Homelands (Fables)
Encyclopedia
The Homelands are the mythical lands from fairy tales, folklore
, and nursery rhymes in the comic book series Fables
. The majority of those listed have been conquered by the mysterious Adversary, as he has conquered most of the European Fable lands. This is a list of the Homelands that have been directly referenced either in Fables, its spin-off Jack of Fables
, or with some indirectly mentioned by Bill Willingham
.
series.
Large areas in Americana include:
Significant places in Americana are Big City
and Salem
located in the Colonies, Steamboat City located in Steamboat, Speakeasy
located in Gangland, the Grand Canyon created by Paul Bunyan and unnamed cities in Lone Star, The Frontier and the Great White North. Kansas
is referred to in Cinderella: Fables Are Forever and was the former home of Dorothy Gale
As could be expected from the Homelands, things are not so normal as they should be. The Idyll area seems to be populated entirely by zombies, all being loyal to the Bookburner (who is the head librarian of Americana, the library being located in Idyll), while the Great White North seems to represent how America views Canada and Alaska, as it is very clean, ice hockey
being the biggest form of amusement and, according to Jack, having horrible bacon.
Untouched by The Adversary's forces, Americana possesses advanced technology compared with the conquered European worlds where the absence of modern arms is crucial to sustain the ruling system. Vehicles and appliances seen are cars from the 1920s, steamtrains, various firearms and even modern household appliances. Besides, the only known way to enter Americana is by dressing as a vagrant and jumping on a train.
It is also quite possible that other areas are near or on Americana that resemble ancient Mesoamerica or Latin America.
, once the license becomes available.
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, and nursery rhymes in the comic book series Fables
Fables (comics)
Fables is a comic book series created by writer Bill Willingham, published by DC Comics's Vertigo imprint beginning in 2002. The series deals with various characters from fairy tales and folklore – referring to themselves as "Fables" – who have been forced out of their Homelands by "The...
. The majority of those listed have been conquered by the mysterious Adversary, as he has conquered most of the European Fable lands. This is a list of the Homelands that have been directly referenced either in Fables, its spin-off Jack of Fables
Jack of Fables
Jack of Fables was a spin-off of the comic book Fables, both of which were published by DC Comics as part of that company's Vertigo imprint. It shows the adventures of Jack Horner after his exile from Fabletown. A preview of the series was shown in Fables #50, and the series itself debuted in July...
, or with some indirectly mentioned by Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham is an American writer and artist of comics.-Career:Willingham got his start in the late 1970s to early 1980s as a staff artist for TSR, Inc., where he illustrated a number of their role-playing game products...
.
Major Lands
- ToscaneTuscanyTuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
- Also known as the Imperial Homeworld. This world is ItalianItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in nature, which can be seen in the Roman styles of architecture of Calabri Anagni, the capital city of the Empire. This world is the home to The Adversary, the characters from the tale of Pinnochio and formerly the Sacred groveSacred groveA sacred grove is a grove of trees of special religious importance to a particular culture. Sacred groves were most prominent in the Ancient Near East and prehistoric Europe, but feature in various cultures throughout the world...
, now located in the Kingdom of Haven. When translated into Latin, Calabri refers to the Boot heel-shaped peninsula in Italy and AnagniAnagniAnagni is an ancient town and comune in Latium, central Italy, in the hills east-southeast of Rome. It is a historical center in Ciociaria.-Geography:...
refers to the ancient town in central Italy.
- The Emerald Kingdom, which was conquered early on. Don Quijote and his squire Sancho PanzaSancho PanzaSancho Panza is a fictional character in the novel Don Quixote written by Spanish author Don Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in 1605. Sancho acts as squire to Don Quixote, and provides comments throughout the novel, known as sanchismos, that are a combination of broad humour, ironic Spanish proverbs,...
are seen there in flashbacks.
- The Kingdom of the Great Lion - believed to be Narnia, it was another land that was conquered early on. Due to the Chronicles of Narnia currently being protected by copyright, a conclusive answer may never be forthcoming. The first chapter of "War And Pieces" is called "The Voyage Of The Sky Treader", which may be a reference to The Voyage Of The Dawn TreaderThe Voyage of the Dawn TreaderThe Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis. Written in 1950, it was published in 1952 as the third book of The Chronicles of Narnia...
(the 5th book in the "Narnia" series, using the internal chronology).
- LilliputLilliput and BlefuscuLilliput and Blefuscu are two fictional island nations that appear in the first part of the 1726 novel Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. The two islands are neighbors in the South Indian Ocean, separated by a channel eight hundred yards wide. Both are inhabited by tiny people who are about...
- From Gulliver's TravelsGulliver's TravelsTravels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships, better known simply as Gulliver's Travels , is a novel by Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift that is both a satire on human nature and a parody of...
; it is not known if the island of Lilliput is conquered by the Adversary, but the first party that came from Lilliput is now living in Smalltown of Fabletown's upstate Farm annex.
- Bornegascar and Madagao - from Fantastic Fables by Ambrose BierceAmbrose BierceAmbrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist and satirist...
, the rival kings managed to escape and died side by side in The Last Castle.
- The kingdom of the North Wind, also referred to as "the North". The lands of the North Wind were not taken, as the Adversary’s minions "knew to leave him alone".
- The Rus - A mythical version of RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and home to many SlavicSlavic peoplesThe Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
Fables. It was controlled by Baba YagaBaba YagaBaba Yaga or Baba Roga is a haggish or witchlike character in Slavic folklore. She flies around on a giant pestle, kidnaps small children, and lives in a hut that stands on chicken legs...
, until she was captured in the Battle of Fabletown. Her Knights also patrolled the lands until they were beheaded by Boy BlueBoy Blue (Fables)Boy Blue is a major character in the Vertigo comic book series Fables. He is based on the nursery rhyme character Little Boy Blue. At the beginning of the series, he is portrayed as an efficient but meek office clerk helping Snow White run Fabletown; however, he has a colorful and violent history...
. Mundane Russia is approximately one-sixteenth the size of the magical Rus.
- Dunhill, Viss, Haven, and Lamien - Mentioned in Jack of FablesJack of FablesJack of Fables was a spin-off of the comic book Fables, both of which were published by DC Comics as part of that company's Vertigo imprint. It shows the adventures of Jack Horner after his exile from Fabletown. A preview of the series was shown in Fables #50, and the series itself debuted in July...
as the home of Lumi, the Snow QueenThe Snow QueenThe Snow Queen is a fairy tale by author Hans Christian Andersen . The tale was first published in 1845, and centers on the struggle between good and evil as experienced by a little boy and girl, Kai and Gerda....
, it is unknown whether these were captured or surrendered, as Lumi is a high-ranking official in the Empire.
- The Arabian Homeworld - The Arabic Fable Homeworld. It is a primary Islamic world host to places such as Ali Baba's CaveAli BabaAli Baba is a fictional character from medieval Arabic literature. He is described in the adventure tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves...
, mythical versions of BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
and Samarcand and Fabletown East. Flying carpets, Manticores and Ghouls can also be found in this world. A gate to this world is found in modern day BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, leading to its fabled version. SolomonSolomonSolomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
's plan of trapping Djinn's in wish-granting bottles was initiated here. SinbadSinbadSinbad or Sindbad may refer to:* Sinbad the Sailor, from The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, also known as Arabian Nights* Sinbad the Sailor, an alias of Edmond Dantes in the novel The Count of Monte Cristo...
, Yusuf, Hakim and the Three Harem girls, Sidi-Nouman, King Shahryar, ScheherazadeScheherazadeScheherazade , sometimes Scheherazadea, Persian transliteration Shahrazad or Shahrzād is a legendary Persian queen and the storyteller of One Thousand and One Nights.-Narration :...
, AladdinAladdinAladdin is a Middle Eastern folk tale. It is one of the tales in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights , and one of the most famous, although it was actually added to the collection by Antoine Galland ....
and Ali BabaAli BabaAli Baba is a fictional character from medieval Arabic literature. He is described in the adventure tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves...
all came from this world.
- The Cloud Kingdoms - From Jack and the BeanstalkJack and the BeanstalkJack and the Beanstalk is a folktale said by English historian Francis Palgrave to be an oral legend that arrived in England with the Vikings. The tale is closely associated with the tale of Jack the Giant-killer. It is known under a number of versions...
, the Cloud Kingdoms exist in their own interdimensional way, being a world of their own but at the same time existing over all of the other worlds.
- Thrumbly Warrens - A land inhabited by talking rabbits and inspired by Watership DownWatership DownWatership Down is a classic heroic fantasy novel, written by English author Richard Adams, about a small group of rabbits. Although the animals in the story live in their natural environment, they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture, language , proverbs, poetry, and mythology...
, these were shown as being taken in 1001 Nights of Snowfall1001 Nights of SnowfallFables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall is a graphic novel prequel to the comic book series Fables written by series creator Bill Willingham with a variety of artists. It was released on October 18, 2006 by Vertigo....
.
- The Indu - A fabled version of IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and home to MowgliMowgliMowgli is a fictional character from India who originally appeared in Rudyard Kipling's short story "In the Rukh" and then went on to become the most prominent and memorable character in his fantasies, The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book , which also featured stories about other...
, Shere KhanShere KhanShere Khan is a fictional tiger of the Indian jungle. He is the chief antagonist in two of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book stories featuring Mowgli. Shere Khan is named after an Afghan Prince Kipling encountered on his trips to Afghanistan...
, BagheeraBagheeraBagheera the black-toned Indian Leopard is an animal fictional character in Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli stories in The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book...
, BalooBalooBaloo is the fictional bear featured in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book from 1894 and The Second Jungle Book from 1895.-Name and species:He is described in Kipling's work as "the sleepy brown bear"...
and others from The Jungle BookThe Jungle BookThe Jungle Book is a collection of stories by British Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling. The stories were first published in magazines in 1893–4. The original publications contain illustrations, some by Rudyard's father, John Lockwood Kipling. Kipling was born in India and spent the first six...
. As the last remaining member of the Raj, the current ViceroyViceroyA viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
is Lord Mountbatten, a Clockwork TigerAutomatonAn automaton is a self-operating machine. The word is sometimes used to describe a robot, more specifically an autonomous robot. An alternative spelling, now obsolete, is automation.-Etymology:...
crafted as a gift to Lord Viceroy Lovejoy by the craftsmen of MaharajaMaharajaMahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
Sindu Baba Singh. The Indu might not be the home to Fables of Indian origin but rather those who are born from the British view on India, thus explaining why it was conquered alongside the European worlds instead of the Oriental worlds.
- The Hesse - The GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Fable lands. The name Hesse is derived from one of the larger states in Germany. The Hesse is host to the Black ForestBlack ForestThe Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
, the city of HamelinHamelinHamelin is a town on the river Weser in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Hamelin-Pyrmont and has a population of 58,696 ....
, the town of WinsenWinsen (Luhe)Winsen is the capital of the district of Harburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the small river Luhe, near its confluence with the Elbe, approx. 25 km southeast of Hamburg, and 20 km northwest of Lüneburg....
and the Weser River. Much of the novel Peter and Max is set in Hesse, and Dunster Happ spent seven years in the Hesse trapping the last of the Baleful Hernes (presumably a reference to Herne the HunterHerne the HunterIn English folklore, Herne the Hunter is a ghost associated with Windsor Forest and Great Park in the English county of Berkshire. His appearance is notable in the fact that he has antlers upon his head....
and Wild HuntWild HuntThe Wild Hunt is an ancient folk myth prevalent across Northern, Western and Central Europe. The fundamental premise in all instances is the same: a phantasmal, spectral group of huntsmen with the accoutrements of hunting, horses, hounds, etc., in mad pursuit across the skies or along the ground,...
.
- ErinErinErin is a Hiberno-English derivative of the Irish word "Éirinn". ....
- The mythical version of IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The name Erin deriving from the Irish name for Ireland “Éirinn".
- AlbionAlbionAlbion is the oldest known name of the island of Great Britain. Today, it is still sometimes used poetically to refer to the island or England in particular. It is also the basis of the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland, Alba...
- The Homelands version of EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
It is the home to many English Fables as the name derives from the eldest known name for the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
- Ultima ThuleThuleThule Greek: Θούλη, Thoulē), also spelled Thula, Thila, or Thyïlea, is, in classical European literature and maps, a region in the far north. Though often considered to be an island in antiquity, modern interpretations of what was meant by Thule often identify it as Norway. Other interpretations...
- Seen in the mini-series Cinderella: From Fabletown with LoveCinderella: From Fabletown With LoveCinderella: From Fabletown with Love was a comic book limited series published by Vertigo Comics in 2009 and 2010, and set in the world of Fables. The story portrays Cinderella as a secret agent, performing missions on behalf of Fabletown...
. Thule is a Fable homeworld that mainly draws its characters from Norwegian Folktales. Thule was governed before, during and after the Adversary conquered it by King ValemonWhite-Bear-King-ValemonWhite-Bear-King-Valemon is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by the artist August Schneider in 1870, after a peasant woman, Thore Aslaksdotter , in Setesdal. The tale was for the first time retold and published in Peter Christen Asbjørnsen's Norske Folke-Eventyr. Ny Samling...
and his bride until they were overthrown by its current ruler, Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. Night lasts for six months in Ultima Thule.
- OzLand of OzOz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
- From the classic Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
series by L. Frank BaumL. Frank BaumLyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
. It and surrounding kingdoms are controlled by the Nome KingNome KingThe Nome King is a fictional character in L. Frank Baum's Oz books. Although the Wicked Witch of the West is the most famous of Oz's villains , the Nome King is the closest the book series has to a main antagonist.-In the novels:The character called the Nome King is originally named Roquat the Red...
. The Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, and Dorothy were imprisoned at the Golden Boughs Retirement VillageGolden Boughs Retirement VillageThe Golden Boughs Retirement Village is a fictional prison masquerading as a retirement home for fables in the Fables spin-off Jack of Fables. It is run by a man called himself Mr. Revise...
until Jack HornerJack Horner (Fables)Jack Horner is a fictional character in the comic book series Fables by Bill Willingham. His first appearance was in issue #1 of Fables and continued as a regular character of the series until leaving the series for his own title, Jack of Fables...
helped them escape. Princess Ozma escaped and is currently a member of Fabletown's coven of magicians, witches and sorcerers. It is revealed that a road is being constructed through the Deadly DesertDeadly DesertThe Deadly Desert is the magical desert that completely surrounds the fictional Land of Oz. On maps, the Eastern quadrant of the desert is called the Deadly Desert, while the other three quadrants of desert are called the Shifting Sands, the Impassable Desert, and the Great Sandy Waste.The desert...
linking Oz properly to surrounding lands and kingdoms.
- The Land of EvLand of EvThe Land of Ev is a fictional country in the Oz books of L. Frank Baum and his successors. Its exact location is unclear between text and maps. The Road to Oz states that Ev is to the north of the Land of Oz, and in Ozma of Oz, Princess Ozma of Oz and her procession enter the Munchkin Country and...
- Bukfin ends up here after climbing the Fabletown Business Office's tree. Ev, like Oz, was conquered by the former Adversary, and is now ruled by the Nome King as part of his Pan-Ozian Empire. While sitting in one of Ev's native Lunch Box Trees, Bufking accidentally saves Bungle the Glass CatGlass CatBungle, the Glass Cat is a character in the Oz books of L. Frank Baum.Bungle first appears in The Patchwork Girl of Oz, the seventh of Baum's fourteen Oz books. The magician Dr. Pipt tests his Powder of Life by animating an ornamental glass cat figurine, for the specific purpose of catching mice...
, Jack PumpkinheadJack PumpkinheadJack Pumpkinhead is a fictional character from the Oz book series by L. Frank Baum.-In Baum:Jack first appeared in The Marvelous Land of Oz. Jack's tall figure is made from tree limbs and jointed with wooden pegs...
and The SawhorseThe SawhorseThe Saw-Horse, sometimes spelled Sawhorse, is a character from L Frank Baum's Oz books series. He first appears in The Marvelous Land of Oz.-History:...
from a couple of "Rumbe Tumble Tom's".
- The Lands of the West, ruled by the West Wind.
- Wonderland, Looking-Glass Land and Snark Island - From Lewis CarrollLewis CarrollCharles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
's Alice in Wonderland, it is assumed to have been conquered since numerous playing cards and the Cheshire CatCheshire CatThe Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat popularised by Lewis Carroll's depiction of it in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Known for his distinctive mischievous grin, the Cheshire Cat has had a notable impact on popular culture.-Origins:...
are residents of FabletownFabletownFabletown is the fictional, clandestine community of "Fables" resident in New York in the Fables comic book universe. It exists in two locations, one being Bullfinch Street in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and the other on a large farm in upstate New York, protected with magical spells that...
. Alice, The Mad Hatter, the Dormouse and the March Hare, the Walrus and the Carpenter (and the oysters they seem not to have eaten yet) were held prisoner at the Golden Boughs retirement facility until Jack Horner helped them escape. Humpty Dumpty is also a prisoner and a violet/pink caterpillar (which may or may not be the Caterpillar) is shown eating a leaf while Humpty Dumpty tries to convince Jack to let him escape with the others. The Vorpal Sword is now Fabletown property, which could imply that Tulgey Wood has been conquered as well (Lewis Carroll has revealed in a letter to a friend that Tulgey Wood is located on Snark Island).
Places
- Keep at the End of the World - From East of the Sun and West of the MoonEast of the Sun and West of the MoonEast of the Sun and West of the Moon is a Norwegian folk tale.East of the Sun and West of the Moon was collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe...
, this was the setting for The Last Castle, where the last Fable refugees escaped from to the Mundy world.
- The Black ForestBlack ForestThe Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
- Located in the Hesse and former home to Bigby WolfBigby WolfBigby Wolf is a major character in the comic book series Fables. He is the Big Bad Wolf of legend and served as the sheriff of the exile community known as Fabletown for several hundred years...
, Frau TotenkinderFrau TotenkinderFrau Totenkinder is a fictional character in the comic book series Fables, created by Bill Willingham. Leader of the magicians of Fabletown, Totenkinder represents many of the unnamed witches found in tales and legends...
and a whole array of malign spirits, ogres and bogeymen. It is not known whether the Forest itself was taken over by the Empire, because the Hessians themselves do not dare to enter it. The rest of the Hesse, on the contrary, was indeed conquered. In "Peter And Max : A Fables Novel", it is revealed that the Adversary's troops did enter the Black Forests on numerous occasions (to try to hunt The Big Bad Wolf, as well as to travel to Hamelin).
- The Lands of Prince Charming - These were confirmed as taken in the Legends in Exile story arc. Whether or not the Adversary conquered the Dwarf Kingdom underneath is unknown. However, no dwarwes seem to be living in Fabletown, The Farm or even The Golden Boughs Retirement Village. Furthermore, Dwarf Kingdom was not even mentioned during war preparations.
- CamelotCamelotCamelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world...
- Appears in flashbacks in the story arc The Good Prince. According to the ghostGhostIn traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
of Sir LancelotLancelotSir Lancelot du Lac is one of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He is the most trusted of King Arthur's knights and plays a part in many of Arthur's victories...
, the legend of Camelot and its fabled King ArthurKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
set the standard of "true chivalry" for all of christendomChristendomChristendom, or the Christian world, has several meanings. In a cultural sense it refers to the worldwide community of Christians, adherents of Christianity...
and its legend touched much of the pagan worlds beyond. Lancelot's betrayal would eventually lead to Camelot's downfall.
- The Kingdom of Haven - The home of Flycatcher, they were shown being taken in 1001 Nights of Snowfall1001 Nights of SnowfallFables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall is a graphic novel prequel to the comic book series Fables written by series creator Bill Willingham with a variety of artists. It was released on October 18, 2006 by Vertigo....
. Recently, he has returned there with his new army of ghosts and has set it up as a place of refuge for anyone wishing to escape the Adversary's control. He has become a consistent thorn in the Adversary's side, having defeated much of the Adversary's forces, including turning all of the Empire's wooden soldiers into a new enchanted grove, taking out the Empire's best fighters.
- The Lands of Beauty and the Beast - These are assumed taken because Beast refers to their lands as "forever lost in the Homelands", in the Legends in Exile story arc.
- The Lands of Old King Cole - These were shown being taken in 1001 Nights of Snowfall1001 Nights of SnowfallFables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall is a graphic novel prequel to the comic book series Fables written by series creator Bill Willingham with a variety of artists. It was released on October 18, 2006 by Vertigo....
.
- The Lands of King Noble - From the ReynardReynardReynard is the subject of a literary cycle of allegorical French, Dutch, English, and German fables largely concerned with Reynard, an anthropomorphic red fox and trickster figure.-Etymology of the name:Theories about the origin of the name Reynard are:...
stories, these were shown as captured in 1001 Nights of Snowfall1001 Nights of SnowfallFables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall is a graphic novel prequel to the comic book series Fables written by series creator Bill Willingham with a variety of artists. It was released on October 18, 2006 by Vertigo....
. Reynard helped most of the animals escape the invading forces.
- Nottingham - Directly mentioned as being captured in The Last Castle, it was Robin HoodRobin HoodRobin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
's home.
- ColchesterColchesterColchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
- Humpty Dumpty from Jack of FablesJack of FablesJack of Fables was a spin-off of the comic book Fables, both of which were published by DC Comics as part of that company's Vertigo imprint. It shows the adventures of Jack Horner after his exile from Fabletown. A preview of the series was shown in Fables #50, and the series itself debuted in July...
was a cannonCannonA cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
for the Homelands version of the Siege of ColchesterSiege of ColchesterThe siege of Colchester occurred in the summer of 1648 when the English Civil War reignited in several areas of Britain. Colchester found itself in the thick of the unrest when a Royalist army on its way through East Anglia to raise support for the King, was attacked by Lord-General Thomas Fairfax...
.
- Toad HallMr. ToadMr. Toad, Esq., of Toad Hall, is one of the main characters in the novel The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and also the title character of the A. A. Milne play Toad of Toad Hall based on the book.-Character:...
- From Wind in the Willows, it is directly mentioned as being taken in 1001 Nights of Snowfall1001 Nights of SnowfallFables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall is a graphic novel prequel to the comic book series Fables written by series creator Bill Willingham with a variety of artists. It was released on October 18, 2006 by Vertigo....
. Badger, Toad and Mole all escaped, many assume Stinky the Badger on the Farm is in fact the same character as Mr. Badger.
- Bald MountainNight on Bald MountainNight on Bald Mountain is a composition by Modest Mussorgsky that exists in, at least, two versions—a seldom performed 1867 version or a later and very popular "fantasy for orchestra" arranged by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, A Night on the Bare Mountain , based on the vocal score of the "Dream Vision...
- From Modest MussorgskyModest MussorgskyModest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer, one of the group known as 'The Five'. He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic period...
's play. Directly mentioned in Jack of Fables. It is home to Chernobog, one of the Devils Jack made a deal with to prolong his life.
- AtlantisAtlantisAtlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
- The underwater kingdom of mermaids was shown being conquered in 1001 Nights of Snowfall1001 Nights of SnowfallFables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall is a graphic novel prequel to the comic book series Fables written by series creator Bill Willingham with a variety of artists. It was released on October 18, 2006 by Vertigo....
. The only known survivor is Mersey Dotes, now turned into a mermaid.
- RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
- The Fabled version of the capital of ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. IncitatusIncitatusIncitatus was the favored horse of Roman emperor Caligula. Its name is a Latin adjective meaning "swift" or "at full gallop".According to Suetonius's Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Incitatus had a stable of marble, with an ivory manger, purple blankets, and a collar of precious stones...
was a member of its senate.
- Prospero's Island - The Island which is the setting of William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's the TempestThe TempestThe Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
. It is located in the Homelands version of the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. Prospero and Sycorax are members of Fabletown's 13th Floor of magicians and spellcasters.
- The Great Wiggly River - The river in the fable of the Scorpion and the FrogThe Scorpion and the FrogThe Scorpion and the Frog is a fable about a scorpion asking a frog to carry him across a river. The frog is afraid of being stung during the trip, but the scorpion argues that if it stung the frog, the frog would sink and the scorpion would drown. The frog agrees and begins carrying the...
. Mentioned by Ollikandar Strikeswift, brother of the scorpion in the story, during Mr. Brump the Goblin's trial.
- Red City - Mentioned by the Snow Queen. Red City Plague originates from this City.
- Harvest Town - The town where "the Janky Man" was boxed away.
- The Great Wall - referred to in Cinderella: Fables Are Forever.
Minor lands
- Skold - This is where Blue fought and killed a dragon.
- Oak Hollows - This place had the gateway that John Barleycorn and Arrow came through.
- Karse - Possibly the Karse from Exile's HonorExile's HonorExile's Honor is a book in the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey. First published in 2002, it focuses on Alberich, the Weaponmaster of Heraldic Collegium who was Chosen out of Karse.-Plot summary:...
. - Vesteri
- Boxen - Possibly the land invented by C.S. Lewis and his brother Warren when they were children, as described in his memoir Surprised by Joy.
- Kardan
- Ruby Lake
- Oakcourt
- Hollyfield
- Skribnutch
- Ynnes
- Kurrewyn
- Tiabrut - This is the world where Mr.Dark was imprisoned.
- LevantLevantThe Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
- AlexandriaAlexandriaAlexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
- Aragon - A mythical version of SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and possibly PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Aragon deriving from the Kingdom of AragonKingdom of AragonThe Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain...
. - Fryslân - A mythical version of combined FrieslandFrieslandFriesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
and the Netherlands. - BilbaoBilbaoBilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
- The mythical Basque Country, Bilbao referring to its capital. - Bretagne - A mythcial version of BrittanyBrittanyBrittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. - Cascogne - A mythical version of GasconyGasconyGascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
. - Septimanie - A mythical version of SeptimaniaSeptimaniaSeptimania was the western region of the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis that passed under the control of the Visigoths in 462, when Septimania was ceded to their king, Theodoric II. Under the Visigoths it was known as simply Gallia or Narbonensis. It corresponded roughly with the modern...
. - Bourgogne - A mythical version of Burgundy
- Aquitaine - A mythical version of AquitaineAquitaineAquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
that, in contrast to its mundane counterpart, covers the mainland of FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. - Kärnten - A mythcial version of combined SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, Bosnia and CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. Kärnten deriving from CarinthiaDuchy of CarinthiaThe Duchy of Carinthia was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, then the first newly created Imperial State beside the original German stem duchies....
. - Lotharin - A mythical version of combined LuxembourgLuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Lotharin deriving from LotharingiaLotharingiaLotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...
. - Scanda - The land of which Prince LindwormLindwormLindworm in British heraldry, is a technical term for a wingless bipedal dragon often with a venomous bite.-Etymology:In modern Scandinavian languages, the cognate lindorm can refer to any 'serpent' or monstrous...
is ruler of
Americana
Another land of interest is Americana, the Fable version of America, appearing mainly in the Jack of FablesJack of Fables
Jack of Fables was a spin-off of the comic book Fables, both of which were published by DC Comics as part of that company's Vertigo imprint. It shows the adventures of Jack Horner after his exile from Fabletown. A preview of the series was shown in Fables #50, and the series itself debuted in July...
series.
Large areas in Americana include:
- The Colonies - The states of New EnglandNew EnglandNew England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. - Antebellum - The South.
- Lone Star - The state of TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. - Steamboat - The Mississippi RiverMississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
area. - Gangland - The ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area during the 1920s. - The Frontier - covering KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, and the Dakotas. - Idyll - The Appalachian MountainsAppalachian MountainsThe Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
area during the 1950s. - The West - covering the Rocky MountainsRocky MountainsThe Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
area. - The Great White North - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and The Arctic.
Significant places in Americana are Big City
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Salem
Salem witch trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...
located in the Colonies, Steamboat City located in Steamboat, Speakeasy
Speakeasy
A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an establishment that illegally sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the period known as Prohibition...
located in Gangland, the Grand Canyon created by Paul Bunyan and unnamed cities in Lone Star, The Frontier and the Great White North. Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
is referred to in Cinderella: Fables Are Forever and was the former home of Dorothy Gale
As could be expected from the Homelands, things are not so normal as they should be. The Idyll area seems to be populated entirely by zombies, all being loyal to the Bookburner (who is the head librarian of Americana, the library being located in Idyll), while the Great White North seems to represent how America views Canada and Alaska, as it is very clean, ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
being the biggest form of amusement and, according to Jack, having horrible bacon.
Untouched by The Adversary's forces, Americana possesses advanced technology compared with the conquered European worlds where the absence of modern arms is crucial to sustain the ruling system. Vehicles and appliances seen are cars from the 1920s, steamtrains, various firearms and even modern household appliances. Besides, the only known way to enter Americana is by dressing as a vagrant and jumping on a train.
It is also quite possible that other areas are near or on Americana that resemble ancient Mesoamerica or Latin America.
Assorted Lands
Bill Willingham has said he has plans for NeverlandNeverland
Neverland is a fictional world featured in the works of J. M. Barrie and those based on them. It is the dwelling place of Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, and others...
, once the license becomes available.