Dragonlance based on Mormonism?!?

[Serena DarkMyst]

If I recall correctly, the Dragonlance deities were the original Forgotten Realms deities created by Jeff Grubb? Something like that. Alot of Dragonlance names are taken from the bible or other Christian writings, though (Habbakuk, Hiddukel, Zeboim, and I think even Takhisis).

Jeff Grubb had a campaign called Toril...which was not at all related to Ed Greenwood's Forgotten Realms. A good number of the gods of Jeff's pantheon were used in Dragonlance, with the names getting a bit of a makeover. Then, the powers that be used Jeff's campaign name for the planet of the Forgotten Realms setting.

So, in a weird technical way the gods of Krynn came from Toril, which was not Forgotten Realms....until it was.

So no....the gods of DL were not the original FR gods...it is just a good example of showing how creative things were used at TSR.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

One thing that certainly owes its roots to Hickman's Mormonism would be the magic spectacles which let Tasslehoff read any language.

 

[nikolai]

One thing that certainly owes its roots to Hickman's Mormonism would be the magic spectacles which let Tasslehoff read any language.

I agree that it's not a direct allegory, though you can see where the series has been informed by Hickman's faith. In addition to the Disks of Mishakal/Golden Plates thing (which leads to the restoration of an empowered priesthood)...

A lot of this discussion is taking place outside any point of reference I have. You might as well be writing in Greek (though, if you were, at least I'd be able to use Babelfish).

Could someone explain the references above?

 

[Vocenoctum]

A lot of this discussion is taking place outside any point of reference I have. You might as well be writing in Greek (though, if you were, at least I'd be able to use Babelfish).

Could someone explain the references above?

The only reference I have for it is from South Park, so I won't add anything.

 

[Umbran]

Could someone explain the references above?

Mormonism was jounded by Joseph Smith in 1830. Smith claimed to have been led by the angel Moroni to dig up a set of Golden Plates that had been buried by the original inhabitants of North America (who were actually the lost tribe of Israel). He was able to translate writing on the plates using two mystical stones found with the plates. The resulting text became the Book of Mormon, the new testament of the Bible on which the Chuch of Latter Day Saints is based.

I've been told by a number of folks raised in the Mormon tradition that the South Park episode is actually pretty accurate, for all it's slanted reporting.

Edit: I have provided the above to clarify some of the references from earlier in the thread. It is not intended as fodder for a discussion of the Mormon faith or it's tenets, as that is not fit fodder for these message boards.

 

[talinthas]

Dragonlance is (especially in dragons of autumn twilight) pretty heavily based on mormon theology.

I point to the disks of mishakal, which are direct analogs to the golden plates Smith found, the fall of the church of Istar, which is the Mormon view of the Catholic Church, the turning of man from god, and god waiting to be found again, god being brought by a native american type (goldmoon), just like the Book of Mormon's north american revelations stuff, and so on and so forth.

If you read annotated Legends, Hickman talks extensively in the appendix about his faith and dragonlance, quoting from a number of mormon texts, including The Pearl of Great Price (which is where Goldmoon's gem analogy comes from).
Also, see the River of Souls concept and the appendix to Vanished Moon, which while heavily catholic inspired, also carries a lot of mormon messages.


It's no real secret =)
Of course, Tracy is also a very widely read person, and not closed minded about other faiths either, as i've learned in numerous discussions with him.

 

[Krieg]

Yeah, but saying it is based on his religious beliefs and then drawing parallels to Adam and the lost tribes of Israel isn't saying much. I believe, after all, that the Bible is still the best-selling book in the world. And the Koran has those features as well.

Let's not forget that the 13th tribe holds a far more important roll in the Chruch of LDS than in other branches of the tree of Christianity.

The Count Iblis episodes also feature some theological beliefs that again share more in common with the Mormon faith than other Chrisitan teachings.

Larson has also stated publicly that the use of Egyptian symbology was a homage to Smiths' original tablets.

I am reasonably confident that if Larson were Greek Orthodox, Jehova Witness or Anglican some of the symbology of the film would be very different.

Of course it is completely understandable, anyone's work is influenced by their own background, Larson is no different than any other writer in that regard.

JD just out of curiousity, do you carry a temple recommend? I apologize if that is too invasive a question, just genuinely curious.

 

[Desdichado]

As for Dragonlance, I think those correspondences are pretty trivial and likely coincidental. I could probably just as easily build a case around the Book of Mormon and it's influence on the Wheel of Time, including the character of King Laman of Cairhien and obvious parallels between the Way of the Leaf the the Ammonites, including the later Aiel as the second generation of Ammonites, the "stripling warriors" of Helaman.

But I won't.

Krieg; yes I do, as a matter of fact. Just renewed it a month or two ago in time for my brother's wedding, as it had just expired.

 

[talinthas]

You know, it would be trivial, if Tracy didn't outright say as much. Have you ever read his essay on gaming and religion?

Dragonlance, at its core, is very heavily christian, and as a subset, leans pretty LDS in theology.

Only reason i care? Dragonlance is responsible for making me a devout and pretty orthodox Hindu, so i've spent a lot of time thinking about and analysing the religious aspect of DL. maybe too much time =)

 

[Storm Raven]

There are various levels of this sort of thing. Narnia is Christian allegory. This is pretty easy to spot, as one thing in the story represents something else; Edmund=Judas. The reason Tolkien would reject this for Lord of the Rings is because there are none of these correspondences.

Or, even more obviously, Aslan = Jesus.