Characters ethhnicity

[Tomp]

Hello all.

 

I just realised in my reread of the series that a lot of the characters I've read about is little adifferent from my imagination during the fist time I read the books.

 

For example Alanna has dark skin and Leane is coppery skinned and so on. I hadn't realised this. That's one of RJs strength, he didn't make this an issue. The problem is that I have to rearrange my mental image of the characters appearance.

 

Is there someone who have some sort of guide so I can get this right in my head before I continue.

 

Hope I haven't offended anyone by this post.

[Superhal]

Afaik, he mixed racial characteristics with customs. Malkieri women, for example, put the red dot on their foreheads like the Hindu, but they aren't of Indian ethnicity. Shinearians wear top-knots, but they aren't Chinese.

 

Just about the only ethnicity that seems clear are the Aiel, who are patterned after Gaelic/Germanic/Norwegian stock. Randlanders, by and large, appear to be Roman/Greek/Italian. The Seanchan are "honey" skinned, but one of the paperback cover art depicts them as Asian/Mongolian.

[WhiskyJack]

Issue? |You think a lot about race/color?

 

White Aiel, a substantial population of westland white with dark skinned people here and there...coppery domani, dark skinned athan miere and sharans...Dark skin is bit more common in southern countries..We don't know much about Seanchan but Tuon is dark skinned and they have places with lot of dark skinned people.

[WhiskyJack]

Afaik, he mixed racial characteristics with customs. Malkieri women, for example, put the red dot on their foreheads like the Hindu, but they aren't of Indian ethnicity. Shinearians wear top-knots, but they aren't Chinese.

 

Just about the only ethnicity that seems clear are the Aiel, who are patterned after Gaelic/Germanic/Norwegian stock. Randlanders, by and large, appear to be Roman/Greek/Italian. The Seanchan are "honey" skinned, but one of the paperback cover art depicts them as Asian/Mongolian.

 

 

Seanchan are not from one "race". Tuon is very dark while her "voice" is very fair. They are mixed bag.

[True Source Creator]

The Aiel are white? In my mind, they've always been of a tanned-skin complexion. Their melanin should be rather higher than average as their exposure to more direct sunlight in a desert environment should enhance that as a biological mechanism, with the thousand(s) of years of evolution they've had to adapt to the Waste. Furthermore, their sept-based divisions also invoked aspects of the jati/varna caste systems of Hinduism, inspiring me to see the Aiel as being patented after Indians and other ethnicities of Central and South Asia. The geography and customs seem pretty appropriate to fit that area. The Aiel are very firmly grounded by tradition, which invokes characteristics of Islam and Hinduism, two religious systems whose members are strongly devoted to their traditions.

[mb]

This page may help determine ethnicity of various groups::

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

[Goldstar]

Because the Seanchan are so obviously Texans.

[Suttree]

The Aiel are white?

 

yes before moving to the waste they were light skinned. It's why most have red or blond hair and explains why they are so thrown off by the phrase "black-eyed aiel".

[True Source Creator]

But surely over the long time they've been there (how long has it been? Since the Breaking?) their skin would have adapted and tanned. Oh well. To me they'll always be tan.

[Luckers]

The Aiel are white? In my mind, they've always been of a tanned-skin complexion. Their melanin should be rather higher than average as their exposure to more direct sunlight in a desert environment should enhance that as a biological mechanism, with the thousand(s) of years of evolution they've had to adapt to the Waste. Furthermore, their sept-based divisions also invoked aspects of the jati/varna caste systems of Hinduism, inspiring me to see the Aiel as being patented after Indians and other ethnicities of Central and South Asia. The geography and customs seem pretty appropriate to fit that area. The Aiel are very firmly grounded by tradition, which invokes characteristics of Islam and Hinduism, two religious systems whose members are strongly devoted to their traditions.

 

The Aiel have very fair skin, but are very tanned--the parts of their skin not exposed to the sun remains very pale though.

[Superhal]

Aiel are also blue-eyed, which is considered unusual in Randland.

 

Don't try to fit races with customs, they're obviously a mish-mash.

[UGAShadow]

But surely over the long time they've been there (how long has it been? Since the Breaking?) their skin would have adapted and tanned. Oh well. To me they'll always be tan.

 

 

 

They've only been there 3000 years. That's not long enough for them to have ecolved.

[WhiskyJack]

Tanned is a very fancy word for someone who is exposed to sun a lot but still white. Tanned is not a skin color. Brown people are not "tanned".

[WhiskyJack]

But surely over the long time they've been there (how long has it been? Since the Breaking?) their skin would have adapted and tanned. Oh well. To me they'll always be tan.

 

 

You can be white, live in Africa for 10000 years and still remain white. Just the opposite for a migrant from Africa in Europe. Just look at the real world. Pasty white or tan, it's all white. You really don't think anyone is truly white, do you?

[Jon Paul]

Where is Alana said to be dark skinned?

 

Whilst it's true race does not seem to be much of a social issue in the WoT ethnicity certainly is.

[Superhal]

Where is Alana said to be dark skinned?

 

Maybe you mean Leane? All Domani are described as "dark skinned."

[Tomp]

Where is Alana said to be dark skinned?

 

Maybe you mean Leane? All Domani are described as "dark skinned."

 

 

It says so on Alanna inthe wot encyclopedia http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/ (They refer to chapters in books where this is said.

 

An excerpt from wot enc: Physical Description

She is shy at heart but works at being fierce. (NS,Ch3) She is dark and fiery. (TGH,Ch4) She is beautiful with long black hair and penetrating dark eyes. (TSR,Ch31) She is slim, dark and pretty. (ACoS,Ch2) She has big, dark, penetrating eyes. (ACoS,Ch34) She wears a gray riding dress slashed with green. (KoD,Ch21)

 

That's it

[Ingtar Shinowa]

This page may help determine ethnicity of various groups::

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

 

Thanks! Very helpful. Not sure that I agree with all of it, but since it's my money I can imagine more or less whatever the hell I want in regards to accents etc...

[Didgya]

I think RJ did a great job with race or skin color, he made it a non issue. He shows what is important is culture and I hope we on earth can figure that out too.

Its true that the Aiel seem to make little sense being from a sun baked environment, but (as someone else said) evolution isn't that fast and the WOT world probably wouldn't have such diverse races barring major geographic barriers and since race doesn't seem to matter. I doubt people would gather, after the Breaking, by looks or race. This is not a complaint, RJ uses differences to paint beautiful descriptions and contrast, which makes the books rich and interesting.

[Superhal]

I think RJ did a great job with race or skin color, he made it a non issue. He shows what is important is culture and I hope we on earth can figure that out too.

 

I just re-read the scene from book 4 with chopsticks. I felt it was forced in just so readers could say "Oo! Chopsticks!"

[Jon Paul]

Maybe you mean Leane? All Domani are described as "dark skinned."

 

The Domani are bronze-skinned I believe?

 

It says so on Alanna inthe wot encyclopedia http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/ (They refer to chapters in books where this is said.

 

An excerpt from wot enc: Physical Description

She is shy at heart but works at being fierce. (NS,Ch3) She is dark and fiery. (TGH,Ch4) She is beautiful with long black hair and penetrating dark eyes. (TSR,Ch31) She is slim, dark and pretty. (ACoS,Ch2) She has big, dark, penetrating eyes. (ACoS,Ch34) She wears a gray riding dress slashed with green. (KoD,Ch21)

 

That's it

 

This isn't necessarily a reference of race. In fact I think it rather obviously implies a "gothic beauty".