Randland is to earth as...

[htarcan]

Withoutout reading through that link, here's how I would break it down.

 

Saldaeans = Israelis

Aeil = Celts of some sort

 

 

curious, this ones.. would you make it clearer?

[Albion]

Aiel = Look, and accent, of the Scottish (largest population of redheads in the world), along with their clans/septs mixed with Native American.

 

Agree with Andor being more like Britain then just England. Like I equate the Two Rivers with Wales.

[Dagon Thyne]

Withoutout reading through that link, here's how I would break it down.

 

Saldaeans = Israelis

Sheinarans = Japanese

Andorans = English

Cairheinen = French

Aeil = Celts of some sort

Tairens = Spanish

Seanchan = Chinese

Murandians = tough one. Continental European fuedal culture, Irish accents.

 

 

The problem with using those types of generalizations about what cultures they are based on is that some of them nations have cultures of several different civilizations on earth......

 

and the Aiel are more basedf on Arabic civilization than anything...the steam baths are evidence of that. Many Arab countries used to use Suanas to bath to save water....That is why a suana used to be called a Turkish bath.....because it was a custom that came from the Turks.

[Avalonjohn44]

and the Aiel are more basedf on Arabic civilization than anything...the steam baths are evidence of that. Many Arab countries used to use Suanas to bath to save water....That is why a suana used to be called a Turkish bath.....because it was a custom that came from the Turks.

 

I think the Aiel being regarded as Arabs (or Fremen) is superficial and only due to the necessity of the environment of the Waste. There are more differences than similarities, in my opinion. I would lean more to an amalgamation of Native Americans and Celts. I think the steam bath is also similar to Native American as well, a sweat lodge. Also, the dominant female role in Aiel society is 180 degrees different from that in Arabic society. Additionally they are fair skinned with red hair. They use weapons, bows, knives and spears almost exclusively, as did Native Americans. The Tuatha'an, who are way of the leaf Aiel, bear a name taken directly from Irish myth. Unlike Waste Aiel, the Tuatha'an seem to be a Celtic/Gypsy amalgam. They seem to follow Seth philosophy, especially regarding violence, which is also pretty much a 180 from most arabic cultures. There are more, but I am just going off the top of my head here.

 

Does anyone else find that the Ogier remind them of the Amish?

[Avalonjohn44]

I also used to think that randland might be North America crammed up against Eurasia (Europe being now the waste and Asia equalling Shara), and though there is only scant evidence of this, I just like to think it. I used to wonder if Illian is actually New Orleans, Mayenne was Miami, Tanchico San Diego, etc. There are other cities in randland that have eerily similar names to modern cities. I will have to dig up a map and try to remember my old speculations on this.

[Beidomon]

So if Andor is England, then the Two Rivers is colonial America? I'd be cool with that.

[anotherfingolfin]

Shara- Sub-Saharan Africa. This is the easiest, as we know the least about it, so many fewer parallels.

 

Seanchan- The Empire is really reminiscent of various Chinese empires. The armour is also very east asian, leaning towards Japanese.

 

Aiel- They look Northern European. They sound Slavic. They are pretty Native American in various respects. In combat, the seem like Zulu mashed up with Native Americans .

 

Sea Folk- Seem (Southern) Indian in appearance and jewellery. Vaguely Ancient Indian in cloting (or lack thereof).

 

Saldean- The name is derived from a name of Babylon, and they strike me as very Iranian/Turkic.

 

Domani- Sound Indian. Look somewhere between (Southern Italian) and (Northern) South-asian.

 

Andor- Very stronly English. And TR is it's Wales- in it's degree of seperatenss from the rest of Andor, and its Longbows.

 

Altara- Italy.

 

 

Personally, I find it really cool that various nations look like one real-world nation, sound like another, and have a culture of some others.