assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Westeros as a whole is meant to represent Britain. The north does favor northern England and Scotland culturally. Dorne is politically like Wales (which wasn't absorbed under the English kings until Edward I) but culturally it resembles moorish Spain. King's Landing is obviously meant to mirror London, and in England the north/south divide is much the same as it is in Westeros (i.e. the south is richer and more advanced while the north is poorer). I always viewed the First Men as Romans, the Children of the Forest as Druids/Picts and the Andals as Saxons. The Iron Islands are very much like the Vikings. Braavos is similar to Venice, and the Free Cities on the whole resemble merchant cities in Italy, The Netherlands and Germany. The Dothraki are like the Mongols and the Slaver's Bay cities resemble central Asian places like Constantinople, Baghdad, Jerusalem, Damascus, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ser jtankian xhoror Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 The Dothraki are like the Mongols and the Slaver's Bay cities resemble central Asian places like Constantinople, Baghdad, Jerusalem, Damascus, etc. I agree with the Mongols. But Constantinople is not a central asian place. It has been the capital of Eastern Roman Empire for 800 years and when you look at the back of an euro, you can see that EU takes Constantinople as European land. Baghdad, Jerusalem and Damascus are near eastern cities with semitic roots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voodooqueen126 Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I agree with the Mongols. But Constantinople is not a central asian place. It has been the capital of Eastern Roman Empire for 800 years and when you look at the back of an euro, you can see that EU takes Constantinople as European land. Baghdad, Jerusalem and Damascus are near eastern cities with semitic roots.If anything Constantinople is like Volantis... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aedan Stormrage Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 To me Braavos is still very Spanish/Portuguese, it has some things like the bridges and stuff that makes it similar to Venice, but it also has the Titan that draws a parallel with Rhodes. So there you have it, all those cultures. Ah! And the Water Dancing and the "bravos" who fight and defy each other, is very reminiscent of France and such times as the ones with Cyrano de Bergerac or the 3 Musketeers. So there you have it.The Children of the Forest are like a mix of the unruly Pictic tribes and also the American Indians.Finally, I don't think the Dothraki are like the Mongol, they resemble a lot more to me the Huns, also great warlords and horselords. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voodooqueen126 Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 To me Braavos is still very Spanish/Portuguese, it has some things like the bridges and stuff that makes it similar to Venice, but it also has the Titan that draws a parallel with Rhodes. So there you have it, all those cultures. Ah! And the Water Dancing and the "bravos" who fight and defy each other, is very reminiscent of France and such times as the ones with Cyrano de Bergerac or the 3 Musketeers. So there you have it.The Children of the Forest are like a mix of the unruly Pictic tribes and also the American Indians.Finally, I don't think the Dothraki are like the Mongol, they resemble a lot more to me the Huns, also great warlords and horselords.Braavos in Climate is like Amsterdam or Bruges.It's governance seems to be Venetian (Sealord of Braavos=Doge)and language (Braavos=Spanish Brave ones) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bloody Boar Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Westeros as a whole is meant to represent Britain. The north does favor northern England and Scotland culturally. Dorne is politically like Wales (which wasn't absorbed under the English kings until Edward I) but culturally it resembles moorish Spain. King's Landing is obviously meant to mirror London, and in England the north/south divide is much the same as it is in Westeros (i.e. the south is richer and more advanced while the north is poorer).Agreed, except Dorne is like Cornwall, which was also as independent as Wales and then semi-independent around the time of the real seven kingdoms.I always viewed the First Men as Romans, the Children of the Forest as Druids/Picts and the Andals as Saxons. The Iron Islands are very much like the Vikings. Braavos is similar to Venice, and the Free Cities on the whole resemble merchant cities in Italy, The Netherlands and Germany. The Dothraki are like the Mongols and the Slaver's Bay cities resemble central Asian places like Constantinople, Baghdad, Jerusalem, Damascus, etc.But don't you think the Andals are Normans? Heraldry, chivalry, and pageantry all came in with the Normans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aedan Stormrage Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Braavos in Climate is like Amsterdam or Bruges.It's governance seems to be Venetian (Sealord of Braavos=Doge)and language (Braavos=Spanish Brave ones)Well, yes, but you forget marked similarities with Rhodes, like the Titan. Also the Banks could point to Milan or Florence.About the Children of the Forest, check this out: They are very markedly similar to Native Americans, the use of obsidian, they not knowing of bronze until the First Men came. It seems to be they are like a mixture of a lot of Native American, the tree-worship from Celts and then the First Men are like the advent of the Bronze Age Greeks. The Andals although they are reminiscent in name of the Vandals, they were similar to the Normans as pointed out above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Agreed, except Dorne is like Cornwall, which was also as independent as Wales and then semi-independent around the time of the real seven kingdoms.But don't you think the Andals are Normans? Heraldry, chivalry, and pageantry all came in with the Normans.No. The Targaryens are more like the Normans, in action if not in culture. In my opinion.Aegon the Conqueror = William the Conqueror. London and the White Tower are like King's Landing and the Red Keep. The Targaryen history has loosely but obviously paralleled that of the Norman/Plantagenet English kings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aedan Stormrage Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 No. The Targaryens are more like the Normans, in action if not in culture. In my opinion.Aegon the Conqueror = William the Conqueror. London and the White Tower are like King's Landing and the Red Keep. The Targaryen history has loosely but obviously paralleled that of the Norman/Plantagenet English kings.Let's agree the Targaryens have elements from many a source. I agree with that point about William the Conqueror and so on, but they do also have a lot in common with other events in history. That's what's so fun about it, that the cultures are not exactly one-to-one counterparts of real ones, but have a mix and different facets each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mediocre cheese Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 No. The Targaryens are more like the Normans, in action if not in culture. In my opinion.Aegon the Conqueror = William the Conqueror. London and the White Tower are like King's Landing and the Red Keep. The Targaryen history has loosely but obviously paralleled that of the Norman/Plantagenet English kings.William the conqueror had a dynastic claim to the throne. He was edward the confessor's cousin and his invasion was blessed by the pope. Aegon had no right to any of the kingdoms (his claim was based on "either bow to me or I'll barbecue you"). Aegon was the first king of westeros, whereas william had multiple predecessors. The only parallel I see is that they both conquered something, and were subsequently called conqueror. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 William the conqueror had a dynastic claim to the throne. He was edward the confessor's cousin and his invasion was blessed by the pope. Aegon had no right to any of the kingdoms (his claim was based on "either bow to me or I'll barbecue you"). Aegon was the first king of westeros, whereas william had multiple predecessors. The only parallel I see is that they both conquered something, and were subsequently called conqueror.There were kings of England before William the Conqueror, just like there were kings in Westeros before Aegon. Britain wasn't a totally uniform kingdom when William got there, either. So I don't really see your point there. Argue what you want about Aegon/William but I fail to see how anyone with even rudimentary knowledge of British history can look at some of the Targ history and not also see straight English history. The Dance of the Dragons is almost an exact duplicate of the war between Stephen and Matilda, subbing in siblings for cousins. Aerys II was a more violent Henry VI, Robert is Edward IV and so on. Plain as day to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mediocre cheese Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Some dynastic history is similar, but specifcally aegon and william don't match up at all. Aegon lands at KL and the city is subsequently built around where he lands. London was the capital of england before william ever lands. Edward was crowned at Westminster abbey. Britain wasn't a totally uniform kingdom when William got there, either. So I don't really see your point there. Britain wasn't a totally uniform kingdom until the tudors. The point is that while aegon invaded 6 independent kingdoms, which he had no claim to and subsequently ruled them from a totally new capital, william invaded an area where he was according to the pope the rightful king and ruled them from the same capital harold did.Of course the targaryens are a single family, whereas the normans were a large force who displaced previous aristocrats. The targaryens didn't seize any castles and give them to valaryian allys the way william did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aedan Stormrage Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Some dynastic history is similar, but specifcally aegon and william don't match up at all. Aegon lands at KL and the city is subsequently built around where he lands. London was the capital of england before william ever lands. Edward was crowned at Westminster abbey.Britain wasn't a totally uniform kingdom until the tudors. The point is that while aegon invaded 6 independent kingdoms, which he had no claim to and subsequently ruled them from a totally new capital, william invaded an area where he was according to the pope the rightful king and ruled them from the same capital harold did.Of course the targaryens are a single family, whereas the normans were a large force who displaced previous aristocrats. The targaryens didn't seize any castles and give them to valaryian allys the way william did.True. You rise a very good point. Aegon's conquest is more similar in that matter with Alexander the Great. He too conquered lands and then gave them to the previous lords gaining their allegiance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mediocre cheese Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Yeah alexander the great is a better comp for aegon than william the conqueror is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aedan Stormrage Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Yeah alexander the great is a better comp for aegon than william the conqueror is.Don't you think People and Cultures in ASOIAF are all a mix of different elements combined? I think you'll find this kind of mixtures in all the different cultures and peoples from Martin's work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The GRRumbler Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I think westeros shares similarities with Britain in its geographic aspect, it was definitely based in the shape of the island, but when it comes to culture and politics is quite obvous to me that Martin used sources from both the rest of Europe and Asia and maybe some northern african, north american, but im not sure about these two last ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bloody Boar Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 There were kings of England before William the Conqueror, just like there were kings in Westeros before Aegon. Britain wasn't a totally uniform kingdom when William got there, either. So I don't really see your point there.There were even kings of the entire island of Britain: Athelstan, and then Canute. The days of the seven kingdoms went with the Danish invasions.Argue what you want about Aegon/William but I fail to see how anyone with even rudimentary knowledge of British history can look at some of the Targ history and not also see straight English history. The Dance of the Dragons is almost an exact duplicate of the war between Stephen and Matilda, subbing in siblings for cousins. Aerys II was a more violent Henry VI, Robert is Edward IV and so on. Plain as day to me.You know your history better than I do. But the War of the Five Kings isn't an exact duplicate of the War of the Roses is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecky Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Im not basing this on anything, it was just first impressions as i read.North of the wall : ScandinaviaThe north : North of england & scotland.Riverun : GermanyKings Landing - RomeDorne - SpainIron Islands - Wales.Meereen- EgyptValyria - AtlantisHighgarden - FranceQarth - Constantinople. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Between 3 and 26 Character Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Not sure if anyone has mentioned it but The Wall is definitely a reference to Hadrian's Wall which was a Roman border between 'civilized' england and the the wildings that were the celts/scots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chise Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Not sure if anyone has mentioned it but The Wall is definitely a reference to Hadrian's Wall which was a Roman border between 'civilized' england and the the wildings that were the celts/scotsyawp, GRRM himself had said this too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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