So, I guess we all see the link by now between the Cyrodiilic Empire and the Ancient Roman Empire. And the Nords are obviously barbarians, or people from Gaul and Germania. Not so sure what the other countries of Tamriel are, and this leads to my question: where do we put the Aldmeri Dominion, more specifically the Summerset Isles, in Ancient Europe. The Greek states? Was just thinking about that.

There aren't direct parallels to the cultures present in Tamriel, in ancient or modern societies.

Most are actually a combination of many different groups.

Yes, I know that, but you can roughly categorize them.

Well, the Alikr would probably be arabs or persians, based on thier clothing and curved swords (also, acient arabs were darker skinned 3000 years ago than today.) Forsworn remind me of Celtics (also, the celtics were called BrItons.) However, just because there are some parallels with the real world, doesn't mean there are parallels in everything. Honestly, the further you get from human races, the harder it is to find parallels. Elven armour reminds me of Tolkien elven armour more than anything else.

The Nords are really nothing like the Gauls. The Germanic tribes, maybe, if you put it through the Hollywood meat-grinder. But not the Gauls.


Britons are one branch of Celts. The others are Gaelic and the more closely-related Gaullic.

And the Forsworn, again, are only like them through the prism of Hollywood.

They talk and act very posh and upperclass, so I think their culture is based on the English. Although they look more like Japanese or something, with their almond-shaped eyes and golden skin.

I'd say the Akaviri look like the Japanese, the Blades armour looks like a varient of Samuri armour to me

There's a difference between talking posh and upper-class (which a tiny fraction of the English population do) and practicing infanticide on an industrial scale to outbreed impurities...

There is no direct historical anolog.

But it seems the Empire might be in somewhat the same situation as Vichy France in WW II. That part of France was not technically occupied by the Germans, but it was under there control in the same way the Empire is under the control of the Aldmeri Dominion -- as a result of a treaty. Consequently they Aldmeri are actually in charge, though the Imperials still govern; just like the french governed Vichy France, though the German/Nazis were really in charge.

In the ancient world it might be similar to the the way the Roman Empire had provinces that were under the rule of a local King (like King Herod in Judea) but the Romans were really in charge.

There is no equivalent.

I don't think any of the elven races (except possibly the orcs) have any obvious human parallels... They all seem to be a bit more alien and unfamiliar.

The humans certainly have similarities, the rest of them not so much.

I'd say:
Nords = vikings, people of Sweden and Germany
Imperials = Romans (also have resemblances to Great Britain: East Empire Trading Company)
Redguards = Persians or something similar
Bretons = tribal Celtic people (the Forsworn especially fit the bill)

As for the Thalmor, don't look so far back. They're a political party that rose up and turned the country
into a nationalist superpower thats goal was racial purity. Ring a bell?

Alik'r would be Moors.

nazi's...they believe they're the supreme race and all others should fall under their rule

not ancient but imo nazi and altmeri have the most in common then other groups

Except vikings and ancient germanic tribes are not the same so the Nords couldn't represent them both. I'd say they're more on the viking side, especially with their beliefs.

The ideology, yes. the culture and appearance, not at all.

So iam a IRL Nord? Nah but of course the people of tamriel and elder scrolls is simmilar to stuff from the real world but..
And yeah i agree Nazi thalmor! and people say the stormcloaks are nazis

vikings are a germanic people. I believe.
And yes Nords are more like vikings.

Oh, I don't know much about moors but I take your word for it

Don't take his word for it. Anyone who uses equals signs doesn't know what he's talking about.

Vikings are Scandinavians not Germanic. Goth, Franks, Anglo Saxons, Normans, and modern day Germans are Germanic. Since Aldmer's are the cultural background of every race in Tamriel, I gues you could compare them to Ancient Greeks or Macedonians.

I think they are Romulans personally, but if we have to stick to historical Europe i'm going to go with, hmm, medieval Crusaders. Yes.

nords = nords

altmer = altmer

redguard = redguard

bosmer = bosmer

dunmer = dunmer

arognian = argonian

khajiit = khajiit

imperial = imperial

breton = breton

kamal = kamal

and so on and so forth, i dont see how people draw lines to real world cultures when they are not very similar at all, maybe superficially but in no other way are the similar

The Elder Scrolls is The Elder Scrolls: the real world is the real world.
I see them both as such and do not try to compare the two.

^ It's because they made the Cyrodillian Empire look and feel so much like Ancient Rome.