The Medieval and the Modern
Tracking fantasy/adventure stories from the medieval world into the modern age.
I’ve said to people before that I am a medieval Romantic; I then have to define what I mean by that.
When I say “Romantic” most people conjure in their minds images of trashy, poorly-written novels like you find in the meager book isle at Wal-Mart, usually bearing a depiction of a rather robust shirtless man on the cover. Others, who have maybe been to university, may think of Mary and Percy Shelley, George Gordon Lord Byron, or the Bronte Sisters. That is not at all what I mean by Medieval Romantic; though Byron comes close.
The Medieval Romance was a genre of stories and ballads from the Medieval Europe which focused on action, adventure, and heroic deeds, with fantastical elements. The vast majority of what we know of Arthurian Lore comes from medieval romances. It was an essential medium for passing down cultural tropes and norms, and encouraging moral and heroic behavior.
Fiction, you see, has a catechetical quality; what I mean by that is we are formed by the stories we consumed. Our ideas are often formed by the books we read, the music we listen to, and the movies we watch. Therefore, we must be very, very careful what we consume; it could change our minds. It also means that fiction is an evangelistic endeavor, but that’s a discussion for another time.
The Medieval Romance was made for the express purpose of reinforcing moral behavior. Men were meant to emulate the bold knights and heroes of these classical tales. Many would sit around the hearth, listening for hours as the old poets and bards recounted these tales for their eager audience. Often these tales were set in the time before the fall of Rome, which their audience would look at as a sort of golden age; sort of how we in America view the Old West. The heroes of these Romances were usually larger than life heroes, equivalent to Batman, or Captain America. They displayed certain qualities, such as courage, fortitude, meekness, and courtesy. Men were expected to emulate these qualities.
Moderns scoff at these ideas, thinking “These characters are unrealistic; no one really acted that way. Those virtues are all fake!” No, they did not behave that way all the time. Not even the heroes behaved perfectly all the time; just look at Lancelot, but they gave their best. Virtue is not a fake, pointless endeavor; it is an ideal to strive toward. We are meant to give it our best. That is all anyone can do. Sometimes the difference between good and evil is not always stark; there are shades of gray which the heroes must navigate. It’s not always so clear cut as we might imagine.
The Medieval Romance did not entirely die out in the birth of the modern age, thank God. It lives on. The tradition was carried on by authors such as G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, I flatter myself by placing my own work in that category. “But that’s all fantasy,” a modern may say. “No one is running around slaying dragons and fighting wizards.” Maybe, maybe not; but those are symbolic things of real struggles that men have. Maybe the dragon is just a job interview, or a new client. It’s more about conquering your fear than literal dragons. And that’s what the Medieval Romance is really about. In that sense, it’s even more real than reality.
If you are like me, and thirst for exciting adventure stories featuring the battle between good and evil, consider purchasing one of my thrilling fantasy books. Click the image or the button below to order.