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[Radiant Citadel] A chart of parallel Earth cultures and motifs across the D&D Multiverse
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<blockquote data-quote="Dungeonosophy" data-source="post: 8716631" data-attributes="member: 6688049"><p>Update - a suprising number of entries for Israelite / Jewish cultural motifs:</p><p></p><p><strong>~Ancient Hebrew / Israelite / Jewish Culture:</strong></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In Oerth:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://greyhawkonline.com/greyhawkwiki/Baalzephon" target="_blank">Baalzephon </a>is a pit fiend. Its name means "Lord of the North" in Hebrew.</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In Mystara:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The Magiocracy of Herath in the Savage Coast. The Herathian proper names are from the ~Hebrew language. (As seen on this <a href="https://mystara.thorfmaps.com/dragon183-eastern-herath-8/" target="_blank">map of eastern Herath</a>.) Some have pointed out the uncomfortable design choice of using a secretive shapeshifting spider-people (araneas) to represent Jewish culture. Given the nearby Spanish and Portuguese motifs also on the Savage Coast, there appear to be parallels with, at best, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marrano" target="_blank">Marrano "crypto-Jews</a>" who hid their Jewish culture in secrecy, while appearing to participate in outward Iberian Catholic soceity. Or at worst, a careless association with the era of fearful superstitions which the Jews endured within medieval Christendom. [sic!]</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The Dream Land of Smyslvych, the setting of two Israeli-designed official D&D modules: (<a href="https://www.tsrarchive.com/in/hb/hb.html" target="_blank">link to cover photos</a>)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><em>HCM1: Lunar Women</em></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><em>HCM2: Living Statues War</em></li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.tsrarchive.com/in/hb/hb.html" target="_blank">Hebrew-language BECMI product list</a>. Many BECMI products were translated into Hebrew.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In <em>CM7: The Tree of Life</em> by Bruce Heard. The four regions of the Elven Land (Atziluth, Beriah, Ietzirah, Asiah) are directly named after the four worlds of creation in Jewish Kabbalah. <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Worlds" target="_blank">Four Worlds - Wikipedia</a> ; CM7 states these words are the archaic names of the four elements. This is not their meaning in Hebrew (they mean something like "emanation", "creation", "formation" and "doing"), although it is possible that in some kabbalistic schemes the four worlds also parallel the elements. Also, the "Tree of Life" (<em>etz chaim</em>) is the name of an important 16th-century kabbalistic work:<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etz_Chaim_%28book%29" target="_blank"> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etz_Chaim_(book)</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sister Rebecca the Adept, an iconic NPC from the Moldvay Basic Set, has a Hebrew name. Rebecca is the Vulgate (Latin) form of biblical Rebekah, from Hebrew רִבְקָה (Rivka, “enchantingly beautiful, captivating, snare”). <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Rebecca#English" target="_blank">Rebecca - Wiktionary</a></li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In Toril:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The Sartani crab-giants in Zakhara. "Sartan" is Hebrew for crab: <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/סרטן#Hebrew" target="_blank">סרטן - Wiktionary</a> ; whereas Arabic is "saratan." However, "sartan" appears to be the Midani word for crab, since it appears in another context as Jazayir al-Sartan (Isles of the Crab).</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In Krynn: Biblical Hebrew motifs via Jeff Grubb (see "<a href="https://dragonlancenexus.com/jeff-grubb-gods-krynn/" target="_blank">Jeff Grubb on the Gods of Krynn</a>"), and probably reinforced by Tracy Hickman's Latter-day Saints (Mormon) culture. Jeff Grubb says: <em>"Several of the names are biblical in origin, and taken from a book called 'Everyone in the Bible' by the Reverend William P. Barker, who was also the minister of my church when I was growing up[.]" </em>Jeffs other comments on the Hebrew origin of names in Krynn:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Chemosh: <em>"In the real world the supposed god of the Ammonites in the Bible. In First and Second Kings, Solomon erected an altar to him at Jerusalem, and Josiah destroyed it. (Later note I’ve discovered hooks him up with the biblical Moloch)"</em></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Chislev: <em>"The name Chislev evolved out of Kislev, the name for the ninth month of the Jewish year."</em></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Kiri-Jolith: <em>"Partially manufactured (Kiri), partially inspired by Joelah, a son of Jeroham from First Chronicles."</em></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Gilean: <em>"Originally Gilead the Book. As in ”Is there no balm in Gilead?” (Book of Jeremiah)."</em></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://dragonlance.fandom.com/wiki/Habbakuk" target="_blank">Habbakuk</a>: "<em>In the real world, Habakkuk (note the single ”b” and the third ”k” ) was a prophet in the Bible (one of the ”eight minor prophets” ). His book is a collection of oracles delivered against the backdrop of the Babylonian threat to Judah in c.600 B.C. Interestingly enough, the original Habakkuk was a bard, a temple singer. His book was on the subject of why a good god would allow the evil Babylonians to exist and thrive</em>."</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Mishakal: <em>"The name comes from the story of the fiery furnace from the Book of Daniel – Meshach, Shadrach, and Obendigo."</em></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sargonnas: <em>"Sargon was the King of Babylon in the book of Isaiah."</em></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Shinare: <em>"Again, may have been inspired by biblical names, but was likely pure invention."</em></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sirrion: <em>"The name started with a wizard character in my early campaign named Simon, metamorphed to Simeon (one of the leaders of the twelve tribes of Isreal), then jumped the track entirely when the m turned into a double-r ( and occasionally a single-r as well)."</em></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://dragonlance.fandom.com/wiki/Zeboim" target="_blank">Zeboim</a>: <em>"Influenced by bliblical names such as Zebidiah and Zebulon." </em>Note: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeboim_(Hebrew_Bible)" target="_blank">Zeboim</a> was a city destroyed by fire and brimstone.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Zivilyn: <em>"May have been inspired by a real bibical name, but could not tell you at this stage."</em></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Also: the title of the Dragonlance <a href="https://dragonlance.fandom.com/wiki/The_Annotated_Dragonlance_Chronicles" target="_blank">Chronicles</a> themselves, likely from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_of_Chronicles" target="_blank">Book of Chronicles</a> in Hebrew scripture.</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In Planescape and the Planes of Existence:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Gehenna" target="_blank">Gehenna</a>, an outer plane. From the Hebrew <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_of_Hinnom_(Gehenna)" target="_blank"><em>Gēʾ-Hīnnōm </em>(Gehenna)</a>, a valley near Jerusalem, associated with hellfire.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Tamiel" target="_blank">Tamiel</a>, an angel. From real-world <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamiel" target="_blank">Tamiel</a> in the Book of Enoch.</li> </ul></li> </ul></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dungeonosophy, post: 8716631, member: 6688049"] Update - a suprising number of entries for Israelite / Jewish cultural motifs: [B]~Ancient Hebrew / Israelite / Jewish Culture:[/B] [LIST] [*]In Oerth: [LIST] [*][URL='https://greyhawkonline.com/greyhawkwiki/Baalzephon']Baalzephon [/URL]is a pit fiend. Its name means "Lord of the North" in Hebrew. [/LIST] [*]In Mystara: [LIST] [*]The Magiocracy of Herath in the Savage Coast. The Herathian proper names are from the ~Hebrew language. (As seen on this [URL='https://mystara.thorfmaps.com/dragon183-eastern-herath-8/']map of eastern Herath[/URL].) Some have pointed out the uncomfortable design choice of using a secretive shapeshifting spider-people (araneas) to represent Jewish culture. Given the nearby Spanish and Portuguese motifs also on the Savage Coast, there appear to be parallels with, at best, the [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marrano']Marrano "crypto-Jews[/URL]" who hid their Jewish culture in secrecy, while appearing to participate in outward Iberian Catholic soceity. Or at worst, a careless association with the era of fearful superstitions which the Jews endured within medieval Christendom. [sic!] [*]The Dream Land of Smyslvych, the setting of two Israeli-designed official D&D modules: ([URL='https://www.tsrarchive.com/in/hb/hb.html']link to cover photos[/URL]) [LIST] [*][I]HCM1: Lunar Women[/I] [*][I]HCM2: Living Statues War[/I] [/LIST] [*][URL='https://www.tsrarchive.com/in/hb/hb.html']Hebrew-language BECMI product list[/URL]. Many BECMI products were translated into Hebrew. [*]In [I]CM7: The Tree of Life[/I] by Bruce Heard. The four regions of the Elven Land (Atziluth, Beriah, Ietzirah, Asiah) are directly named after the four worlds of creation in Jewish Kabbalah. [URL='https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Worlds']Four Worlds - Wikipedia[/URL] ; CM7 states these words are the archaic names of the four elements. This is not their meaning in Hebrew (they mean something like "emanation", "creation", "formation" and "doing"), although it is possible that in some kabbalistic schemes the four worlds also parallel the elements. Also, the "Tree of Life" ([I]etz chaim[/I]) is the name of an important 16th-century kabbalistic work:[URL='https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etz_Chaim_%28book%29'] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etz_Chaim_(book)[/URL] [*]Sister Rebecca the Adept, an iconic NPC from the Moldvay Basic Set, has a Hebrew name. Rebecca is the Vulgate (Latin) form of biblical Rebekah, from Hebrew רִבְקָה (Rivka, “enchantingly beautiful, captivating, snare”). [URL='https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Rebecca#English']Rebecca - Wiktionary[/URL] [/LIST] [*]In Toril: [LIST] [*]The Sartani crab-giants in Zakhara. "Sartan" is Hebrew for crab: [URL="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/סרטן#Hebrew"]סרטן - Wiktionary[/URL] ; whereas Arabic is "saratan." However, "sartan" appears to be the Midani word for crab, since it appears in another context as Jazayir al-Sartan (Isles of the Crab). [/LIST] [*]In Krynn: Biblical Hebrew motifs via Jeff Grubb (see "[URL='https://dragonlancenexus.com/jeff-grubb-gods-krynn/']Jeff Grubb on the Gods of Krynn[/URL]"), and probably reinforced by Tracy Hickman's Latter-day Saints (Mormon) culture. Jeff Grubb says: [I]"Several of the names are biblical in origin, and taken from a book called 'Everyone in the Bible' by the Reverend William P. Barker, who was also the minister of my church when I was growing up[.]" [/I]Jeffs other comments on the Hebrew origin of names in Krynn: [LIST] [*]Chemosh: [I]"In the real world the supposed god of the Ammonites in the Bible. In First and Second Kings, Solomon erected an altar to him at Jerusalem, and Josiah destroyed it. (Later note I’ve discovered hooks him up with the biblical Moloch)"[/I] [*]Chislev: [I]"The name Chislev evolved out of Kislev, the name for the ninth month of the Jewish year."[/I] [*]Kiri-Jolith: [I]"Partially manufactured (Kiri), partially inspired by Joelah, a son of Jeroham from First Chronicles."[/I] [*]Gilean: [I]"Originally Gilead the Book. As in ”Is there no balm in Gilead?” (Book of Jeremiah)."[/I] [*][URL='https://dragonlance.fandom.com/wiki/Habbakuk']Habbakuk[/URL]: "[I]In the real world, Habakkuk (note the single ”b” and the third ”k” ) was a prophet in the Bible (one of the ”eight minor prophets” ). His book is a collection of oracles delivered against the backdrop of the Babylonian threat to Judah in c.600 B.C. Interestingly enough, the original Habakkuk was a bard, a temple singer. His book was on the subject of why a good god would allow the evil Babylonians to exist and thrive[/I]." [*]Mishakal: [I]"The name comes from the story of the fiery furnace from the Book of Daniel – Meshach, Shadrach, and Obendigo."[/I] [*]Sargonnas: [I]"Sargon was the King of Babylon in the book of Isaiah."[/I] [*]Shinare: [I]"Again, may have been inspired by biblical names, but was likely pure invention."[/I] [*]Sirrion: [I]"The name started with a wizard character in my early campaign named Simon, metamorphed to Simeon (one of the leaders of the twelve tribes of Isreal), then jumped the track entirely when the m turned into a double-r ( and occasionally a single-r as well)."[/I] [*][URL='https://dragonlance.fandom.com/wiki/Zeboim']Zeboim[/URL]: [I]"Influenced by bliblical names such as Zebidiah and Zebulon." [/I]Note: [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeboim_(Hebrew_Bible)']Zeboim[/URL] was a city destroyed by fire and brimstone. [*]Zivilyn: [I]"May have been inspired by a real bibical name, but could not tell you at this stage."[/I] [*]Also: the title of the Dragonlance [URL='https://dragonlance.fandom.com/wiki/The_Annotated_Dragonlance_Chronicles']Chronicles[/URL] themselves, likely from the [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_of_Chronicles']Book of Chronicles[/URL] in Hebrew scripture. [/LIST] [*]In Planescape and the Planes of Existence: [LIST] [*][URL='https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Gehenna']Gehenna[/URL], an outer plane. From the Hebrew [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_of_Hinnom_(Gehenna)'][I]Gēʾ-Hīnnōm [/I](Gehenna)[/URL], a valley near Jerusalem, associated with hellfire. [*][URL='https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Tamiel']Tamiel[/URL], an angel. From real-world [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamiel']Tamiel[/URL] in the Book of Enoch. [/LIST] [/LIST] [/QUOTE]
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