(Radagon). She did not need a consort to ascend to godhood since she grabbed the essence itself (the golden strands) and Radagon was the previous consort.

10.) But she needed a warrior to fight her battles and maybe godhood itself also requires a consort. And so she consorted Houra Loux to bring any opposing faction under her rule. Which makes him the first consort of the Golden order.

10a.) Marika could’ve have very easily ascended to godhood without Godfrey. She and Radagon are both god and consort. Godfrey is the “first Elden lord of the golden order” so you can pull that statement apart a bit and make it “true” without Godfrey having the be at the divine gate at her initial ascension. Godfrey could’ve been the first “public” elden lord if marika and radagon were already one at her ascension. He could’ve been the first elden lord of the golden order and at her ascension she could’ve been considered a god of whatever the crucibles age would be called. It also could just be propaganda by marika since we’ve found over time the history books in the land between can leave some details out to make certain rulers or factions look better or worse.

10b.) We thought we knew that the ritual to become a god requires a lord to usher in the god. The player does this for Ranni in her ending, and Radahn does that for Miquella. In the trailer however, there's only Marika and the creature (Snake= Gloam-Eyed Queen) from which she removes the golden strands. An interpretation could be that she (or he: Radagon) was supposed to be the lord in the that instance, she ushered in the god to complete the ritual but then stole the golden strands (maybe already the elden Ring represented by such strands) and made herself a god instead. One minor detail that points to this, is that she is dressed like Radagon, covering just the lower half of her body. The only other time we see her depicted like this, at the start of the final battle, is when Radagon is in control (has closed the Erdtree and takes over the body to fight).
Maybe Marika was persecuted by the Hornsemen because she was from the Shaman village and she hid in the guise of Radagon and worked a long game to seduce the Gloam-Eyed Queen, who was searching for a new consort after Placidusax was incapacitated, (and maybe Horah laoux as Marika at the same time) to get the necessary forces for a coup). This would also make it so at the beginning of her reign she goes from Radagon to Marika(ascension/causality) and at the end of her reign she goes from Marika to Radagon(death/regression)

11.) Marika sending Mesmer on the crusade is bitter irony since he is deleting his potential followers of him due to him being the child of the Gloam-Eyed Queen. And this gives further meaning of her getting rid of her sins and/or original sin, since he is the byproduct of her betrayal.

To add: Maybe the Gloam-Eyed Queen is even the creator of this world or there since its beginning since Placidusax is her consort. Those dragons always were primordial beeings in the Souls serious so maybe he comes from the beginning of time and so does this (maybe) primordial snake. On the other hand in the trailer Marika grabs golden strings from the (golden order) greater will. So this outer god was influencing this land for even longer. Children born of Marika have gold hair; children born of Radagon have Red hair. Miquella and Melania have both because of both parents.

This portrayal of a scheming and woman out for revenge using her body to gain power also reminds me strongly of George R.R. Martins writing and especially to Cercei lannister in GOT.

Marikas reason for destroying the Elden Ring: Godwyn was possibly considered by her to be worth the sacrifices she has made: Sure her Shaman tribe was wiped out, sure she used her body to get influence and to use Godfrey as her tool. But Godwyn was possibly immaculate and gave her hope. After his killing she probably shattered the Elden Ring out of hurt and pointlessnes. I am not sure.


Further watching and inspirations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GZKV37XR4Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0J78XOWTzk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qABEi-EDp8Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMuNAtiEipc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TirYRjs6X7A&t=101s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFo-z9R9GvA

I am thankful to all the other commentors and their contributions in the youtube comments aswell. Sadly I am to lazy to note down all their names.

[Paulo Ramos]

Marika and Radagon are the same person. It is like St Trina being the "love" aspect of Miquella. Radagon was Marika's Faith part.

[WilliamLurk]

The fanfic is strong with this one...

[palacentes]

its just normal for lore hunters to make up theories since the game really gives incomplete lore.... but Gloam eye Queen being a snake.... come on....

[GEB3]

I had made up the same theory without even knowing others thought about it! Accept my friend request so I can discuss what I had made up.