The Middle Ages in Popular Culture
Mondays | 6:30 – 8:30 pm
October 18 – November 8
Warrior Queens, Magic Dragons, & Grail-Quest Knights: The Middle Ages in Popular Culture
Today’s popular imagination is fascinated by the Middle Ages. The success of HBO’s Game of Thrones for eight seasons rekindled interest in medieval lore and fantasy. Stories about magical dragons and adventure thrive in the media alongside epic sagas about Robin Hood, the quest for the Holy Grail, and the legends of the Knights Templar. Medieval stories and symbols are regularly appropriated by film-makers and novelists, video-game creators, white-supremacists and neo-Nazi groups. Is this just effective entertainment marketing or a misuse of history? Why have so many controversies about nationalism and Medieval Studies resurfaced in recent years alongside resurgent fascism. Join us for four class sessions with Prof. Albert Hernandez as we examine what it means that so many medieval stories and symbols have found their way into contemporary popular culture.
Contact Jill Henton.
