u/Dance_demon

Hi !

So I love fantasy stories and animated media that take inspiration from different cultures, but when I start writing I overthink small details and want to ask them here in the hope of enlightenment.

I will give an example of a character I am re-writing from the series Lego Ninjago. The show take inspiration from East Asian culture and Martial Arts Cinema.

After analysing the characters design I had a few ideas!

Dusk - Elemental Master Of Shadow's

I had the idea of taking inspiration from Ancient Egyptian due to the unique purple clothes exclusively worn by Nobility and High-Ranking Religious Clergy. The Usekh collar bestowed to show honour and statues.

I am saying Ancient Egypt specifically because this character is meant to have lived a long time ago past.

Most of the research is half-baked because I hit the wall of "Wait should I include Religion in this?" because Egypt is a Muslim country with Islam being its official religion - but I don't want to include Religion in this story at the moment - but it is a huge part of their culture and lifestyle, so would it be disrespectful to cherry-pick elements I like.

And so is there a limit to the amount of inspiration taken from one culture before I should just to make them that ethnicity? If most of the inspiration is drawn from the same source?

But this is only if I only take inspiration from one culture. What happens when there two culture's do not blend well together due to real life situations? For example, the current holder of the Shadow Powers has this wolf emblem that I researched can be linked to Ancient Rome, so I thought of making the women above and man a couple but remembered that Rome conquered Egypt - So maybe the relationship would be weird??

But then I remind myself they are not FROM that culture but meant to be INSPIRED by it.

And finally, do the inspired cultures need overlap in their contents?? like if I take inspo from China is my scope now only East Asia?? I know it depends on what I choose to take inspiration i.e clothing, food, lifestyle etc but if the two cultures are vastly different is this still possible??

I have been basically going in circled overthinking these details!

I hope some of this has made sense T n T I tried to organise my thoughts but guess this is the best I can come up with.

Thank you!!

Hi,

So I grew up on Russian cartoons and have had these two cartoons on my mind and want to find them, I remember them really well just not their names.

​

#1 cavemen and a cavewomen

I watched this at my Grandmums place and maybe this one was on either a DVD/ CD as she had a computer - may have definitely been a cd.

​

In this cartoon a caveman is hunting then is found by an alluring long black haired woman. She is very smart and soon enough takes in the wild cow and when the man questions her she simply explains it gives them milk if we feed her.

I do remember the animals talking amongst themselves that the woman is a witch and enchanting the man in some way but slowly more and more of the animals turn to her side once she learns how to make them useful to her family - she does give birth by the end I think.

​

#2 Constructing a house

Okay this is more odd as there was no talking but the style of it was reminiscent of old Russian Cartoons.

There is horrible rain and the construction worker who is meant to be building a house cannot work as he is simply wearing an apron, the Tailor who was sitting beneath a tree cannot work as the clothes keep getting blown away!

​

So he sews the construction man some clothes and slowly as he builds more rooms, more professions join and add their own skills, one is a Cobbler who makes him good shoes, I remember one beunfba baker who made bread for everyone.

​

I remember a lot of these images and it aggregates me that I cannot find them! Any suggestions welcome!

​

Thank you