#ScribesAndMakers 8/22—Fantasy stories are frequently inspired by medieval societies. Why do you think people are fascinated by that time period?
Well, don't I feel seen.
I'm going to keep to my specific area of expertise, namely early medieval Britain, and why I'm drawn to it personally.
There was always something that tickled my fancy about the Arthurian legends, but honestly it wasn't dashing Lancelot or the Guinevere love triangle or that nonsense. I was more interested in Merlin and the Sword in the Stone legend. I won't deny that Disney probably helped plant that seed, but there's more to it than that.
The sword, the stone, the spear, and the chalice (all of which make their way into the Arthurian pantheon) are elemental, pre-Christian symbols and are a reminder that these medieval romances used to be wild tales of death, the afterlife, and the awesome forces of nature.
Merlin, and most of the later versions of Arthur that we know were written after the Norman Invasion of 1066 when French authors attempted to re-package the Celtic legends to emphasize emotion personal love, and Christian chivalry (looking at YOU, Geoffrey De Monmouth!)
Merlin for instance, wasn't the wise, white wizard who babysits Arthur and his knights while shacking up with Vivian, for instnace. Later medieval authors created that version from the older story of the Welsh Myrddin.
1/ Idk, this could be a long one...
Alexander Corby 🇵🇷
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2026-08-22 12:44:14 UTC
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"content": "#ScribesAndMakers 8/22—Fantasy stories are frequently inspired by medieval societies. Why do you think people are fascinated by that time period? \n\nWell, don't I feel seen.\n\nI'm going to keep to my specific area of expertise, namely early medieval Britain, and why I'm drawn to it personally.\n\nThere was always something that tickled my fancy about the Arthurian legends, but honestly it wasn't dashing Lancelot or the Guinevere love triangle or that nonsense. I was more interested in Merlin and the Sword in the Stone legend. I won't deny that Disney probably helped plant that seed, but there's more to it than that.\n\nThe sword, the stone, the spear, and the chalice (all of which make their way into the Arthurian pantheon) are elemental, pre-Christian symbols and are a reminder that these medieval romances used to be wild tales of death, the afterlife, and the awesome forces of nature.\n\nMerlin, and most of the later versions of Arthur that we know were written after the Norman Invasion of 1066 when French authors attempted to re-package the Celtic legends to emphasize emotion personal love, and Christian chivalry (looking at YOU, Geoffrey De Monmouth!)\n\nMerlin for instance, wasn't the wise, white wizard who babysits Arthur and his knights while shacking up with Vivian, for instnace. Later medieval authors created that version from the older story of the Welsh Myrddin.\n\n1/ Idk, this could be a long one...",
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