This is the official community for Genshin Impact (原神), the latest open-world action RPG from HoYoverse. The game features a massive, gorgeous map, an elaborate elemental combat system, engaging storyline & characters, co-op game mode, soothing soundtrack, and much more for you to explore!
Theory & Lore
Warning
Unless you want to spoil yourself of the storylines for the Archon Quests, I highly suggest that you leave. Now, let me get on with the theory.
I’m assuming that everyone has seen the Teyvat Storyline Preview: Travail already. If you haven’t, go watch it here
So, we already know what real world countries that Monstadt and Liyue are, those being Germany and China respectively, and we have a good idea on what Inazuma is going to be: Japan. However, we can still take a jab at what every other nation will be like, by examining the music used in the video, and the characters shown with their respective nations.
Sumeru
Let’s start with Sumeru, the next nation that will be introduced after Inazuma. Or, the place where Ara Ara mommy went to school. We can infer that Sumeru will be based off of the country of Egypt, since the character is wearing Ancient Egyptian clothing, and he’s in a desert.
Fontaine
Up next is Fontaine, where that Ji Tong got scammed by a dude who gave him a broken Kamera. Based on the 2 character’s clothing and the music, it can either be England or France.
Natlan
Natlan will most likely be South America, with the Tribal like clothing that the kid is wearing and the music playing. Also, it’s probably going to be the Amazon
And finally, the infamous nation of them all
Snezhnaya
A nation where their archon’s heart is just as cold as her Gnosis. Where the people don’t love the Tsaritsa and she doesn’t love them. Snezhnaya is Russia. Cold, oppressive, and corrupt.
So, this is where the theory ends. Feel free to discuss your opinions on the subject, but as always, keep it civil. I will be on my way, saving primos to simp for the Walnut. I bid you farewell travelers
From yours truly
-TheAcroCant
EDIT: Added some titles
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Q&A
Sumeru is both a rainforest and a desert. It is inspired by both egypt and Indian culture.
Source: Liben- Marvelous merchandise.
No country named Fontaine will ever be English.
Idk, Fontaine could be mix between England and France
Better bloody not be.
I dont really mind, why do you? Just, I am just interested
Guess I'm just more British than you.
Fortunatly I am not British
You do have a point
I always thought Sumeru was supposed to be a mix of Egyptian and maybe other African cultures, along with Indian cultures, as well (and possibly other South Asian ones).
i hate when they mix Arab and Indian culture together. both are really different cultures and shouldnt be mashed together. i'll be very disappointed if they did that. either indian or Egyptian/arab culture.
I wouldn't mind it too much if they weren't then basing everything else on just single countries. If they're going to mash Arabic and Indian culture together then they should also be throwing all of Europe and North Africa into a blender as well.
but they did not mash Chinese and Japanese cultures together thus imo shouldn't do to other cultures.
Probably because they're the most familiar with Chinese and Japanese culture. It's a given that most people will write their own culture/cultures their familiar with more wholly. Even Mondstadt got mixed cultures, and it seems like every other nation will have mixed cultures, too.
that probably true.
Oh, absolutely, I prefer it when they let the cultures stand on their own legs and don't mash them together, but unfortunately, in these type of games they never seem to go down that road.
I prefer mixing, itse fantasy after all, it doesnt have to be faithful
I’m pretty sure Arab, North Africa, and North India has a tight connection, I was majored in archaeology, and I found out regions that share similar ancient weaponry are more culturally related, although they might be different ethnic groups.Tulwar, Shamshir, and kilij all belong to The Scimitar Family, and all of them use plate mail armor. I know the languages are very different, but still, I mean, Arabic even uses Persian Alphabet!
So by using this method, basically the old continent can be separated into three major cultural circles: the plate armor cultural circle( west Europe), the scimitar and plate mail armor cultural circle( North Africa, Turkey, Arabian Peninsula, Iran, and India), the composite laminate horse bow cultural circle( china, mongol, Siber indigenous people, and Korea)
"Snezhnaya is Russia. Cold, oppressive and corrupt."
Also everybody from Snezhnaya has russian or slavic name but sure.
None from Childe's family does
Tonia and Anthon are pretty common russian names and Ajax and Teucer are a reference to a greek myth so they don't count. And then you have Nadia, Viktor, Ivanovich, Ekaterina, Andrei, Pavel, Mikhail. Also tsaritsa and tsar are the go to slavic title for a king. Sneg literally means snow in russian.
Fontaine will be based on Rapture.
I'm kinda surprised that you supposed Natlan to be based on something like Amazon... like... It's the Pyro archon who lives there, a bit opposit, I should say. Although I really would like to have a place based of South America
I mean...
Based on a certain event happening just around a year ago I’d say it makes some semblance of sense...
But yeah, Natlan is most likely going to be a tribal nation
Oh...... I see what you did there
Tbh, I'm starting to believe Snezhnaya will be a mix of cultures of eastern Europe, not only Russia.
If it was, would people be able to tell the difference? Apart from Eastern Europeans, I don't think many people have bothered to learn about the cultural differences between East European countries.
Shneznaya is going to be mix of few European countries, I know a lot of stuff pointa to Russia but also one interesting thing is that all the Harbinger Nicknames are Italian words, also their clothing resembles Italy too a bit
Mondstadt after all is not just Germány but also there are Norse names (Ragnvindr, Gunnhildr, Dvalin, Durin,...) And some words/names and ancient ruins resemble ancient Rome/Greece
But yes mostly Shneznaya is ,,Russia,, and Mondstadt is ,,Germany,,
Norse mythology is really just a subset of Germanic mythology though. The use of Norse names doesn't necessarily mean anything as these figures are largely present in the original German paganism too.
Well, not really but anyway what about all the ancient Greek and Roman refferences there are in the game
Celestia seems clearly "a region inspired by ancient Greece and Rome" to me.
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I dont see how it adresses what I said
Gnosticism is more accurate