Dark elves, reading and writing

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Durithir
Trainee Warrior
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Dark elves, reading and writing

Post by Durithir »

Hello everyone,

One question I have been asking myself is the druchii's level of/access to education and whether they are all taught to read and write.

The pros and cons I have found are the following:

con= this is a fantasy/medieval setting where only the highest classes would learn to read and write.

pros= elves are always portrayed as more intelectual than humans and since it is stated in the seventh edition dark elf army book that high elves children go to school, it would be logical to assume that the dark elves had schools too.

con= given the level of plotting and constant danger of betrayal in the druchii society, it would make sense for the nobles to make sure that the lowborns had no access to something that could make their plotting more efficient. If the lowborns cannot read and write, then they are forced to always communicate in person and gather for meetings (instead of sending coded messages or something like that) which would make it easier to spy on them.

What are your opinions on this?

Regards.

Durithir.
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Shadowspite
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Re: Dark elves, reading and writing

Post by Shadowspite »

I assume all elves in the WH world are literate.

In the case of the druchii, illiteracy would lead to military inefficiency, which would not be tolerated. You need all your troops to be able to read written orders to avoid ambiguity and misunderstanding on the battlefield. You can't rely on just the nobility/officers being able to read orders (or write reconnaissance reports) because you're screwed if they get killed by the enemy (or assassinated by their number two).

I imagine Malekith has established very strict schools (possibly under the auspices of the Temple) for the lowborn, where druchii children receive political and religious indoctrination and military training alongside their academic instruction. Attendance would, of course, be mandatory. Habitual truants, and those whose conduct or opinions suggest a less than proper upbringing, get to see their parents' heads on spikes above the school gates.

The children of the nobility are educated by private tutors at home. Needless to say, almost all of these tutors are spies for Malekith, Morathi, Hellebron or some combination of the three.

EDIT: Slaves are another matter. It makes sense to keep them illiterate so that it's harder for them to plot revolts, though of course some newly-taken slaves will be able to read and write even if you prevent slave children from learning. Literate slaves are probably kept specifically for work where that's an advantage (record-keeping and other admin tasks), and kept strictly segregated from the other slaves.

In Rome, slave revolts were led by gladiators; in Naggaroth, they are led by scribes.
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Durithir
Trainee Warrior
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2015 2:20 pm

Re: Dark elves, reading and writing

Post by Durithir »

Hello,

Thank you for your reply.

I had not considered the danger of having only a handful of people being able to write and read reports within an army in the middle of a military campaign.

Regards.
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Saintofm
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Re: Dark elves, reading and writing

Post by Saintofm »

To use the real world equivolency. education was rare in much of human history, and limited to the very wealthy as the poor could not offord the money and fewer the time to spend on it.

However I see elves being hyper literate. They pride themselves on their arts and intelect, and haveing a country bumpkin that couldn't read or write would look bad on the society.

Every soldier in the Roman army had to be able to read and write so they could both give and understand written rewards.


For fun, it probably depends on the other races.

Dwarves for sure as they also pride themselves of being smarter then the average pink skinned race.

Empire would probably fluctuate in levels between the country and the city, the rich and the poor.

Bretonia would probably have the damsels and the Grail Knights (the religious order of the nation) as traditional the educated group in Medival Eurap were the preists and nuns (the root word for clerical work is cleric), the nobility will depend on the family and the knight, and the peasenty will be not be at all.

Ogres would largly use cave paintings and symbolisom, but aside from a few smart ones they wouldn't see a purpose to it, and Greenskins woulnd't care much about it either.

Beastmen might have something, especially the shamans, as they have to know the god's will. Chaos more of the same.

Skaven will depend largly on the clan i would guess, with Skyer and maulder would have an unsatiable thirst for knowledge, grey seers would pride themselves on being smarter then other ratthings, and so on.

Lizardmen would most likly, though I am sure the skinks and slann would care the most.

Vampire counts and tomb kings also more of the same there.
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