World of CYBERBUN: The Past
The legend of the Greensward Knight is one steeped in documented history and archaeological evidence, but still wrapped in mystical intrigue. To unpack it, let’s start with what the show has told us.
Greensward Forest is BIG. It stretches for many miles across plains and hills to the north of Pasturage City; it spreads eastwards until it reaches the foot of the mountains - and then starts to climb some of them! - and much further westwards where there is no natural hurdle to halt it (or at least none that has been shown). So it’s interesting that much of the evidence of the existence of the Greensward Knight is so close to Pasturage City, which makes many believe that the city was established where it is because of the mysteries surrounding recorded historical battles in this immediate area.
A resident of Greensward Forest looks towards Pasturage City
Only within 10 miles out of the city into the forest, there is a large stone obelisk (below, left) that commemorates the sacrifice of an unnamed knight who apparently “stopped dark forces from decimating the trees and burrows”. The inscriptions in the stone have been analysed and translated numerous times over the years and whilst some quibble about the precise meaning of certain words or phrases, most agree with the general version. There are other statues to a knight within further parts of the forest, where it seems long-lost communities also made tributes designed to last. Some of these are seen only fleetingly throughout the show, but most notably several are seen in more detail during Velvet Cottontail’s sabbatical to the far north of the forest in Season 2.
But what or who are they commemorating exactly? In the world, many scholars believe that The Greensward Knight was a rabbit named Kikessa, who was a commander of a legion of knights sworn to protect a community close to where Pasturage City now stands. The ruling colony of this community was lead by a doe named Zabet, and there have been many discoveries by archaeologists of this community and how they lived. That colony though seemed to vanish from existence about 400 years before the events of Season 1. The last records from that time shows that they had been threatened by both natural occurrences and the movement of another community away from the mountains. There had apparently been reports of meteorites that had triggered wildfires - “flames from the sun fired directly at the mountains, which has then scorched a path for our enemies to reach us more quickly” wrote one resident. The “enemies” were reportedly another colony who lived nearer towards the mountain ranges; however, scientific research shows that the area would have been prone to flooding from rainfall across the mountains, exposed to strong winds and then subject to wildfires. Many believe that colony was less ‘invading’ and just trying to find safety.
Little is known about the colony from the mountains, except that they were lead by a buck called Kornayho, and similarly had a troop of knights protecting them, headed by an individual that history has recorded as called ‘The Pavor’. It is believed that Zabet’s legion finally came into direct combat with Kornayho’s armies in a conflict that resulted in the total eradication of everyone involved from existence almost overnight. There has been no evidence found of either of the colonies’ migration from the area, nor any evidence that either side won any conflict. This had lead some to believe that perhaps a mysterious and powerful third party was involved.
Beyond that, we know from flashbacks that the Greensward Knight was white-furred but not albino, as it had jet black eyes, and we also know that the Pavor was unkempt and black-furred. There has been an assumption made over time that one had to have been ‘good’ and caring and the other had to have been ‘evil’; but the show revealed that although the spirit of The Pavor was summoned to do unkind things to members of The Inhibits on behalf of Dyce, it was apparently psychologically torn on why it was being asked to do what it had. Ultimately it abandoned its given mission and subsequently only found itself in physical conflict when others were the aggressor. Meanwhile, when we see the embodiment of the Greensward Knight’s spirit (resurrected in Season 2), it is immediately dismissive of providing any help to its summoners. It is arrogant and suggests a path of aggression that disturbs the cultists - known as the Zabetians - who revived it.
Tot’s relationship with the Greensward Knight myth may also be manipulated by stories he was told as a child, thus growing up thinking that it was a figure to be revered. There is no direct evidence that Tot’s visions of a knight refer to the actual Greensward Knight, or whether it’s just his conscience deducing the best course of action to follow and manifesting itself as the knight, either in his dreams or in moments of extreme crisis.