Cultural Inspirations of the Flanaess

[LoneWolf23]

Ok, reading through my Living Greyhawk Gazeteer, I browse through the Geographical Divisions region and the Folks of the Flanaess chapter, and something hit me now that didn't way back when I first browsed through the book: Is it just me, or is it possible to echo real-world medieval cultures with the folks and regions of the Flanaess?

I mean, the Baklunish are obviously pseudo-arabs, while the Flan are half-way between Celtic and Native Americans, but it also hit me that the Old Oerdians could be pattered after the Ancient Germanic Tribes of Europe. The blending of Flan and Oerdian culture, like the blending of Germanic and Celtic cultures, could explain why so many of the Flanaess cultures seem so british at first glance.

Of course, I'd allow for quite a bit of cultural variation even amongst the non-barbaric nations.. ...For some reason, for exemple, I keep imagining the region of Blackmoor as having a Russian-like culture, and the once and former Great Kingdom seems like a perfect counterpart to the old German-Roman Empire..

The Old Suel are the only ones I don't quite have a template culture for. Their descendants, the Snow, Frost and Ice Barbarians are quite obviously Viking-like (although I could make a few of them Russian-like as well), but what about the Sueloise of the Scarlet Brotherhood or the ones from the Sheldomar Valley, intermixed with Flan and Oerdians?

 

[Sandain]

I have noticed (and use) the same thing. I based my Flan on the culture in Katherine Kerrs Deverry world which are basically Celts.

The Baklunish I treat as Persians/Phonicians but they have many different tribes and some are Mongol, Indian (Punjabi culture), and Arabic.

The Oeridians I treat as German barbarians with viking overtones with thier religion and philosophy (aka the 13th Warrior movie)

The race I had trouble with was Ancient Suel. The imagery I use is from the Chronicles of Riddick movie. The great houses and culture I base on R A Salvatores Drow structure - but male dominated.

 

[Doug McCrae]

I thought the Baklunish were oriental, in terms of appearance anyway. I get that culturally they're arabs and mongols.

But I could never work out what complexions ranging from copper to deepest brown (Flan) or tan to olive (Oeridian) actually looked like. I thought tan to olive might mean Mediterranean, but the Flan I have no clue about. They're not black, are they?

 

[MerricB]

Ok, reading through my Living Greyhawk Gazeteer, I browse through the Geographical Divisions region and the Folks of the Flanaess chapter, and something hit me now that didn't way back when I first browsed through the book: Is it just me, or is it possible to echo real-world medieval cultures with the folks and regions of the Flanaess?

Absolutely!

I mean, the Baklunish are obviously pseudo-arabs, while the Flan are half-way between Celtic and Native Americans, but it also hit me that the Old Oerdians could be pattered after the Ancient Germanic Tribes of Europe. The blending of Flan and Oerdian culture, like the blending of Germanic and Celtic cultures, could explain why so many of the Flanaess cultures seem so british at first glance.

I pattern the Oeridians after the ancient Romans, myself. (Great Kingdom of the Aerdy = Rome).

The Old Suel are the only ones I don't quite have a template culture for. Their descendants, the Snow, Frost and Ice Barbarians are quite obviously Viking-like (although I could make a few of them Russian-like as well), but what about the Sueloise of the Scarlet Brotherhood or the ones from the Sheldomar Valley, intermixed with Flan and Oerdians?

Germanic. The Scarlet Brotherhood are the Nazis, obsessed with racial purity and world domination.

Cheers!

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

In my mind (I've never run Greyhawk), I go with the Great Kingdom/Rome analogy as well. I also like to think of the Lordship of the Isles/Lendore Isles/Sea Barons as Greek in culture. For some reason, I've always liked to think of Ket as kind of like old medieval Wallachia, Vlad Tepes-style.

 

[Prince of Happiness]

I've always pictured (and read comparisons to) of the Ancient Suel very much like the Melniboneans of Elric fame.

 

[ivocaliban]

I've always pictured (and read comparisons to) of the Ancient Suel very much like the Melniboneans of Elric fame.

Having just finished the series I was about to say the same.

 

[Henry]

For the suel, think Gallic rather than German. The ethnic bakcground of the suel is more light skin and red hair, and Gary said he got the inspiration from the old asterix comics.

 

[David Howery]

not to mention the Bedouin types in the Bright Desert, the Mayan types in Hepmonaland and Olman islands, the Amazon native types in the Amedio Jungle, and the native American types in the Burneal forest

 

[Faraer]

The Oeridian culture is the one with the medieval nobility ranks, knights, etc., and I also infer that they're predominantly Germanic -- hence that element in Gygax's character names -- though the Roman model certainly applies to the Great Kingdom too. The Suel are the deliberate exception to the Earth analogues (which are more pronounced in Ærth and Lejendary Earth) and I wouldn't want to impose one on them, or to copy another existing fantasy civilization.