Intro

In this post I hope to convince you that Boggart is a microcosm of Godwyn, one we can use to learn a great deal about the Elden Ring’s golden boy.

Microcosm analysis is taking smaller stories, regions, items, or characters and attempting to draw parallels to the main characters of the story, whom we know little about. An example is Miquella’s story from the DLC being used to determine some of Marika’s past.

With that established, by the end of this post, I hope to use Boggart to convince you that:

• Godwyn has a hidden past
• His past dooms him, he is a prisoner to fate
• This past is used by his enemies 

Because this is a long one, I will give you fun speculation up front as well:

• Godwyn is of the land / chthonic. This means he is not Numen but instead was mimicking them
• He was once a political prisoner
• He was a twin in a royal family
• He had a lot of enemies, including Rykard & Radagon
• He had a lot of friends, including horse people & the rotten
• He was tough on outside but friendly on the inside

I’d like to thank JackisaMimic & the Mimic Commentary series, specifically ep 66. I also want to thank Dryleaf Eren & the We Are Godwyn series, specifically ep 11. Both informed large chunks of this analysis, which I thought I could take even further. 

Boggart’s visual inspiration was a political prisoner and the twin brother of a king

The Man in the Iron Mask is a novel from 1850 by Alexandre Dumas. It is part of the 3 Musketeers mythos. Reimagined in 1990 with Leo DiCaprio (pictured above), it’s not a far leap to assume this is an inspiration for Boggart’s mask. The resemblance is uncanny. 

In the story, the titular masked man is held prisoner by the king of France. This prisoner is the king’s twin brother, and the country’s true heir to the throne (because he was born minutes before his brother lul). The king, unwilling to kill another member of the royal family, instead locks his brother in a dungeon, and uses the mask to hide his royal visage. 

This story is a partial reflection of a real prison, rumored to have spent 34 years in various prisons of France. Here are some of the relevant facts regarding both versions:

Rya tries to deceive us into killing Boggart

Our first encounter regarding Boggart is not with him directly. Most players probably hear about Boggart before they meet him. The sequence of causality normally starts by bumping into Rya at the south end of Liurnia. This is intentional, Rya is there to anchor our perceptions, and she’s not above manipulation.

I was accosted by a ruffian, and now I'm in a bind. Could I ask you to lend a hand, perhaps?

That thug made off with a precious necklace. I need someone to retrieve it.
Only... He, too, is Tarnished. If you've any qualms confronting your own, I shall find another...

She asks us to confront a dangerous criminal. But eventually, we learn from Boggart that their interaction wasn’t as nefarious as Rya made it appear.

Oh, so you met the girl, did ya? Alright, well, sod the particulars of the matter, but it ain't my fault she's stupid enough to get duped, is it. Anyway, she ain't all right, that one. Lucky she ain't died on the bloody roadside, I reckon*

He doesn’t admit to robbery. He implies he bought it off of her for a song. It’s certainly possible he’s downplaying his own intimidation & threats of violence, but does Boggart have a reason to lie? I don’t see a good one, especially when his story only makes him seem weaker and more pathetic. 

Rya on the other hand, we know is not honest with us. She lies about her status as a recruiter for a hit-squad. So why not lie about Boggart? He’d be a lot easier to kill if we thought he was scum, and if we did the deed, she’d have earned herself another recruit. What really seals this to me is that we close this particular subplot with a lie of our own. You can tell Rya you killed Boggart even when you didn’t. 

Boggart’s reputation as a prisoner informs his self-image

When we approach the small house Boggart is squatting at, his first impression matches what you might expect from a “thug” and “ruffian”. The first few times you talk to him, he puts on a tough act:

What are you lookin' at? You trying to start something, mate?

What the hell is wrong with you. You trying to start something? Piss off. Before I crack you in 'alf.

You're a shrewd one, chief. First, you hand me the runes. And don't try nothin', neither.

He also looks like he’s seen better days, wearing a rusted iron mask & dirty old clothing. 

If we consider Rya to be representative of Rykard as the parallel for our microcosm what does that imply? Rya frames Boggart, and directs us to kill him. Rykard is a known co-conspirator in the Knight of the Black Knives and chief justiciar. Rya’s aspersions become a lot more interesting when you consider them coming out of the head of law enforcement for the entire queendom. I’m not saying Rya is a perfect cypher for Rykard’s role that night, but I think she teaches us a very important thing - Rykard was actively sullying Godwyn’s name and likely calling for his death. 

Boggart has not been fortunate in life, and we find this out early. He has been imprisoned, stripped of status & wealth, and veiled away from society. No wonder he’s got a bad attitude.   

Prisoners are tortured & driven mad, deprived of the light of grace

Prisoners in the lands between do not have good lives. This is made abundantly clear in multiple situations. The evergaols are permanent solitary confinement in another dimension. No wonder everyone inside is pissed. 

We can also get a good look at the life of a prisoner by inspecting a common, yet distinct feature - their helmets. Not only is this Boggart’s defining feature, it is for other prisoners as well. 

What can we draw from these items?  Both masks are meant to torment, something that can also be inferred from their design. Not only do they cover the head in thick metal, but they also impair vision and inflict darkness. This is a particularly cruel punishment when the grace of god is represented through seeing her light. 

The treatment of these prisoners caused them to go mad over time. I'd say slowly fermenting is a pretty good description of Godwyn & Boggart too. 

Boggart the hospitable

Boggart may play at being a tough guy, but his bark is much worse than his bite.  The facade quickly falls. He’s not that bad a person. In fact, he’s looking for a chum. He makes this known through his willingness to share food. He’s the only one in the game who attempts to build comradery with us in this way. This is a very human impulse – to break bread (and shellfish) together.  

Never met someone with a taste for prawn I couldn't trust. We'd make good mates, I reckon.

This gesture alone immediately puts Boggart among the most kindhearted NPCs. Rough around the edges for sure, but a true friend. Someone still willing to host a meal with others, during a time when eating is no longer required to stay alive. Compared to most others in this place who attack on sight, he’s practically a saint.

A fish out of (fresh)water

The boiled prawns & crabs aren’t just important as a way of establishing character. They are extremely important clues when you realize they are linked to Godwyn. 

Two critical pieces of information are underlined above. The first is that the prawn is actually crayfish. The second is that both shouldn’t be “over-salted”. What does any of this mean? I argue it’s not just pointless flavor. It doesn’t make much sense as such. So what if we look for meaning and connection instead? 

I think the key connection is that crayfish are a fresh water species. Crabs and shrimp can both be fresh or salt water, but crayfish are fresh only. I believe ‘oversalting’ is a hint that these creatures are from fresh water sources. Makes perfect sense considering we only see Boggart inland. 

But why is the crayfish sold as prawn? Boggart has no reason to lie about it. If anything, killing crayfish should earn him more street cred. 

This is how you know the information is relevant to the macrocosm. It lets us know that something associated with these objects is attempting to present itself as a creature of the salt-water seas. 

When we think about Boggart through the lens Godwyn, we can connect the ‘prawn’ tail to godwyn. The crabs crabs are also another clear connection. It’s too intentional to ignore. The game isn’t telling us that Boggart is hiding things. It’s telling us that Godwyn was. 

s a brief aside, salt water vs fresh water is an ancient topic, something we know the game revels in. The creator gods of Mesopotamia, Tiamat & Abzu, represented each respectively, and were eventually killed by their own children. 

We know the Lands Between is attractive to species from outer space. Species deemed divine even. If traveling through space is a bit like sailing the sea, then the travelers of the great stone ships can be said to be their sailors. If these sailors were Numen, they’d be the ones associated with salt-water. The ones Godwyn really wants to pass himself off as. 

Fighting ancient dragons wins hearts

I think Godwyn was successful in mimicking the Numen. The game is full of successful mimics. We know he knew Marika, who was well versed in trickery & reinvention. Another path they can take is by fighting well, often in a particular style (e.g. dancing). We know Godwyn impressed people on the battlefield. We can call upon Boggart’s aid in battle as well, and of course this is a microcosm too dawg.

You can summon him to help take down the magma wyrm Makar, who blocks the path at the top of the Ruin Strewn Precipice. Makar is a dragon-eater turned dragon monster who now blocks the path from Liurnia to Altus. That this dragon is a mutated human, hiding in the ruins of a dead civilization, to me is a nod to the ancient dragon war. I believe Ancient Dragons are mutated Numen, most of whom hide in the ruins of Faram Azula.

Makar’s name has some connection to Greek “islands of the blessed” [Nēsoi Makarōn]. The islands were reserved for those who had chosen to be reincarnated and were pure enough to gain entrance to the Elysian Fields thrice over. Makar, a man ‘reborn’ as a dragon, is the test for many players to gain access to Altus, another golden field of immortality.  

An alliance horns & rot

Godwyn was a good fighter but much in the game implies he reached the pinnacle of society. It’s hard to imagine he fought his way into the royal family. To pass as Numen and not fishman, he would have needed some real help. 

When we call for Boggart’s aid against Makar, he’s not the only one we can call. We can also call in Millicent & Tragoth. What does this confluence of people does this represent? Did Godwyn work with Malenia to take down the dragons? Maybe Romina? Did they also ally with someone associated with large holy steeds? Possibly the Hornsent?

And why is Boggart's weapon specifically made of horse gear?

Who the horse people are and what the Great Horned One is is a discussion for another day, which also calls into question if Milicent really represents Malenia. We know there are older sources of rot. But we don’t know how old Godwyn is?  As the truthers know, never is it stated that he is Godfrey’s son. This is a mystery I hope to shed more light on in this series of Godwyn microcosms. 

Cursed by a more powerful warrior who still sees grace

Much like Boggart's story starts with an enemy, it ends it one too - one far more dangerous. 

After buying prawns from Boggart, he moves to Leyndell, in the outer moat near the capital. Here is where we learn about his time in prison with the Dung Eater, 

You 'eard of the Dung Eater? E's a madman, 'as it out for everyone. Curses 'em. Goes 'round in this rank armour, an' all. You see 'im though, stay well away. I was in the same gaol as him, once, so I know first 'and. E's a god-forsaken monster. Not just some petty thug like me. 

Notice they share a past. We also find Dung Eater in a prison, potentially the same one Boggart was in. This may imply Godwyn was once imprisoned beneath Leyndel as well. Or that

I believe a couple of other comments about the Dung Eater start to clue us into the Radagon connection. 

E's a killer. Kills people and curses their souls... Does all sorts of **** to their corpses, to keep 'em cursed, forever. I ain't seen nothin' more disgustin' in all my years. I ain't never been more scared, neither. Rooted to the bloody spot... While 'e did all that, to my friend...

Never thought I would. What 'e does to those bodies. It was... It was 'im, no question. That monster. He's lurkin' round 'ere.

Radagon is also not above torture, thought to be responsible for the crucified & burnt alive tarnished that litter the countryside. He also finds himself trapped in a single location, extra points considering he’s trapped in a tree. This also obviously also applies to Godwyn buried in the roots.

Besides this, Dungeater & Radagon have multiple connections. Both feel cursed, are outcasts, seek revenge, and are associated with swords made of a dead body. Both are both associated with giants and prisons and monsters. 

Dungeater’s killing of Boggart doesn’t seem particularly personal. You might argue he was using Boggart to get to the Tarnished. To me, this implies Radagon was involved in the Night of the Black Knives, but only as part of a larger scheme. 

Killed, but not cleanly

Boggart’s demise is of course a reference to that fateful night. And I think his relationship to Marika, as a receiver of grace, shows us that Godwyn was once part of Marika’s plans, but no longer.  

You're Tarnished too, ain'tcha? Can you see it then? The guidance of grace, I mean. I can't see it at all no more. Makes no bloody sense anyway, why some no-name shithead like me should get called to the Lands Between. Cruel bloody joke, you ask me. Maybe something went tits up with it. Maybe... it's been broke for a good long time. The Erdtree, I'm sayin'. 

The cruel & bloody joke is the assasination, which did indeed go tits up when it was foiled by Ranni. And the comment on the broken Erdtree is a direct connection to the shattering, this ultimate act in this chain of events set up in the game’s intro. 

Close to death, Boggart once again references the botched nature of the Night of the Black Knives and the resulting agony it continues to cause him and Godwyn.  

Help me out, would ya, mate... I don't wanna get cursed. Just let me die... I don't wanna live like this... not anymore... So, please…

Even at the very end, his last words once again reference a feeling that he was out of his depth or did not belong. 

Heh... serves me right. Fitting bloody end, for a jumped up little shit with big ideas

I find this to be curious without context for Godwyn, but if we assume Godwyn was mimicking Numen, rising amongst them, only to become a failed sacrifice…well that is a pretty compelling story to me.