WoW Races and RL Nations

[Vannarius]

I know there has been a post long ago regarding the influences of other cultures on the current WoW races, but I was hoping to go through a more in-depth discussion regarding each race. Decided to start off the thread by looking at Night Elves. Please post your thoughts on the other races available in WoW as well - I would love to hear your input.

Night Elves have always been Asian influenced (particularly korean) in my eyes. Multiple reasons:
1) Architecture - modeled after ancient korean/japanese temples
2) Mounts = Cats. Korean folklore involved a lot of tigers - Tigers are an iconic animal in korean culture. There is even folklore of a Tiger that shape-shifted into a human, and caused strife in Korean society. Great story.
3) The starting robes of the new NE mages are most definitely modeled after korean han-boks.
4) Some NE vendors sell kimchi - an iconic korean dish, as well as bean soup.

Thoughts?

[Deleted]

Draenei are Jews... Me thinks. But hey, I never thought about korean culture... But more like a mix between greek and chinese. But your idea sounds more logical!

[Venziir]

Draenei are indian with hints of persian... They ride elephants, they wear turbans and fancy robes THE ACCENT, the very strong beleif in a higher power (hindu)....

Night Elves, some amazon stuff, mixed with pagan druid beleifs and asian buildings. Oh and of course the fact that they are based upon Dark Elves, mixed with the classic Wood Elves.

Gnomes: Erm tiny people? They strike me as being dutch, not sure why really... Not sure why at all..

Dwarves: Obviously scottish and irish with some scandinavian traits.

Humans: .... Yes.

Worgen or rather Gilneans: British, with a spot of german.

Orcs: Tribal nomadic people with shamanistic beleifs, fits pretty much any ancient folk.

Tauren: Native american

Troll: Jamaican

Goblin: Hmmm, again dutch, they have the money skills... Well that and just people in general, they like shiny things and they like to cheat, abuse and pollute.

Undead: erm... Dead people? Well with some goth bits I suppose... Architecture could go for being classic horror stories about Transylvania and Rumania and all such countries.

Blood Elves: Well, aristocrats in general, posh british people, posh french people... Yeah.

[Deleted]

Humans seem to fit a rather medieval europeean humans, most leaning to french and english in my view because of style of houses and fortress.

Dwarves, there's not much to comment there, it's relates heavily to lore of norse origin, the dwarves living in the mountains who have been also part of Ymir's body as all things when his hair was turned to trees, his skin to earth and the maggots to living beings. (think that's how it was) Even if their accent is supposed scottish or irish and some of their traditions fit that pattern, their buildings do not... unless the scottish and irish built huge mountain fortress. Actually nobody did that. I don't even know what to say about their architecture.

Gnomes I'd see as modern japanese, driven by the will to invent and advance ahead of others. Their architecture fits the technological aspect of the japanese most even if their regime does not fit. Still, they are like many people who don't really care to research the japanese see them, short and smart.

Night elves clearly korean with influences of celtic druidism. About the korean part you talked about, about the druidism part there isn't much more to talk about .)

Draenei, after their elephants, turbans and even style of some buildings I'd agree on Persian.

Worgen, I see them more as germans in the start of the industrialization period. Besides the top hats and british accents they fit the germans more in my view, because of the style and sharpness of buildings, the way in which they are ruled and fact that some of them seem to use ... I don't know the names, those sticks they hold in hands, batons? Don't know the names, but that was a clear sign of the aristocracy in Prussia and the little german states before that.

Orcs I see as mongol empire. They are seen as invaders, they are brute warfare for other nations, the cavalry (wolf-riders), their building style etc. However the current style of buildings seems to remind me of something else, WW2 Central Europe bunkers.

Tauren, they are native american indians. Their beliefs, their building style, even parts of their organization, removing the organization in the united tribes.

Trolls, jamaican mon! No, but really now, the voodoo magic, even the style of buildings and their beliefs seem to indicate traditional pre-spanish invasion Carribean tribes.

Undead, I heard they're French from someone but I disagree. Their building style (the new one, not those ugly ruins) seems to remind me of maybe Central European or even Transylvanian or Valachian castles and towns (except those are not purple and don't have energy rods on the roofs like frankenstein style).

Blood elves seem to remind me of current small arabic states. It's the will to build huge and high, their addiction to magic (oil) and the wars in their lands and the changing of allies based on attacks from nations, not sure but that's the way I see it.

Goblins, well this is complicated, I know many don't agree, but the jewish community in WW2 and shortly after fits them well. They are a banished people, thrown in slave camps like the Gallywix boat then in slums in Orgrimmar, who find a way to build cities and bring some of their culture in some lands fast (Azshara) entering conflicts with the populations claiming those lands are theirs, night elves and furbolgs. In the end both factions end up fighting for said land. Still the banking stuff fits the dutch more and theit current leadership style doesn't fit any culture or country I know.

[Cluck]

Goblins are right and proper Americans. True capitalists and they love to blow stuff up.

[Dawkins]

Blood Elves are German, being an Aryan nation that was destroyed in an earlier war which led them to blindly follow a radical leader which could very well have led them to their demise. Now they are left with his mark of shame.

[Deleted]

Goblins are right and proper Americans. True capitalists and they love to blow stuff up.

Haha, You went there!

[Vannarius]

I agree completely that goblin culture is based off of jewish heritage to some extent, such as the slavery etc. But here's some food for thought: I always thought orcs were based off of african americans. They came from another "world" into azeroth, forgot about their shamanistic background...etc. They were discriminated against, and kept in internment camps, until a visionary freed them (thrall). Thrall, in my opinion, was based loosely on martin luther king jr.

Not to mention orcs are physically very strong and athletic...my nigerian roommate in college used to eat cheeseburgers all day and still rocked an eight pack and benched 350.

[Imurbandaid]

Draenei buildings (aka chunks of a giant spacepod from another world=persian? LULWUT?

"Blood Elves are German, being an Aryan nation that was destroyed in an earlier war which led them to blindly follow a radical leader which could very well have led them to their demise. Now they are left with his mark of shame. "

agreed ...
even though i like to think of myself as a Belf and im american, although of lithuanian descent.

---------- Post added 2011-05-09 at 02:14 PM ----------

Most things in games like these come from old history/religious writings, do a ton of research and you could prolly find a ton of shit that is clearly where the stepping stones of wow lore came from.

[Wixwix]

Humans - Aryans

#1 race

[TitanTyr]

Humans: French and British (obvious)
Dwarves: Russian/Norse/Scottish/ Irish
Gnomes: Hard to tell
Night elves: Korean with celtic influences
Draenei: Persian with a pinch of Indian
Worgen: Britsh with german overtones
Orcs: Nomadic with a hint of African culture
Trolls: Jamican with Aztec culture
Tauren: Native Americans
Undead: Hard to tell but it looks like french with some german elements
Blood Elf: Hard to tell really
Goblin: Jewish with a hint of Italian and American

[Lothaeryn]

Humans- germanic middle ages society, based loosely on english and french monarchial system

Dwarves- i really dont see how your getting the russian and nordic mythology here. It is obvious to most that they are heavily based on the celtic/ irish/scottish sterotype of the british isles, they like to drink and fight. the only thing close to nordic about them is their relation to winter and their ties to the titans

Night Elves- I beleive they are based on the ancient japanese culture and korean influences, their architecture reminds me of Shinto shrines and pagodas of Feudal Japan (especially the trade districts in Darnassus)

Gnomes- based loosely on the modern japanese tokyo stereotype, liking to build newer and more crazier things and liking them to come in a "small" packages *wink* ;P

Draenei- based on their accent and belief system, they seem closer to a Russian orthodox version of the holy light in belief. However, their architecture is unique similar to protoss designs from Starcraft, but with a middle eastern tradesman infulence in the mix

Worgen- Indeed 19th century culture stereotype, but their architecture does seem more germanic in origin (the cottage look isnt english that for sure)

Blood Elves - They are a bit complex, their story is almost a mockery of the Arayan regime of germany during WWII, but their culture almost is like a combination of modern japanese and persian influences, their pillows and exotic furniture styles do mimic this art form that is common in the middle east and arabic states.

Orcs- based loosely on the mongolian style invaders of the far east, almost similar to Attilla the Hun in architecture and culture. background story is a loose basis on African american slavery and ethinicity ('savages' from another world, enslaved in internment camps, then freed by a visionary for a unified people)

Tauren- Native American stereotype of North America, beleif system similar as well as architecture and culture.

Undead- only race that is based off of ficticious culture settings, namely mary shelly's Frankenstein and embodies the steretype of modern goth culture

Trolls- loosely based on caribbean and cajoun culture of american deep south, accents are mimic of Jamaican and caymen dialects.

Goblins- based on a mix between jewish post- holocaust society and american capitalist society. They love big money and like things that go boom, almost a 1950's personality trope.

As for non playable races:

Tuskarr- based off of Inuit tribes of north America near the artic circle

Vrykul- Heavily based off of Norse and viking architecture and culture

Ethereals- based on similar designs of Draenei culture trope, but heavily based in merchantilism of the middle east during the Silk Road period, most likely persian

Tol'Vir- obvious to everyone that they are based on Ancient Egyptian culture.

Titans- Based off of greco/roman gods in ancient greece and rome, the "Pantheon" is a clear reference to Zeus and his pantheon of gods on mount Olympus.
Some relations:
Aggramar: Ares, the god of war and reckoning
Khaz'Goroth: Hepheastus, the god of armory and smithing
Nor'Gannon: based off of Athena, the godess of wisdom and knowlege

There is no clear leader of the Pantheon however, so there is no direct titan that is the duplicate of Zeus that I can see.

[Karrotlord]

I think we agree on most of this. At least a compilation of what's been said so far. Except for the goblins, blood elves, and gnomes (they're to unique for me to guess). We need to figure those out. As for the undead, i'm hungarian and wholeheartedly endorse their knew architecture. <3

[mistuhbull]

ITT: closet anti-semites out themselves.

I find it hilarious that everyone goes Goblins love money, therefore they are Jews.

I see Goblins and I think of the Mafia, or 50's Gangsters in general

[unholytestament]

I see Goblins and I think of the Mafia, or 50's Gangsters in general

How anyone could play the goblin starting zone and NOT think that is beyond me...

[Lothaeryn]

How anyone could play the goblin starting zone and NOT think that is beyond me...

oh i agree that it is a mockery of 1950's capone era, but i feel some of their accents and dialects also resemble jewish culture after WWII, So it is a mixed bag of capitalist america/mafia/jewish immigrant

[Imurbandaid]

oh i agree that it is a mockery of 1950's capone era, but i feel some of their accents and dialects also resemble jewish culture after WWII, So it is a mixed bag of capitalist america/mafia/jewish immigrant

There accents and dialects are jewish? no way...they are Mafia/ Gangsters clearly...you must be stuck on the greedy=jewish stereotype still.