Hollow Knight Silksong Player Shares Exciting Theory About Herrah the Beast

A Hollow Knight: Silk Song fan has shared an intriguing theory about Herrah the Beast's design that sparked an insightful discussion online. The development serves as a reminder that many of Hollow Knight: Silk Songs minor mysteries will probably never be fully explained, which makes them all the more compelling.

Major Hollow Knight and HK: Silksong spoilers ahead.

The Weavers are a tribe of spider-like creatures from Hollow Knight: Silk Songs land of Pharloom which was created by the god-like entity Grandmother Silk. After discovering the truth about their origins, they rebelled and sealed their creator in the cradle atop the citadel. Silk song the main character Hornet is a descendant of Grandmother Silk by virtue of her mother being Herrah the Beast, a weaver introduced in the original Hollow Knight.

Hollow Knight: Silksong fans are divided on whether Herrah's main form is a mask

But Herrah doesn't look like the members of her tribe from the start Hollow Knight: Silk Song Act 2. Reddit user Whenpigfly666 recently attempted to explain this discrepancy with what they described as a “crackpot” theory, but which has proven intriguing enough to spark lively lore discussion among fans. At the center of the debate is Herrah's head shape, with fans divided over whether it represents a real shell or just a mask.

The hornet seems to inherit its mother's head silhouette, but at the same time mask making is an integral part of Hollow Knight and Silk songs lore, meaning that both positions are defensible. The games never explicitly confirm what is correct.

Herrah's body shape is another of Silksong's minor mysteries

Additionally, Whenpigfly666's theory does not attempt to explain the difference in body shapes between the Herrah and the Weavers seen in Pharloom. Fans have identified several possible explanations for this discrepancy, not all of which are mutually exclusive. One, the original Hollow Knight strongly suggests that birth is a difficult process for the weavers, which may have resulted in Herrah becoming bloated. The main problem with this theory is that accessing the red memory during Hollow Knight: Silk Song Act 3 shows Herrah after giving birth, but without a big belly. It is unclear if this discrepancy is a retcon or has a meaningful explanation.

Another possibility is that Herrah's body simply changed with age, as is common among living creatures – fictional or otherwise. Finally, only her title of Weaver Queen could have warranted a distinct design, regardless of how Team Cherry may have warranted it in lore.