Given the semi-recent influx of "comparison threads" 'round these parts, I thought it might be useful to have a space where we can define some terms and maybe nip some of these things in the bud down the line.

So, if you're new to the lore forum and reading this, welcome! Now, there's a decent chance that you registered your account, or came over from TES General, because you have an idea about which real-life cultures best correspond to the races of TES. That's good, everybody needs a place to dive into the lore and those comparisons don't really hurt anyone. However, you SHOULD know that you're not the first.

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1473728-aedra-and-daedra-real-world-equivalents/?hl=%2Breal

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1471683-tamriel-races-compared-to-real-races/?hl=%2Breal

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1440254-tes-creatures-real-lifemythology-counterparts/?hl=%2Breal

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1366229-what-are-the-differences-and-similarities-between-the-imperial-legion-and-the-real-life-roman-legion/?hl=%2Breal+%2Blife

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1271135-what-are-the-elder-scroll-races-in-real-life/?hl=%2Breal+%2Blife

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1471294-ka-po-tun-based-more-on-india-or-china/

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1156247-the-races-real-life-equivalents/?hl=%2Breal+%2Blife

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1466760-the-summerset-isle-and-the-united-kingdom/

Just to name a few.

This isn't meant to discourage you from posting here or thinking outside the box with regards to lore and in-game presentation. The more voices and opinions here, the more vibrant the community, the better. And for obvious reasons, the history and mythology of the real world is always going to be deeper, more storied, richer, and more complex than any single fantasy setting, so looking beyond the setting and making inferences based on real life can lead to interesting new avenues for discussion and new ways of thinking about the races. The problem is that anolysis based on surface-level comparisons such as "the Redguards wear turbans" or "the Nords drink mead" doesn't really go anywhere or contribute anything interesting to the discussion.

So, what's the difference between a lore observation and an aesthetic one?

An aesthetic observation is one that's based on the way a race looks, sounds, or dresses, naming conventions, architectural styles, or technology. Basically, anything whose substance is based solely on in-game presentation.

A lore observation is one that's based on the race's history, behavior, disposition, mythology, or motives. Basically, things that have depth, complexity, or ambiguity beyond the initial presentation.

An aesthetic comparison might be that the Imperial chapels of the Divines look like cathedrals, therefore the Imperial Cult is like Catholicism (this is bad).

A lore comparison might be that the Tribunal Temple was structured similarly, and had a similar role in society, to the Catholic Church of the the medieval era.

Lore observations merit consideration and discussion, aesthetic observations are, to put it bluntly, boring. That being said, there's certainly some grey area in here to play around with. Aesthetic observations are fairly useless as arguments in and of themselves, but they can be used in support of the more interesting lore-based ones. For instance, the Romanesque appearance of the Legion armor in Skyrim compared to Oblivion could be used in support of a theory about the Dark Age of 4th Era Tamriel, since we know from our real-world perspective that it's technologically inferior to the heavy plate of the late 3rd Era. Or you could make a case about the Dragon Cult based on their embalming practices and similarities to real-life Egyptian mythology, essentially borrowing elements from real life to flesh out our understanding of an aspect of the lore that's generally regarded as incomplete or unsatisfactory.

Like I said above, aesthetic comparisons don't really hurt anyone, but they ARE fairly common here and most of the forum regulars aren't terribly interested in treading the same ground again, so, best case, your thread will be ignored and quickly sink into obscurity without prompting sarcasm, flaming, or trolling on anyone's part.

That's all I've got for now, thanks for reading if in fact you did. Lore forumites, if you have anything to add to this, please feel free.

Request sticky.