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This has problem been covered before in a previous thread, but I can't seem to find it anywhere.
What is the historical basis for the Salamander chapter? (I.E. The White Scars are based on the Mongolian Empire, the Ultramarines are based on the Roman empire, etc.)

African with a dash of Greco-Roman (at least from what Nick Kyme has stated).

They live the qinticential Greko-roman lifestyle on their home planet with the following changes:

Their planet is a highly volcanic wasteland teaming with ravenous beasts (not sure where the baseline foodstuffs come from. Mabey shipped in from off planet.)

They don't have a single leader (there is no emporer on the planet) and seem to live in large political faction type families.

They have religious travels out into their harsh wastelands to calm and test themselves.

Their skin turns black because of a problem with their geneseed and their homeworlds radiation levels.

Definitely some Greco-Roman elements to the Salamanders: A primarch named after the Roman god of Blacksmithing, a nod to the Titans with their "Promethean cult," general desire to help humanity and attraction to fire, echoing Prometheus stealing fire from the gods to give to mankind. Many of the cities and places on Nocturne have a Greek/Roman name etc...

The African elements to the Salamanders often seem to be unfairly attributed to their "black" skin, which these days seems to be described as more "coal black" rather than darker natural skin tones that we see in humans today. So in that respect they're just "normal" Space Marines that spent too much time at the tanning booth (which is somewhat unfortunate, but that's a discussion for another thread).

One could certainly posit that the ritual scarification/branding that Salamanders engage in can be traced to similar practices in many African cultures.

Otherwise, you could say the Salamanders originate from pure awesomeness and be fine.

I think it's reaction to the radiation on the planet, gives there slkin its distinct colour and legendary resistance to fire, heat, acids and the like.

If you wanted origin, it could be more nocturn than Terra too, the legion is a product of two world's. And primarchs did have a big hand in there legions ways.

 Coldstream wrote:
Definitely some Greco-Roman elements to the Salamanders: A primarch named after the Roman god of Blacksmithing, a nod to the Titans with their "Promethean cult," general desire to help humanity and attraction to fire, echoing Prometheus stealing fire from the gods to give to mankind. Many of the cities and places on Nocturne have a Greek/Roman name etc...

The African elements to the Salamanders often seem to be unfairly attributed to their "black" skin, which these days seems to be described as more "coal black" rather than darker natural skin tones that we see in humans today. So in that respect they're just "normal" Space Marines that spent too much time at the tanning booth (which is somewhat unfortunate, but that's a discussion for another thread).

One could certainly posit that the ritual scarification/branding that Salamanders engage in can be traced to similar practices in many African cultures.

Otherwise, you could say the Salamanders originate from pure awesomeness and be fine.

Nocturne's human inhabitants however are actually human and have dark skin from the environment of the planet.

So Salamanders start out black, but then they become super-black.

 Wyzilla wrote:

 Coldstream wrote:
Definitely some Greco-Roman elements to the Salamanders: A primarch named after the Roman god of Blacksmithing, a nod to the Titans with their "Promethean cult," general desire to help humanity and attraction to fire, echoing Prometheus stealing fire from the gods to give to mankind. Many of the cities and places on Nocturne have a Greek/Roman name etc...

The African elements to the Salamanders often seem to be unfairly attributed to their "black" skin, which these days seems to be described as more "coal black" rather than darker natural skin tones that we see in humans today. So in that respect they're just "normal" Space Marines that spent too much time at the tanning booth (which is somewhat unfortunate, but that's a discussion for another thread).

One could certainly posit that the ritual scarification/branding that Salamanders engage in can be traced to similar practices in many African cultures.

Otherwise, you could say the Salamanders originate from pure awesomeness and be fine.

Nocturne's human inhabitants however are actually human and have dark skin from the environment of the planet.

So Salamanders start out black, but then they become super-black.

I think the humans on the planet still have red eyes and coal black skin due to the planets radiation, I don't think it has anything to do with the geneseed

 Great White wrote:

 Wyzilla wrote:

 Coldstream wrote:
Definitely some Greco-Roman elements to the Salamanders: A primarch named after the Roman god of Blacksmithing, a nod to the Titans with their "Promethean cult," general desire to help humanity and attraction to fire, echoing Prometheus stealing fire from the gods to give to mankind. Many of the cities and places on Nocturne have a Greek/Roman name etc...

The African elements to the Salamanders often seem to be unfairly attributed to their "black" skin, which these days seems to be described as more "coal black" rather than darker natural skin tones that we see in humans today. So in that respect they're just "normal" Space Marines that spent too much time at the tanning booth (which is somewhat unfortunate, but that's a discussion for another thread).

One could certainly posit that the ritual scarification/branding that Salamanders engage in can be traced to similar practices in many African cultures.

Otherwise, you could say the Salamanders originate from pure awesomeness and be fine.

Nocturne's human inhabitants however are actually human and have dark skin from the environment of the planet.

So Salamanders start out black, but then they become super-black.

I think the humans on the planet still have red eyes and coal black skin due to the planets radiation, I don't think it has anything to do with the geneseed

Dafuq have you been reading?

Uh, no, it distinctly does as normal Nocturne humans are mentioned of being dark toned skin like Africans and don't have coal black skin or even scales as the Salamanders do. Jet black skin and burning red eyes are only traits exhibited by the Salamanders thanks to their geneseed.