Races in Randland

[andy81]

Hi all

 

I was wondering if anyone know or have any opinion on what different races(our world races)live in Randland?

Are everyone "Europeans/Americans" or are there Asians, Arabs and Africans aswell? And in what countries do they live?

[Shaidar]

There certainly exist darker peoples (southerners, some from west Andor) and people with Asian features (Saldaeans).

 

 

[Harmless Bandit]

There certainly exist darker peoples (southerners, some from west Andor) and people with Asian features (Saldaeans).

 

Do Saldeans actually have slanted eyes, and the same skin complexion as Asians?

And there is on feature that a few of them have that I find very un-Asian: a hook-like nose

[kleribituc]

  I'm sure I read a quote somewhere that RJ had intentionally mixed certain notable features from several our world races to make some of his.  Like Aiel being a mix of Scotsman and Native American.

[Ahaz Flagg]

Altara are described as olive skinned,  Julian is described as very dark, as well as the greatness of Semirage. 

[Leopoled Boothe]

I've been reading this series for a very long time so I can't say exactlly where these ideas came from but I have always been under the impression that Juilen, Semirhage and Rhavin are black, that the Domani, including Leane are asian and Faile, Bashier, Taim and the rest of the Saldeans are greek/sicillian in apperance.  I've also always pictured the Two Rivers folks as looking somewhat Jewish.

[Guest cw]

There certainly exist darker peoples (southerners, some from west Andor) and people with Asian features (Saldaeans).

 

Do Saldeans actually have slanted eyes, and the same skin complexion as Asians?

And there is on feature that a few of them have that I find very un-Asian: a hook-like nose

 

The don't really have Asian or Mediteranean complexions.  Both Faile and Sheriam are mentioned as having high cheek bones and slightly tilted eyes.  At the same time Sheriam has pale green eyes and fire red hair while Faile has dark hair and eyes.  As mentioned, the physical features of the various races on earth are mix and matched within the Eye of the World.

[Talyn Al Carn]

There certainly exist darker peoples (southerners, some from west Andor) and people with Asian features (Saldaeans).

 

Do Saldeans actually have slanted eyes, and the same skin complexion as Asians?

And there is on feature that a few of them have that I find very un-Asian: a hook-like nose

 

The don't really have Asian or Mediteranean complexions.  Both Faile and Sheriam are mentioned as having high cheek bones and slightly tilted eyes.  At the same time Sheriam has pale green eyes and fire red hair while Faile has dark hair and eyes.  As mentioned, the physical features of the various races on earth are mix and matched within the Eye of the World.

 

I agree with cw on this subject.

[Shaidar]

Do Saldeans actually have slanted eyes, and the same skin complexion as Asians?

And there is on feature that a few of them have that I find very un-Asian: a hook-like nose

 

Ok, fair enough.

 

About black people, btw, there were also some from Seanchan "as black as charcoal". Also isn't Tuon black?

 

As mentioned, the physical features of the various races on earth are mix and matched within the Eye of the World.

 

That makes the most sense. After all, there was lots of upheaval (with Travelling) in the Breaking of the World, then the Trollocs Wars, then War of 100 Years. So it's not surprising they're all mixed and heteregenous even within national borders.

[aevogt]

I've always wondered why the Cairhienin are so short. 

[rck]

You can compare many of the countries within Randland to real-word counterparts

Andor: England

(Two Rivers): Wales (longbows)

Murandy: Ireland as can be seen when in KoD the Murandian mapmaker that is hired by Ther Band is said to have a "musical accent" and also the way they are greatly disorganized and heavily influenced by Andor(British)

Cairhien: France, can be seen by the way they dress at the party at Barthanes' and also there almost constant wars with Andor

Tear: Spain can be seen in the way their soldiers are armoured as well as their complexion and beards.

Illian: Venice so bugger to the no Mediteranean theory, lots of Canals in the city, King=Doge and Council of the Nine= the Assemblage.

Saldaea: Ancient Israel and mix of other Middle-Eastern cultures, bold noses, heavy use light cavalry, also, as was mentioned in one of the books(can't remember which) Davram Bashere is said to rule over "Bashan, Sidon and Tyre" or something like it, all were the northernmost borders of the Kingdom of Israel

Shienar: Mongolian or some other Steppe tribe as can be seen by the way they put such heavy emphasis on cavalry especially their horsebow

Aiel: They must all be some kinda wierd race of vikings that all live in the desert cause they're all of a very fair complexion where the sun doesn't touch and of almost all red and blonde hair with green, blue or grey eyes.  Some one with dark hair is a great rarity among the Aiel and in TDR Aviendha stated that while in the Waste the only people that she saw with dark eyes were the Peddlers

Atha'an Miere: African origin of some kind or another

Seanchan: Some kind of wierd cross between Imperial Japan and Texas, with their strict social codes, omens, and the like and their thick almost unitelligfeble drawl.

 

[Leopoled Boothe]

Seanchan: Some kind of wierd cross between Imperial Japan and Texas, with their strict social codes, omens, and the like and their thick almost unitelligfeble drawl.

 

Maybe, but here's another way to looke at the Seanchan.  They seem to consist of a wide variety of races.  They began as collonists from Randland who crossed the ocean and discovered a new land, where they subjegated its native people and over the years grew into a very powerfull empire.  Now they seem to take a huge interest in controling the rest of the world.  Sounds kind of American to me, or at least it reflects how much of the world sees The United States these days (Not my personal opinion of the States mind you, just how alot of the worlds sees us). 

 

 

[mienaiusagi]

I'd always seen the Sea Folk as East Indian...

possibly because of the way the clothes are described.

[Chel Vanin]

Haha mix betweeen japanese and texans LOL love it. Not making fun of you, I just found that idea in my head funny.

 

Yeah Seanchan had "AS" and was in a constant state of war before Artur Hawkwings son conquered it, but it seems most of the culture of the land was absorbed into the conquereors, with the strict social classes and what not. I could sorta see some of the America aspect of that too. I think RJ mixed attributes of a lot of different countries in the real world and mix matched them into his own countries/races.

 

The Sea Folk haven't been brought up yet, what "race/country" do they represent? Sharans?

 

Interesting topic.

[Vambram]

To me, the Sea Folk have always seemed like to be a mixture of African and Carribean island peoples.

As for the Seanchan?, Well, I like to think of them as being Asians, or more specifically, Chinese in many ways. I think this about the Seanchan because their code of honor, and their veneration for their Empress and those of the Blood, as well as their feelings about servants and the damane remind me a lot of what I remember from history concerning imperial China.

 

[Majsju]

When it comes to culture, this is most excellent... http://www.darkfriends.net/wheel/3_sources/3.14_countries.html