Dark Souls is kind of like the Canterbury Tales

I do not know if anyone has ever thought of this one before. Anyone else think Dark Souls could be based off of the Canterbury Tales? There are just some aspects which seem to loosely mirror the story. I mean, aside from the very obvious corrupt pardoner Oswald of Carim, which even the wiki thinks it is based off of.

I'm only superficially informed on the book so I would really know.

Elaborate?

Well it is about a group of people who are on a pilgrimage from Southwark to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. Each person tells a story in an attempt to win a contest that an inn keeper in the group proposes, that is, tell the best story. Where I feel Dark Souls mirrors it ever so slightly is in the characters and their journey. Though everyone in Lordran has their own intentions, the fate and pilgrimage of those cursed with being undead is generally the same. In terms of characters, Canterbury Tales has
The Narrator -
The Knight -
The Wife of Bath -
The Pardoner -
The Miller -
The Prioress -
The Monk -
The Friar
The Summoner -
The Host -
The Parson -
The Squire -
The Clerk -
The Man of Law -
The Manciple -
The Merchant -
The Sailor
The Physician -
The Franklin -
The Reeve -
The Plowman -
The Guildsmen -
The Cook -
The Yeoman -
The Nun’s Priest -
Now I am not saying that each of these characters is mirrored in DS but I shall elaborate.

The knight is described as the "ideal of a medieval
Christian man-at-arms. He has participated in no less than fifteen
of the great crusades of his era. Brave, experienced, and prudent" This reminds me a lot of Solaire of Astora, or even Siegmeyer of Catarina.

The pardoner is described as "Pardoners
granted papal indulgences—reprieves from penance in exchange for
charitable donations to the Church. Many pardoners, including this
one, collected profits for themselves. In fact, Chaucer’s Pardoner
excels in fraud, carrying a bag full of fake relics. These characteristics
were associated with shiftiness and gender ambiguity in Chaucer’s
time. The Pardoner also has a gift for singing and preaching whenever
he finds himself inside a church." This seems too much like Oswald of Carim to overlook.

The Proioress is "Described
as modest and quiet, this Prioress (a nun who is head of her convent)
aspires to have exquisite taste. Her table manners are dainty, she dresses well, and
she is charitable and compassionate." Seems like Reah of Thorolund.

The Friar is a "Roaming
priests with no ties to a monastery, friars were a great object
of criticism in Chaucer’s time. Always ready to befriend young women
or rich men who might need his services, the friar actively administers
the sacraments in his town, especially those of marriage and confession.
However, this worldly Friar has taken to accepting bribes." This kindof strikes me as Petrus of Thorolund, who appears good at first, but is actually quite evil.

The Squire is "The
Knight’s son and apprentice. The Squire is
curly-haired, and youthfully handsome." This could be viewed as Sieglinde of Catarina

The Clerk is " a poor student of philosophy. Having spent his money on
books and learning rather than on fine clothes, he is threadbare
and wan. He speaks little, but when he does, his words are wise
and full of moral virtue." A kind, but quiet young student, much like Griggs of Vinheim.

The Sailor, or Shipman, is "Brown-skinned
from years of sailing, the Shipman has seen every bay and river
in England, and exotic ports in Spain and Carthage as well. He is
a bit of a rascal, known for stealing wine while the ship’s captain sleeps." Think Shiva of the East, except instead of stealing wine, he takes exotic weapons.

The Physician is "one of the best in his profession, for he knows the
cause of every malady and can cure most of them. " Ingward seems to fit the bill.

The Guildsmen are "Listed
together, the five Guildsmen appear as a unit. English guilds were
a combination of labor unions and social fraternities: craftsmen
of similar occupations joined together to increase their bargaining
power and live communally. All five Guildsmen are clad in the livery
of their brotherhood." This makes me think of the various blacksmiths. Andre, Rickert, Giant, etc. I mean, minus the communal living, but you get the idea.

The merchant is "
The
Merchant trades in furs and other cloths, mostly from Flanders.
He is part of a powerful and wealthy class in Chaucer’s society.
" Domhnall of Zena seems reminiscent of this with his exotic wares.

Those are the primary similarities I see. Also, thank you sparknotes for the descriptions. I would have hated to try and write my own.

theres not enough sex in Dark Souls... who would be the Wife of Bath?

wolfboy wrote:theres not enough sex in Dark Souls... who would be the Wife of Bath?

I said that I did not think EVERY character had an equivalent...I gave the ones I thought seemed to mirror.

This is a very interesting theory. At the very least, I'm pleased to find that someone here even thought of the Canterbury tales~

You must also keep in mind that Chaucer used sarcasm when introducing most of the characters. When you look closely some characters are actually the opposite of what you may have expected from the first line.

Very interesting theory, though. I like it.

Bump for interest. Also bump for potential future addition once I review the Canterbury tales again