Beyond Elves and Dwarves: Developing Cultures for your Fantasy World
Writing a fantasy world culture is an intricate and captivating process that can transport readers to a completely different world.
It can be difficult to create a new world from scratch, but with careful consideration and attention to detail, you can create a rich and immersive culture that feels real and engaging.
In this post, I will explore the different aspects of creating a fantasy world culture, including language, religion, and politics.
Pro tip: there are no hard and fast rules on how you should create a fantasy world and its culture - these are tips. The best way is to experiment yourself.
Defining Culture
Culture is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of elements that define a society, including language, religion, customs, and traditions.
When creating a fantasy world culture, it is important to start by defining the basics of the society. It makes the towns and cities feel alive and tangible, it makes the different regions feel actually different, and it bridges the scope between fantasy and believability for the reader.
When starting, ask yourself:
What are the social norms and values that guide the society?
What is the dominant religion or belief system?
What are the major political structures?
Answering these questions will provide a framework for building the culture.
Language
Language is one of the most important elements of a culture.
It is the primary means of communication and a fundamental aspect of identity. When creating a language for a fantasy world culture, it is important to consider the sounds and structure of the language.
Tolkien is the perfect example of how to create a fantasy world language. He not only wrote the written alphabet for one race, he did it for many. And not only the written words - he also devised how it sentences should be formed, how to pronounce the world, and even how to speak the language.
The scope of Tolkien’s language is immense and something myself and many other authors have tried to replicate to varying success.
When devising your language consider:
What are the phonetic sounds that are used?
How are words formed?
What is the grammar and syntax of the language?
These are all important elements to consider when developing a language.
Religion
Religion is another important aspect of culture.
It provides a belief system that guides the actions and decisions of individuals in a society. When creating a religion for a fantasy world culture, it is important to consider the beliefs and practices of the religion.
Not only does religious beliefs form a staple of a culture and its people, it can also be the source of conflict. You just need to look through our own history to know that some of the biggest wars were created by differing religious beliefs. You can use this to your advantage in your own work.
Consider this:
What are the major tenets of the religion?
What are the religious holidays and rituals?
How does religion affect the daily lives of individuals in the society?
Pro tip: be careful when creating a fantasy religion. If you mirror it too closely on one of our own existing religions you may cause some conflict of your own in the real world.
Politics
Politics is another important aspect of culture.
It defines the power structures and decision-making processes of a society. When creating a political system for a fantasy world culture, it is important to consider the different levels of government and how power is distributed.
Politics are, and always will be, an endless source of conflict. Like religion you can use this to your advantage in your writing. Just look at the works of George RR Martin and his Game of Thrones series - the whole premise is based on political subterfuge and intrigue.
Ask yourself:
What are the political ideologies that guide the society?
Who holds the power in the society?
How are decisions made and implemented?
Customs and Traditions
Customs and traditions are the cultural practices that define a society.
They can include everything from food and clothing to music and art. When creating customs and traditions for a fantasy world culture, it is important to consider the different aspects of daily life.
Such daily customs will be the basis of life in your towns and villages. Its inevitable for this to be so because societies are built on routine, tradition, and customs.
Pro tip: look to real world customs and traditions, past and current, if you’re lacking ideas here.
Questions to ask when creating your customs and traditions:
What are the common foods and drinks?
What are the traditional forms of art and music?
What are the customary dress and hairstyles?
Conclusion
Creating a fantasy world culture can be a complex and rewarding process.
By considering the different aspects of culture, including language, religion, politics, and customs and traditions, a writer can create a rich and immersive world that feels real and engaging.
With careful attention to detail and a clear understanding of the elements that define a society, you can create a culture that will captivate readers and transport them to a completely different world.
Til next time.
If you want to learn more about building a believable and immersive fantasy world in your writing check out my other posts:
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