This site makes extensive use of JavaScript.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser.
Live
PTR
10.2.7
PTR
10.2.6
Beta
Why wolves?
Post Reply
Return to board index
Post by
Cambo
In WoW, shamanism comes from Orcs. Orcs use wolves.
Post by
211100
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
funkymunke
In legend and in history, wolves have generally been considered very spiritual creatures and also very intellectual animals.
Post by
shadra
In WoW, shamanism comes from Orcs. Orcs use wolves.
Shamanism is a religion comes from middle asia. (from old ages, like some of turkish tribes (huns, kokturks,) and moghols) Shamans were their spiritual leader.
If you research the middle-asian habitat -i did, as a turkish- you will see the wolves are on the top of the ecosystem as a ferocious animal. Wolves = power, mighty strength.
So this animal affected the literature of that tribes as well. There is so many legendary stories about wolves, especially grizzle ones.
For a little example, in a turkish epopee (grizzle wolf epopee - kokturks);
A turkish tribe slaught by enemies, every women, men and children. But enemies left one boy behind, but they cut his arm and legs, so he could die in pain.
When the soldiers are returned to their lands, and reported they left 1 boy behind, leader of them pissed off, and ordered them to find and kill him too. But when they returned, they couldnt find the boy, there were only a female wolf. So they returned.
That female wolf found the boy, and healed him with her licks. (remember, that spirit wolves guards you and heals you at same time) Then they got married (yup, i know my english is not well, but yes, they got married together. :) ) and gave birth some children. Then they built lots of empires on this lands.And Wolf became a holy figurine for turkish tribes. And all the clans put a Wolf illustrated flag on every city of the turkishes.
As you can see, its a copy paste of Thrall's background. :) Thrall were the only survivor of attacks to his clan, guided by a wolf to frostwolf clan etc etc.
In another epopee (Ergenekon epopee);
Turkishes drived from their lands, and they hide in a cave in the middle of mountains. But the enemy put a big rock boulder to the exit of the valley, they thought they couldnt escape and couldnt find food then die. But a grizzle wolf found them and lead them to the secret exit of the mountain. So they could survived.
After that, shaman and other religious leaders met at that cave as a tradition, to pray spirits, wolves etc
. ( Most historician thinks its a turkish epopee cuz of the same basics with grizzle wolf epoope, but some others thinks its a mongolian one. But in history grizzle wolf were the turks' holy animal, and dog were the mongolians'. )
So i repeat the quote,
In WoW, shamanism comes from Orcs. Orcs use wolves.
In World, shamanism comes from middle-asian tribes, Middle asian tribes's holy animal were the wolves.
So it's logical to transform to wolf or call their spirits as a shaman, even in world of warcraft or in real world. (!)
PS: Sorry for my english, its not my native language. I hope i could explain a bit.
Post by
xenoblad
In WoW, shamanism comes from Orcs. Orcs use wolves.
Trolls and Taurens were shamans in azeroth long before the orcs came.
Dwarves of the wild hammer clan seemed to have innately taught themselves shamanism.
Even if orcs did influence every other shaman race before they became shamans, that doesn't explain why the spirit guide is a wolf over any other domesticated animal the orcs used which also have spirit guides in their form.
Post by
xenoblad
In WoW, shamanism comes from Orcs. Orcs use wolves.
Shamanism is a religion comes from middle asia. (from old ages, like some of turkish tribes (huns, kokturks,) and moghols) Shamans were their spiritual leader.
If you research the middle-asian habitat -i did, as a turkish- you will see the wolves are on the top of the ecosystem as a ferocious animal. Wolves = power, mighty strength.
So this animal affected the literature of that tribes as well. There is so many legendary stories about wolves, especially grizzle ones.
For a little example, in a turkish epopee (grizzle wolf epopee - kokturks);
A turkish tribe slaught by enemies, every women, men and children. But enemies left one boy behind, but they cut his arm and legs, so he could die in pain.
When the soldiers are returned to their lands, and reported they left 1 boy behind, leader of them pissed off, and ordered them to find and kill him too. But when they returned, they couldnt find the boy, there were only a female wolf. So they returned.
That female wolf found the boy, and healed him with her licks. Then they got married (yup, i know my english is not well, but yes, they got married together. :) ) and gave birth some children. Then they built lots of empires on this lands.And Wolf became a holy figurine for turkish tribes. And all the clans put a Wolf illustrated flag on every city of the turkishes.
As you can see, its a copy paste of Thrall's background. :) Thrall were the only survivor of attacks to his clan, guided by a wolf to frostwolf clan etc etc.
In another epopee (Ergenekon epopee);
Turkishes drived from their lands, and they hide in a cave in the middle of mountains. But the enemy put a big rock boulder to the exit of the valley, they thought they couldnt escape and couldnt find food then die. But a grizzle wolf found them and lead them to the secret exit of the mountain. So they could survived.
After that, shaman and other religious leaders met at that cave as a tradition, to pray spirits, wolves etc
. ( Most historician thinks its a turkish epopee cuz of the same basics with grizzle wolf epoope, but some others thinks its a mongolian one. But in history grizzle wolf were the turks' holy animal, and dog were the mongolians'. )
So i repeat the quote,
In WoW, shamanism comes from Orcs. Orcs use wolves.
In World, shamanism comes from middle-asian tribes, Middle asian tribes's holy animal were the wolves.
So it's logical to transform to wolf or call their spirits as a shaman, even in world of warcraft or in real world. (!)
PS: Sorry for my english, its not my native language. I hope i could explain a bit.
I suppose blizzard was trying to emulate some aspects of real world shamanism into the game's shamans.
Thanks for the info.
I think, it's similar to how all priests can cast levitate to walk on water even though it has nothing to do with the light. Maybe blizz was trying to relate some aspects of the christian beliefs ( the J-man walking on water) into the game since a real life priest is "usually" christian.
You have my vote for the best explanation Shadra
Post by
shadra
Glad to see that explanation helped you.
You encouraged me to torture myself for translate bit more. :)
Additional info;
(keep in mind, these are holy stories for "shamanistic turks" so u can easily think wolf and shamans together)
in other version of ergenekon epopee
(ergenekon means high cliff)
, wolf teaches to ppl how to melt cliffs and mountains cuz of iron mines inside of them. (
earth elemental
)
In extended version of this (
it binds first and second epopees together
), you will see that mother wolf figurine is mother of the leader person of the clan who has been trapped in the mountains and her name is gökbörü which means about sky, wolf taught him to control wind, and rain. (
air and water elementals
)
And in another version, wolf dont marry with the boy, she only guards him, and boy make children with summer & winter gods. (
Fire and Frost elementals
, it may be inspriation to frostwolf clan)
You can see the connection between wolf and shamanism better with these examples, i highly suggest you to search for that epic story's english translation. Blizzard always implement some of the myths around the world, greek, norse, egyptian, turks and sumerians, you can easily pick the referrences to greek norse and egyptian ones, but turks and sumerians are hard to see, cuz of their popularity. But if u check them you will see lots of inspirations between them, for another example check "sahmaran" images at google for "naga" inspriations. :)
And last info, that mother wolf's name is "asena,
asine, or gökbörü in some other versions
" and that name still exists in turkey as a female name. And another holy wolf name in turk myths is Bortecine
(börteçine)
,
he was blue skinned, may be inspriation for the arctic wolf)
theese may help to choose a nick for your lil shaman toons. :)
edit: Wolf is still an icon for nationalistic turks even now, and they have some fingermark like metal fans have.
http://img.blogcu.com/uploads/bozkurtlar2_bozkurt1.jpg
(bozkurt dünyanın her karışında var - Bozkurts (grizzly wolves) are exists in every place on the world.)
references: Ergenekon epopee, Bozkurt epopee, Sahmaran epopee.
Post by
404198
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
shadra
Theeseare nice questions, about classes.
And its way better to trolling around like u're doing.
Post by
Onijitsu
Slightly off-topic, but:
Who here would like to see a "Ghost Owl" flight form for us?
;-)
Post by
700955
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
457614
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
681208
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
681208
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
681208
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
717999
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Cambo
In WoW, shamanism comes from Orcs. Orcs use wolves.
Trolls and Taurens were shamans in azeroth long before the orcs came.
Dwarves of the wild hammer clan seemed to have innately taught themselves shamanism.
Even if orcs did influence every other shaman race before they became shamans, that doesn't explain why the spirit guide is a wolf over any other domesticated animal the orcs used which also have spirit guides in their form.
I rescind my statement about 'shamanism coming from the orcs'. That's incorrect.
In the game lore, story and ever evident in gameplay, shamanism has shaped the orcs more than it has any other race capable of shamanism. Trolls have shadow-hunters and priests, Tauren are lead by a mixture of hunter-druidism-shamanism in their culture. Orcs have a natural affinity to shamanism. Where is the spiritual home of shaman? Nagrand. And that is where Thrall's bloodline goes back to.
Although I do admit, there are no wolves in Nagrand nor Durotar (some in Terrokar), but plenty in Mulgore. However, I can trace the orc relationship with wolves back as far as the Alterac Mountains when Thrall escaped Durnholde. That is when he began his shamanistic training I believe.
Lots of races can be hunters, but it isn't evident as to what race has benefited more from huntering, nor has hunting been as important to a race as shamanism has been to orcs.
Post by
120504
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
367590
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
xenoblad
Slightly off-topic, but:
Who here would like to see a "Ghost Owl" flight form for us?
;-)
But owls are so typically night elfish. It would just feel wrong.
A ghost Raven would be much more fitting.
Ghost plain strider for tauren man.
Post Reply
You are not logged in. Please
log in
to post a reply or
register
if you don't already have an account.