Titles of Nobility

[D. Gray Warrior]

Many fantasy settings have a monarchy of some sort, and since a lot of fantasy is based on Medieval Europe, the structure is likely to be vaguely feudal (although much more simplistic in its portrayal than real feudalism was), and therefore there may also be ranks of nobility such as dukes, counts, barons, etc.

Would you use such titles in a fantasy setting? Sure, the setting might be based on Medieval Europe, but that doesn't mean they would necessarily have the same history or conditions that our world did, so they might have no need for dukes and counts.

 

[skip.knox]

I'll turn the question around. If you don't use such titles, what would you use? Also, could you get away with no titles? That is, what is the story-telling function of titles, in your view?

 

[Prince of Spires]

Would you use such titles in a fantasy setting?

The answer, as always, is it depends.

If I write a story and I quickly need a noble title that pays no significant role in the story, then going for the European titles is great. People recognise them, it's easy to be consistent and fast. If I were to write a story involving an intricate noble caste and lots of politics, then the system is part of the story and it deserves works building attention.

 

[skip.knox]

D. Gray Warrior, did you get the answers you wanted? What sort of nobility did you have in mind for your story?

 

[D. Gray Warrior]

D. Gray Warrior, did you get the answers you wanted? What sort of nobility did you have in mind for your story?

Yeah. I have in mind the usual ranks of duke, count; baron, etc, only my setting is ruled by a grand duke instead of a king.

 

[skip.knox]

That's fine. If you don't mind, I'll make one historical comment. Kings and nobles are different creatures. Royalty is in one way or another (depends on era and culture) divine. They might be regarded as divine or semi-divine themselves, or they might be regarded as having their position divinely ordained (kingship is divine even if the king himself isn't).

Nobles aren't divine. Their positions are created by kings.

Now, you could simply ignore all that, no problem. Or, if you do employ some sort of divine or mythological justification, you could limit it to the grand duke. You could also extend it to other ranks of nobility. Each path is viable; I offer it merely FYC.

 

[S.T. Ockenner]

In most of my fantasy worlds, monarchs are just the highest up nobles that rule over a nation or a province, but emperors may be viewed as semi-divine.

 

[StrawhatOverlord]

I only have a series of titles for the non-empire humans of my WIP, it's based on early medieval/old anglo-saxon and some norse titles, since that part of the world is Beowulf-ish. The Empire is more early civilizations inspired, so it's probably going to have stuff like "King of Kings" and "Vizir".

The clan chieftains outside the Empire are seen as favored by gods, and the chiefs of more powerful clans as just more favored. The ruler of the Empire is seen as divine, rightfully so.

 

[Toby Johnson]

pheonixglade, haldorn, redmane