nations in avatarverse 

So today I got a text from tspcapacity asking if I considered the division of people by the four nations in Avatarverse to be races, nationalities, both or neither, and my first reaction was anthropology can answer this question ~ 

Based on what I know about race and nationality, the divisions of the four nations is by nationality more than anything else. Nations are largely considered “imagined political communities”, due to the fact that the relationships and connections between people in one nation are largely imagined (they are connected by this great idea of their Nation to people they will never meet, never encounter, and never explicitly be aware of)  and limited (the Nation they belong to is not something that everyone belongs to; only certain people are considered members of this Nation, or within the bounds of the concept.) Basically, nations are invented, arbitrary concepts, based on people saying “I am like this person and not like that person” and lines drawn in the sand. They’re a very modern concept.

So: first, we have the United Republic, which is clearly, clearly a nation under this definition, because it’s invented from scratch and populated by people who largely do not have origins in the region, but who all consider themselves to be part of the same nation anyway. Then we have the Earth Kingdoms, in which membership is limited - if you do not live on or have history on this continent, you are not from the Earth Kingdoms - and imagined, because the Gaang went all over the damn continent and people everywhere, from top to bottom, east to west, considered themselves part of the Earth Kingdom, in comradeship with people they’ve never met. Water is split into two tribes, South and North, and despite the fact that they are literally on the opposite ends of the planet, Water Tribe people still recognize comradeship with each other, cultural differences notwithstanding. 

As for why it’s not by race or ethnicity, we have clear and explicit examples of racial and ethnic differences within nations: compare Piandao to Zuko both of whom are Fire Nation; and all the Earth Kingdom citizens we see milling the background. The Air Nomads are all one nation, but I think it would be hard to argue that they’re all one race, by virtue of the fact that they are nomadic and thus spread all over the globe and have people from all over the world. Our definitions of race would split Northern and Southern Water Tribes into two races, because of geographic distance; no one argues that the indigenous people of Alaska are the same race as the indigenous people of Patagonia, or even the same ethnicity. You could argue that the four nations are four different races if and only if you define race in Avatarverse as a spiritual and cultural affiliation to an element, but not by our real-world concepts of race or ethnicity, not by any means.

screamsflailsdiesetc:

Happy 8th Birthday Avatar!

Avatar Personality Cycles 

veridianvixen:

If you go back and examine the general personalities of previous Avatars, you begin to understand why certain incarnations act the way they do. Each Avatar incarnation is an individual, but they share the same general spirit — the sins of one Avatar come back to haunt another. Memories of past lives are buried just underneath the surface, influencing an incarnation’s behavior. Continually seeking atonement.

This will also touch on Korra’s “Avatar entitlement complex,” which is often a part of critiquing her character.

• Yangchen (Sacrifice)
• Kuruk (Selfishness)
  
• Kyoshi (Decisive Responsibility)
  
• Roku (Indecision)
  
• Aang (Avoidance)
  
• Korra (Bravado)
  

Read More

jormelkaze:

Mako’s here to kick some ass~! :’D

Mako and Bolin’s Parents: What Really Happened 

siquia:

(read left to right)

tumblr resizing fu, read in high res: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

_{So far we know Mako and Bolin’s mom and dad were mugged and killed by a firebender, but what if that’s just how Mako’s 8-yo self remembered it?}

_{Let’s look at this logically. I’m with the idea that their parents were benders and were prolly pretty boss at it, judging from the boys. Now, with two excellent and varied benders against one firebender (a desperate one at that to be mugging a family), would their parents really have lost and died? So maybe that’s not how it really went down?}

_{So let’s say their parents got involved with a gang (the boys did it, why not them), only a more dangerous and sinister one than The Triple Threats. Maybe that’s even how they met, while they were both members. They fell in love, wanted to leave to raise a family, but were forbidden from exiting. They escaped instead, went into hiding, and lived a happy life until one night several years later when they were hunted down and ambushed.}

_{Dunno about you but it just doesn’t sit well with me that in a world where 14-yo amateurs can beat seasoned masters, two capable benders just get murdered.} 

Oh shit I

wow

fuuuuuuuck

bryankonietzko:

NAGA

I’ve been chipping away at this one, bit by bit, for a few weeks. Living with the official Naga model, my dog, was certainly a big help. He often strikes a majestic, epic pose on the porch, staring into his vast domain. This is a tribute to him, the quiet observer.

awwwh i want a naga

patronsaintoffirebenders:

the fact that korra is so terrified of amon that just looking at a poster of him gave her flashbacks so vivid she gasped and recoiled

baby please

makorralicious:

Miyazaki and Avatar? akjfkldsjfklds perfect

ohhhh beautiful

bryankonietzko:

This is an update of sorts, based on a little concept I did almost exactly 10 years ago. I worked on it a few minutes at the end of each day this week. *Trying* to get better at digital painting. Hope you guys enjoy it. Have a great weekend!