Aside from the obvious connection of a prolonged struggle over a national homeland, anyone notice the strong similarities between Shadow Elves and the Hebrews? Here are a few--
+ SE "fasti" and "ne fasti" days of celebration or mourning are parrellels to the Jewish feast days and fast days of celebration or mourning. Both correllate to historical events during which Rafiel (for SE) or the LORD for the Jews granted either tremendous blessing or tremendous punishment to the people.
+ SE pray in a formula of the "14 Verses of the Refuge of Stone." The Jewish Amidah prayer (or Shemonei Esrei prayer, as it is sometimes called) follows a formula of a similar (maybe closer to 20) blessings. Similar ending of each verse ("...and I, Rafiel, will guide you.") parrellels the Amidah, which ends almost all verses with "Blessed art Thou, oh LORD OUR GOD, who [relevent thanksgiving for the verse]."
+ SE priesthood of Rafiel. Jewish priesthood of b'nai l'Aaron haKohen Gadol (the children of Aaron the High Priest).
+ Refuge of Stone as Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel). Alternatively, Alfheim as Eretz Yisrael.
+ The Temple of the Stars and the Bet Hamikdash (Temple in Israel).
+ A month considered blessed for births (month of Births for SE). Similar concept for Channukah, albeit not a full month. Possible parrellel for the month of the High Holy Days.
+ Ne fasti days are similar (particularly the first day of the year) to the Jewish day of Tisha b'Av, or the 9th of the month of Av, the day of the year when both Temples were destroyed and when various other terrible events happened.
+ Others 15 for the SE is a day of mourning over a plague that quickly killed 10,000 SE. The 30 days following Pesach are a period of mourning (no music, etc.) over the death (on those 30 days, about 1900 years ago) of thousands of brilliant talmidim (students) of the great Sage Rabbi Akiva, whose deaths were caused by a massive plague.
+ The keeping track of time by the priests of Rafiel in the Temple of Stars is parrellel to the keeping track of time by Rabbis in the Temple during the time before modern timepieces. (Ultimately resulting in many 2-day holy days.)
+ For the Jewish parrellel to the Degrees of Shamans of Rafiel (Life and Death Shamans, Colorless Shamans, etc.), see an English translation of The Path of the Just by R'Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, who outlined a ladder of spiritual growth over the course of which the follower incrementally purges himself of impure influences.
+ The Radiant Shaman being the sole person allowed to enter the Chamber of Spheres is analogous to the Kohen Gadol (high priest) being the sole person allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, once a year (on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement), in the Temple of Israel.
Just some observations.
Haldemar
The reason I think it would be worth looking at is that several points of difference were also given. I do remembering it being a rather interesting topic.
You might wish to recall that Rafiel is perhaps the only Mystaran immortal whose name has Hebrew origins.
As for the 14 verses - they seem to me to be more connected to the 10 commandments than to the Amidah prayer. The commandments themselves were delivered on stone tablets.
I believe it is more fruitful to consider Alfheim as Eretz Israel - the long-lost homeland etc. Although it should be noted that while the SE are indeed in "exile", the concept of "diaspora" is more relevant regarding the Alfheim elves after WotI.
That's all. For now.
Most of the "old testament" is totally legendary, without any proof in reality. The name of king solomon, for example - appears exactly ZERO times. No proof of a humungous migration to egypt, and a long walk back home, which is the part most relevant here. The bible starts making sense , archaeologically speaking, from around the time of king Ahab.
One other thing. The ancient canaanite pantheon had a father figure, much like Zeus for the greeks. His name was EL. I dont exactly know how this happened, but "el" means "deity" in hebrew. The name of THE LORD probably came from another ancient deity, perhaps called Yehu.
Last thing, and perhaps most important. There are a lot of "new" settlements replacing the old canaanite ones, that appear around the time where according to the bible, the hebrews finally arrived in Israel. They still dont have anything you would call "hebrew" about them, but their appearance on a really wide scale probably means the ascension of a new culture.
Most probably, those outcasts mentioned, were united by religious leaders that wanted unify them by giving them a common origin myth, and so they CREATED the bible.
Makes you wonder... what if the shadow elf history is all false ?
Most of the "old testament" is totally legendary, without any proof in reality. The name of king solomon, for example - appears exactly ZERO times. No proof of a humungous migration to egypt, and a long walk back home, which is the part most relevant here. The bible starts making sense , archaeologically speaking, from around the time of king Ahab.
I think you'll find some Hebrew (and Christian) archaeologists might dispute some of what you've just stated. ;)
For a start, there was no "humungous migration to Egypt" - the book of Genesis mentions an extended family of around 70 people. There's not likely to be much, if any surviving evidence of that, even as a footnote in an official document.
Anyway, back to Mystara. I remember a remark someone once made to Winston Churchill, asking how he felt history would judge him. He replied that he intended to be the one writing the history!
As far as Mystara is concerned, the immortals are the ones who "Tell it like I want it to be" to their followers. The account of how the Hollow World was made differs depending on which culture you ask, for instance.
The Gazetteers make it quite clear that in certain instances there have been deliberate lies and cover-ups perpetrated by the immortals in order to stop their followers finding out what really happened.
I should think the occupation of historian could be a very perilous one in Mystara. You've just published your thesis when a very disgruntled immortal turns up on the doorstep wanting to have "a little word with you" about what you wrote about him! :D
I should think the occupation of historian could be a very perilous one in Mystara. You've just published your thesis when a very disgruntled immortal turns up on the doorstep wanting to have "a little word with you" about what you wrote about him! :D
I think it would be worse than that, actually. More likely the disgruntled Immortal would use its followers to destroy the scholarly reputation of the historian, leaving him a laughing stock to his peers and countrymen. If the Immortal had a strong following in that country, it could even end up with the historian been lynched by a mob of angry worshippers.
A related question: What about a Shadow Elf connection to either Nimmur or Som'ma and Gombar (the flying countries on the Arm of the Immortals)? Some of those are supposed to be M-Babylonia, and given that the Jews had a massive presence in Babylonia (the predominant written record of Jewish law is the Talmud, and between the earlier Jerusalem Talmud and the later Babylonian Talmud, the Talmud Bavli is more authoritative), should there be some kind of SE connection to the Mystaran equivalent? (Maybe this would be easily done with the flying elves of the AotI?)
Haldemar
I think the analogy stands or falls regardless of whether one believes that the Bible (however many books one includes in that term) is the unadulterated word of G-d.
A related question: What about a Shadow Elf connection to either Nimmur or Som'ma and Gombar (the flying countries on the Arm of the Immortals)? Some of those are supposed to be M-Babylonia, and given that the Jews had a massive presence in Babylonia (the predominant written record of Jewish law is the Talmud, and between the earlier Jerusalem Talmud and the later Babylonian Talmud, the Talmud Bavli is more authoritative), should there be some kind of SE connection to the Mystaran equivalent? (Maybe this would be easily done with the flying elves of the AotI?)
Haldemar
Just because there's a real world connection between two cultures, that doesn't mean the Mystaran cultures based on them will have any contact or intermingling. It all depends on what the author of the source material (Gaz, module etc.) had in mind.
Of course, there's nothing stopping a DM introducing such a link, especially if it brings in some good opportunities for an adventure! Just make sure it makes sense to your players, or you could end up with them thinking you're just making it all up as you go along.
I think you'll find some Hebrew (and Christian) archaeologists might dispute some of what you've just stated. ;)
Well, you are right about that. Without all these disputes, archaeology would be much more boring.
Anyway, about the migration, I was reffering more to the second part.... that was quite big, according to the bible, but no evidence was found. And I mean NO evidence at all, not even the slightest bit of something.
I cannot think of any other instance in Mystara of such a clear-cut "ethnic religion," in the sense that the exclusive worship of a particular immortal exactly coinsides with the bounds of a particular ethnic group. Non-Shadow Elves do not follow Rafiel, and, to some extent (I believe Atzanteotl has been interfering lately), all Shadow Elves follow Rafiel. I use the term ethnic religion in contrast with universalizing religions--Shadow Elves, like Jews, do not generally evangelize. Interestingly, Alfheim is another region that seems to have a very ethnic religion--Alfheimers do, indeed, make a strong case as post-Diaspora MHebrews.
Another underlying theme worth looking at is that the Shadow Elves are just about the only monotheists to be found in Mystara. As I recall, Protius is still well-respected in Ylaruam (though I might be mistaken), another culture which comes close to monotheism. Rad may have a quasi-monotheistic following in Glantri, but the brand of religion practiced in Glantri is clearly not what we really think of as monotheism.
Might the efforts to restore life to the Canolbarth be a parallel to the kibbutzes in Israel?
Or, perhaps, do the Graakhalians represent the real MHebrews? They have arrived after a long exile in the desert, and work to rebuild civilization.
Ultimately, I think the conclusion to be reached is the same one reached long ago on the MML--there are certainly intriguing connections between the Shadow Elves (and other elven groups) and Judaism, but none of these cultures is really based on Judaism. DMs can, of course, choose to play up this aspect as much as they care to.