Warhammer world is a reflection of our own - I think :)
What do you think? Do you have other ideas on how to deploy it all, and these missing?
Balseraph
Careful though. These things tend to go awry... I've seen flamewars started that way.
What exactly is your question? Warhammer IS inspired by the real world, but only in a very "vague" sense. It is more about "themes" and "ideas" than solid real places.
Probably the most controversial and least "fitting" are the Dark Elves in what we would identify as Canada. Not saying Xander IS a Dark Elf, but hey, you know... its on the map right? ;P
Chaos Dwarfs are, in relation, placed where Assyrian/Babylonian/etc cultures were and thus loan their imagery from there. Just as Lizardmen lend imagery from the ancient South American cultures.
Bretonnia isn't exactly France, it is the idea of the high-medieval chivalry (Now properly Warhammer gritty-fied) as practised in most European countries located to an approximation of France. It has more to do with the Arthurian legends (though those were technically French weren't they?) than what WE identify as France.
High Elves borrow a lot from ancient Greek mythology and the idea of Atlantis.
Of the ones you didn't list, e.g. Araby is quite simply the idea of Far East/Araby as seen through various stories. They have deserts, genies, Sultans etc etc. Even Bretonnian crusades!
It is more about "themes" and "ideas" than solid real places.
snowblizz
I know it's only ideas. The word "reflection" I mean exactly the same reflection and positioning of continental countries and breeds in these locations. Although the location of certain countries and races is a real reflection of our world, such as Persia and chaos dwarves, Japan and Nippon etc etc. .. I know that the history of the races / countries in Warhammer differs from our own history but have similarities.
But...
Where you put Dwarfs and Ogre Kingdom? :) Geographically, where would you put them?
Ogres I assume would be western China and the Himalayas, hence the Yetis, sorry āYheteesā
Dwarfs look kinda Nordic/Viking-ish but they donāt really have as much clearly-marked territory like humans do, as much of their kingdom is underground.
What exactly is your question? Warhammer IS inspired by the real world, but only in a very āvagueā sense. It is more about āthemesā and āideasā than solid real places.
Probably the most controversial and least āfittingā are the Dark Elves in what we would identify as Canada.
Ye, some parts of it are obviously inspired by human history, others are straight fantasy.
It is only very loosely based on the real world. The armies have imagery from anywhere in history and several thousand miles away from the apparent locations, many of which seem wrong to us but are perfectly fine for a fantasy world.
The Poles and the western Russians have far more in common than the eastern Russians and the western Russians.
Actualy, academicaly speaking, and i have a mate doing his MA on Eastern Studies, Polan are not eastern european country, we dont hare same psychosocial features, and we are catholic, unlike rest. Kislev is based on I Republic of Two Nations, + cosaks (who were ethnic minority on Ukraine, and both were under Polish/Lithuanian Rule) much like Welsh under English, or early American Colonies.
I think itās more a case of the shape of the Warhammer World is based on that of the continents on Earth. They correspond as slev has said and New Zealand/Australia is likely to be Kuresh. The Chaos Wastes and āHere be Daemonsā are simply the pole continents.
As for RACES being allocated, itās not quite the same as where their realms are locatedā¦
Lastly, Albion isnāt England at all. One of the Isles of Albion WAS Ireland (perhaps only Northern, I forget) and the remaining one is Scotland.
Actually dark elves are the United States of America. just joking. I am American so I have the right to insult my country. :cheers
I think locations are kind of like our world, but every army borrows things from lots of different cultures in the real world. Dwarfs are sort of a mix of a lot of things IMO.
The Norscan ones are vikings, the Old World ones are a mix of several things. I think Skaven are sort of like Communist China.
Actualy, academicaly speaking, and i have a mate doing his MA on Eastern Studies, Polan are not eastern european country, we dont hare same psychosocial features, and we are catholic, unlike rest. Kislev is based on I Republic of Two Nations, + cosaks (who were ethnic minority on Ukraine, and both were under Polish/Lithuanian Rule) much like Welsh under English, or early American Colonies.
Gar Shadowfame
Indeed, according to the background, there are three different peoples living there, who have interbred to a small degree, the dominant cultural group being analogous to Tsarist Russia, hence my (over-simplified) point.
Poles are Slavs - not to be confused with the Slovaks and Slovenia and live in central Europe.
And here polar bears donāt running around the streets
and we are catholic
Polish kingdom (when it was āboth nationsā in times of Polish Nobility and the earlier and later) has always been a multi ethnic and multi cultural and multi religious - and probably the most tolerant in the world.That was Currently living here, and Catholics and Orthodox and Protestants and atheists etc etc etc and the impossibility say that Poland is a Catholic country. Poland is a secular country with a pagan roots and with Catholic tradition as many countries in the world
But we deviate from the topicā¦
the dominant cultural group being analogous to Tsarist Russia, hence my (over-simplified) point.
But only because the power there have tzar and tzarina. if the ruler was a King - russia would not be seen in this army.
In Kislev army book there are only 3 things from russia : tzar, tzarina and one regiment(or none), 2-3 inspired by Ukrainian Cosaks and 2-3 inspired by Polish hussars - if I remember.
Today I found information on the Wiki so - Originally Hobgoblins in the Warhammer Universe were inspired by Mongol empire-
Are Orcs and goblins were inspired by something? or maybe these races are, total fabrication, without any inspiration?
just joking. I am American so I have the right to insult my country. :cheers
Currently living here, and Catholics and Orthodox and Protestants and atheists etc etc etc and the impossibility say that Poland is a Catholic country. Poland is a secular country with a pagan roots and with Catholic tradition