D&D 5E [Radiant Citadel] A chart of parallel Earth cultures and motifs across the D&D Multiverse

[Voadam]

Krynn is very much influenced by Mormon theology and histography, and that’s informed a lot of the cultural aspects of it.

I've heard that asserted before but I am not sure in which ways are meant. Can you provide some examples? I don't really see Outer Darkness analogues or how the three types of balanced Gods match up to Mormon theological concepts. The closest I can think of would be Discs of Mishakal echoing golden plates, maybe some emphasis on tribes.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

I've heard that asserted before but I am not sure in which ways are meant. Can you provide some examples? I don't really see Outer Darkness analogues or how the three types of balanced Gods match up to Mormon theological concepts. The closest I can think of would be Discs of Mishakal echoing golden plates, maybe some emphasis on tribes.

The disks are one bit, but there’s much more.

Ok, so first thing is familiarising yourself with the concept of the “Great Apostasy”, a strain of anti-Catholicism prevalent in certain strains of Protestantism, especially the sects that would spread in the early US and give rise to Mormonism. Basically Istar is the Catholic Church as viewed through the lens of such beliefs. It is notable in Dragonlance how the Plainsmen are key in the restoration of the “true faith”, just as the Native Americans are key to the story in the Book of Mormon.

The Seekers in the Dragonlance chronicles are basically representations of new age fads and popular 19th century fads like theosophy.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

Update:

After conversations on the Mystara Piazza messageboard, I looked more closely at the Pearl Islanders of Mystara, and realized that my initial attribution of an Afro-Caribbean culture was mistaken. I'd mistakenly thought the "black explorers" with the "Rake" class was an Afro-Caribbean swashbuckler motif. I hadn't recently or closely looked at the source materials till now.

Here's the new entry:

~Oceanic / Pacific Islands:

In Mystara:

• The Pearl Islands (~Papua New Guinea, specifically the culture of the Motu, an Austronesian people in PNG). In Dawn of the Emperors, the Pearl Islanders are said to be "black explorers" with "skin black" from "far-away Tangor" (~Africa). On p.79, the illustration of a Pearl Islander couple has an Austronesian aesthetic. So "black" + Austronesian = ~Melanesian. The text mentions the "Pearl Islander kilt" as clothing. The names appear to be fantastic quasi-Austronesian: Nuar (said to mean: Nu = "Western" + Ar "Home"), Tuar, Kuir, Puir, Dwar, Mt. Morimoru, Nurokidu. The name Morimoru is evocative of "Hiri Motu", a relatively well-known language that used to be the lingua franca of the Port Moresby area, the capital of Papua New Guinea. Hiri Motu is a pidgin language based on the local Austronesian Motu language of the Motu people, one of the indigenous peoples of the capital region. The names "Nuar" and "Tuar" have a slight similarity with "Papua" (the /ua/ wordshape), and the word "Nu" (meaning 'western') is like "New" in "Papua New Guinea. Seagirt, the capital of the Pearl Islands, could be something like Port Moresby. In DotE, the Pearl Islands are the home of the "Rake" PC class (charisma-based rogues).

 

[Dungeonosophy]

Update:
Added a Celtic section. Beginning to add in the European cultures. Feel free to note any Celtic sources I missed. There are probably a lot of Celtic monsters in D&D.

~Celtic (~Gaulish, ~Welsh, ~Cornish, ~Breton, ~Irish, ~Scottish):

• In Oerth: Some aspects of the ancient Flan, such as the druids of the Old Faith and the bards of the Old Lore. The ancient Flan Kingdom of Caerdiralor has a ~Welsh name (caer = "fortress"). Yet other aspects of the Flan are Black/"Hamitic"[sic!], American Indian ("Arapahi"), and Cossack ("ataman").
• In Ærth: Hibernia (~Ireland). WotC reportedly owns Gygax's Ærth setting.
• In Mystara:
  • The Principality of Klantyre in Glantri and their Kaelic language (~Scotland and ~Gaelic language)
  • The Province of Redstone in the Thyatian Empire (~Ireland)
  • The Kingdom of Robrenn on the Savage Coast (~Gaul)
  • The Carnax Orcs (~Iron Age Continental Celts / Gauls) The word "carnyx" is an ancient Celtic horn, and comes from a Gaulish rootword. See: Carnyx - Wikipedia
  • The Cassivellonis Orcs (~Catuvellauni, an Ancient Brittonic tribe: Catuvellauni - Wikipedia)
  • The Pyctis Goblins (~Picts of North Britain, and/or the Pictones of Poitiers, France). In traditional legends, the Picts of Britain founded Poitiers (the city of the Pictones tribe) on their way to Britain. Pictones - Wikipedia
  • The Thratian Hinterlanders (~tribal Welsh, with some ~Irish motifs)
• In Toril:
  • The Ffolk of the Moonshae Isles (~blended Welsh+Scottish+Irish). "Ffolk" is parallel to the Celtic term toutā, Irish tuath: Reconstructionroto-Celtic/toutā - Wiktionary ; To give only a few examples of the blended ~Celtic names: the capital, Caer Callidyrr is ~Welsh (caer = "fortress"). "Moray" is a province in Scotland. "O'Roarke" is an Irish name.
  • Irish migrants to Toril from Earth: "Over the course of the planet of Toril's history, there were waves of planar immigrants that came from a 'rugged land' [Ireland] on another world with a culture tied to nature, the sea, and [...] greater god. These brought their own societies and the worship of the Celtic gods, such as Herne and Oghma. One wave settled in the kingdom of Bakar, in the city of Medinat Muskawoon. There they constructed temples to the Celtic gods, such as Dunatis. While another, later wave of planar immigrants from the same rugged land would settle around the time of the rise of Netheril."
  • The Celtic pantheon in Toril: Celtic pantheon
• In Ravenloft: The Forlorn domain (~Scottish Gaelic, with Welsh motifs). The Forfarian language is ~Scottish Gaelic; see: Forfarian (Language) - Mistipedia ; The Darklord's name, Tristan ApBlanc, is partly ~Welsh (the prefix "ap" means "son of"): Tristan - Wikipedia ; ap - Wiktionary
  • The Celtic pantheon in Ravenloft is reported to be worshipped by the Forfarians and Tepestani. They were also known to have centers of worship in Avonleigh, Nidala, Shadowborn Manor, the Shadowlands, and Viktal. Celtic pantheon
• "The celtic kingdom of Pellham", the mini-setting of the AD&D1e adventures: C4: To Find a King (1985) and C5: The Bane of Llywelyn (1985)
• In D&D Earth: HR3: Celts Campaign Sourcebook for AD&D2e
• In Planescape and the Planes of Existence: AD&D1e Celtic Pantheon, AD&D2e Celtic Pantheon, 3e Celtic Pantheon, 5e Celtic Pantheon
• DRAGON magazine:
  • "The Return of Conan Maol" by Paul K. Johnstone, #24(p33), fiction
  • "Cu Chulainn" by Roger E. Moore, #81(p40), AD&D1e
  • "The Deryni" by Arthur Collins, #78(p34), AD&D1e
  • "Bazaar of the Bizarre: Celtic Magical Items" by Steve Stewart, #207(p17), AD&D2e
  • "Tuatha De Danaan" by Robin Emrys Atkinson, #65(p47), AD&D1e
  • "Pooka" by Michael Fountain, #60(p66), AD&D1e
  • "The Celtic Warrior" by Kieran Turley, #330(p89), D&D3e
  • "The Wild Hunt" by William L. Christensen, #342(p88), D&D3e
• Monsters:
  • Banshee (~Irish): Banshee - Wikipedia
  • Kelpie (~Scottish): Kelpie - Wikipedia
  • Leprechaun (~Irish): Leprechaun - Wikipedia
  • Korred (~Breton): Korrigan - Wikipedia
  • Pooka, from Mystara (~Irish and ~Welsh): Púca - Wikipedia
  • Sidhe, from Mystara (~Irish): Aos Sí - Wikipedia (sidhe)

 

[Dungeonosophy]

The disks are one bit, but there’s much more.

Latter-day Saints / Mormon culture doesn't fit into the chart as it currently exists. It might fit in the Anglo North American section once I get that rolling. I would limit myself to the most salient and non-controversial parallels, such as the Disks of Mishakal.

Just to add: there is also a subtle Christian/Biblical (i.e. Mormon) influence in such names as "Chronicles", "Zeboim", and "Habbakuk."

Books of Chronicles - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Habakkuk - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Zeboim (Hebrew Bible) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

These are also ~Hebrew influences. Which should probably be a section in itself, or within the Middle Eastern cultural section.

 

[TwiceBorn2]

The disks are one bit, but there’s much more.

Ok, so first thing is familiarising yourself with the concept of the “Great Apostasy”, a strain of anti-Catholicism prevalent in certain strains of Protestantism, especially the sects that would spread in the early US and give rise to Mormonism. Basically Istar is the Catholic Church as viewed through the lens of such beliefs. It is notable in Dragonlance how the Plainsmen are key in the restoration of the “true faith”, just as the Native Americans are key to the story in the Book of Mormon.

The Seekers in the Dragonlance chronicles are basically representations of new age fads and popular 19th century fads like theosophy.

Fascinating. Thanks for sharing this.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

Updates: I really delved into the sources of the Himalayan analogues in Toril. I discovered there are two or three different "Tibets" in the Forgotten Realms (Tabot, Ra-Khati, and Khazari), with two different Dalai Lama analogues: the "Dalai Lama" of Ra-Khati and the "High Lord of Oceans" of Tabot.

~Indigenous North American:

• The ruined Flan city of Tostenhca (~the ancient Tolteca culture of Aztec legend). Called "Skrellingshald" by the Frost Barbarians. "Skrelling" is the name for Flannae people in the Cold Tongue of the Frost Barbarians (< Old Norse Skræling).

~Himalayan:

• In Toril:
  • Tabot (~Tibet). The Tabotan language =~Tibetan. The leader of Tabot is the High Lord of Oceans. (In Tibetan, "Dalai Lama" means "Ocean Master.")
  • Ra-Khati (~Tibet). Ra-Khati follows the Padhran religion. The leader of Ra-Khati the Dalai Lama (!)
    • Note: Tabot and Ra-Khati are redundant parallels of Tibet, developed by two different TSR design teams. Tabot and the Path of Enlightenment were developed by the Kara-Tur designers. Ra-Khati and the Padhran religion were developed by the Hordelands designers. The Kingdom of Khazari appears to be yet another standalone ~Tibetan parallel, since it has its own Red Mountain and Yellow Mountain sects, though more blended with other motifs.
  • The Kingdom of Khazari (~blended Tibetan/Balti/Inner Mongolian/Bhutanese/Chinese). Monk leaders are called "lamas", which are a Tibetan word; the capital city of Skarou/Skardu < the city of Skardu, in Gilgit-Baltisan, Pakistan (the name "Skardu" is from the Balti Tibetic language); the city of Alashan < the Alashan Mountains in Inner Mongolia; the Khazari word tsampo "barley meal" < Tibetan tsampa "barley meal"; the town of Hsiliang is ~Chinese; the Khazari ruler has a partly ~Chinese name: Ogandi Tsipiang.
    • The Red Mountain sect of the Khazari Phadhran religion =~ the Red Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
    • The Yellow Mountain sect of Khazari Padhran religion =~ the Yellow Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
  • The ruined Kingdom of Guge (~the real-world ancient Kingdom of Guge in western Tibet)
  • The Yak Folk / Yak-Men of the World Pillar Mountains. The word "yak" is from the Tibetan language.
  • Phuthan (~Bhutan). Its capital city is named "Bhutan." The Phutanese language =~Bhutanese.
  • The monastery-fortresses of Punakha Dzong and Luntse Dzong. The word "dzong" is a Bhutanese word for monastery-fortress.

 

[Voadam]

The Knorr of Jakandor are a mix of Native American, Celtic, and Norse influences.

 

[Voadam]

Kara Tur as a full setting boxed set as opposed to the 2 pages from the back of 1e Oriental Adventures is deep and rich with fantasy East and Southeast Asian analogue kingdoms/empires. OA talks about a few obvious analogues (4 specifically I believe) but the boxed set covers a lot.

 

[Voadam]

Tepest is another fairly strong Ravenloft Celtic themed domain, particularly as portrayed in later 2e materials. In the module set there they worship the Celtic pantheon and have an inquisition against fey stuff.