Easter eggs (Origins)

There are several Easter eggs in Dragon Age: Origins and this article contains detailed information regarding these Easter Eggs.

Baldur's Gate

 * When transitioning from one location to a next, a window will appear and ask if you wish to, "Gather your party and venture forth?" This is an obvious reference to Baldur's Gate I and II as well as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic; when your player character attempted to leave an area without their companions, a voiceover would state, "you must gather your party before venturing forth.
 * A loading screen tip reads, "When all else fails, go for the eyes!" This is a reference to the famous Baldur's Gate characters, Minsc and Boo.
 * After visiting a female prostitute in Denerim sometimes they will utter "Hey Sexy! Do you want to take a look at my ditties?" The same phrase is uttered by the prostitutes in Amn.
 * When you get Dog to dig for treasure, he may find a pair of old pantaloons that could have once been silver or gold (though this find is not guaranteed). This is a reference to the golden, silver, and bronze pantaloons that could be collected in Baldur's Gate 1, Baldur's Gate 2, and Baldur's Gate: The Throne of Bhaal, respectively.
 * In one of the Denerim taverns, there is a red robed woman named Edwina. This is a reference to Edwin, from Baldur's Gate 2, and his rather unfortunate "transformation".
 * One of the codex entries mentions a powerful enemy named Gax'Kang. This is a reference to the demi-lich Kanggax, found in Amn in Baldurs Gate 2. Kanggax is a nod to one of the creators of D&D Gary Gygax.
 * At the beginning of his romance, Alistair offers a flower to the PC. Anomen, from Baldur's Gate series also offers the PC a flower.
 * Leliana looks like Imoen.

Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2

 * Your character may find a ring called The Harvest Festival Ring which is a nod to the Harvest Festival Cloak.
 * As the game progresses you can find several characters that share the same name as Neverwinter Nights 2 characters such as Khelgar, Moire and Casavir. It is important to note that the NPC "Casavir" introduces himself as Casivir and his corresponding sound files are also labelled as Casivir. It is possible that it is simply a spelling error and not a true easter egg at all.
 * Haven Tombstone: "In memory of the Lohs, forever frozen in never-ending winter nights."
 * The music that plays in the taverns of Ferelden is the same as the stock music that plays in the taverns in NWN1

Mass Effect

 * A character named Sarel at the Dalish Camp will recite a poem for you if you ask about the history of the Dalish Elves. This is a reference to Mass Effect's companion, Ashley, who was also voiced by Kimberly Brooks and had a penchant for reciting poetry. The voice of the assistant to the Dalish Elven keeper of knowledge also uses the same voice as Ashley in Mass Effect.
 * In one of the game's Codex entries there is a reference to BioWare game Mass Effect and its slow elevator rides.
 * In one of the notes found in Orzammar, there is reference to a dwarf hero by the name of Shepard, the last name of the main character in Mass Effect.
 * On a gravestone in Haven is written "T.O. Hanoi. Unloved, unmourned". A reference to the Tower of Hanoi puzzle which was used in Mass Effect, Jade Empire, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
 * The moon used for this game looks exactly the same as the planet in Mass Effect that was said to be damaged by a massive and ancient mass-acceleration weapon. Only it has been made blue rather than orange.  The first time you are able to see it is in the king's camp in Ostagar before the battle as well as when you're in your own camp.

Other

 * After the Urn of Sacred Ashes quest, Haven will have a massive set of developer quotes in the form of gravestones behind the farm house.
 * Haven tombstone: "Questing for Blackrock Sword. Be back soon --MB" refers to Ultima VII.
 * Haven Tombstone: 'Jennifer Hepler: Queen of the Dwarves." Jennifer is a Bioware writer who worked on Dragon Age. Presumably, she is queen of the dwarves.
 * Haven Tombstone: 'In memory of John Doe: human commoner." John Doe has his own wiki entry.
 * Haven Tombstone: "Great-great-great grandfather Gygax."
 * Haven Tombstone: "Cori May: Here I stay."
 * Haven Tombstone: "Sheryl was not buried here. She was cremated."
 * Haven Tombstone: "In memory of Aluvian Darkstar, who fought the darkspawn relentlessly for four years." This seems to be a nod to Bioware reusing names for pre-generated characters. It seems likely she was a test character while the game was in development.
 * Haven Tombstone: "post hoc ergo propter hoc"
 * Shale makes many references to humans being, "squishy." This is a reference to the Knights of the Old Republic character, HK-47, who was famous for referring to, "meatbags" with that description.

Literature

 * The Summer Sword is likely a reference to "the Sommerswerd," a unique weapon belonging to the main character of the classic choose-your-own adventure novels "Lone Wolf."
 * There is a book of Dwarven poetry found in the Denerim markets with a poem about Nugs and Mush. It is even written by Paragon Seuess. It's most obviously a reference to Dr. Seuess's Green Eggs and Ham.
 * Oren Cousland says that he will one day wield the "sword of truthiness" which is a double reference to the "Sword of Truth" novels and to political satirist Stephen Colbert who is credited with coining the word "truthiness".
 * There is a book you can read in your codex entitled Adventures of the Black Fox that is based on Robin Hood. This could also be intended as a nod to Oblivion in which the leader of the thieves guild was the "Gray Fox". In addition, this may be a reference to the film The Court Jester
 * A possible random encounter arrives the player at a small abandoned camp with two dead bodies and a Shade ambush. A note on one of the corpses reads, "Why, oh why didn't we just take the flying eagles?" This is a reference to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
 * Another possible nod to Lord of Rings can be found in the name of Lothering itself - L(ord) O(f) The Ring(s) ...though this could just be pareidolia in action.
 * Sten, who is of "Giant" size, tells you that he was jailed for killing an innocent farmhold (including children), waited until the guards came, and did not resist arrest. This could be a reference to Stephen King's The Green Mile.
 * A book retrieved by your dog, contains a passage concerning the sound of clicking over head. It is interesting to note that this is entry 42, the Meaning of Life, the Universe and Everything. It could be a coincidence but keeping in mind the nature of this entry, it is likely to be a deliberate reference to Douglas Adams.
 * Death of a Templar may be a nod to Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.
 * The similarities between Aveline, Knight of Orlais and George R Martin's Brienne, Knight of Tarth is unlikely to be a coincidence, especially since A Song of Ice and Fire have been cited as inspirations.
 * Similarly, the sword Oathkeeper is likely a reference to the sword of the same name in A Song of Ice and Fire.
 * The Codex entry History of the Circle begins with "it is a truth universally acknowledged..." which is a tribute to the opening line of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. This is also in keeping with the extremely sarcastic tone of the entry that follows.
 * The iron ring that is commonly found has a description being a snake devouring its own tail, an ancient symbol known as Ouroboros. This could be a nod to the ring worn by Aes Sedai in the series "Wheel of Time" written by Robert Jordan. In the series the ring is golden and of a serpent biting its own tail. The ring itself is a symbol of eternity and time itself.
 * Morrigan may be a reference to Morgan le Fey, a character in Arthurian legends who is also a powerful sorceress and is also speculated to be connected to the Irish goddess Morrigan

Film & Television

 * Upon unlocking the door to free Anora who is dressed in armor, your character can comment: "Aren't you a little short for a guard?" A reference to Star Wars: A New Hope upon Leia seeing Luke Skywalker in a similar situation.
 * After killing a group of Loghain's men in the Lothering tavern, a possible conversation option with the barkeep is "Sorry about the mess." This is another nod to Star Wars, in which Han delivers the same line to the bartender in the Mos Eisley cantina.
 * During a Random Encounter, an old human couple and a smoldering crater can be seen. The male human says "It's a boy, Martha! Ten fingers, ten toes! The maker's answered our prayers!" This is obviously a reference to Superman. The ore recovered from the meteor crater can be crafted into Starfang.
 * If your survival level is at least 2 and you're using the "experienced" or "wise" voice set, your character will remark "Warden sense tingling" when he spots enemies. This is a reference to Spiderman's spider sense.
 * In the Gauntlet Ealisay asks what a lark could carry but a man not. One of the possible Answers is "A coconut", which is clearly a reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
 * During a random encounter, the player is asked to pull an axe, "Axameter," from a stump. If the player is successful, he is declared the future king of Thedas, at which point several other onlookers will declare that to be a stupid method for determining a ruler. This is a reference to the legend of King Arthur, who pulled a sword from a stone, an act which only the true heir to the throne could perform. It is also a reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where finding a sword is decided to be a stupid way to choose a ruler.
 * During the conversation with the hermit in the Brecilian forest, his first question is "What is your name?" which is said in a way which is an obvious reference to Monty Python's film Quest for the Holy Grail. You are then able to answer "My name is Winifred" which is a reference to the TV series Angel created by Joss Whedon of whom David Gaider is an outspoken fan.
 * In the final battle, if you choose to leave Shale at the gate, she will say her goodbyes to you and then say "Have fun storming the castle." a reference to The Princess Bride.
 * A second reference to the Princess Bride can be found when searching for Sten's sword. In order to aquire information, you can instruct Sten to 'Pull his arms off', a la Fezzik, the giant.
 * During the "The Urn of Sacred Ashes" Quest the so called Guardian, who has been guarding the urn for "a very long time", and the fact that you "cannot remove the urn from its resting place" in addition to the gauntlet, and especially the "Bridge Riddle", are possible references to "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". Here the Grail Knight has been guarding the grail for "a very long time" and "the Grail cannot pass beyond the Great Seal, for that is the boundry". The invisible bridge, which The Warden and his group have to make solid in order to pass over the abyss is very possibly a reference to the "leap of faith" which Indiana Jones has to make (This is the third Trial of the Crusade).
 * In Tapster's Tavern in Orzammar, one of the NPC dwarves can be heard saying "This, my friend, is a pint!" to his drinking buddy - a reference to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
 * When speaking to Zevran about Antiva he will mention he wished he bought a pair of Antivan Leather Boots before he left to which you can reply "No boots for you!". This is a reference to the soup nazi from Seinfeld.
 * When pursuing a romance with Morrigan, the player has the option of replying "Is it bigger than a bread box?" when told that she has something for them (her ring). This is a reference to either Steve Allen, who often used this question on 'What's My Line?', or to the game '20 Questions', where it is a popular question.

Miscellaneous

 * If you send your dog out to retrieve an item he may return with a cake, one of the possible responses is a refusal to eat the found cake. This sequence of events is a reference to a Penny Arcade strip.
 * If you speak with Sten at the end-game celebration, he mentions he thought there would be cake and that "The cake is a lie." This is a clear reference to the game Portal.
 * During the succession crisis in Orzammar, you will come across two criers - one for Prince Bhelen, one for Lord Harrowmont. Should you support Harrowmont for the succession, and Harrowmont becomes king, the Harrowmont crier may say this as you pass: "News of the hour! Lord Bhelen attacks the Assembly and is ignominiously slain! Epic fail!" Epic fail is sometimes described by tabletop RPG players as "rolling a one." In recent years, it has spread as part of internet culture wherein a person or group fails spectacularly.
 * During the succession crisis in Orzammmar, after siding with Prince Bhelen, the crier for Prince Bhelen will decry "News of the hour! Lord Harrowmont currently being held for treason, awaiting execution. Epic fail!"
 * When Shale is selected he will sometimes shout, "stop poking me!" A reference to a common joke in the Warcraft series. If Morrigan and Zevran are in the party together, Morrigan will also utter this phrase regularly if Zevran (player controlled) runs into her.
 * The quest Correspondence Interruptus is a play on the words coitus interruptus, which is a method of contraception otherwise known as the "pull-out" method.
 * When meeting a Blackstone Liaison for the first time, he will greet you by saying "As I live and breathe, you're the Grey Warden everyone's been talking about." This is a reference to the way irresponsible NPCs greet you in the game Oblivion when wearing the Grey Cowl of Nocturnal.
 * There's an axe in the game called "Faith's Edge". The main character of the game Mirror's Edge is named Faith.
 * An apparently perfectly innocent recipe found in Arl Eamon's home, Fluffly Mackerel Pudding has a real life history of being one of Weight Watcher's most popular and most disturbing recipes.
 * One of the earliest quests in the Kocari Wilds; The Missionary, is written by a man called Rigby to his son Jogby. This is actually several easter eggs in one. Rigby refers to Riggby from the old Greyhawk campaign setting, developed from a character played by Gary Gygax. Riggby was named using a naming convention of -igby - resulting other characters such as Bigby of Bigby's Hand, and in the case of DAO: Jogby, the missionary's son.
 * Outside of the Spoiled Princess Tavern, one can overhear two NPCs having a "fourth wall" breaking discussion about the nature of their world, in which one of them seems to vaguely be aware that he is a part of some sort of story or video game.
 * At one point when discussing Orlais fashion with Leliana, she will mention how one trend had shoes with soles "as big as bricks." This is obviously a nod to platform shoes, similarly fashionable a few years ago and just as impractical.
 * Alistair's name, and his history of being associated with Mages may mean that his name is a nod to noted mageAleister Crowley.
 * Weisshaupt Castle may be reference to Adam Weishaupt, founder of the Illuminati.