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-   -   Who is credited with inventing the fictional races that we play in Everquest? (/forums/showthread.php?t=83994)

Ashimar 09-14-2012 09:14 AM

Who is credited with inventing the fictional races that we play in Everquest?
 
Someone said that Halflings, Elves, Dwarves and Goblins were all originally created
by J.R.R. Tolkien but another source says they were originally created by the people
who made Dungeons & Dragons.

So does that mean that Everquest wouldn't even exist without JRR Tolkiens
contributions to the genre of fantasy?

Vermicelli 09-14-2012 09:21 AM

Tolkien took a lot of these creatures and people from folkloric tales from western Europe, but the way he developed them in his novels has become the roleplaying game standard. The Lord of the Rings was published in 1955, Dungeons and Dragons in 1974.

Briscoe 09-14-2012 09:22 AM

Well, The Hobbit was published before Gary Gygax was even born...

Vermicelli 09-14-2012 09:25 AM

For further reference, elves were of Irish legend; dwarves, gnomes, and trolls from Germany/Scandinavia; barbarians from Braveheart; erudites from Washington, DC.

diplo 09-14-2012 09:34 AM

probably the guy who wrote LOTR.

diplo 09-14-2012 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vermicelli (Post 725084)
For further reference, elves were of Irish legend; dwarves, gnomes, and trolls from Germany/Scandinavia; barbarians from Braveheart; erudites from Washington, DC.

i loled.

SwordNboard 09-14-2012 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vermicelli
For further reference, elves were of Irish legend; dwarves, gnomes, and trolls from Germany/Scandinavia; barbarians from Braveheart; erudites from Washington, DC.

Baaahaaha

Sweetbaby Jesus 09-14-2012 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vermicelli (Post 725084)
For further reference, elves were of Irish legend; dwarves, gnomes, and trolls from Germany/Scandinavia; barbarians from Braveheart; erudites from Washington, DC.

LMAO that right there is comedy genius!

Ele 09-14-2012 10:22 AM

Each of those listed races have roots in old English, Germanic, and Norse mythology, albeit some slightly altered and some significantly altered from our current popular conception of these mythological races.

Tolkien's writings refreshed them in the pop-culture, and D&D adapted them to their fantasy games. It is difficult to tell if someone else would have written such a fantasy book that had such wide impact to revive these mythologies and create new ones in the way it has occurred over the last 70 years.

Raavak 09-14-2012 10:33 AM

Santa had his elves and Snow White had her dwarfs at the same time or earlier than J.R.R. Tolkien was writing. As others have said the Norse/Germanic mythology includes dwarves, elves, and goblins, and that dates back to at least the 11th century. Maybe you could say the modern "models" of these were defined by Tolkien. But even then, Tolkien elves are taller than AD&D and EQ elves. Everyones got their own definition ;-)


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