Real World Culture Equivalencies
by BardicFireI want to do a Real World Equvalent list, so that one can reference and use it so they can easily adapt real world things to Mystara. Is there already something like this? If so, we can just combine it with this one.
Heres a short list of the Gazetteer cultures and real world equivalents, at least how I see it.
Country Name - Real World Equivalent
* Subculture - Real World Equivalent
The Grand Duchy of Karameikos - Central & Balkan Europe under Holy Roman Empire rule. 15th Century
* Traldaran - Slavics, Germanics, and other Central European Natives
* Callarii - Generic Elves, with POTENTIAL FOR Swiss aspects (Swiss Confederation, not Switzerland, not entirely present, but one could easily see influences of it in their war-focused attitudes and some Nomenclature [Callarii sounds swiss in my opinion, idk... I just like the idea of Swiss Elves okay?!])
The Emirates of Ylaruam - Emirates that existed across the Islamic lands. 15th Century
* Nithians - Modern Egyptian Descendants of ancient Egyptians.
* Makistani - Far Eastern Islamics, Turko-Mongol people.
* Alasiyans - True Arabic people
( Ylaruam needs one more racial group IMO, from the south and Tel Akbir and such, which would be a Mystaran-Turks, who are very different from the Arabic)
( It should also be noted that Ylaruam, being so northern, is actually in some ways very different from our Arabia. Theres some changes I'd personally make about the culture that has this fact taken into account, and The 13th Warrior, a Movie about an Arabian living with Vikings, is a great example of what kind of changes should be made. I personally really like this concept, it makes Mystara more unique to our own)
Principalities of Glantri - Basically a Mini Renaissance Europe. also very similar to the concepts of the minor states that existed in the Holy Roman Empire ca. 15th Century, as well as the various alliances that sprung up in the Renaissance.
* Aalban - Lower Germanic States, Bavaria, Austria
* Belcadiz - Espana / Spain, clearly
* Bergdhoven - Clearly Netherlands, Flemish lands. Flowers, Fishing, Cheese, WINDMILLS.
* Blackhill - Bohemia and Silesia areas I think (which are rich in coal and are very fertile) possibly even Wallachia (very cruel), seems to be more fictional then others.
* Boldavia - Vampire-Ruled Transylvania or Wallachia.
* Caurenze - Northern Italian City-States
* Erewan - Celtic nations, British Isles, Gaulic.
* Klantyre - Scotland, completely, obviously, dur.
* Krondahar - Silk Road, Hun / Mongol influenced Eastern Europe and Turkey
* Nouvelle Averoigne - France, especially central and Northern France.
Kingdom of Ierendi - Caribbean and South Pacific. The Pirates are clearly Caribbean.
* Makai - Hawaiian
* Nuari - Maori
Elheimar (Alfheim) - Classic Tolkein and Nordo-Celtic Mythology Elves, They are a mix of Celtic & Nordic Faerie Culture.
Dwarves of Rockhome - Classic Nordic and Tolkien Dwarves
The Northern Reaches - Clearly Scandenavian Nordic Countries. Pre-Christian Religion but mixed Renaissance and Pagan-era culture.
* Ostland - probably Norwegian, as they were latecomers to Feudalism.
* Vestland - I'm thinking Denmark, as they were quicker to modernisation.
* Soderfjord Jarldoms - if Ostland is Norway, and Vestland is Denmark, then Soderfjord is probably Sweden.
Five Shires - Classic Tolkein Halflings, with Mystaran original twists. They have a bit of a Jewish feel to them too, especially with the names like Tothmeer, and Yallaren.
Minrothad Guilds - Definitely a mix of Italian Sea Merchantry and East Indies Trading Company as a culture and nation (which they practically were)
Orcs of Thar - Classic Goblinoid races and cultures, although they do seem to influenced by some real world cultures. They seem to also have Oenkmar, which is Aztec-ish
* Bugburbia - Bugbears, generic medieval culture.
* High Gobliny - Franco-Germanic Goblins
* Hobgobland - Mongol Hobgoblins
* Kol - Roman Imperial Kobolds
* Ogremoor - Hindi / Indian / etc. Ogre's
* Orcus Rex - Eastern European / Holy Roman Empire Orcs
* Red Orclanders - Native American Orcs
* South Gnollistan - Islamic (Turkish / Arabic) Gnolls
* Trollhattan - little culture, Trolls are really witless, but has a SLIGHT Cheap american feel to it.
* Yellow Orkia - Mongol Orcs.
Republic of Darokin - English in Language and some cultural aspects, Italian, Austrian, Venetian, general European Land Merchant in culture. basically take the Merchant cultures of Renaissance Europe and SMASH them all together with an English base (which sort of fits, as England had been conquered by so many different cultures it created it's own conglomerate culture) all other subcultures would be immigrants.
Golden Khan of Ethengar - Mongol Hordes, with focus on their Horse Culture (as opposed to the Camel or Yak farming subcultures of Modern Mongolia)
The Shadow Elves - Unique Shamanistic mix of typical Celtic/Nordic Elven culture, and Aztec/Incan/Mayan Underworld Elven Culture.
The Empire of Thyatis - Ancient Rome, but naturally it's also a little Modernised too, sort of as if Ancient Rome had never gone Christian, and didn't fall, so it survived into the Renaissance era. because of this, In many ways it could also be said it's like the Byzantine Empire (which is in some ways different from Ancient Rome, in that it was more Greek oriented, as noted by being predominately Greek-speaking). I could go into the different subcultures some other time.
The Empire of Alphatia - Atlantis... obviously, as if the references they try to make weren't clear enough. But also I think sort of Neo-Babylonian. again, subcultures later...
I got this from TV Tropes and Idioms btw:
Pretty much every human culture in the Mystara setting is based on a Real Life country (which makes a certain amount of sense, as it's implied that Mystara is an Alternate Universe to Earth): Thyatis is Rome and/or Byzantine, Karameikos is Rumania, Glantri is a generically Renaissance-era western European nation, the Northern Reaches are Scandinavia, Heldann is the Teutonic Knights, Darokin is a mish-mash Genoese/Venetian merchant republic, the Ethengar Khanate is central Asia, Ylaruam is Arabia (and directly south of the Northern Reaches... WTF?), the Atruaghin Clans are North American Indians, the Savage Baronies are Mexico and Brazil, Cimmaron is Texas (!!), Robrenn is Ireland, Eusdria is Celtic Gaul, Bellayne is England (with cat-people), Renardy is France (with dog-people), the wallara lizardfolk are Australian Aborigines, the phanaton raccoon-people are South American Indians... the list goes on and on...