Board Thread:Suggestions forum/@comment-26274215-20160801135724/@comment-26274215-20160802081539

EliSuperHero wrote:

Solelfar wrote: The suggestion in itself is good and well-worked, however, I disagree on the fact that it has to be based on Persians only. Tolkien's folks were not based on real life countries, empires or kingdoms. Have you any proof that Gondor symbolizes Greece or the Byzantine Empire ? In fact, Tolkien most notably inspired from Norse mythology, not from Mediterranean's ones. The man hated allegory; The War of the Ring is not the Second World War, Gondor is not Greece, England nor anything like that, etc, etc... Plus, why do you say that Gondor is inspired from Hellenic or Greek cultures? The geographical position isn't enough. Language and onomastics are utterly different. There may be similarities with real life folks, but it doesn't go further. Again, Númenor has nothing to do with Franks, French or German culture. The only true similarity you evoked may be between Rohirrim and Englishmen. Your suggestion is good, but it is based too much on one single folk. The already existing non-canon factions, such as the Moredain, are not a direct reference to a real life culture or at least try not to be. I don't think that Tolkien would have liked the idea of simply copying the culture from a real civilization and transpose it into his own world. You are very wrong, although i agree that lotr isnt based from ww2, tolkein himself described minas tirith as "the byzantine city of minas tirith". Not to mention the scenarios gondor and arnor is in. arnor (west rome) fell, then gondor (byzantine) survived but were threatened by forces of the east. Tell me what is not roman/byzantine about that. Also, númenor is based off of atlantis, as both nations were on land but submerged in water later on and, the name given to númenor after its sinking was atalantë. There are other obvious similarities.

Dunlendings-celts

Rhudaur hillmen-Germanic barbarians

Khanate-seljuk sultanate/ottoman turks

Variags of khand- mongols

Near Haradrim- north african arabs and indians.

Dale- Kievan rus. Almost, Rhudaur Hillmen are based on Barbarian Scotts, the Variags are based on the Swedish Vikings harrassing the Byzantine Empire, who called them Varangians (which doesn't make sense because those Varangians are the people who lived in Kievan Rus, among other cities, so aren't they supposed to be in Dale???) and Near Haradrim are Arabs, Berbers and other Semitic/Afro-Aziatic folks, not Indian