Book of Mudora

In The Legend of Zelda series, the Book of Mudora is a chronological bibliography of the creation, history and legends of Hyrule. The book also contains prophesies and laws of Hyrule, along with translations for the ancient Hylian language.

Although little of the book's actual content is known, some has been revealed. The first chapter of the book is as follows:

In the beginning amidst the darkness of eternal space, from a distant nebula three goddesses were sent upon a formless chaotic waste of a world. Din, the goddess of power forged the mountains and great plains from the fiery bowels of desolation and separated the waters of the sky and between the land. Farore engendered living intelligence upon the land with many creatures of varied kind, male and female they were.

Nayru with wisdom brought the order of law and harmony upon nature and set into motion the everlasting cycle of birth, life, death, and afterlife and these three created the unification of cosmic balance. Before these beautiful goddesses traveled onward to create anew their masterwork they bestowed a manifestation of their essence within a mighty artifact called the Triforce, an object that would be sought by many and attained by only one. The Triforce took its place within its heavenly annex within a Sacred Realm where the spirits roam free. And so began the odyssey of Hyrule.

Book of Mudora, The Early Times, Chap. 1, v. 1 - 6

Another well known verse, which refers to the Sacred Realm has been repeated on many occasions:

In a realm beyond sight, The sky shines gold, not blue, There, the Triforce's might Makes mortal dreams come true...

In the Games
The Book of Mudora is used in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past to translate the Hylian Text that appears on stone monuments. Translating these inscriptions allows Link to enter the Desert Palace and, later, retrieve the Bombos, Ether, and Quake Medallions, not to mention read the inscription on the Master Sword's pedestal.

A similar item, called the Magic Book, appeared in the original Legend of Zelda. When paired with the Magic Rod, it allowed Link to shoot fire from the tip of his sword. In the original game, this book has the Christian cross on the front.

After reappearing in A Link to the Past, the "book" as an item disappeared. Various incarnations of the Magic Rod, as well as spell-gathering and Hylian] language translation items still survive in the series.