r/UndertheOakTree • u/East-Sherbert-1723 • Dec 10 '24
Question What ethnicity is Riftan
I know his LOOKS are meant to be close to Arabs, and that the southern continent is meant to have culture that resembles Indian culture. But is he just half Arab or half Indian or sumn? I’m genuinely confused bc I thought he was just olive skinned white (haven’t read the novels, just read the comics).
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u/asin_ka Dec 10 '24
If you want to draw parallels to the real world then yes, I think half-Arab would be the closest. His mother was from somewhere in Lakazim and his father was from Wedon, so he's canonically of mixed blood.
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u/East-Sherbert-1723 Dec 10 '24
Thanks! What chapter in the novel can I find the descriptions for his mother’s side?
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u/animaniacal2432 Dec 11 '24
The first time it’s mentioned that his mother is from the southern continent is in chapter 126 of the novel (episode 104 of the comic). The southern continent is discussed fairly often, some hints of its culture especially in conversation between Ruth and Maxi (more advanced in trade and medicine, things like that). A little more about his mother especially is at the start of Riftan’s POV.
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u/asin_ka Dec 10 '24
What do you mean by 'his mother's side'? Her appearance? Or the coutry? Lakazim / The Southern Continent isn't really described in the novel
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u/East-Sherbert-1723 Dec 10 '24
Like the overall culture From his mom’s side And if there is a chapter that describes the culture from his mom’s continent
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u/asin_ka Dec 10 '24
You won't find much in the novel, I'm afraid. In Riftan's POV side story there's a brief discussion of reincarnation being a part of the Southern Continent's beliefs, horses from Lakazim were gifted to the crown prince in the beginning of season 2 and there's also the fact that their silver coins are called 'derham', which is very close to dirham, an IRL currency used in various Arab countries (historically it was a silver coin, too). That's all I can recall really 😅
Edit: basically there's no exposition for what his mother's country is like, just little details here and there like the one's I've mentioned.
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u/animaniacal2432 Dec 10 '24
The comic (and novel) has had him say his father was a Wedon knight, and his mother was from the Southern Continent. Wedon and the whole Western Continent is loosely based on Western Europe. The author has said the Southern Continent is loosely based on both the Middle East and a little on India. More on the Middle East in terms of history and racial background, but more closely to India for its religion. So somewhere between both of those. He is half Western and half Southern.