Real World Inspirations for Warhammer Fantasy’s Factions – Prime
Today let’s talk about the historical inspiration behind Warhammer Fantasy.
Warhammer Fantasy had a long and rich history. Over the course of the decades, the game was active its setting was developed and fleshed out. Unlike its sci-fi counterpart Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Fantasy was set on a single world (and didn’t even use the full world). This meant that the world, a fantasy version of Earth had a much more fully detailed history and setting than 40K did, with the vast majority of the world history, at least in broad strokes, is covered at one point or another. While 40K drew a ton of inspiration from pop-culture Fantasy was much more grounded in real history. Though it was heavily inspired by works of, well, fantasy, including classic like Lord of the Rings, being set in a fantasy version of Earth meant that many of its factions and nations were directly anomalous to real-world peoples, nations and culture. Today lets take a look at those inspirations.
N.B. To keep this manageable I am only looking that the major factions that had full army books as of the 8th and final edition of the game.
The Empire
Situated in the center of the Old World, The Empire was one of the key players in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. As the most powerful human faction, it served as the de-facto leader of the “good guys”. Despite its baroque and dark tones, it was far more of a “good” nation than is 40K equivalent to the Imperium of Man. The Empire is heavily based on the real-world Holy Roman Empire which controlled much central Europe between roughly 800 CE and 1806 CE. In particular, the Empire is based on the Holy Roman Empire of the Renaissance Era, with new inventions such as gunpowder and primitive machines coming into wide use, while superstition and magic flourish in the margins.
There are a huge number of close parallels between the two Empires. Both were divided into a number of semi-autonomous provinces and in both cases, they had elective monarchies where a group of Electors (Counts in WFB, Princes in real life) picked the Emperor. Culturally they share a large number of similarities, language-wise as well and the look and dress of the Empire is modeled on that of the HRE. While the Holy Roman Empire was riven during the period by the Wars of Religion, the Warhammer Empire had its own Religious issues both in the suppression of Chaos Worship and the conflict between followers of Ulric and Sigmar.
Tomb Kings
The Tomb Kings, the southern nation of desert dwelling undead are varied – based on Ancient Egypt. Geographically the Tomb Kings, their land of Nehekhara, are situated in a similar position to Egypt, with even the land being a massive desert watered by a single major river. Both their look and their culture is also clearly based on Egypt, from the heavy use of chariots and khopeshes to the building of Pyramids and worshiping of Priest-Kings. Even the idea of the undead, and conquering death, is based on Egyptian burial practices and mummification. Story-wise the Tomb kings also contain elements of the Barbary Coast Corsairs and Ottoman Era Egypt with raids on northern coasts and shipping being common.
Vampire Counts
The Vampire Counts are a very interesting faction in WFB. They are actually split into a couple of sub-factions but for this article, I’m going to only really look at the most prominent of the factions, the Von Carstines of Sylvania. The Vampire Counts, and Sylvania in general, are most obviously based on a mix of fact and myth around Vlad the Impaler (the inspiration for Dracula) and his homeland of Wallachia, though it also amalgamates Transylvania and Romania as a whole into the mix. The parallels between the Vampire Dracula and the monster-filled dark woods of Transylvania and the fallen nobles of vampire ridden Sylvania are pretty obvious, even the look of the country is heavily based on the myths surrounding Transylvania.
Story-wise the Vampire Counts fill an interesting role. While Vlad, and Wallachia as a whole, were relatively small-time players in the overall scheme of Europe at the time the Vampire Counts have a much more important role. In this case, they actually more closely take the place of Austria. Much like real-world Austria, they were once part of the Empire and now view themselves as the true inheritors of the Imperial title. They share close cultural ties with the Empire and view the struggles between themselves and the Empire not as invasions, but more of civil wars.
Warriors of Chaos
Warriors of Chaos are one of the races with less obvious direct parallels. They are a much more fantasy-based faction drawing a lot of inspiration for fictional “barbarians” such as Conan. While the Norsca Tribes, a subfaction within the Warriors are a clear analogy to Viking Age Scandinavians the overarching Warriors faction has less of a solidified culture tying in Vikings, Germanic Pagans and other “outsiders”.
Setting wise the Warriors of Chaos fill a similar role to the Ottoman Empire in real life. They are a major faction, of a rival religion, that is slowly encroaching at and eating away at the borders of the “civilized” world. The major Chaos incursions rather closely resemble Ottoman Invasions in real life, with the Great War Against Chaos closely matching the 1592 Siege of Vienna (this is case Praag is a stand-in for Buda and Kislev for Vienna) while the Storm of Chaos Campaign resembles the 1683 Battle of Vienna, though in this case, Middenheim is the stand-in for Vienna.
Daemons of Chaos
They are daemons. They come from hell to eat souls. It’s pretty simple. Rather than being based on any real-world culture they are based on various myths.
Beastmen
Beastmen are another one of the “barbarian” factions. While Fantasy contained several of these factions they did a fairly decent job of distinguishing them. In this case, Beastmen seem mostly based on European Pagans of the later Medieval period. They live on the fringes of society and are seen as more primitive and even closer to the land than humans. They’ve been pushed out of their old homes by modernization and slowly eroded away. Within the Empire, they are in a similar position to Lithuanian Pagans and often hunted by Knight Orders, much like the Teutonic Knights fought the Baltic Pagans.
Orcs & Goblins
Orcs and Goblins are another one of the “barbarian” factions and are a bit of a mixed bag. Their culture (or kulture) is kind of all over the place, with many sub-factions. They contain a mix of British Hooliganism, elements of Mongol/Steppe Cultures (Hobgoblins are nomads with their own Khans), and even a healthy dose of Native American cultures with their tribes, shamans, totems, and rituals.
Storywise the Orcs & Goblins tend to fill in for the westwards waves of barbarian invasions coming off the steppes both during the Migration Period and later during the Mongol invasions. As such they are an outside force that slowly builds up pressures until it can launch a major migration/invasion/Waaaagh!!! Like the Migration Period tribes, the Orcs & Goblins were partially responsible for the fall of the Dwarf/Roman Empires, and like the Mongols, they remain a constant outside threat.
Ogre Kingdoms
Yet another “barbarian” faction. Ogre Kingdoms where one of the newest WFB factions and as such got less development than others. They are mostly based on a mixture of Ice Age/Stone Age humanity, they are semi-nomadic, using mammoths and saber-tooth tigers and other similar things. They also took on characteristics of various steppe nomads. They are located in the fantasy equivalent of Mongolia and often act as mercenaries, which it wasn’t uncommon for steppe nomads to do. Perhaps given more time they would have leaned more into the Mongol parallels and developed into a major threat.
Skaven
Skaven are…. the poor of the world. No seriously, for all their crazy warpstone tech they are essentially the demonized poor of the Victorian era. They are an unwashed mass of beings that literally leave beneath “civilized society”. They exist in the gutters, alleys, and sewers of the world’s cities. They are creeping crawling, thieving vagabonds. They are always just waiting to rise up and reclaim the top of society and bring down the rich. They are Les Miserables (Monsieur Thénardier scavenges from the dead and robs corpses in sewers, just give him a tail and he’s a Skaven) of the Warhammer World, poor, dumb, plague-ridden but possessed of a “low cunning”. Even their addition to warpstone, which is deadly, mirrors the drug and alcohol addictions often depicted among the poor of the Victorian Era. Despite the ever-present threat of them, and them being underfoot Skaven, like the poor, are of course ignored by most of the world.
Lizardmen
Lizardmen are another pretty straight forward match here. They are directly analogous to Pre-Colombian Mesoamerican Cultures, in particular the well known Aztecs and Mayans. They inhabit the Warhammer equivalent of South and Central America and their dress and culture are based on the real-life inhabitants of the regions. They live in giant temple/pyramid complexes and their art is very based on Mesoamerican art. They are of course Lizards/Dinosaurs being the big twist. However even this, and their overlords the Slann, and their overlords the Old Ones all tie into the various Ancient Alien theories that surround Mesoamerica and its pyramids. Like the American Natives, the Lizardmen came under attack by settlers from the Old World trying to conquer and colonize the New World and struggled to fight them off.
High Elves
Location wise the High Elves are situated in an island analogous to the mythical continent of Atlantis and certainly, the High Elves draw on elements of the Atlantis myth in their identity. However, the High Elves are pretty clearly based on the UK for the most part. They are the culturally advanced and enlightened race that is superior to all others. They occupy an Island off the coast of the main conflict centers yet always meddle in continental affairs. Though the High Elves are mostly united, their home of Ulthuan is actually split into a number of kingdoms that are united into some sort of… united kingdoms, under the Phonex King. They control a large empire with colonies all over the world, yet it also a shadow of what it used to be. They are a major seafaring nation and dominate most international trade. They have a magic sword stuck in a rock and tied to their line of kings. It’s all there.
Dark Elves
The Dark Elves live in the Warhammer Equivalent of North America. They were once British, I mean High Elves, but split off after a rebellion. Now they live in a vast harsh land. Unlike the refined High Elves, they are cruel and love violence, sex, and drugs. They love murder for murder’s sake, are heavily armed and enthralled by blood sports. They are debauched and debased version of the noble High Elves. These upstarts are vicious pirates and raiders and famous slavers, indeed out of all the factions of the world they are the most invested in slavery. It’s a not very subtle commentary on America.
Wood Elves
The Wood Elves are yet another cousin of the High Elves. While they are also based on the folks from the British Isles, in this case, it is on the Celtic Britons. These inhabitants people inhabited the British Isles before the coming of the Anglo-Saxons and spread elsewhere. The Wood Elves also draw on elements of other Celtic cultures and myths. Similar to the real world Celtic cultures the Wood Elves represent the marginalized cultures of Europe that where pushed out of their ancestral lands. They fill a similar role in the story to the Welsh and Bretons, both remnants of the Celtic Britons that managed to maintain their Independence in smaller regions for a long time.
Dwarfs
The Dwarfs are another mixed bag of ideas. Culturally they seemed to a bit of a mix of Scottish and Swiss and Norse. They live in the mountains, and love engineering and clockwork stuff. In addition, they often act as mercenaries, like the Swiss famously did. Their artwork has elements of Celtic art in it, while accents and dress often have Scottish Highlander influences. Their fatalism, religion, and alphabet, as well as their way of fighting, like heavily armored infantry, is drawn from Viking sources. Their long feuds, yet occasional alliances, with the High Elves matches with English/Scottish rivalries.
The place they fill in the main story, however, is pretty divorced from these origins. The Dwarfs are effectively the Roman/ Byzantine Empire of WFB. Like Romans, the Dwarfs once controlled a mighty Empire that ruled most of the Old World. However, a period of ecological and economic disaster lead to a major decline, and the empire crumbled under barbarian/goblin invasions. Now a surviving rump state wields reduced, but still considerable power, and hopes to use its alliances with the other nations of the Old World to regain lost territory. Despite their fallen state, they remain the most technologically advanced (with the possible exception of the Skaven) faction.
Bretonnia
The Bretonnians are another pretty obvious one. This nation is an amalgamation of France during the 100 Years War (with hints of Angevin France their last king after was Lionhearted) and Arthurian Legends. You’ve got your noble chivalric knights, always on perpetual quests. Your Holy Grails and your strange women lying in ponds distributing swords and governmental legitimacy. All the trapping of the highest of Arthurian myths is here. At the same time, you’ve got a nation that geographically matches France, ruled by a massive nobility drunk on chivalry and supported by a horde of peasants. You’ve got overseas crusades and even a fantasy version of Outremer and their own version of Joan of Arc.
