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The Witcher games are some of the most well-renowned in gaming. The two sequels, at any rate. They harness a unique quality compared to many other fantasy works, which is that they truly feel rooted in real-world folklore that the developers could pull from. Of course, the books have this same quality, blending aspects of real belief with a fictional world.
Something echoed throughout all of the games, and a common occurrence within the books as well, is that of Ithlinne's Prophecy. In the games, it can be hard to exactly track its origin since it lies beyond them, yet much of it is only finalised within the titles as well.
Updated July 10, 2023 By Ben Jessey: Netflix's take on The Witcher continues with the recently released season three. Every new season comes with plenty of confusion for some fans since keeping track of every aspect of the universe is tough.
There are just so many bits of lore to remember. For instance, the Ithlinne's Prophecy can cause significant confusion as it's complicated. This is why we originally created this guide to make it a bit easier to understand. And now, we've returned to the piece to give it a bit of a touch up.
Ithlinne's Prophecy Itself
This is the prophecy:
"Verily I say unto you, the era of the sword and axe is nigh, the era of the wolf's blizzard. The Time of the White Chill and the White Light is nigh, the Time of Madness and the Time of Contempt: Tedd Deireádh, the Time of End. The world will die amidst frost and be reborn with the new sun. It will be reborn of Elder Blood, of Hen Ichaer, of the seed that has been sown. A seed which will not sprout but burst into flame.
Ess'tuath esse! Thus it shall be! Watch for the signs! What signs these shall be, I say unto you: first the earth will flow with the blood of Aen Seidhe, the Blood of Elves..."
"May Ye All Wail, for the Destroyer of Nations is upon us. Your lands shall they trample and divide with rope. Your cities razed shall be, their dwellers expelled. The bat, owl and raven your homes shall infest, and the serpent will therein make its nest..."
Who Is Ithlinne?
Historically, Ithlinne has never been depicted within the books or the games. She is instead remembered primarily through her prophecy, which has been interpreted by many people across many periods for a great variety of things.
The few things certain of her is that she was an elf, once gifted with what was known as Second Sight, which allowed her to see into the future.
Otherwise, she is mainly described in an in-lore book known as the Encyclopaedia Maxima Mundi as having a mother known as Aevenien, who was an oracle and diviner.
Ithlinne is mentioned prevalently across both the books and the games, and both have different interpretations of her prophecy.
Most notable, however, is Ithlinne's physical inclusion in the Blood Origin show, portraying her prophecy in a much more literal fashion.
Ithlinne's Prophecy, As Depicted In The Books
As previously mentioned, Ithlinne does not appear in the books, though her prophecy is incredibly relevant.
A major aspect of her prophecy is the claim that when the end times come, only a child of the Elder Blood can save the world.
By the events of the books, it is well-known that Ciri is a descendant of the Elder Blood, and many people seek her out to make her their saviour.
For one, her own father desperately seeks her return to use her as a tool to preserve Nilfgaard. The Wild Hunt also seeks her in hopes of producing more children of the Elder Blood, giving them the means to save their own world.
Interestingly, the books also depict Ithlinne's Prophecy as predicting more of a global event rather than a single event that will ruin the world, with the White Frost being a global cooling that will force people to flee and destroy their land, rather than some all-powerful physical entity.
That said, the books do not provide a definitive end to Ithlinne's Prophecy, and leave many of its aspects up to the interpretation of the reader rather than give definitive answers.
Ithlinne's Prophecy, As Depicted In The Games
The games themselves are set after the end of the books, and as such have to take Ithlinne's Prophecy in a different, more literal direction.
A key aspect is that a child of the Elder Blood will save the world, but with Ciri gone, a new child had to be found.
To this end, The Witcher introduces Alvin, another child of Elder Blood whom Geralt and either Triss or Shani have to spend their time raising.
Ultimately, it is shown that Alvin created the Order of the Flaming Rose, and became central to the game's ending. Here, we see that the White Frost is one that heralds the arrival of the Wild Hunt, rather than a celestial event.
Alvin, now known as Jacques, shows Geralt a future where the world is overtaken by glaciers, a fate that befalls all worlds in time, and even foreshadows the later threat of the Wild Hunt.
The Witcher 2 is more significantly disconnected from the series than either its prequel or sequel and makes next to no mention of Ithlinne's prophecy, the Wild Hunt, or even the Elder Blood. However, it still depicts events that become essential to the prophecy, such as the destruction of nations in the run-up to the war that is at the centre of the Witcher 3.
The Impacts Of Her Prophecy In The Witcher 3
Due to the prevalence of the prophecy within the Witcher 3, it warrants a section of discussion for itself.
Unlike most other games, The Witcher 3 is unabashedly using major elements and characters of the books, relying heavily on that knowledge to bring about a more definitive end to Ithlinne's Prophecy.
For one, Ciri, child of the Elder Blood, has become the central focus again. Nilfgaard seeks her to replace her father and save the world.
The Wild Hunt seeks her power so as to easily travel to new worlds to make their home, and many others want her abilities simply for themselves.
However, as is very core to the themes of the game itself, Ciri must choose to act within the prophecy herself if it is to truly come to fruition.
Here, the White Frost is seen evidently with the arrival of the Wild Hunt.
It also fits within the prophecy of Ragh Na Roog for Skelligers, as is the relevance of the blood of elves, with Avallac'h tutoring her to control her power, and the attention given to Lara Dorren and her bloodline that gave birth to the Elder Blood.
However, it also says the world will be reborn under a new sun, one that isn't given a definitive end within the games.
For one, this could represent Nilfgaard for their symbol is that of a blackened sun. It could also represent the Church of the Eternal Flame, and the fire they represent. This is given even more credence given their racist attitude, with Ithlinne's Prophecy frequently making mention of the death of Elves.
However, that new dawn could be on the way following The Witcher 3's end.
The status of the prophecy by The Witcher 3's conclusion is somewhat ambiguous. Every ending contains Ciri stopping the White Frost, but it is unclear if she does so permanently or not.