26 Modern Misconceptions About Medieval Warfare

[Aldarion]

26 Modern Misconceptions About Medieval Warfare

A Song of Ice and Fire and other “realistic” medieval fantasy works have been trying to challenge the set-in conceptions of Middle Ages and provide a more realistic take on the era, one…

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A Song of Ice and Fire and other “realistic” medieval fantasy works have been trying to challenge the set-in conceptions of Middle Ages and provide a more realistic take on the era, one that tries to remove the lenses of noble prejudices and show how things truly were.

Problem is, they have failed. Instead of removing prejudice, postmodernist fantasy has merely replaced medieval distortion lenses with (post)modern distortion lenses – but has completely failed at building a “more real” medieval world. And this is obvious in warfare as well.

That being said, I want to note a caveat: all of the misconceptions, and responses to them, are by nature generalizations. But just because something is generally true does not mean it is always true.

 

[Rexenm]

It reminds me of one of those fantasy tropes, a mysterious and evil event, propelling the adventure, on. It seems this catalyst, evil as it is, has desensitised the hero - into a battle he cannot lose. Otherwise, there is the secret mystery type event - that can also have this trope.

 

[Finchbearer]

Problem is, they have failed.

love the opinion piece.

 

[Plinto]

Got any book recommendations for medieval fantasy authors who succeeded at what you're talking about?

 

[skip.knox]

Wie ist eigentlich gewesen has always been an illusion, though the statement is often taken out of context (for reference, it comes from the 19thc historian von Ranke, who told his seminar students they were going to study and write about history "as it actually was").

We said it often here: the Middle Ages covers a thousand years and an entire continent, and that's just the European definition of the era. With such a broad span both temporal and geographical, most anything said to be "medieval" can be shown to have been true here at this time, and false there at that time. I'm much happier when someone says something about 8thc warfare in Gaul, or 12thc Sicily, or whatever. Give me a time and place, and then we can talk.

Aldarion's essay is valuable, as ever. What I'd really like to see is an investigation of why misconceptions about the Middle Ages persist. It isn't ignorance, or at least not exclusively so. It's because such misconceptions play into certain myths we have about ourselves and our past. I've long been fascinated by how history is used not to deceive or mislead the present, but rather to support and reinforce what Marx would call our ideology. What's most curious to me is how the Middle Ages gets so much mileage, even more than something that would seem more relevant like the early modern era, or even classical Rome.

I think it is because the Middle Ages serve as contrast, as either something containing dangerous violence and dark beliefs, or else as home to finer emotions and elegance. The myth persists because it is coherent, self-contained, whereas actual history (eigent Geschichte!) is confusing and inconsistent. Rather like humans. But it is curious that our fairy tales are so often set in some kind of medieval setting. Sometimes I wonder if modern comics and movies are not creating for future generations a new kind of fairy tale.

Hm. I seem to have wandered a bit. Thanks for the essay, Aldarion!

 

[Aldarion]

Got any book recommendations for medieval fantasy authors who succeeded at what you're talking about?

Tolkien gets many details of warfare right, though he also writes in the style of ancient epics so there is some unrealistic stuff there. Still, things that are not realistic in Tolkien are usually a) intentional and b) easy to spot.

Other than that? Warhammer Fantasy gets medieval politics right... warfare, not so much, though at least differences can be explained.

EDIT:

Wie ist eigentlich gewesen has always been an illusion, though the statement is often taken out of context (for reference, it comes from the 19thc historian von Ranke, who told his seminar students they were going to study and write about history "as it actually was").

We said it often here: the Middle Ages covers a thousand years and an entire continent, and that's just the European definition of the era. With such a broad span both temporal and geographical, most anything said to be "medieval" can be shown to have been true here at this time, and false there at that time. I'm much happier when someone says something about 8thc warfare in Gaul, or 12thc Sicily, or whatever. Give me a time and place, and then we can talk.

Medieval to me denotes specifically Europe between the fall of Western Roman Empire and fall of Constantinople. "Medieval Japan", if there is such a thing, would end with the fall of the Shogunate.

Aldarion's essay is valuable, as ever. What I'd really like to see is an investigation of why misconceptions about the Middle Ages persist. It isn't ignorance, or at least not exclusively so. It's because such misconceptions play into certain myths we have about ourselves and our past. I've long been fascinated by how history is used not to deceive or mislead the present, but rather to support and reinforce what Marx would call our ideology. What's most curious to me is how the Middle Ages gets so much mileage, even more than something that would seem more relevant like the early modern era, or even classical Rome.

I believe it is in large part due to pride and modern-day philosophy. Ancient and medieval people saw history as essentially circular, as repeating in patterns. Modern people however tend to see it as a linear progress towards utopia - thus denoting Middle Ages as something outdated and, thus, inferior.

It is a fundamental shift in mentality. If you want an author that portrays medieval conception, look at Tolkien and his theme of decay.

I think it is because the Middle Ages serve as contrast, as either something containing dangerous violence and dark beliefs, or else as home to finer emotions and elegance. The myth persists because it is coherent, self-contained, whereas actual history (eigent Geschichte!) is confusing and inconsistent. Rather like humans. But it is curious that our fairy tales are so often set in some kind of medieval setting. Sometimes I wonder if modern comics and movies are not creating for future generations a new kind of fairy tale.

That, but also what I have written above. And everything is a fairy tale in some way - including history!

Thanks.

 

[Ban]

I'm much happier when someone says something about 8thc warfare in Gaul, or 12thc Sicily, or whatever. Give me a time and place, and then we can talk.

Nitpicking here, but I don't believe one can speaks of Gaul in the age of Charlemagne.

 

[skip.knox]

I'll allow your nit. It's is Gaul only in Altearth. Got to keep my worlds from crossing!

 

[Rexenm]

Yeah, medieval times fight like cat and dog, or yo mama.