Genshin Columbina Artwork: White Dove under the Moon, Soaring Homeward

I believe all Travelers who have completed the "Luna III" main storyline must be feeling quite complex emotions upon seeing Columbina's character art. There's an irresistible fondness for her, yet also a sense of heartache at being powerless to save her immediately. Who would have thought that such a joyful and beautiful night of moon prayers was laying the groundwork for a tragic future?

Such emotional resonance is inseparable from the compelling storytelling and outstanding character development in the Song of the Welkin Moonnarrative. In the shaping of Columbina's character, one key concept cannot be overlooked-her "name." From the Traveler's initial question, "What's your name?" when they first met her, to how her name later gained special meaning through cherished memories and deep bonds with friends, eventually becoming the key to summoning miracles, the name serves as a crucial anchor point in Columbina's journey to find her place in the world. We can also try to interpret her name to make some predictions about her destiny.

1. Columbina Background

Before discussing Columbina's name, let's first look at the background introduction released alongside her character art:

The entire text describes Columbina as the Moon Goddess. Although born in Teyvat, she faces the dilemma of being rejected by the planet's cold laws, like a child deprived of a mother's love. She once wandered in an endless labyrinth of the heart, groping for a connection for her isolated and alone self in this vast world, yet helplessly grew numb in a futile spiral. But the moment of change has arrived. Columbina now has friends who love and support her, and she has found a name that truly belongs to her. She has finally mustered her courage once more. This time, she wants to seek the answer her soul deeply longs for-a place of belonging called "home."

It's worth noting that on the character card, the source of Columbina's elemental power and her Constellation currently remain unknown, hinting at something yet to be revealed. This is easier to understand for elemental power: as the Moon Goddess, Columbina can directly command pure Light Realm energy and naturally doesn't rely on an external magic organ like a Vision.

As for the Constellation, a being rejected by the world originally couldn't find a place for itself in Teyvat's starry sky. If she eventually possesses her own Constellation, it would mean she has, through some method, rewritten the rules and finally been accepted by the world, no longer facing an existential crisis. In a way, this can also be seen as giving everyone some peace of mind in advance.

2. Genshin Columbina - The Meaning of Name

Having discussed the background introduction, let's now look at the maiden's full name: "Columbina Hyposelenia." The entire name can be divided into two parts for discussion.

"Columbina" is how we first came to know the maiden. This is the codename bestowed upon her by the Tsaritsa after she became one of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. The prototypes for Harbinger codenames are all drawn from the stock characters of Italian Commedia dell'arte. The maiden's codename corresponds to the "maid" character, and in the Commedia dell'arte setting, the maid is often "the only character on stage with great wisdom," because she can always see through the essence of matters and strives to bring true lovers together.

Having discussed the background introduction, let's now look at the maiden's full name: "Columbina Hyposelenia." The entire name can be divided into two parts for discussion.

"Columbina" is how we first came to know the maiden. This is the codename bestowed upon her by the Tsaritsa after she became one of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. The prototypes for Harbinger codenames are all drawn from the stock characters of Italian Commedia dell'arte. The maiden's codename corresponds to the "maid" character, and in the Commedia dell'arte setting, the maid is often "the only character on stage with great wisdom," because she can always see through the essence of matters and strives to bring true lovers together.

The latter part of the name the maiden chose for herself, "Hyposelenia," is quite interesting. Let's first briefly explain the literal meaning of this name. The term originates from the Ancient Greek word ὑπόσελένια. The prefix Hypo-(ὑπό) is a preposition meaning "beneath" or "under." Selenia(σελένια) is derived from the name of the Greek moon goddess, Selene (Σελήνη; originally meaning "moon"). The suffix -ia(-ια) is added to form a feminine abstract noun.

Therefore, the literal meaning of the name "Hyposelenia" is "beneath the moon," corresponding to the explanation given in the storyline that she was "born beneath the moon." Additionally, the maiden mentioned that this name can also be extended to mean "born beneath this world." This, in fact, corresponds to a more profound origin of the name, namely the philosophical concept of the "sublunar world" (Hyposelenios, Ancient Greek: ὑποσελήνιος) discussed in the philosophies of Aristotle and Plato. It refers to the realm beneath the moon (the celestial sphere)-that is, the "mortal world" or the "material world" in contrast to the divine celestial realm.

Now comes the truly interesting part. In the Luna II main storyline, during the quest to retrieve the Iridescent Moon's Moon Marrow, after the Traveler purged the Abyssal corruption eroding the Moon Marrow, the lingering consciousness of the Iridescent Moon Goddess bid her final farewell. The one she confided in was someone we had never heard of before: "Hypo."

At that time, the maiden herself thought that the Iridescent Moon Goddess's soul must have been too weak, so weak that she could no longer clearly distinguish who was before her, and thus mistakenly confided in her, mistaking her for the former Frost Moon Goddess due to their similar aura. However, we had already deduced through process of elimination that the true name of the Frost Moon Goddess should be "Canon." In fact, the spelling "Hypo" does not correspond to the name of any of the former Three Moons Goddesses. This made "exactly who is the 'Hypo' mentioned by the Iridescent Moon Goddess" a lingering plot mystery from the Luna II version.

And now it can be largely confirmed that the Iridescent Moon Goddess did recognize the maiden and was confiding in her; the "Hypo" she mentioned is a shortened form of "Hyposelenia." But this gives rise to a new question: how could a Goddess who passed away thousands of years ago possibly know a maiden born only five hundred years ago?

Combining the fact that Zandik, who seized the power of the Three Moons at the end of the Luna III storyline, used the time-related authority "Time-Lock"; the maiden's active leap into the Lunar Gate to disrupt Zandik's plan, disappearing without a trace; and some clues and details planted in earlier parts of the storyline, we might boldly speculate that the maiden who traversed the Lunar Gate likely traveled through time back to the past. There, she met and became acquainted with the historical Three Moons Goddesses and performed important actions that influenced the course of Teyvat's history.

If the "time-travel theory" holds true, it would well explain the meaning behind the perplexing dialogue of the Iridescent Moon Goddess's remnant soul back then. It would also explain the prophecy, which even Nicole couldn't fully clarify, that "a new moon goddess must be born"-why, despite the Frost Moon being veiled by the heavenly curtain and the very existence of the moon being rejected by this world's "Principles" after the War of the Funerary Flame, a new moon goddess could still be born five hundred years ago as prophesied.

Because the maiden had already drifted through history. At that special juncture, the year of the dark abyss, she returned to the earth in some way, becoming the newly born "Moon Maiden" in the eyes of all. But she lost her power and her memories, once again initiating the connection between past and future. This is the "cycle of fate" the maiden experienced.

In the divination performed for the maiden by the witch "B" Barbeloth, the Lunar Arcanum card representing the maiden's future was "Death," hinting that the maiden would embark on a path of "perishing to be reborn." As Barbeloth summarized, the maiden's choice relates to a significant turning point in the future. This could be the end of all things or the beginning of all things. What the maiden needs to do is to see the truth, face her heart, and rewrite her fate.

We cannot even exclude the possibility that when the Golden City was destroyed by the Divine Nail, forgotten and abandoned by the entire world, the "Frost Moon Goddess" who guided the displaced survivors of Hyperborea to escape the hellish icy plains and trek thousands of miles to Nod-Krai was, in fact, the maiden who had returned to the past. This would mean that from Hyperborea to the Frostmoon Scions, the moon goddess people worshipped, to whom they owed a debt of recreation, was always Columbina. If this is true, it undoubtedly adds immense dramatic irony to history.

This set of conjectures could also be applied to resolve some puzzling points in the key worldview document "Hymns of the Far North" implemented in Luna I. Conversely, the ambiguous texts in "Hymns of the Far North" at the time now serve as strong evidence supporting our speculation.

In the hymns recorded by the Hyperboreans for worshiping the "Ruler of Time, Istaroth," a line appears: "May the four moons under your protection..." But Teyvat clearly has only Three Moons. Where did the "fourth moon" come from?

During the War of the Funerary Flame, the returned former lord Nibelung imprisoned the suspected disloyal Three Moon Goddesses and transformed the moons, originally protectors of the world, into terrible weapons against the Heavenly Principles. Ancient murals clearly depict the three imprisoned goddesses. However, in the hymns to the Ruler of Time, a "Fourth Goddess" that should not have existed appears.

Once the point that "the maiden traveled back to the past" is taken into consideration, all the puzzling points mentioned above are readily resolved. Istaroth herself holds the great authority of time. We have already sensed the counter-intuitive and incredible nature of this power through "The Space You Exist In" and the situation in the Sea of Ashes. One can only say that when it comes to time, Istaroth is the expert. Given her personality, it is not surprising that she interfered in the matters of the maiden and the Three Moons.

Outwardly appearing the most well-behaved and quiet, Istaroth is actually the most active, the most playful, and the most rebellious among the Four Shades, playing up the contrast... Did she intervene once more in the Nod-Krai story this time?

If we revisit the storyline of our initial encounter with the maiden, combining it with the time-travel conjecture, we will make new discoveries. Everyone should remember that initially, the Traveler entered the Silvermoon Hall and met the maiden under the guidance of Luonnotar. Lauma explained to us that Luonnotar is not an ordinary Kuuhenki, but a special being that can only be born from a Moon Goddess's blessing after experiencing long ages. The Traveler asked the maiden if she was the one who brought Luonnotar into being, but the maiden said the blessing on Luonnotar was not left by her. This actually creates a contradiction with Lauma's statement, as Lauma once said that the Kuuhenki legendarily came into being five hundred years ago with the birth of Kuntar (the maiden) and is seen as her attendant.

Combining the points above, let's be bold and make another speculation: Luonnotar was indeed born from the maiden's blessing. The reason the maiden didn't recognize it is that the blessing was left by her future self who traveled back to the past. The story across the three versions not only depicts the experiences of the Traveler and companions but also portrays the growth the maiden underwent with the love and support of her friends. The maiden in Luna III, who has already opened her heart and gained a name truly her own, is in a very different state of mind compared to when we first met. If it was this version of her who returned to the past and left behind a blessing imbued with a special, profound sentiment, it would be reasonable for her previous self not to recognize it.

In fact, Luonnotar's design bears a striking resemblance to Columbina. Additionally, although "Luonnotar" is explained in the game as meaning "a being born from a Moon Goddess's blessing," the original meaning of the name's prototype is quite significant, referring to the nature goddess, the Mother of the World, the Mist Goddess "Ilmatar" in Finnish mythology.

As for the sentiment contained within the blessing that gave birth to Luonnotar, I believe it is the longing for a future reunion after a long passage of time. In a world falling apart, the lonely moon sang a beautiful blessing sent to the future. The world gave her suffering, yet she did not feel fear or confusion, because the encounter that was destined to come gave her the courage to move forward and change her fate.

Thus, there is a perfect explanation for why Luonnotar suddenly appeared when the Traveler set foot on Hiisi Island, immediately grew very attached to the Traveler, and guided the Traveler to meet the Damselette. Looking back now, the light kiss Luonnotar gave the Traveler's forehead upon appearing carries such profound meaning.

I wonder how many Travelers, like myself, have harbored deep anticipation for the character Columbina ever since catching a fleeting glimpse of her in the interlude PV "A Winter Night's Lazzo" three years ago. After officially embarking on the journey to Nod-Krai this year, we have finally drawn closer to this beautiful and mysterious maiden, gradually come to understand her fate as the Moon Goddess, and experienced many stories alongside her. As her characterization deepened, fondness for this increasingly relatable maiden grew continuously, and this emotion reached a peak in the recently updated Luna III main storyline.

The upcoming Luna IV will be the version where the Song of the Welkin Moonarc enters its crucial, climactic phase. How the Traveler and companions will overcome formidable foes to reclaim the pure moonlight, how the innocent maiden will sing of fate and hope, and how the world will be changed by the story unfolding on this lunar land-all of this is incredibly anticipated. One can already foresee what a heart-pounding, exceptionally brilliant, and momentous chapter this will be.

Remember the developers mentioned during a preview that after experiencing the Song of the Welkin Moonstoryline, listening to the region's theme song again would evoke different feelings. Now, revisiting the theme song lyrics, my heart is indeed filled with so many new emotions and imaginations. So, let us quietly await the arrival of Luna IV! Remember to keep following our articles and site merchandise. See you next time!