A couple of dilemmas about the nature of the Elden Ring
Looking at the plasticity of the Elden Ring, I came across a haunting dilemma.
We know that the Elden Beast is the Elden Ring. We can assume that this form is not something induced by mortal hands, since we see the Elden Beast performing its special attack, Concept of Order (btw, is this a fan-made name or extracted from the data?), which resembles a very basic shape of the Elden Ring.
The first time the Elden Beast casts this attack, only one circle of light appears; the second time, it will feature a Borromean Rings shape.
First time - Single circular shape
Second time - Borromean Rings shape
Borromean Rings in particular have a compelling range of meanings: strength in unity and interdependence (which underline the parasitic/symbiotic nature of the relationship between Marika and the Beast), holy trinity (religious motif easily spotted throughout the whole adventure), and a philosophical one, as this simbol has been used to describe a model of human subjectivity assigning to the 3 rings to represent reality (the "Real"), the unconscious mind (the "Imaginary"), and human language/society (the "Symbolic"), encompassing what the human mind requires to properly functioning (via a balance of all three).
We could theorise that these two are the most primordial alchemical forms of the Concept of Order, and by extension, of the Elden Ring.
The Elden Ring we know is a damaged version: I believe that the one we see in Farum Azula is not only a previous version of the Elden Ring during the reign of Placidusax, but the very form of the Elden Ring inherited by Marika when she ascended to godhood.
Pre-shattering and After-shattering Elden Ring
The current version is the after-shattering one, with the grid-shaped rune of Radagon keeping together what remains of the Elden Ring. (Notice that while the other shapes can be found in the pre-shattering version, the grid of Radagon is not there, possibly implying a subsequent graft.)
We know that the shard/great runes in possession of the demi-gods had discarded names: in the first concepts of the game, they were supposed to portray some natural laws of sorts (abundance, decay), with only the Rune of Death as proof of this idea. This implies that the after-shattering version of the ER is lacking control over some natural laws (this could explain why Malenia can release her full power).
We also know that exceptional tarnished can produce mending runes to apply to the current state of the ER and fix (part of) reality. However, this practice is only possible because of Marika's/Elden Beast's demise.
Here, things become quite confusing, for many reasons:
The shattering itself suggests that Marika had a superior power over the ability of the Elden Beast to manifest itself, keeping it in its alchemical form of a ring while attempting its destruction. And she achieved it, at least in part. A common theory is that, at some point immediately after the shattering, the Elden Beast came out, crucified Marika and then turned back into its alchemical form of Elden Ring.
This is something I partially accept. And here come my questions:
Why is there still an Elden Ring after we slay a God? (body of Marika, too. Why is it still there after the Elden Beast turns Radagon into a sword?)
Before this event, the entirety of the Elden Ring is doubtful: if the Elden Ring was an exclusive possession of Marika, why was it necessary to defeat the Gloam Eyed Queen to seal the Rune of Death?