The Viera's Green Word

[Vallaresi]

First of all, this post contains possible spoilers both from Final Fantasy XII (FFXII) and Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV). So, please, be advised. Secondly, I know FFXII and FFXIV are separate games and their lore is, therefore, different.
Given that, I'd like to discuss with you the nature of an important and defining element of the culture of the Viera: the Green Word. In FFXII, the Green Word is taken as the voice of the Wood, an identity represented as female. The laws regent in every Viera village are and act as a complementary social system that upholds the Green Word. More importantly, it is explicitly stated that the Viera are capable of listening to the Wood's voice (more so) at will. The dialogue between Fran and Jote, the Viera elder from Eryut village, states that:

Fran says «I've heard the voice of the Wood. She says (...)» to which Jote replies, «The Wood tells us where (...) has gone. Or... can you not hear Her? You cannot. Your ears are dull from hearing their harsh speech, I think. Viera who have abandoned the Wood are Viera no longer. (...) It is the will of the village. Viera must live always with the Wood. So is the Green Word, and so is our law.»

In FFXIV, from my understanding, the Green Word is a different thing. Both the character creation and the Wandering Dramaturge (from the Return to Ivalice questlines) refer to the Green Word only as "a strict code", i.e., a systematic collection of laws or statutes:

From the Viera character creation: «Adhering to a strict code known as the Green Word, they are prohibited from contact with the outside world under threat of exile». Adding, the Wandering Dramaturge says, «You see, the Viera follow a strict code called the "Green Word" that binds them to their land and prohibits all contact with the outside world unless absolutely necessary».

The voice of the Wood is, interestingly, and to my knowledge, never explicitly mentioned nor is Viera's capability of hearing to the voice of the Wood. The only (vague) reference to this type of interaction is from an un-named Viera NPC, close to the aetheryte, in Fanow, in Rak'tika Greatwood, that says (in a speech bubble):

«The Forest calls to me...»

Given this, many questions may come to mind:

What is the Green Word exactly (in FFXIV)? A strict code? The Voice of the Wood? A combination of both?
Can the Viera hear the voice of the Wood, just like in FFXII? If they do, is the Wood an identity like the spirit Elementals that inhabit the Black Shroud? Can they communicate with the Elementals as well?

Please let me know what you think and thank you for reading my post.

[JeanneOrnitier]

I think the best way to translate the Voice into XIV's setting is making them Elementals, like you suggest. How it's presented in XII already has a lot of similarities to them as it is. Elementals are supposed to be everywhere and just particularly concentrated in the Shroud, so it'd be easy to say that the Viera's forests in Golmore and Skatay also have a high concentration of them.

[BlitzAceRush]

It's hard to say, the Viera of 14 haven't gotten much lore as of yet, we mostly got a "mirrored" look into their world through the Viis of the first, told to look at them to learn of the Viera of the Source and while that can tell us generally how things, cultural similarities, ways of life and general philosophies, it lacks anything more specific, like what is the "Green Word"?
Unfortunately given they took this route with the story that introduced the Viera taking place on another shard they never got their Sui-no-Sato or Azim Steppe to flesh out and showcase their culture on the source nor did they get any quests lines to do that, like Save the Queen for the Hroths.

My hope is even if we can't go to any zones for them in Endwalker, that they can get a quest series focusing on them like Hroths did in Shadowbringers, given that as of now they're the odd ones out, while the Viis's of the first do a good job of outlining the basics, the Viera really need something featuring them on the Source.