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?
The various people from the north remind me of the Vikings.
I believe it is Perrenland that reminds me of Switzerland.
For myself, I run a potpourri campaign based out of the WoGH, with a very, very liberal addition of just about everything else I have ever bought (I don't bother going to different campaign worlds, I just add them to WoGH; making sure, of course, that they make sense).
That makes things a little different than that which is often in 'official' publications. Still, I am always curious and eager for input and will almost always adjust my world accordingly if I like the idea, so I will be more than happy with any other suggestions.
Furyondy & Veluna - very medieval France like, especially that they were going to become one country at one time, they may yet.
Greyhawk - being that it is located in an area that looks alot like modern milwaukee, it is probably the most american type place in all of oerth.
Keoland - england.
Bissel - this is very much like palastine during the crusades, in that it was the area that had to "hold back the muslim hordes".
Urnst (County & Duchy) - very much like the mythical germany, they are suel and therefore related to the Thillronian barbarians.
Scarlet Brotherhood - very much like the non-mythical nazi germany, as they are also suel and racist. As for the location, it is probably linked to the myth/reality of nazis hiding and living in Brazil, a jungle county.
Sea Barons - definately spanish armada flavored.
Great Kingdom - though heavily Roman Empire flavored, in the post greyhawk wars, they are more like the Holy Roman Empire, which as you know was not holy, roman, or an empire. The HRE included places like parts of germany and the balkans, in addition to northern italy, therefore there are many parts of theses scattered throughout, in addition to an overall Roman Empire feel.
Sunndi, Medegia - Papal States.
Blackmoor - I get kind of a Tzarist Russia feel from this, though it is more likely a generic "lost civilisation" type of place.
StoneHold - Early Russia, with Viking types ruling over slavic types
Iuz - cold war russia, with loose control over many varying states. Desires for world domination, and weapons that can cause much destruction.
Pale - in real history the Pale was the place where Russia sent jewish people to live, though the theocracy in GH is much more like the spanish inquisition.
Rovers of the Barrens - though they have been associated with plains indians because of a Dungeon magazine adventure by David Howery, David later said he wished he hadn't done that because they really have more of a celtic flavor.
Tiger & Wolf Nomads - though they are baklunish and baklunish flan, they pretty much fill a role of an asian invading huns or mongols.
Yeomanry - being that this place had the first democracy in greyhawk, pretty much like greece had the first democracy on earth, I tend to make them like a post ancient greece.
Ekbir - persia.
Ull - from the migration maps, this seems to be some sort of a messopotamia of sorts.
Zeif - arabian knights like center of civilisation and enlightenment. Medieval Iraq.
Halber
Ekbir - persia.
Ull - from the migration maps, this seems to be some sort of a messopotamia of sorts.
Zeif - arabian knights like center of civilisation and enlightenment. Medieval Iraq.
From my researches in the LGG and elsewhere, the historical and cultural background of Ull actually makes it more like a mish mash of Mongolia and Afghanistan. If Zeif is the 'Iraq' then Ull couldn't be mesopotamia too, they are quite different, Ull even has its own dialect of Baklunish, Ulagha.
From my researches in the LGG and elsewhere, the historical and cultural background of Ull actually makes it more like a mish mash of Mongolia and Afghanistan. If Zeif is the 'Iraq' then Ull couldn't be mesopotamia too, they are quite different, Ull even has its own dialect of Baklunish, Ulagha.
If you had read my opening statement more closely, you would see that there are many places in greyhawk that represent or are influenced by the same place but in different time periods. So in Greyhawk, there can be 2 mesopotamian lands during the same time period, yet they are still totally different. Follow?
Halber
Nyrond: France
Obviously the Bakluni are pseudo-arabic. That's a given. Gygax originally planned for a Cathayan-type civilization in the far west that was instead given to FR.
The Olman are obviously Aztec knock-offs and the Touv are quasi-African.
The Flan are much more complex. Though one ethnic group they range from barbarian nomads (the Rovers) to civilized (the Tenha). They had numerous civilized states in ancient antiquity but even those were very different. It may be that in fact they are not one ethnic group but a conglomerate of multiple now-extinct ones.
The Oeridians also vary. I personally see the Great Kingdom as being very like the Roman Empire but more towards the Byzantine version. Furyondy and Nyrond are more standard like Medieval England or Germany.
The Suel are the least clear by far. They are, like the Flan, very diverse as a people ranging from "Nordic" archetypes to more pure fantasy in the Brotherhood.
All-in-all, how closely they match is up to the DM's.
Geoff has always seemed based on Wales.
Archers of Geoff
What of the bow?
The bow was made in Geoff:
Of true wood, of Hornwood.
The wood of Geoff bows;
So men who are free
Love the old Hornwood tree
And the land where the Hornwood grows.
What of the cord?
The cord was made in Geoff:
A rough cord, a tough cord,
A cord that bowmen love;
So well drain our jacks
To the Geoff flax
And the land where the hemp was wove.
What of the shaft?
The shaft was cut in Geoff:
A long shaft, a strong shaft,
Barbed and trim and true;
So we'll drink together
To the Grey goose feather
And the land where the gray goose flew.
What of the men?
The men were bred in Geoff:
The bowman - the yeoman -
The lads of dale and fell
Heres to you - and to you!
To hearts that are true
And the land where the true heart dwells.
(Originally 'The Outland Bowmen' by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
from 'The White Company') (and thanks to Rip Wormer for adding the
Hornwood)