Are there blacks in Randland?

[Khosann]

OK, I know that RJ defines Rahvin and Semirhage as dark people along with the Sea Folk but are they black like Afro-Americans or just dusty white men? In fact is there a country where Blacks are more common?

 

And are there Asians like people resembling Chinese and Japanese?

[Barid Bel Medar]

OK, I know that RJ defines Rahvin and Semirhage as dark people along with the Sea Folk but are they black like Afro-Americans or just dusty white men? In fact is there a country where Blacks are more common?

 

And are there Asians like people resembling Chinese and Japanese?

 

Tuon is "ebony" so thats as black as you can get. So there are some in Seanchan (both of asian and afro-american persuasion, I dont want to offend anyone with description)

 

Some of the Sea Folk are dark people, along with Tear.

 

I think some of the borderlands also have a bit of asian look in them. Saldaea having the tilted eyes etc..

[Ananta]

I think Juilin was said to be dark skinned too. And he's from Tear. So there are dark skinned people in Tear.

[randsc]

One of the refreshing things about the WOT is that it treats race and racial characteristics as nothing more than physical descriptors.

 

Seanchan is a large place. A multi-ethinic empire considerably larger than all of the nations of the West combined. And this shows up in their descriptions.

 

Tuon, as noted, is ebony, and "full-lipped". So is Tyree. Seluccia is blond. And buxom. And a man.

[Exy]

Yeah, backing what the others have said, I'm pretty sure Tuon is intended to look black. At one point her short, tightly curled hair is mentioned, and while I don't remember her being mentioned as "full-lipped", that's further evidence.

 

My vague impression is that Sharans are quite dark-skinned although I don't remember where I got that from in the books. I'm not sure if they look black, however.

 

The Sea Folk are usually mentioned as having fairly dark skin, and IIRC in the first editions of the early books they had tightly-curled hair although I think he went back and changed that in later editions so that they generally have straight hair. My impression of them is looking like (Asian) Indians, although they could also look like Polynesians.

 

I can't think of any references to people who look like East Asians off-hand, but that's not to say there aren't any -- the total lack of preoccupation with 'race' that the series depicts would probably make it unlikely that something like that would be mentioned. Saldaeans are always described as having tilted eyes, but Sheriam is Saldaean (and has the typical eyes) and she has bright red hair. Personally, I've always imagined Faile looking maybe Greek or Middle Eastern because of how her nose is described. (I tend to think of Shienarans and Tairens as maybe looking Asian, but I think that's just because Shienaran last names sound Japanese and Tairen first names sound Chinese.)

[Medo123]

The Domani have copper coloured skin. South Asians?

 

Illianers seem to have Greek names.

[Jblaylock]

Wait a sec... where does it ever hint that Rhavin is black?

By his description I always pictured him as more of a tan skinned Italian or Spaniard or the like.

[Exy]

Wait a sec... where does it ever hint that Rhavin is black?

By his description I always pictured him as more of a tan skinned Italian or Spaniard or the like.

Yeah, that's how I pictured him as well. Along the lines of Seamas's portrait of him: http://images.wikia.com/wot/images/e/e2/Rahvin.jpg

[ranjitb]

I can't dig up the quote, but Anath (and possibly by extension) Semiherge is also Black.

 

Both culturally and from their physical descriptors, the borderlands come closest to "Asians" (by which I assume you mean East-Asians), Sea Folk ~ Indian subcontinent, and Arad Doman + Tarabon ~ Arab/North African.

 

One of the points that has been made (officially and unofficially I believe) is that Randland societies in their entirety *leaving aside the bucolic splendor of the Two Rivers* are all ethnic hodgepodges, which is what you would expect given the mass-transmigrations and delocations of human settlements caused by the breaking. No matter where they started out, everyone basically wound up being a refugee and winding up somewhere else.

[Sid]

It's never really said straight out that I can remember. When Mat first sees Lord Gaebril in TDR, he's described several times as dark, or darkly handsome.

[Jblaylock]

To me, Sheinar has always been like a Japanese Samurai/Roman Legionaire lovechild.

[randsc]

Which helps explain both blond Seanchan and the famous blue eyes of our most prominent Tairen character.

 

Although the Aiel seem pretty ethnically homogenous.

 

It's kind of amusing, but Hawkwing's proud Seanchan decendents sure don't look much like him.

[Exy]

It's kind of amusing, but Hawkwing's proud Seanchan decendents sure don't look much like him.

Well, no, because they're ethnically diverse. I don't remember the books ever really saying what Hawkwing looked like, though.

[Khosann]

It's kind of amusing, but Hawkwing's proud Seanchan decendents sure don't look much like him.

Well, no, because they're ethnically diverse. I don't remember the books ever really saying what Hawkwing looked like, though.

 

Hey thank you guys! You went above and beyond the call with all of your detailed answers and it makes sense --people scattered and all.

[Jblaylock]

I don't remember the books ever really saying what Hawkwing looked like, though.

 

In the Great Hunt, when Mat blows the horn and the heroes arive, I seem to remember a great description given. I also remember it not matching at all with what I had pictured him like.

[randsc]

Yeah, backing what the others have said, I'm pretty sure Tuon is intended to look black. At one point her short, tightly curled hair is mentioned, and while I don't remember her being mentioned as "full-lipped", that's further evidence.

 

Described so in Crossroads of Twilight, when Mat goes to visit her wagon in Luca's menangerie.

[randsc]

I don't remember the books ever really saying what Hawkwing looked like, though.

 

In the Great Hunt, when Mat blows the horn and the heroes arive, I seem to remember a great description given. I also remember it not matching at all with what I had pictured him like.

 

 

As I recall, he was described as being exceptionally tall, with a beaked nose.

 

And don't forget, he was originally king of Shandalle, which was in what later became Cairhein. Just more mixing.

[Soraz]

In a world where monstrosities can have goat heads, and near-bear bodies; where things exist that can move through a 2 hand span crack in a wall; where some women and men alike can make things explode by thinking of it; where the prime evil is a known, documented fact,

 

 

the color of your skin is probably not even something you notice very much.

[Twitchy]

http://wotfaq.dragonmount.com/node/164

 

A great breakdown of the cultures that I think fits very well. And sometimes the accents don't fit with the descriptions, Taraboners have an Indian accent, while wearing veils like Arabs, and look somewhat Swedish (Honey colored hair, lush lips)

[AdamPollard]

It's kind of amusing, but Hawkwing's proud Seanchan decendents sure don't look much like him.

Well, no, because they're ethnically diverse. I don't remember the books ever really saying what Hawkwing looked like, though.

 

"He knew the man who rode at their head too. Tall and hook-nosed, with dar, deep-set eyes, his great sword justice at his side. Artur Hawkwing"

 

That is the description given to Hakwing in TGH Chapter 47 The Grave Is No Bar to My Call

[Tiinker]

Seluccia is blond. And buxom. And a man.

 

WHAT?

[randsc]

Seluccia is blond. And buxom. And a man.

 

WHAT?

 

You didn't know?

[moratcorlm]

To be fair, nobody except Thom knows. I don't think Tuon even knows, which admittedly is kind of creepy.

[FantasyMike]

Ummm... WHAAAAAT ^^^^^

[moratcorlm]

Thom and Selucia were standing a little down the street, in front of the reason Tuon was still there, better than half a dozen bodies sprawled on the paving stones. Thom had a knife in either hand and was allowing Selucia to examine a wound on his ribs through the rent in his coat. Oddly, by evidence of the dark glistening patches on his coat, he seemed to have fewer injuries than Mat. Mat wondered whether Tuon had taken part there, too, but he could not see a spot of blood on her anywhere. Selucia had a bloody gash down her left arm, though it appeared not to hinder her. “I’m an old man,” Thom said suddenly, “and sometimes I imagine I see things that can’t be, but luckily, I always forget them.”

 

Selucia paused to look up at him coolly. Lady’s maid she might be, but blood seemed not to faze her at all. “And what might you be trying to forget?”

 

“I can’t recall,” Thom replied. Selucia nodded and went back to examining his wounds. Mat shook his head. Sometimes he was not entirely sure Thom still had all his wits. For that matter, Selucia seemed a shovel shy of a full load now and then, too.

Isn't it intuitively obvious?

it seems intuitively obvious