Folger Shakespeare Library: Why does so much fantasy media these days take place in some version of medieval Europe? The answer, I argue, lies in what Dr. Megan Cook, a medievalist at Colby College, calls “dirtbag medievalism,” or “a kind of meta-medievalism, distilled through the internet and pop culture,” less about culture or history or authenticity and more of a “vibe.” For instance, Cook points to Medieval TikTok as a “joyful” example of dirtbag medievalism, while historical fashion Instagram—however joyful—is not. This seems like where we stand when we talk about the kind of medievalism at work in fantasy worlds, including but not limited to tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons.
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My main takeaway is that I really like the term dirtbag medievalist, and it is now my goal to work it into every situation I possibly can. I had never really through about how most fantasy stories take place in medieval times until reading this article, and once it had been pointed out, it's one of those things that just makes perfect sense to me. There's something that just feels so magical about medieval times. Especially because things like magic and sorcery and what not had not yet been disproved. There was this sense that there were whole other worlds out there to discover, because there were. Living in modern times is just not as exciting. We know most things about how the world works, and the closest we get to this exciting unknown is in SiFi stories. I also liked that the shadow and bones series got a shout out because the world building in that universe was one of my favorite.
This article could not have come at a better time; recently I've been getting really into "medieval revivalism" or "medieval core"- a completely made up corner (and by made up I mean a "trend" that I don't think is quiteee popular enough to actually call a trend yet) of the internet I'm currently occupying that focuses on medieval aesthetics- fashion, art, music, and activities. And just as this article pointed out, its focus on medievalism is only loosely based in reality. Its focuses more on fantasy medieval, but it leaves out just enough of the magic that it can be realistically believable. Dragons aren't featured a lot- thats fantasy medieval not "new medieval"- but German castles with French fashion and Italian weapons and English social customs all coexisting in one space are appropriate and not "fantasy". Its a made up aesthetic that exists to cherry pick the "best" parts of any given medieval "vibe" in such a way that it crafts a fun escapist story. I love it. I love the non-functional plate armor and the "medieval" music with synthesizers and definitely-actually-pre-raphelite "medieval" art.
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