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The Lens of Truth, also referred to as the eye of truth is an artifact that can see illusions
and invisible objects. You can find it in both Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.In
Ocarina of Time, you can find it in the Bottom of the Well, after traversing through the
sewer-like system, and in Majora's Mask you can find it after following the owl in Snowhead.
The Lens of truth allows the user to see things that are normally not visible to the naked
eye. It can show walls, floors and objects that are fake, so not actually there, and
you can see invisible ladders, platforms, enemies and ghosts. The lens of truth does
use magic power over time, so you have to pay attention to your magic bar. However,
you can kinda circumvent this by toggling the Lens so it doesn't drain any magic, and
you can still sort of see things. The Lens is technically optional, as you don't need
it to get through the many areas. It does however, make things considerably easier.
The Lens of truth looks very similar to the Sheikah eye symbol. It has a handle in the
shape of a tear. The Lens of truth is thought to be part of a set including the Mask of
truth and the stone of agony as well. They are thought to give the holder untold powers
in terms of perception of the truth and the surroundings. The Mask of truth shows you
what people think and you can understand the Gossip Stones. These stones tell you a little
more about the world and its characters. The stone of agony vibrates when a secret is nearby
Link.
Okay, so that explains what the Lens is and what it does. However, this theory is not
about the lens itself, but about the previous owner. In Kakariko Village, in Ocarina of
Time, there is an old man who tells you a little more about the village and that there
used to be a man living where the well is currently located. He says that this man could
see the truth.
"A long time ago... There was a man in this very village who had an eye they said could
see the truth! Now usually, you have to train your mind's eye most strenuously to actually
see the truth... But this fella, no, they say he had a different way of doing things...
His house stood where the well is now..."
Although the legend of the Man Who Could See the Truth was likely placed in the game to
act as a hint to the player, there are many theories about this topic regardless.
It is probable that the Man Who Could See the Truth's eye is metaphorical for the Lens
of Truth. Because the item is found at the Bottom of the Well where the man's house once
stood, this seems implied. Another possibility is that the man did literally possess such
an eye, and when the Lens of Truth was crafted, his eye was integrated into the artifact.
Still another possibility is that the man created the Lens of Truth and used it during
his lifetime, and it was placed in the Well after his death to hide it from abusers. Notably,
the Lens of Truth resembles the Sheikah Emblem, which is interesting considering that Kakariko
was once a Sheikah village.
Now, we have seen in the cutscene that takes place after you complete the Water temple,
that Bongo Bongo escapes from the well. He apparently has been sealed in there, which
is odd, because it doesn't seem like a place where you would seal an evil spirit. There
is a theory that states that Bongo Bongo could be the man who could see the truth. His house
could have been sent to the Bottom of the Well, along with certain artifacts, among
them the Lens of Truth.
If Bongo Bongo is this man, then it is possible that the man was executed for some reason,
given that the creature's hands are separated with stumps showing the flesh of its arms,
and that its head is missing, replaced by a stump with the eye supposedly being its
neck. Bongo Bongo manifests itself as having one great red eye, and the Lens of Truth is
needed to see it. In addition, its eye bears a strong resemblance to the Lens of Truth.
It may have been executed for being a murderer, as both the Shadow Temple and Bottom of the
Well are filled with undead and have various torture devices.
In the Ocarina of Time manga, it is explained that the Eye Symbol was once represented as
a single eye without a tear, similar to the symbol seen in A Link to the Past. This changed
when, long ago, an act of betrayal on the part of the Royal Family of Hyrule occurred,
resulting in the banishment of the Sheikah tribe from the kingdom of Hyrule for a long
time. Bongo Bongo may have been a powerful Sheikah who went mad and killed several people.
The Sheikah then executed him and put the tear on the Sheikah symbol as a symbol of
sadness.
Bearing multiple references to the Sheikah both inside and out, the Shadow Temple, also
known as the "House of the Dead", is strongly tied to the tribe. One of the most obvious
references to the Sheikah is the great stone door that serves as the gateway into the temple,
as it bears the Eye of the Sheikah. Inside, multiple references are made by mysterious
walls to the "Eye of Truth", better known as the Lens of Truth, a Sheikah artifact.
Several puzzles involving seeing the truth of a situation are also presented throughout
the temple and require the use of the Sheikah heirloom. The Sage of Shadow herself is a
Sheikah as well, Impa. All these references and signs have brought a great majority of
fans to believe that the Shadow Temple was a creation of the Sheikah tribe and perhaps
once served as a place of worship for them. It would make sense for Bongo Bongo to return
to the Shadow Temple if he indeed used to be affliated with the Sheikah.
The last theory suggests that it is in fact the Ghost Hunter you collect Poes for that
is the man from the well. It is generally accepted that the unnamed character's truth-seeing
eye is the Lens of Truth, but it is also possible that he had a real eye that could see the
truth. The bright light found in the face of the Ghost Hunter could be an eye. It could
be possible that the two are one and the same, as the old man from Kakariko remarks that
he long since died. Another fact supporting this theory is that the Ghost Hunter even
remarks that he can read minds and see the truth.