Does anyone here still use the medieval europe setting?

[Alex]

I want your thoughts on the medieval europe settings? Do you all think it has been overdone? Are there some of you who enjoy writing in the medieval europe setting?

 

[Steerpike]

It can still be used effectively. Any number of stories can be told in that setting. Look at all the non-fantasy fiction set in the modern world (or even just the modern western world). No one asks if setting a story in the modern world is overdone. A medieval european setting has the same potential for unlimited stories.

 

[Ireth]

I do, and I love it. One of my novels is set in 14th-century Scotland.

 

[Roc]

I think that something can never be over used, because it can be varied in millions of ways, and you have to find out how to do that for your story, how to make it your own. I tried writing in that setting, but it was too hard for me to get into it because it doesn't particularly interest me.

My thoughts on the setting are slim. I don't have much thought for it, I might pick a book off the shelves about medieval setting, but like I said, it doesn't interest me too much.

Good luck

 

[Alex]

I do, and I love it. One of my novels is set in 14th-century Scotland.

So you're writing something akin to an alternate history type thing? If so, that sounds interesting.

 

[Ireth]

So you're writing something akin to an alternate history type thing? If so, that sounds interesting.

Kinda, yeah. It's medieval Scotland with vampires, Fae and pagan deities (well, only one has a role in the plot, but where She is there must be more). Actual historical events aren't changed too much otherwise.

 

[Chilari]

As long as you know the setting and understand it in depth, I don't see why any setting should be a problem. Problems arise when someone who has no understanding of the setting they're trying to use goes ahead and uses it anyway. That, I think, is the root cause of complaints that medieval western Europe as a template for fantasy settings is overused: not because people shouldn't base their societies on it, but because sometimes people who do think their rudimentary understanding of what they're basing their society on is enough and they get it wrong because they don't think in enough depth about the politics, religion, economy and other aspects of their world.

So go ahead if that's what you want to do.

I'll tell you a secret. I build my fantasy societies upon those of ancient Greece or Iron Age Britain because I've researched those in depth over the course of my degrees and I already know them to a certain degree. Therefore little additional research is needed, only pure worldbuilding on top of those foundations. Because I know rather a lot about ancient Greece I can pull elements of their beliefs, economies, social structure, political alliances, technology and so on to inspire those aspects of the fantasy worlds I create. Thus the world of my WIP is based on roughly 9th century BC Greece, including the level of artistic skill, the technology, social development, even the way houses are built and the laws about animal ownership*. And I can do that because I know the society.

*Actually the animal laws are based on a 2nd century BC Roman template, but they seem logical for an earlier society to have adopted, and we don't know how old those laws were by the time they were recorded.

 

[ScipioSmith]

As long as you know the setting and understand it in depth, I don't see why any setting should be a problem. Problems arise when someone who has no understanding of the setting they're trying to use goes ahead and uses it anyway. That, I think, is the root cause of complaints that medieval western Europe as a template for fantasy settings is overused: not because people shouldn't base their societies on it, but because sometimes people who do think their rudimentary understanding of what they're basing their society on is enough and they get it wrong because they don't think in enough depth about the politics, religion, economy and other aspects of their world.

This. What most people think of as medieval european settings are actually just the modern west with ye olde medieval trappings. That's where a lot of their bad rep comes from. As long as you avoid that, there's no reason not to use the setting. I don't use it myself, but I do enjoy writing cod-shakespearean dialogue.

 

[Jabrosky]

Medieval Europe isn't my personal favorite setting for stories, but I don't have anything against it, so if you want to use it, I say go ahead.

 

[ThinkerX]

For the one world, I used 'ancient europe' (Celtic, Roman, Greek, Germanic) as a place to start from, then went and twisted it all out of shape. Since the remote ancestors of my primary nation actually were whisked away by aliens from that time and era to the new world, I figure it works.

 

[Fluffypoodel]

I think that I have a certain fondness for the Medieval Europe setting. Having read my fair share of early British Lit its easy to see why this is a favorite setting for fantasy. I think that it gives us a sense of mystery that we don't get in a more easily defined culture, like the ones that come before the middle ages and after. As long as that still exists then I think that this setting will remain strong.

 

[ShortHair]

Your setting is like the furniture for a stage play. You can go with the familiar, which people will mainly ignore, and concentrate on the other elements. People have grown accustomed to the trappings of Merrie Olde Europe, particularly the anglophone audience. It hasn't changed much since Canterbury Tales and the Arthur cycle, and you can combine it with other things in new ways, as Tolkein proved.

Speaking for myself, I'm sick of it. I don't use it.

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

I'm using a pseudo-medieval England. Technologically and economically they're in the middle ages, but culturally they're in the 18th century.

 

[Alex]

What about having a communist nation in a medieval era, I feel like that could be original.

 

[D. Gray Warrior]

I used to avoid the pseudo-medieval European setting like the plague, but I've become more accepting of it now. The world I am building is different, but I like to combine the pseudo-medieval European setting with a different one, like Mayans with castles and steel swords, while still having it make sense for their world and have it develop naturally rather than shoehorning it in.

Personally, I find the setting to be a hit or miss. Some of my favorite games and manga use this setting, but I found the legend of King Arthur to be boring, tbh. I also couldn't get into LotR or Eragon.

 

[Steerpike]

 

[Demesnedenoir]

Nothing's ever over done, it's just poorly done, heh heh. Not 100% true, but close.

 

[skip.knox]

Nothing's ever over done, it's just poorly done, heh heh. Not 100% true, but close.

This.

Well, eggs can be over done. But besides eggs, nothing's ever over done. And steak; steak can be overdone. Only two things can be over done, but that's all. And Monty Python jokes. The three things that can be over <fade to black>

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

I used to use medieval settings - not necessarily European but similar. But lately I've been branching out. Modernising them first to gunpowder and then to steam power, and throwing in magic. More lately I've been adding in ancient Rome as a part of a magic celtic world, and also I've started a fourteenth century alternative Roman world in which Rome never fell and London is Londinium. Tech is eighteenth century / steampunk.

Cheers, Greg.

 

[Russ]

Sure do. My background is in history, and I know my medieval history pretty well. I find it gives me a wealth of inspiration and material to write from. When I am writing fantasy I suspect I will never write outside it, or some variation of it.