Equestrian history is a mess

[ManaMinori 4,145]

History, as Equestria knows it, is in shambles. It's a complete and utter hot mess: Part legend, part folklore, part guesswork, and just as likely part unreliable documents written by ancient revisionist ponies. Just in the time the series has played out, we've had a legendary boogeymare turn out to be real and a long-lost princess, had a mad trickster-god return to life from a statue, had an entire forgotten empire pop up out of nowhere, had history altered at least thrice (and can we say with 100% certainty that it was corrected flawlessly each time, or that such alterations didn't have underlying complications, even if altered history and timelines were fixed perfectly)? This isn't evn including the numbers of unicorns who we haven't seen, having access to time mucking spells! So with this jumble of uncertainty and crosed wires in Equestria's past, can anyone really say that past pony generations weren't part of equine evolution/history in FiM? Do you guys think we'll ever get a concrete layout and explanation of Equestria's history? How badly does the job of Equestrian historians must be, with so much time and magic shenanigans?

[Denim&Venöm 18,926]

Not only that, but exactly 1001 years prior, everything seemed to go absolutely bucking mental. 

[Malcontent 196]

History is written by the victor. Therefor can be very subjective. I've often ordered about how accurate the retelling are. 

[ManaMinori 4,145]

History is written by the victor. Therefor can be very subjective. I've often ordered about how accurate the retelling are.

true, and that makes it all the more concerning. We've all seen Sunbutt's tendency to withhold vital information- even to her closest student and sister. How much more so her subjects are left in the dark on history!

[Prospekt 11,018]

The Hearth's Warming Eve play is cute but it reeks of myth and happy go lucky "this is how our peaceful country was made" exaggeration. We're very much in the dark about how Luna and Celestia came to be. 1,000 years ago, apparently everything that could possibly go wrong did go wrong. And then supposedly Equestria was relatively peaceful for a millenium (though we don't really know any details).

 

There is a LOT of room for fabricated history. Some governments IRL like to censor certain bits of their history in schools, for example the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. So could there be something really dark about Equestrian history that we don't know about?

Edited March 17, 2017 by Prospekt

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

Keep in mind that equestria was, 1000 years ago, in a medieval state, and that things seem to be progressing very slowly, technologically and culturally, due to a mix of Magic retarding technologica/scientific growth and other Species existing independent of ponies.


Look at our historical records 1000 years ago or more-- In the middle ages our historical scholars were HORRIBLE, with many of them prescribing mythological explanations for events or mixing make believe with facts, like some medieval scholars believing that all the myths about the Greek pantheon and legends (such as Myths about mida and others) were TRUE and that they were demons posing as gods.

 

Its not hard to imagine that a similiar thing occured in equestria, with historical records mixing myth with fact.

[Malcontent 196]

Precisely. 

 

For all

 

true, and that makes it all the more concerning. We've all seen Sunbutt's tendency to withhold vital information- even to her closest student and sister. How much more so her subjects are left in the dark on history!

 

 

Precisley. For all we know the changlings and sombra may be the good guys.  

[ManaMinori 4,145]

Precisely.

 

For all

 

 

 

Precisley. For all we know the changlings and sombra may be the good guys.

I have a theory that Chrysalis is actually Celestia, and the Sunbutt we have seen since episode 1 is a fake (which I shall post later) Edited March 17, 2017 by Nightmare Muffin

[Malcontent 196]

I have a theory that Chrysalis is actually Celestia, and the Sunbutt we have seen since episode 1 is a fake (which I shall post later)

I still stand by the idea luna and Celestia aren't actually ponies but space explorers who just settled down. 

[Sovereign Leader Rarity 12,006]

Yeah, it seems that the citizens of Equestria don't really give much care towards organising their history, and therefore, nopony really is aware of what the past consisted of.

 

No wonder they get hit with calamities all the time!

[Megas 27,625]

It's been a hot, steaming mess ever since Hearth's Warming Eve aired, hence why I never give it any thought

[Ganondox 899]

It's been a hot, steaming mess ever since Hearth's Warming Eve aired, hence why I never give it any thought

 

It's always been a hot, steaming mess. 

[sweetolebob18 728]

Well, my best timeline

Hearth's Warming Eve The princesses do not seem to have been around, therefore I'd put it first

The Age of Discord's Rule

 

Starswhirl was around at the end of this. Either he lived a VERY long time, or there was more than 1 Pony with that name.  He exiled the Sirens (if you accept EQ Girls), built magic mirrors, knew the princesses, & did many pointless & annoying things. He tried to write the spell Twilight used to ascend, but failed.  According to Celestia, he failed because he didn't fully understand the nature of friendship.

 

In Twilight's Kingdom, Tirek calls Discord "old friend".  He must have been around at this time.  His brother Scorpan helped the Princesses send him to Tartarus, IDK if they used the Elements on him or not.

 

Luna & Celestia get the Elements of Harmony from the Tree of Harmony & use them to turn Discord to stone.  At this time, they must have gotten along OK. Discord plants seeds which become Plunder Vines in Princess Twilight

 

Luna falls to jealousy & becomes Nightmare Moon.  Celestia uses the Elements to give her a 1000 year timeout on the moon.  The Elements turn on Celestia & become inert.  I have to ask myself "So, why didn't she return them to the Tree?" Head Canon Celestia was the one who wrote the prophecy Twilight found in the Pilot? She knew the spell she used better than anyone.  Perhaps she thought the Tree wouldn't give them back & she hoped to use them to reform Luna? Perhaps she thought that if the Tree had them the spell wouldn't weaken enough to free Luna.

 

Sometime around then, Sombra rises to power &, the Crystal Empire vanishes for 1000 years.

 

Celestia rules alone for 1000 years. EQ is stable but stagnant.  Sometime during this era, Cadance ascends to Alicorn status & is adopted by Celestia.  If you accept EQ Girls, Sunset Shimmer is Celestia's student, quarrels with her, & flees to Earth.

 

The events of the show.  I can tell you right now, the writer's never had a coherent timeline or plan.  Like The Blob, this mess just grew.  If the previous generations are canon in your universe they must be pre Discord & probably pre Hearth's Warming Eve. It seems reasonable that Discord changed how magic works (For starters, G1 & G2 ponies were born with Cutie Marks)

Edited March 18, 2017 by sweetolebob18

[cmarston1 5,959]

The show's lore has always been rather confusing, and not really planned out that very well.

[Denim&Venöm 18,926]

Well, my best timeline

Hearth's Warming Eve The princesses do not seem to have been around, therefore I'd put it first

The Age of Discord's Rule

 

Starswhirl was around at the end of this. Either he lived a VERY long time, or there was more than 1 Pony with that name.  He exiled the Sirens (if you accept EQ Girls), built magic mirrors, knew the princesses, & did many pointless & annoying things. He tried to write the spell Twilight used to ascend, but failed.  According to Celestia, he failed because he didn't fully understand the nature of friendship.

 

Luna & Celestia get the Elements of Harmony from the Tree of Harmony & use them to turn Discord to stone.  At this time, they must have gotten along OK. Discord plants seeds which become Plunder Vines in Princess Twilight

 

Luna falls to jealousy & becomes Nightmare Moon.  Celestia uses the Elements to give her a 1000 year timeout on the moon.  The Elements turn on Celestia & become inert.  I have to ask myself "So, why didn't she return them to the Tree?" Head Canon Celestia was the one who wrote the prophecy Twilight found in the Pilot? She knew the spell she used better than anyone.  Perhaps she thought the Tree wouldn't give them back & she hoped to use them to reform Luna? Perhaps she thought that if the Tree had them the spell wouldn't weaken enough to free Luna.

 

Sometime around then, Sombra rises to power &, the Crystal Empire vanishes for 1000 years.

 

Celestia rules alone for 1000 years. EQ is stable but stagnant.  Sometime during this era, Cadance ascends to Alicorn status & is adopted by Celestia.  If you accept EQ Girls, Sunset Shimmer is Celestia's student, quarrels with her, & flees to Earth.

 

The events of the show.  I can tell you right now, the writer's never had a coherent timeline or plan.  Like The Blob, this mess just grew.  If the previous generations are canon in your universe they must be pre Discord & probably pre Hearth's Warming Eve. It seems reasonable that Discord changed how magic works (For starters, G1 & G2 ponies were born with Cutie Marks)

I'd put Sombra's reign between Discords fall & Nightmares rise, as it is seen that both sisters helped take him down. Also before or after that, you should shoehorn Tirek's first attempt at seizing the planet.

[PonyMage 228]

Heh, I can't deny that.

Not to mention that Luna and Celestia apparently dropped out of the sky, since Equestria has "never seen the birth of an alicorn," but the princesses were not present at its founding either.

[ManaMinori 4,145]

Well, my best timeline

Hearth's Warming Eve The princesses do not seem to have been around, therefore I'd put it first

The Age of Discord's Rule

 

Starswhirl was around at the end of this. Either he lived a VERY long time, or there was more than 1 Pony with that name.  He exiled the Sirens (if you accept EQ Girls), built magic mirrors, knew the princesses, & did many pointless & annoying things. He tried to write the spell Twilight used to ascend, but failed.  According to Celestia, he failed because he didn't fully understand the nature of friendship.

 

In Twilight's Kingdom, Tirek calls Discord "old friend".  He must have been around at this time.  His brother Scorpan helped the Princesses send him to Tartarus, IDK if they used the Elements on him or not.

 

Luna & Celestia get the Elements of Harmony from the Tree of Harmony & use them to turn Discord to stone.  At this time, they must have gotten along OK. Discord plants seeds which become Plunder Vines in Princess Twilight

 

Luna falls to jealousy & becomes Nightmare Moon.  Celestia uses the Elements to give her a 1000 year timeout on the moon.  The Elements turn on Celestia & become inert.  I have to ask myself "So, why didn't she return them to the Tree?" Head Canon Celestia was the one who wrote the prophecy Twilight found in the Pilot? She knew the spell she used better than anyone.  Perhaps she thought the Tree wouldn't give them back & she hoped to use them to reform Luna? Perhaps she thought that if the Tree had them the spell wouldn't weaken enough to free Luna.

 

Sometime around then, Sombra rises to power &, the Crystal Empire vanishes for 1000 years.

 

Celestia rules alone for 1000 years. EQ is stable but stagnant.  Sometime during this era, Cadance ascends to Alicorn status & is adopted by Celestia.  If you accept EQ Girls, Sunset Shimmer is Celestia's student, quarrels with her, & flees to Earth.

 

The events of the show.  I can tell you right now, the writer's never had a coherent timeline or plan.  Like The Blob, this mess just grew.  If the previous generations are canon in your universe they must be pre Discord & probably pre Hearth's Warming Eve. It seems reasonable that Discord changed how magic works (For starters, G1 & G2 ponies were born with Cutie Marks)

wasn't talking about chronologically. Parts of history dismissed as fiction suddenly beig real, parts of t th e timeline beig altered, reconstructed, most of history left hidden, like the Empire. Its craycray!

[Jeric 46,851]

wasn't talking about chronologically. Parts of history dismissed as fiction suddenly beig real, parts of t th e timeline beig altered, reconstructed, most of history left hidden, like the Empire. Its craycray!

What it it wasn't hidden, but people just bought into easy to digest mythology and misconceptions similar to how it works in general society, and we get things wrong that are only decades and a few centuries old.

[pony.colin 156]

wasn't talking about chronologically. Parts of history dismissed as fiction suddenly beig real, parts of t th e timeline beig altered, reconstructed, most of history left hidden, like the Empire. Its craycray!

 

 

I was talking and ranting about chronology. I thought that's what you meant too.

 

I was going to complain about how the chronology has unfortunately been contradicted at times because of changing writers and due to Faust being thrown off years ago from the beginning. That just tends to happen when we no longer have a "bible" book from the original writer on the chronology of events. Those were my complaints since there have been contradictions that have popped up and countless threads that have tried to make sense of the chronology of major events in Equestrian history. But after so many problems, I gave up on caring anymore. Although I think there are still some who still fight the good fight on trying to keep things in order.

 

But what is the topic that you're getting at? Which parts of Equestrian history are you referring that seemed to be fiction, now become fact (from an in-universe perspective)?

Edited March 20, 2017 by pony.colin

[Valeska 184]

Overall, I consider the show the ultimate canon. Everything else is part of the history, but it is not set in stone, allowing for some changes to Equestrian history if needed.