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So as we all know, most of the 40k fluff can be traced back to existing mythologies (e.g. space wolves are vikings).

What is the 'mythology' that the Saim Hann eldar trace back to? Are they supposed to be Celtic in origin, as their name would suggest? Samhain the holiday is oriented around a festival for the dead, bonfires, and stocking for winter, etc...and is one of the origins of some modern day halloween traditions, obviously.

Thanks in advance for any help/thoughts on the matter.

Hmm got me thinking (and googling)

Samhain as you said is halloween, the would comes from the celtic for "Summers end". The meaning from lexicanium of Saim Hann is "quest for enlightenment" not much of a link.

Another craftworld is also named after a Celtic festival - Biel-Tan (or rebirth of ancient days) is from Beltane (meaning bright fire) the name for the celtic mayday festival.

There's not really much else fluffwise to link the celts and the eldar. Although I think Tolkien's mythos was the first to have the elves as having celtic resonances, unless you count irish stories of the "fair folk" (which I suppose we should).

Only thing I could get from this is that you could use names of other celtic festivals to name your craftworld - Imbolc (the first day of spring (2nd Feb)) and Lughnasadh (10 August, pronounced Loonassa i think). And of course Meán Geimhridh, or midwinter. (This sunday )

Wishing eveyone a happy Yule!

well, being that they are also the "wild riders" i would think that their name could be celtic, but otherwise they get inspiration from the mongoloid hordes... the Huns and what have you.

The Wild hunt and wild-riders also turn up in some northern european/norse legends. It's not exclusively celtic, but then the norse peoples did have contact with the north of brittania.

They've combined a few mythic cycles/sagas to get them. Like combing the biblical and literature sources for the SM and Heresy (Abaddon, first among the primarchs, the first to fall - surely a reference to Lucifer, brightest of the host, who fell?)

Many of the eldar craftworlds (up to 3rd ed) had celtic-inspired names/traditions.

Banshee is a direct take from Bean Sidhe, for example (but not exclusively poached by GW).

chromedog wrote:The Wild hunt and wild-riders also turn up in some northern european/norse legends. It's not exclusively celtic, but then the norse peoples did have contact with the north of brittania.

They've combined a few mythic cycles/sagas to get them. Like combing the biblical and literature sources for the SM and Heresy (Abaddon, first among the primarchs, the first to fall - surely a reference to Lucifer, brightest of the host, who fell?)

Many of the eldar craftworlds (up to 3rd ed) had celtic-inspired names/traditions.

Banshee is a direct take from Bean Sidhe, for example (but not exclusively poached by GW).

I think you may have some names wrong here. Abaddon was not a Primarch. Horus was the first Primarch to fall, but he was only first among the Primarchs in the eyes of the Emperor. He was 16th to be found.

Abby/Horus - same gimp. Never played chaos.

You got the drift, though. first among the primarchs in his creator's eyes (and the only ones to count).