Do the princesses have to answer to a higher authority?

[ManaMinori 4,149]

People are quick to put the alicorns on pedestals, assuming that they're goddesses or other such rubbish. But many are quick to forget that they never seem to put their own wills into motion on important matters. No, instead, they carry out the will of a tree. This tree decides their destinies (sounds an awful lot like The maiden / Norns Verdandi, Urd, and Skuld who "incised the slip of wood," "laid down laws" and "chose lives" for the children of mankind and the destinies of men (or ponies)) because it bears their cutie marks. This tree provides means to unite races and species in peace and harmony. This bloody twig has the ability to transcend time (and likely space), rooted across every bloody timeline, as seen in The Cutie Remark, when the map from the twig still was present.

 

So the twig, as far as we've seen in every form of MLP canon is the ultimate authority. But even it had to come from somewhere, right? What if there's yet a higher power than the twig that the alicorns answer to? What if the twig is the equivalent to Yggdrassil (whose name means "Odin's horse"), and was planted by a diety in mortal pony territory?

 

The series relies heavily on rainbows, and in Norse Mythology, Midgard (the mortal realm) was also connected to Asgard, the home of the gods, by the Bifröst, the rainbow bridge. (We also see this in g1 and g3, where ponies pass beteeen world's via rainbow). Could this mean that God's exist in MLP (their "rainbow power" from the twig they planted in mortal realm was given to the mane 6 to defeat a demon- Tirek, their counterparts, after all).

 

Does all this give evidence that the alicorns answer to a higher authority than the twig of Harmony?

Edited February 20, 2017 by Nightmare Muffin

[Olsen1987 133]

Well, they are the higher authorities, they can raise and lower the sun/moon and live for thousands of years.
This tree of harmony might have just been a natural source of high magical energies which was found (by Tia/Luna).
They used this magic for the protection of Equestria because it seems fit for the purpose.
There doesn't need to be some sort of higher authority, a "tree god" (unless you see nature as the higher authority.)
Speaking of that, nature is basically the highest authority, it holds the foundations of life.

In short, magic is a natural resource in equestria which has been used by those able to.

[Jeric 46,884]

Some people are quick to put Tia and Luna on pedestals I suppose, but it isn't an unpopular opinion that the Princessed are extremely flawed individuals. To those fans that hold that view it wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that by extension of their frailties, they run a flawed principality. In that situation, it doesn't stand to reason that they are taking orders from a higher authority often, or if they are then that higher authority would have questionable judgement if you continue that train of thought.

 

Also, twig? As Master Yoda once said, "Revealed your opinion is."

[Blackshirt Brony 415]

I think you raise a good point comparing the Tree of Harmony to Yggdrasil. It may be a common archetype, even if unintentional.

 

The impression I get is that the princesses are the highest lawful authority in the land, but still understand that "harmony" maintains Equestria more than they do.

[Ganondorf8 11,732]

Twilight and Cadance, despite both being princesses in their own way, still answer to both Celestia and Luna seeing as they have been in that position far longer and would know much more about the way things are supposed to operate in Equestrian society. Neither of the two main rulers are perfect and have shown that even they can be flawed though they do their best to ensure that such flaws don't prevent them from ruling accordingly. I've often wondered if Celestia obeyed a force that was higher than her, yet with Luna, I see her as not wanting to follow anyone other than her sister.

 

Celestia answering to a higher authority is certainly plausible and would explain why some of her actions happened the way they did.

[ManaMinori 4,149]

I despise the fact that they aren't called Queens. Perhaps that means their parents are still alive and are the Queens of the land, but that has issues as why would they be hidden?

Disney reasons. Anyway, i doubt if any parents were shown, they would hold authority over the rulers of Equestria, let alone to whatever higher power they answer to.

[Marimo 555]

I despise the fact that they aren't called Queens. Perhaps that means their parents are still alive and are the Queens of the land, but that has issues as why would they be hidden?

They're just called that because Hasbro wanted them to be called princesses, and their parents aren't even really royalty, or at least nothing has indicated that. Celestia and Luna didn't inherit their titles, the titles of Princesses of Equestria were made up shortly after the three pony tribes decided to form the unified state known as Equestria and given to Celestia and Luna.

[SBaby 660]

I despise the fact that they aren't called Queens. Perhaps that means their parents are still alive and are the Queens of the land, but that has issues as why would they be hidden?

 

Originally, they were going to be called Queens, instead of Princesses.  But they ultimately decided against it due to Disney's frequent portrayal of Queens being outright evil.

 

As for the answer to the question, I imagine the only authority higher than the Princesses would be the Elements of Harmony themselves. 

Edited February 23, 2017 by SBaby

[Alexshy 14,711]

Personally I would like to put things very simply - I'd hate to have all human religious concept be pushed into MLP... for Harmony's sake that is. As for the question asked: I suppose they have to answer to the highest authorities possible for a really sentient being - Common Sense and Сonscience (aka Still Small Voice).

[cmarston1 5,964]

I don't really think so.

But that's because outside of potentially the tree of harmony (which I don't know how sentient it is), the show doesn't really have anything that could pass for deities.

And I am one of the people who don't really see the princesses as gods or anything along those lines.