2 years, 4 months ago
Why are the Middle Ages romanticized (with castles and dragons and magic), if they were also considered "The Dark Ages"?
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M$1 Answer
As I understand it, the term "Middle Ages" actually refers to a different period to the term "Dark Ages".
The "Ages" in Western Europe are I think normally seen like this...
The Roman Empire - a period of complex well-ordered civilsation
Dark Ages - originally considered as more barbaric times after the Romans left
Middle Ages - societies had become more ordered, unified and Christian
Renaissance - rediscovery of lost ancient knowledge, and growth of new ideas
But the more people study the Dark Ages, the less "Dark" they seem!
Anyway I guess tales of magic and mystery are often set in the Dark Ages precisely because that was a time in which you could imagine fantastic things like dragons lurking in the wilderness somewhere. Hard to imagine such things could exist undiscovered in other periods of time.
Plus they were times when Christianity co-existed with pagan religions, so Celtic and Norse myths were a big part of the culture too.
The "Ages" in Western Europe are I think normally seen like this...
The Roman Empire - a period of complex well-ordered civilsation
Dark Ages - originally considered as more barbaric times after the Romans left
Middle Ages - societies had become more ordered, unified and Christian
Renaissance - rediscovery of lost ancient knowledge, and growth of new ideas
But the more people study the Dark Ages, the less "Dark" they seem!
Anyway I guess tales of magic and mystery are often set in the Dark Ages precisely because that was a time in which you could imagine fantastic things like dragons lurking in the wilderness somewhere. Hard to imagine such things could exist undiscovered in other periods of time.
Plus they were times when Christianity co-existed with pagan religions, so Celtic and Norse myths were a big part of the culture too.
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