Kevin's Watch

Odd sort of question really, but I can't help wondering how different people visualise 'The Haruchai' in thier minds eye as they are reading. I know Donaldson describes them as sort of flat faced, impassive,expressionless and dark skinned, but this really tells us very little. Are they essentially human in appearence (perhaps oriental in thier inscrutability), or, as I see them, sort of half way between human and (dare I say it) ape - somewhere between the gorrilas of planet of the apes and humans in appearence.
The Haruchai are way in front my favorite charachters of the books and remain as always (even in, I think, the poorer third series) true to themselves - somehat similar to Rorsarch in The Watchmen graphic novel - living life without compromise if not without regret.
Also - does anyone know for definate (as in how Donaldson would say it) how 'Haruchai' is supposed to be pronounced - I've always wondered? {Also Ranyhyn - you know, the great horses in case I've spelt it wrong.}

Put me down for thinking of them as brown skinned African.

flat nose, brown skin, short cropped curly hair....

High Lord Tolkien wrote:Put me down for thinking of them as brown skinned African.

flat nose, brown skin, short cropped curly hair....

Agreed.

(I say Ha-roo-chai and Ran-ee-hine)

I get a mental image of a people resembling native Americans.

For definitive pronunciations, I recommend the works of Scott Brick, who has created the audiobook versions of three volumes of the 1st Chronicles and of Fatal Revenant (with more planned for the future).

Brick has interviewed SRD and compliled an audio dictionary he uses as a reference to assure consistent pronunciation in his audiobook products.

A link to his website is at the bottom of the main KW Forums page.

Here's a link to one of Brick's blog entries where he discusses his work on Donaldson vocabulary, including links to audio of his reading of that blog -- a great introduction to many pronunciations!
Scott Brick on Reading Donaldson

The closest comparison I've always had was to Vulcans. Dispassionate, atonal speech, etc.....

I have a copy of Gilden-fire that includes illustrations, so my 'minds-eye' of the Haruchai has always been coloured by that. Solid, stocky folk that look like they could quite calmly walk through a brick wall. Think WWF without the hyperbole.

I have always visualized them more towards the Asian personification...stoic, eschewing weapons for martial arts...

This might be shallow, but for some reason the Bloodguard, et. al. have often struck me as... really hot guys. Like really effing hot. I'm not even kidding.

Mighara Sovmadhi wrote:This might be shallow, but for some reason the Bloodguard, et. al. have often struck me as... really hot guys. Like really effing hot. I'm not even kidding.

After seeing Blackhawk's First of the Search, I'd say many inhabitants of the land are pretty damn hot!

I always pictured them as having strong elven features. Specifically, from the Wood Elves card in Magic: the Gathering.

Heh. My nerdiness is showing.

I originally pictured them as stocky polynesians/Hawaiians.

On the analogy of habitats I usually imagine Haruchai as dark/reddish high-altitude Asians--looking rather like Tibetans or other Himalayan peoples, though with curlier hair.

However, the most Haruchai-looking young man I ever saw in person was from Malaysia: compact build for height, teak-toned skin, hair in black ringlets so dark their highlights were bluish.

Given Durris's description

However, the most Haruchai-looking young man I ever saw in person was from Malaysia: compact build for height, teak-toned skin, hair in black ringlets so dark their highlights were bluish.

My mind pictures the Haruchi likethis person

theland.antgear.com/artwork.html

There are a few pictures here of haruchi as bloodgaurd. They are nice pictures, but all make the haruchi seem to tall and lean, well muscled but lean.

I always saw them like African tribes people with the voice and attitude of a Vulcan....

That's funny, because in the audiobooks, Scott Brick sounds like he reads their characters as if they're Vulcans.

Morinmoss wrote:I get a mental image of a people resembling native Americans.

Thats what I got too.

Also - does anyone know for definate (as in how Donaldson would say it) how 'Haruchai' is supposed to be pronounced - I've always wondered?

iirc from an SRD talk about 3 years ago, ha-roo-chee with a slight emphasis on the oo.

Hm, I've always pronounced it har(soft h, more like 'ar')-EW-chai (rhymes with rye)