Eddings' Nations

[Talysia]

Would I be right in thinking that some of Eddings' nations are based on real countries? I know that Thalesia (in the Elenium/Tamuli) is based on Scandinavia, and that Tolnedra/Arcium are loosely based on Rome, amongst others, but what else? Or are there any more comparisons/equivalents?

 

[The Ace]

Well, the Chereks are obviously vikings, the Sendars idealised e**lishmen, the Drasnians are vaguely Lapps (Furs, reindeer) the Ulgos are vaguely jewish, ( closed theocratic society) one could go on. While none of Eddings nations are direct copies of 'Real,' ones, there is often a similarity. I always likened the drasnian pikemen to scottish infantry during the wars of independance. Eddings himself discusses the subject at length in "The Rivan Codex."

 

[Talysia]

Ah, thanks for that, Ace. Mind you, does he do the same for any of his other series? I've often wondered about that.

 

[The Ace]

Not sure, I slept through the Elenium and ignored the Tamuli, the quality of writing seemed to drop through the floor, But given his track record for recycling characters, it's a distinct possibility.

 

[HappyHippo]

The Tamuls have to be Asian/CHinese, don't they? Golden skin, shiny black hair, strange genuflectory customs, absolute rule of the monarch? I could be wrong....

Althalus had the Northern Europeans again, and the Arums were a braveheart DIY scots-ish mish mash.

The sad thing about this site is it's made me realise I've outgrown my Eddings! *waaaah!*

 

[The Ace]

Sorry HH, me and Belgarath never did get around to growing up.

 

[Talysia]

I must admit, I still like to read the older books from time to time, and I enjoy them, too.

Thanks HH, I thought that the Tamuls must be based on the Asian/Chinese type culture, too - although I did wonder what kind of race the Styrics were based on, or whether Eddings created one.

Getting back to the Belgariad, I wondered whether the Arends were based on any real culture/country, too.

 

[bruno-1012]

The Arends are clearly based on medieval european (possibly English)

The Mimbrates are the gentry, possibly Norman in origin. This is suggested by the emphasis on armour, nobility, jousting and castles.

The Asturians may be based on the yeomanry (?sp) of the time with their longbows and woodscraft. Imagine robin hood stories/agincourt.

Not sure about the Wactites - possible the idea of the 'chaste' romance of the courts with their poetry and artistry.

 

[Talysia]

The Arends were always the ones I wondered about. Another thing that bugged me was the fact that they all seemed to be stereotypically "limited", to use an Eddings-ism. That was what started me thinking about Eddings nations - the stereotypes that seem to inhabit all of them.

 

[devilsgrin]

it always appeared to me that the Tamuls were more Indian (Hindu) than chinese, with reference to their multitudinous gods of little consequence...

 

[Talysia]

Thanks, Bruno, I had my suspicions about who the Arends might be based on, so it's good to know that someone else shared them.

And thanks too, Devilsgrin. Come to think of it, I never knew whether the Tamul gods were just an extra bit of detail or something else. I haven't read it in a while, though.

Has anyone read enough of Eddings' last series (The Elder Gods) to see whether there are any comparisons to the nations in that? I just wondered if Eddings had changed anything in the last series, or if he'd followed the same pattern again.

 

[Abbot]

I always looked at Sendarians as Australians, them being a fairly new race compared to the rest and that they dont have any one main god lol.

 

[sayn]

• The Tolnedrans - effectively the Roman Empire at the height of its power, with minor name and theology changes.
• The Mimbrates - 12th Century France or Normandy - specifically drawing on Knights, chivalry, Arthurian legends, and archaic speech (thee, thou), with feudal politics.
• The Asturians - 12th Century England - a general stereotype lifted directly from the Robin Hood legend.
• The Marags - Ancient Greece, specifically using an obsession with male beauty a la Michelangelo's David, and athletic endeavour in the style of the Olympics.
• The Chereks - directly lifted from the Vikings, with only minor name and theology changes.
• The Sendarians - analogous to a highly idealized view of Anglo-Saxon England.
• The Nyissans - broadly analogous to Ancient Egypt, with some elements drawn from India.
• The Algars - effectively Russian Cossacks, though also strongly related to the Mongols under Genghis Khan. There is also Native American influence.
• The Murgos - analogous to Atilla's Huns.
• The Ulgos - the biblical Israelites
• The Melcenes - They could be construed to be quasi-Japanese due to their small, commercial island nation

Don't credit this information to me. It's all from Wikipedia.

 

[Talysia]

Ah, I hadn't thought to look on Wiki for it. Thanks, Sayn.

 

[Abbot]

I always look at the Murgo race as asian decent?

 

[Zombie]

It's a shame that the Elenium/Tamuli is missing from that Wiki page.

What about Deria?

 

[sayn]

I always look at the Murgo race as asian decent?

how so?

 

[devilsgrin]

i personally saw Middle Eastern references in much of the Murgo culture we're presented with...

 

[Talysia]

It's a shame that the Elenium/Tamuli is missing from that Wiki page.

What about Deria?

I had a look on Wiki about the countries of the Elenium/Tamuli, but the only comparisons they give are between Thalesia and Scandinavia, and Chyrellos and Vatican City (unless I missed something). It would have been nice to have a bit more information, but I guess it's open to interpretation.

 

[Hawke]

See the reason I don't like wikipedia is the same reason Universities wont accept it as a source in essays and coursework....its completely user generated...

In any case I think its probably safe to say that Eddings has used real cultures as the basis for his literary cultures, and I would go as far as to say he has probably directly lifeted some cultures from history and changed their names, but what would I expect from something, which in my opinion, is little more than Children's fantasy...

I started out reading Eddings but soon noticed he recycled characters, now a child probably wouldn't notice the similarities between charcters but for me it completely ruined the feel of his books...

Now reading Authors like Feist and Wurts my perception of fantasy has changed and I see them as more "grown up" fantasy.