How Game of Thrones is Like West African History

[@FromNothing]

I really wish that there was a show similar to Game of Thrones that placed African people, history, culture, and traditions at the center of the plot.

[@jean-louisassa5898]

For sure it will happen. A lot of people are working on interesting projects. We just got to support our people and media

[@asiblingproduction]

I prefer a tolkien esque fantasy vs a martin one if iys going to be african-motifed. I dont wanna see an abundance of sex, intrigue, and death, but something lighter and hopeful. Im working on a book idea rn, but im lazy🙃.

[@rj-1506]

Let’s make it bro 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@rimfire8217]

Someone really should get on that. Not me though I’m preoccupied with other Fantasy writings.

[@marcello7781]

That would be awesome and I'm sure many people would find it interesting and refreshing.

[@Buurba_Jolof]

Proud to be WEST AFRICAN, SOUDANO SAHELIAN

[@VolcyThoughts]

We need more media that explores African history and myths

[@rimfire8217]

Yeah

[@tompossessed1729]

The issues people will not be accepting towards it

[@DouglasDundee]

It will likely never be mainstream. But considering what we have to compromise just to be mainstream, that's ok

[@alexandrejose8362]

I disagree with people saying that it can't be mainstream, although I don't mind if it is a niche. Wuxia movies had their time in the sun decades ago, and some Indian movies too did get a lot of attention from mainstream viewers, so why not a story set in fantasy Mali or east African city-states can't get big with a lot of work? At least we could have it instead of trash like a black viking female with a male name and ruling as a jarl with zero problems.

[@nataliekennedy4646]

Yes agreed

[@samwill7259]

History doesn't totally repeat itself but it does often rhyme. Events that are connected to one culture can often be found in a version in another culture. We've faced a lot of the same challenges and hurdles over our history. And, of course, the reality is is that people will always be more alike than we will ever be different.

[@tuumef1799]

Interesting parallels. You brought a lot of new concepts to my attention. Thank you.

[@cavaugnsharkey2699]

You've made a comparison of my favorite TV show to my favorite history topic in one video. This day couldn't get any better.

[@marcello7781]

Very cool video and well spotted similarities! Recently I've read "Black Leopard Red Wolf" by Marlon James, set in an African-likee mythological land and I think it's a very nice fantasy story.

[@GlareBoxTV]

Yep. The book is often compared with GoT

[@adamnesico]

@@GlareBoxTV And I know about Imaro, like Conan the barbaria nbooks but in a black setting. You dont see the problem? A black conan, a black GoT, a black Valhala in Marvel... Isnt both sad and unimaginative that the things done are just black versions of white works? Speaking of imittion, here the same but the opposite: I really liked the novel Kirinyaga. Its called as scify, but barely is. Is more like an imitation of african traditional tals, in fact in the books apear some of those. A nice look on the traditional kikuyu culture. You see? This is the opposite, a white imitating african stories. SomethingI see is that most african writers dont seem to have any interest in their ancestral culture and just think in the colonial culture they have. If they prefer it, then can they really blame colonialism?

[@marcello7781]

@@adamnesico you're stretching this a bit too much. A lot of fantasy novels share many similarities with other novels around the world and if Western critics compare a new novel from an African author to LOTR, GOT or Conan the Barbarian, it doesn't mean the African author is doing a "black version" of a "white story", it means the critics are comparing it to stories they have more familiarity with. I don't know who told you that African authors don't seem to have interest in their ancestral culture. p.s.: So, most of the Asgardians (who in the MCU are humanoid aliens or something like that) are white, but a couple of them being black (Heimdall and Valkyrie) are enough for you to call it "black Valhalla"? LOL

[@adamnesico]

@@marcello7781 African author? His blood maybe mostly african, but what really define us is culture. Afroamericans are as english as the other gringos, so they drink basically from the same culture sources, so if they make a very similar work is likely it was inspired in whites works. I say that simply because the only african author I know who make novels about the traditional society of his people is Chinua Achebe. His novels are wonderful, the igbo society was so diferent and so human. If there are others, id love to know them, but I guess they wont be ranslated in spanish. Chinua works are now popularizing in public libraries in my country. Ive read other black novelists and all them make novels about the present or about afrofuturism. Really, they seem to despise their past, historic novel is basically absent between black writers in the search I did. I guess its an effect of colonialism, neocolonial rulers and the colony they were given power from doesnt wanna make he people know their previous scoietys for not feed separatist movements. Hehehe, no, with black Valhalla I meant Wakanda.

[@marcello7781]

@@adamnesico I reply now only because I rarely check notifications. When I said "African author" I was referring to any random African author. I agree with you on the culture that defines others beyond colors, though. Ok, by explaining yourself better you've put up an interesting point of view: the preference of black and African novelists towards the present or future rather than the past as a consequence of colonialism. I agree on that too and I think many prefer fantasy-like scenarios and afrofuturism as a simpler escapism than setting a novel in the harsh times of the past, especially the colonial one. While many black authors writing fantasy probably get some inspirations from western works (kind of like Akira Kurosawa and his jidaigeki movies having some elements of Westerns) most of them try to get rid of the typical medieval Europe setting in choice for settings inspired in African folklore. Gotcha. I haven't seen one calling Wakanda "Black Valhalla" while I've seen more people using it to refer to the peculiar cast choice of Thor movies, so I assumed it was the second option.

[@OhSanjiBoi]

You that's crazy how unintentionally similar they are. I never seen Game of Thrones but this makes want African Fantasy series.

[@hueyfreeman6262]

Agree there's not enough African fantasy shows

[@GlareBoxTV]

That TV show is likely to be Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James, and sometimes compared to GoT

[@Luna-dh6yt]

Finally you talked about north africains✨, what a creative idea comparing media with real folklore and real civilisations as North Africa it’s warm my heart, instead of western culture why they can’t make shows like that with africains cultures ! just image a fictional world maps we have several africains tribes/civilisations/empires. in The north we the have the amazigh ( know as free people ),in the central of maps we will have the most biggest civilisations inspired by Egypt, Mali, Ethiopia, the moors and all Maghreb culture of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and in the south we will have a unique diverse culture with a fantasy touch, culture like Namibia, Angola or Zambia ect, And all humain will have fantasy powers just like avatar !!! Netflix steal my idea plz 😂 ( sorry for my English 🥲)

[@ColleenJousma]

I learned about the zombies in the research of Zora Neale Hurston when she did work in the Caribbean. I believe it was in Haiti.

[@itsbeyondme5560]

Yes

[@abthedragon4921]

Even though it wasn't mentioned in the show, and if it was it must have been a one off line but there is a continent in the world of Game of Thrones called Sothoryos which at least in my opinion was supposed to be analogous to Africa or at the very least Sub-Saharan. Now there are a few reasons I think that: - Sothoryos is covered in jungles, mountains and deserts similar to Africa - It's mostly unexplored by outsiders (like Africa was until the Age of Exploration) - The Brindled men (the native inhabitants of Sothoryos) are described as being tall with dark black hair, dark skin brindled with white patterns and are described as being physically strong. Now while there are obviously several differences between these people and real life Africans, I have noticed a few similarities - Sothoryos is home to several African animals or references to African animals such as giant apes (which might be a reference to gorillas), crocodiles, stinging flies (which could be attributed to the Tsetse flies) etc. Now of course there are mythical creatures I'm into counting for obvious reasons. Now this is all just my opinion and I cannot confirm whether George R.R. Martin made Sothoryos this way on purpose, it's just my interpretation. He's also said that he will never write a book exploring this area and so what we know now is likely all we will ever know about the mysterious continent in the fantasy world.

[@bluebird5173]

Interestingly enough, the "city dwellers vs nomads" dichotomy seems to have been a universal conflict throughout human history. In Europe, it was Romans vs Germans, and later Western Europe vs Vikings. In East Asia, it was Chinese vs Turkic and Mongol nomads, the entire reason for building the Great Wall. In India, it was the Indus Valley Civilization vs the Indo-Aryan nomads of Central Asia. In Mesoamerica, it was the Maya and Aztecs vs various Amerindian nomads (the Aztecs, themselves, had actually been semi-nomadic before taking over a pre-existing civilization). In Southeast Asia, it was the Khmer Empire vs Thai nomads from China. In South America, it was the Incan Empire vs nomads from Bolivia. And of course in the Middle East, it was everyone vs the Assyrians. Crash Course has an interesting video that's sort of related to this topic called "Rethinking Civilization" that explores the history of people living on the fringes of what we think of as "civilization," why they might have done so/still do so, and the implications of it all.

[@toufiquehossain4531]

"Roll the mongol clip "

[@ColleenJousma]

I know more about African history than I do about Game of Thrones. lol :D

[@QuakerMC]

Awesome video! I had no idea the Fulani people were so widespread. And if you haven't read the A Song of Ice and Fire books, I'd recommend them. GRRM goes into a lot of worldbuilding that the show never touches on. He seems to have a blind spot for African history (or just histories in general that aren't directly connected to European history), but they're worth a read if you're a history fan.

[@alia7368]

Read the books, you'll notice even more similarities of African continent cultures & empires; such as the description of Ashai to the 14th century Mali empire. Which I must advise you to give you tidbit to, that those manuscripts from Timbuktu WAS KNOWN during Medieval Europe through the Caliphate in who held Morocco and Spain. The description of Sothoryos gives quite a similar interpretation of the ancient Sudan or Ethiopia.

[@malahamavet]

you actualy blew my mind whith some of these especially whith the berebers. while we wait for Martin to write the true ending, your video made me remember the good moments of the show instead of the last seasons. like, I was reminded why I fell in love whith the show, and I hope all media that gets inspired on it understand why it was so good and learn from it's mistakes, to not repeat them. also did you know that the summer islands are described as surprisingly cool? apparently the conflicts between the islands are resolved through battle but the rivals set a time and place to fight so it's a very controlled warfare to not endanger the islands. I don't remember how that was cause I learned it a long time ago but it was something like that. They're also supposed to be great lovers and being immune to a lethal decrease that protects them from any invaders? there are many mysterious places like this in the books, even moving cities on hidden swamps and all kinds of people that use their surroundings to protect themselves

[@FromNothing]

Thanks for the comment and the insight. Yeah the last season was nothing short of a disappointment. As for the lore on the Summer Isles, yeah I read about that before. Definitely some parallels to Sub-Saharan Africa for sure. The battle rituals for example are similar to the pre-Mfecane battles of Southern Africa. As the "great lovers" lore is comparable to something in East Africa. Forgot the name.

[@adamnesico]

The ones inmune to a disease are the ones of the isle of Naath, not the summer islanders.

[@adamnesico]

@@FromNothing Hehehehe I came here just to comment that Im surprised that you didnt mention in the video that summer islanders too have aprallels with reality: They are good asailors and mechants, like the swahili, and good bowmen, like he nubians. Nice to see you found more paralells. Why you didnt added them to the video?

[@seanpoore2428]

if you never read the books i highly recommend. they do a MUCH better job at handling culture (among other things but that point seems relevant to this video)

[@mch7933]

awesome video, i like how jabari thinks african history even when watching shows lol

[@ibrahimsuleiman8473]

7 Hausa kingdoms and Tuaregs in the north.

[@slamben6742]

It was a very beautiful video. I loved this video. Good luck

[@malahamavet]

if they make it, I hope it resembles more the good writing of the first GOT seasons than the last ones. The dialogue being the best and most enjoyable thing on the first seasons. If we get an African equivalent whith many cultures and interesting characters I'd love it. Looking forward to see some brilliant minds

[@M.M.83-U]

Excellent video. The geographic and cultural parallels are very interestig but, in my opinion, most political parallel can be extended to all the old fashion (King of Kings style) empires: Abissinia, Persia, etc...

[@Luna-dh6yt]

2:28 well yes but lots of tribes don’t live in the Sahara but in the Atlas Mountains ( and it’s snow a lots every winter specially in Kabyle regions ) Touareg live in deep sahara, the chaoui tribe live in Rocky Mountain ( it’s not the Sahara but it’s hot ) and the Kabyle live in the highest part in the mountains so they have a lots of green forests. So not all tribes live in the same way

[@danielaverbuck9901]

FromNothing, may you make an every year, mapping video on the fulani Jihad kingdoms and Samory Ture's empire plz?

[@ibrahimsuleiman8473]

I always see the connection with west Africa.

[@silver_tongue9644]

Dude! I’ve spent this whole time not knowing how John dies and getting any spoilers And then in one fell swoop u take that all away from me Nice video keep it up:)

[@FromNothing]

Lol well he literally died like 6 years ago lol. So if you're that far behind on Game of Thrones then I don't know what to tell you. He actually got brought back to life though so yeah.

[@silver_tongue9644]

@@FromNothing 😩😩😩😩 can u not hahaha I’m getting round to it

[@FromNothing]

@@silver_tongue9644 lmao sorry

[@EmilReiko]

I think the Iron Islanders are more like later medieval pirates than vikings, their society is feudal and all that. They remind me of the Pirate societies of the Baltic and the North sea in the late medieval era, what was really the first "golden age"of modern piracy - and by far the most glorious but also most forgotten The viking culture is more reflected in some of what you see with those buggers north of the wall.

[@JamesSmith-ny2gb]

I think the Dothraki sword looks more like the khopesh

[@DouglasDundee]

Ah, learning about the Amazigh never gets old

[@franklinngangahistorian]

West African history reminds me of Games of Thrones.

[@nataliekennedy4646]

Very awesome video

[@VenisDamalo]

If Game of Thrones is like West African history then why do I still have interest in West African history?

[@HufflepuffDaddy]

9:12 Dothraki = Mongols of Asia simply because of Horse-centric culture. No Horse, no Dothraki. The Horse is even part of Mongol and Dothraki religion. The African people you describe are nomadic but walked by foot across that territory. Similarly, the descendants of Native Americans (First Peoples, the Red Man) walked a much longer distance (and covered a much bigger territory) from Asia to the tip of South America over thousands of years but the Horse wasn't introduced until the Spanish came in the year 1492.

[@FromNothing]

With all due respect, you should probably fact check yourself before making such bold assumptions. The horse has actually been present in West Africa and in use by people like the Fulani since prehistoric times. It was only the forested regions farther to the south that lacked the horse due to the endemic tsetse fly. I speak more on this in my previous upload about the wheel.

[@HufflepuffDaddy]

@@FromNothing did the Fulani worship the horse like Mongols did? Or conquer on horseback? I think you confuse the Taureg (Berbers) of North Africa who had horses before the Fulani (herders, pastoral) and then play with timelines (the introduction of the horse) to suit your ethno-geographic agendas and fantasy parallels. GRRM said the Dothraki were directly inspired by the Mongols of Asia who were horse-worshipping conquerors. You equate the nomadic dispersion of the Fulani for pastoral reasons with the horse-backed conquered territory of the Mongols Empire. Apples and Oranges.

[@FromNothing]

@Chelsea the Kingslayer I made it very very clear in the video that I was already aware that the Dothraki bear obvious similarities to the Mongols and other Central Asian steppe nomads so I don't know why you keep acting as though I am trying to imply that isn't the case. Also I don't know why you're so stuck on "who had horses longer." The Fulani and other West African have been using horses for like 3000 years. You seem to have this idea that the white man just showed up one day with a boatload of horses.

[@HufflepuffDaddy]

@@FromNothing I don't see the White Man's fascination with the mythical Fulani Horse Empire...if it ever existed outside your revisionist history. However, you're the one desperately trying to make comparisons to the works of GRRM, not the other way around.

[@FromNothing]

@@HufflepuffDaddy *"White Man's fascination with the mythical Fulani Horse Empire"* where did that even come from lol. What? Nobody is "desperately" trying anything. I made it crystal clear in the video that the Dothraki were very obviously based on Central Asian steppe people. I simply pointed out the similarities that they have with the Fulani. Largely nomadic horse-riding peoples who occupied a humungous stretch of land. And the fact that that offends you so much is concerning. You're actually boring me now. Take your gripes elsewhere because I've expended more energy replying to you than you deserve.

[@Espinozaize]

Personally I think that you completely misunderstand the role of religion in GOT. There is numerous, numerous references to H.P. Lovecraft all the time. G.R.R Martin directly references some of his deities like: The Black Goat with a 1000 young, The Dark Lion or the Drowned God of the Ironborn who wants his followers to drown themselves...Very simliar to Chutulhu. Furthermore there is also the God of Many Faces worshiped by the faceless men in Bravos. Assassins Now what have all these Gods have in common? They require death & sacrifice. Even R´hollor God of light. To him Shireen Stannis daughter is burned alive via blood magic. That is the point of the Lovecraft references there is only one God & he is cruel & nihilistic. The worship of the 7 is false. Entirely. By worshipping "them" you are in fact only giving praise to The Stranger. The Stranger(the 7), R´hollor, the Drowned God, the God of Many Faces are all the same. It is one being that requires nothing but death & sacrifice

[@adamnesico]

Then why White Walkers exist? They seem to be fo ma diferent god. Where did you took those afirmations?

[@Espinozaize]

@@adamnesico Well I am not quite sure what you are asking here...All of facts I mention above are from the books. The TV-show does not bring up most of these topics of religion. Because it sucked & got moronic after season 4. However the White Walkers (most likely) exist because The Children Of the Forrest used the dark magic of this one evil God to create them. The children of The Forrest did this, in responce to the invasion of the First Men, who tried to eradicate their race. So via dark magic they created these undead creatures whom could even raise the dead to fight for them. However they lost control & the White Walkers turned against their creators.

[@adamnesico]

@@Espinozaize That is he explanation of the series, not the books, when walkers were created already a peace agreeament and cooperation had been achieved between elves and men. From what I read I deduced more like there are diferent gods, many eligions are wrong with the gods but some are real. And I say that some characters are avatars of the gods. Danerys seems the avatar of R'hllor, Arya of the god of Death, the Nigh King the avatar of the Winter god... Those gods are able of do magic and miracles so those seem real.

[@Espinozaize]

@@adamnesico Yet that peace agreement quickly deteriorated did it not?? The situation worsened even more when the Andals invaded, bringing with them the religion of the seven...With the Stranger as one(in fact) the only God to be worshiped. Now Asshai is in the books described exactly as is put forth in the video I linked: It is an ancient, ancient city build of a strange black rock. Both children & animals die by even visiting the city. The darkest & most foul of magics are used there: Blood magic, necromancy ect. Strange that a priestess of R´hllor would come from such a place. Also also hiding her appearance as an old witch & also using blood magic to sacrifice Shereen a young girl using blood magic. Perhaps R´hollor is not so much the God of light after all?

[@adamnesico]

@@Espinozaize Andal invasion was long after the Great Night. Why isnt gonna be the lord of light? What that prejudice of light as tender? Go to a desert and see how merciless light can be. As Daenerys, the avatr of Rhllor, showed in the last chapters. Hes too the god of Fire. Is more like a god of Heat. According to the logic that gods likes sacrifices, the supreme sacrifice would be in theory the human. Just because gods aprecite sacrifice deosnt mean there is only one, just tha they agree.

[@shedar7678]

As an amazigh myself (Kabyle) I find the first part of the video oversimplified and inexact. This is the true that Berbers lived (and still lives) in the Sahara desert, but most of them lived on the mountains and plains of the Mediterranean north-African littoral. Before the ottoman conquest, most of the Muslim empires in the region Maghreb and Spain were ruled by Berbers (Almoravids, Almohads, Zirids, Hamadids etc.) In the video, most of the Berbers shown are Kabyles, who are sedentary and live in a Mediterranean climate, this is why they are physically fair skinned and looks closer to Europeans than sub-saharan Africans. The Berbers who raided the Mali Empire were Tuaregs, a nomadic people living in the Sahel, black skinned and physically similar to other sahelians. So you can't really talk of Berbers as a unified people, and the comparison to the wildies is not really pertinent.

[@FromNothing]

Yes of course it was a simplification. The Wildlings weren't unified either. Not until Mance Rayder.

[@GlareBoxTV]

Isn't there some ancient European and Middle East DNA (e.g. the Natufians) that also contributes to their complexion?

[@adamnesico]

In the books wildlings are neither unified. Series showed them all the same for simplification, the books decpited them as very varied cultures.

[@FromNothing]

@@adamnesico Replying late to this but that's not true. The series showed them of various cultures too like the Thenns for example. They only unified after Mance Rayder united them for a common cause.

[@blazingtatsumaki]

Why are dornish similar to Spanish?

[@FromNothing]

They live in the southern, warm region of Westetos like the Mediterranean, they have olive skin, and their architecture looks very Spanish/Moorish in style.

[@adamnesico]

@@FromNothing Olive skin? Im spanish and I must avoid sun in noon summer for not get burned. My sister is olive skin and she is half moor. Im not far mroe pale than the average and my sister is ute darker than the average.

[@FromNothing]

@@adamnesico Obviously not all Spanish people have olive skin but many do, unlike people like French or British.

[@elshebactm6769]

🤠👍🏿

[@buu678]

its weird you mentioned Islam in a Africa as a comparison to the seven point stars but not the the orthodox Christianity of Ethiopia.

[@FromNothing]

I suggest you re-read your comment and then re-read the title of the video. Then look at a map of Africa and see where Ethiopia is. 😉

[@buu678]

@@FromNothing you brought up Ethiopia with the dothraki. Why did you bring them up at all then? If you hadnt brought up the ethiopians at all I wouldn't have made the comment.

[@FromNothing]

@@buu678 I mentioned it briefly and very clearly brought it in as an "honorable mention" strictly due to the fact that the sword was a spitting image of the shotel. I saw no point in specifically bringing up Ethiopian Christianity when I had already compared the Faith of the Seven to ALL Abrahamic religions (which includes Ethiopian Christianity). Also there wasn't as strong of an "old gods and the new" phenomenon in Ethiopia as there was in West Africa imo. The dynamic between traditional religion and that of of Islam and Christianity had a significant cultural and economic impact in the majority of West Africa for several centuries with many cultures teeter tottering between old gods and new gods. As far as I know, this phenomenon wasn't really prevalent in Ethiopia as they readily abandoned their old gods, converted to Christianity, and all subsequent holy struggles were against Muslims who worshipped the same god.

[@ElijahDongos]

You're really reaching here bro What is this What are you doing

[@ElijahDongos]

It really feels like you just find stories that fit your narrative and then you go. Youre using the bible for validating your story based on history but when other people do it, it suddenly isnt a historical text dude STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoP it

[@alexthecreator8380]

I usually like your videos but this seems very very far fetched

[@FromNothing]

May I ask how? I think my comparisons are pretty fair.

[@dlugi4198]

@@FromNothing next to every second civilisation was smb they considered barbarians, usually when polytheistic religion came to contact with monotheism (with exception of zooastricism for example) conflict aroused. Also the comparatism between Islam and that fire religion was very random. I get that you see similarities, but differences are much more frequent.

[@alexthecreator8380]

@@FromNothing the free folk one kinda put me off...just saying but i do love your channel, just maybe not this video

[@FromNothing]

I never compared Islam to the fire religion. I compared it to the Faith of the Seven.

[@dlugi4198]

@@FromNothing sorry was drunk when I wrote it. But tbf that makes even less sense

[@chrisstauffer5940]

MAKE YOUR OWN STORIES!! why do people just race swap instead of being original!.....does it take too much brain power?

[@FromNothing]

What are you even talking about? When did I ever imply that they should just copy paste Africans into white roles? I hate that too. Never once did I imply that's what I wanted. I was simply comparing Game of Thrones to West African history in a manner no different than one would compare a Samurai to a Knight for example.