When researching for a book, authors often turn to the internet for quick answers. However, sometimes, the search results can lead to unexpected and humorous outcomes, as seen with John Boyne’s novel, A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom, and its accidental homage to The Legend of Zelda.
The story began when journalist Dana Schwartz pointed out a peculiar detail in Boyne’s book. Instead of finding a real-world recipe for red clothes dye, Boyne seemingly stumbled upon a guide from Polygon detailing how to dye clothes in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This guide, which ranks high in search results for “ingredients red dye clothes,” led to a fantastical concoction appearing in Boyne’s historical novel.
In a passage that has since gone viral, a character in A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom, set during the time of Attila the Hun, uses ingredients such as keese wing, Octorok Eyeball, red lizalfos tail, and four Hylian shrooms to create red clothes dye. These are, of course, ingredients straight out of the world of The Legend of Zelda, not the historical record. The Reddit user who first noticed the similarity posted about it on the Breath of the Wild subreddit, highlighting the unusual connection.
The author, John Boyne, has responded to the discovery with good humor. In a tweet, he joked about adding Zelda to the acknowledgements page of the paperback edition. While the mistake could be corrected in future editions of the book, Boyne has stated his intention to leave it as is, adding a unique and amusing layer to the novel.
This incident serves as a cautionary tale for authors and researchers alike. While the internet is a valuable resource, it’s crucial to verify information and be aware of the potential for fictional sources to infiltrate real-world research. As Boyne’s experience shows, sometimes the gates of wisdom can lead you straight into Hyrule.
