The Influence of Medievalism on Contemporary Entertainment Culture

This essay examines the presence of medievalism in contemporary society, particularly within entertainment forms like video games, films, and literature, as well as the fashion industry. It posits that the fascination with medieval values stems from modern society's roots in medieval times, attributing it to a tendency to nurture the best of every era. The essay highlights how political connotations in medieval stories resonate in popular culture, providing a feel-good factor, and how medieval scholars' contributions in science, astronomy, and philosophy continue to influence modern thought. It also draws parallels between medieval and modern entertainment, such as coliseums and rugby stadiums, emphasizing the enduring appeal of animalistic instincts and heroism. The essay concludes that the evolution of modern society is rooted in medieval values, with traces visible in science, history, and cultural interpolation, making medievalism an indispensable part of modern culture, particularly through mythology-based tales and religious ceremonies. Desklib provides access to this essay and a wealth of other study resources for students.

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Recycling of the trends on the timeline of the entertainment is influencing a medieval
charm in contemporary life
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Introduction
The universal truth related to the human nature states that “livelihood forms the means” and
“entertainment and culture designs the ends” of the life of an average human being. When we
check the contemporary means of entertainment like video games, films, and literature, we find
an impact of the medievalism quite prominently in them. The current essay is an attempt to jot
down certain reasons behind this presence of medievalism in our contemporary culture. The
spectrum of this essay will cover the popular forms of entertainment, the fashion industry and
other areas of culture where medieval influences are prominently showing a strong presence.
This connection between the two societies can be established and examined with the help of a
hypothesis that goes as under. “The presence of medievalism in the contemporary society is an
outcome of the evolution of human tendencies, knowledge, and culture, medieval values
fascinates the modern world because the modern world has its roots in the medieval times.
Let’s attribute it to the tendency of nurturing the best of every era in the form of an old-
world charm
Greek stories often tell us the tales of the kings who ruled because they acknowledged the power
of the people. The concept of the “power of the people” has its origin in the medieval tales.
Living under a democratic set up by the virtue of casting a ballot is an easy option for the natives
of the modern world. The inductance of the same spirit of democracy in medieval times was a
tough task where a lot of bloodshed and other constraints were involved. The political
connotations of the medieval stories find a place in popular culture entertainment because they
award a feel-good factor to the readers and viewers. The means to attain the best status of
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democracy has changed, however, the fundamentals of the best democratic practices still bear the
signage of the medieval period (Sigfried, 2014).
When we check the field of science, astronomy, and philosophy, many answers given by
medieval scholars have great relevance in modern times. For instance, the nature and origin of
the cosmos or the cosmic bodies were described as a celestial event by the Greek astronomers,
the modern-day science is still trying to decline the theories made by them. When we check the
nomenclature of elements in the periodic table developed by scientist Mendeleev, we find that
most of the elements are etymologically connected with medieval times. In the absence of formal
scientific fraternities, these eras were practicing a scientific mentality driven with the help of
philosophy (Costic, 2015).
Medieval influences often inspire present-day scientists because of their sacred intentions
behind the inventions and discoveries. The scientists in our times are trying to either replicating
some of the fantasies of the medieval times or they are trying to serve the intentions of the
medieval thinkers. Medieval thinkers were trying to add mathematics and science in philosophy.
The scientist of the 21st century is searching for philosophy in physics.
The human need for entertainment and recreation is the same for both the eras. The coliseums of
Rome can be compared with Rugby stadiums of our times. It is true, in the 21st century we are
living in a civilized world; however, the animalistic instincts of brutality and hunting are still
present in us. The tales from the medieval era are closer to these animalistic behaviors and this is
the reason they are fascinating for us (Nelson).
For instance, Gladiator by Russell Crow is a timeless classic of our times; television
commentators are using the cheer words from this film while describing the heroics of the
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players. This comparison adds a new animalistic charm in the act of the heroism of a player. It
appeals to the animal side of modern civilization this is why the tales and influence of the
medieval era are timeless. The developers of the video games are exploiting this connection as a
resource of creativity to recycle the popular elements of the medieval era while designing the
thrills for the modern generation. Another concept of imagination grounded on reality can be
taken into an account here.
The depiction of medieval thrills in a digital and interactive interface creates an amazing
interface that can be considered as the confluence point of the popular culture from the past
finding away in the popular culture of the present times. Previous generations also utilized the
same fundamentals when they exploited medieval themes in fairy tales. Now the makers of the
digital fairy tales are doing the same thing.
The culture of human interaction and the emotional needs of humans are also an area where
medieval values are supplying a lot of food for their thoughts. Human emotions like joy, love,
and anger and jealousy e are the same for both civilizations. The contemporary literature is
seeking for reference points to capture these emotions in the modern stories. Stories of the
medieval times are acting as an ideal reference point because contemporary society and medieval
society share a similar nature of complexity and the tales of the medieval era can easily be
adapted into the modern era.
Medieval era or the medievalism is an indispensable part of modern culture because of the
presence of strong mythology-based tales that are an integral part of the present-day religious
ceremonies. Many historians, social engineers, and thinkers have this strong opinion that religion
is the strongest connecting thread between contemporary society and medievalism.
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Conclusion
On the lines of conclusion, we find that the hypothesis made by us is true up to a great extent, the
evolution of modern society has its root in the medieval values and philosophy. The present
presence of medievalism in the contemporary society is an outcome of this relationship between
the two societies the traces of this evolution is visible on the timeline of science, history and
cultural interpolation of the two societies.
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References
Costic, K. (2015). Five ways in which the medieval is relevant today. The British Academy,
https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/BAR27-13-Kostick_0.pdf.
Nelson, L. (n.d.). Five Contributions of the Middle Ages. Medieval History Lecture,
http://www.vlib.us/medieval/lectures/medieval_achievements.html.
Sigfried, T. (2014). The medieval mentality of modern science. Science News,
https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/context/medieval-mentality-modern-science.
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