Black people in WoT

[Builder]

Ok, this thread is really more fun than anything else. I'm not gonna be serious about the whole topic, but why aren't there any black people that have high ranking positions, at least among the Seanchan?

 

Is Robert Jordan a racist?????!!!!!!  :o

 

No, I'm just kidding, disregard that last question. I'm just asking why there are none, and like the only black guy is a slave...

[Osan`gar]

my memory is a little fuzy on this but arn't the sea folk described in such a way that the indication is that they are black ??? if so they are very powerfull and very important. so i do not think there would be negtive connotations that would apply. Also nowhere in the story is there ever any slurs or slanders deliverd to dark skiined folk nor are there any negative racial stereotypes. 

[Elgee]

Uhm ... Tuon? The new Empress? And the rest of the (late) Imperial Family. Then there are several high ranking Officers, and one can presume quite a few amongst the Blood.

[Builder]

I'm not so sure about the Sea Folk. Aren't they supposed to look like middle easterners, or is that Aiel?

 

Ahh, I'm not so sure about Tuon. She looks like an Asian girl to me.

[Osan`gar]

Uhm ... Tuon? The new Empress? And the rest of the (late) Imperial Family. Then there are several high ranking Officers, and one can presume quite a few amongst the Blood.

 

can you back that statement up? other wise i have to go with builder esprcially where tuon is concerned. she has always been describe to have almond shaped, up turned eyes... sounds kind of asian to me ???

[Charlz Guybon]

The Sea Folk are African in appearance while Seanchan is so large that they have a myriad of ethnic groups that range from Scandanavian to Central Afican in skin tone. I've always viewed Tuon as looking like a dark toned Inidian (from India).

[Delirium]

Uhm ... Tuon? The new Empress? And the rest of the (late) Imperial Family. Then there are several high ranking Officers, and one can presume quite a few amongst the Blood.

 

can you back that statement up? other wise i have to go with builder esprcially where tuon is concerned. she has always been describe to have almond shaped, up turned eyes... sounds kind of asian to me ???

 

 

Tuon, tough?  True, she was the Daughter of the Nine Moons and all of that,and she had been able to get under his skin with a look back in the Tarasin Palace, when he thought she was just another Seachan noblewoman with her nose in the air, but that was just because she kept turning up where  he did not expect.  No more than that.  Tough?  She looked like a doll made of black porcelain.  How tough could she be?

 

Mats POV from Crossroads of Twilight "A Fan of Colours"

[Majsju]

The Sh'boan and Sh'botay that Graendal "borrowed" from Shara were black.

[Osan`gar]

Uhm ... Tuon? The new Empress? And the rest of the (late) Imperial Family. Then there are several high ranking Officers, and one can presume quite a few amongst the Blood.

 

can you back that statement up? other wise i have to go with builder esprcially where tuon is concerned. she has always been describe to have almond shaped, up turned eyes... sounds kind of asian to me ???

 

 

 

Tuon, tough?  True, she was the Daughter of the Nine Moons and all of that,and she had been able to get under his skin with a look back in the Tarasin Palace, when he thought she was just another Seachan noblewoman with her nose in the air, but that was just because she kept turning up where  he did not expect.  No more than that.  Tough?  She looked like a doll made of black porcelain.  How tough could she be?

 

Mats POV from Crossroads of Twilight "A Fan of Colours"

 

well that settles that :P

[Osan`gar]

The Sh'boan and Sh'botay that Graendal "borrowed" from Shara were black.

 

good catch... i forgot about them :)

[Builder]

Yeah, she borrowed them, but they are slaves still.

 

However I believe that Aiel are middle easterners, Sea Folk apparently black as are the Shara people, and the Seanchan are a mix of peoples. Randlanders are white...

[Gentled Ben]

I've always assumed that Semirhage is black, and I got the impression that Venr Kosaan, one of Careane's Warders, is also black. Tuon is obviously black, but I did not pick up on that with the Sharans. Good catch.

 

I see the Sea Folk as looking similar to eastern Indians.

[Delirium]

Yeah, she borrowed them, but they are slaves still.

 

However I believe that Aiel are middle easterners, Sea Folk apparently black as are the Shara people, and the Seanchan are a mix of peoples. Randlanders are white...

 

Arn't the Aiel described as tall, blue eyed, fair skinned and redheaded?  

[Charlz Guybon]

I've always assumed that Semirhage is black.

She is.

 

I say the second half of her name totally different from the way the podcasters do.

[Osan`gar]

Yeah, she borrowed them, but they are slaves still.

 

However I believe that Aiel are middle easterners, Sea Folk apparently black as are the Shara people, and the Seanchan are a mix of peoples. Randlanders are white...

 

Arn't the Aiel described as tall, blue eyed, fair skinned and redheaded?  

 

yeah they are like the red headed blue eyed, fair skinned iqaqi's we hear about in the news every night :P

[Elgee]

A further note on Tuon: Mat describes her hair as wooly & tightly curled, I think (this happens when they're still traveling with Luka's circus).

 

Iraqi's, I presume, Osan'gar? One might find a few blue-eyed, fair-haired people amongst them, though it is more common amongst the Afghanistani.

 

The Aiel are tall, light-eyed (gray, blue, green) and their hair ranges from silvery blonde to bright red. There are a vanishingly small amount with black hair (so few, that it is remarked on). This seems more like a Nordic race than a Middle Eastern one. Remember that they are not native to the desert, but ended up there after the Breaking.

 

 

[Shard]

Ok, this thread is really more fun than anything else. I'm not gonna be serious about the whole topic, but why aren't there any black people that have high ranking positions, at least among the Seanchan?

 

Is Robert Jordan a racist?????!!!!!!  :o

 

No, I'm just kidding, disregard that last question. I'm just asking why there are none, and like the only black guy is a slave...

 

Toun is black.

[Builder]

OMG Tuon is black. Wow, that's interesting.

[Shard]

Well that's what the OP wanted to know  :P Frankly I think are far more interesting topics to discuss.

 

I'm not sure what race Julin is either black or hispanic but there are a variety of races in the Randland world.

[Builder]

I think he's Hispanic. He's name just seems Hispanic.

[CUBAREY]

Tuon is definately black, i.e, "black porcelan" hair "wooly and tightly curled". The Sea Folk were described as either black or Indian.

 

Good catch on Julien, he definately seems to be described as dark skinned compared to many Randlanders, evokes of a mixed racial category to me (So describing him as hispanic might very well fit). Tear seems to represent 15th century Spain and many Tearens have Spanish sounding names (Suane Snache being the most obvious).

 

The Ail on the other hand are definately Nordic or  Keltic (both Irish and Scottish). Its commented in one of the books that one of the Shado wisewomen makes much of her black hair as it is something not usually seen in Ail.

[Luckers]

The Aiel are tall, light-eyed (gray, blue, green) and their hair ranges from silvery blonde to bright red. There are a vanishingly small amount with black hair (so few, that it is remarked on). This seems more like a Nordic race than a Middle Eastern one. Remember that they are not native to the desert, but ended up there after the Breaking.

 

It's kind of pointless--but i would say those features are more irish than nordic. The emphasis was always more on the red hair--'silvery blonde' wasn't uttered even once. The fair skin--even the mentions of the oddity of black hair appearing is specifically Irish. And no mention of high cheekbones or any other specifically nordic traits. To me, blonde to red hair, with the occaisional black, combined with blue and green eyes and fair skin says Irish.

 

OMG Tuon is black. Wow, that's interesting

 

Why?

 

 

[Elgee]

You could be right, Luckers, though the fact that they're almost uniformly tall makes me lean towards Nordic/Scandinavian.

[Builder]

The Aiel are tall, light-eyed (gray, blue, green) and their hair ranges from silvery blonde to bright red. There are a vanishingly small amount with black hair (so few, that it is remarked on). This seems more like a Nordic race than a Middle Eastern one. Remember that they are not native to the desert, but ended up there after the Breaking.

 

It's kind of pointless--but i would say those features are more irish than nordic. The emphasis was always more on the red hair--'silvery blonde' wasn't uttered even once. The fair skin--even the mentions of the oddity of black hair appearing is specifically Irish. And no mention of high cheekbones or any other specifically nordic traits. To me, blonde to red hair, with the occaisional black, combined with blue and green eyes and fair skin says Irish.

 

OMG Tuon is black. Wow, that's interesting

 

Why?

 

 

 

Oh believe me Luckers... it is!

[Shard]

I think, Luckers, Builder is being sarcastic.