Crusading to Bring “Truth” to Medieval Fantasy Movies, Books & Games
I chose the title for this paper very carefully. A few months ago I might have said “time to begin the Great Crusade against Misconceptions in the Medieval Fantasy Genre,” but I’ve learned that in order to win this holy war we must not fight against what we hate–lies and misconceptions–but rather save what we love–truth!
Like the great Latin barons of the first military Crusade, not the People’s Crusade, I’m not warring for myself or for any material gains; I’m warring because I truly believe it’s wrong to pump misconceptions into young people’s minds so that they then go on to take it all as truth! Like Peter the Hermit, I’m appealing to a subconscious need, one inherent in many of us, that may take several decades to ripen into material life, and as things like HEMA and Lindybeige become more popular my quest will become easier. I see Lindybeige as one of the great Crusader barons bringing truth to the Holy Land, and each and every HEMA practitioner, every Matt Easton fan, as one of the many knights, footmen, auxiliaries and camp-followers who are making this Crusade possible. Go ahead and laugh because I did too after reading this again!
How many people do you know believe that knights in plate armor were walking tin cans that could barely run and jump? How many people do you know believe that you can hold back the drawstring of a war bow at full draw for as long as you want in order to threaten someone with dialogue? How many people do you know believe that cannons weren’t around in the Middle Ages? These people have been lied to, arguably unintentionally, and they don’t even know it yet. It’s our duty to “wake them up” so to speak. I’m exaggerating this to make it sound somewhat like a pompous speech one would here from a priest as he’s riling some archers to fight for their god during a siege, though I’m sure it still gets the point across, or at least I hope it does. I must be that man who can be laughed at as he follows his dream through the purple haze, toward epic reenactment of medieval culture.
Because out there in the market I like options and one option should be a genre of fantasy that gives you an understanding of what life in the Middle Ages was really like. If I don’t do something about it in the next few decades, someone else will.
If you live in Victoria BC, Canada and are interested in custom leather book binding or collecting rare vintage books I highly recommend Period Fine Bindings in Oak Bay. There I recently got my hands on a A New Dictionary of Heraldry printed in 1739 and will soon be using it to design the coats of arms for many characters in the Medieverse.
One of the hard truths of writing is that people don’t want authenticity. Then again, people DO want authenticity. It’s a paradox. Have you ever read “War of Art” by Steven Pressfield? He does a lovely job of emotionally working open the knot of “writing to market”. Worth a read!
A paradox indeed. I’ll have to check that book out. Thanks for the recommendation!
It’s the same with honesty. People want it, but only the kind of honesty that is agreeable to them. 🙂 Pressfield has apparently written a lot of accurately-imagined historical fiction, too. His focus was on ancient Greece, I believe, but still concerns warriors and soldiers, so may be of interest to you!
Thanks again. Yea, it’s a princely art to gild the bitter pill.
History is a funny thing – it is subjective based on the winners or the majority of the writings of the time to a point. But yes I agree to strive for more realism is good.