You might be wondering what I mean by a novel “set in the Middle Ages.” A novel that is set in the Middle Ages falls into the category of historical fiction, distinct from fantasy.
Many fantasy novels are inspired by the Middle Ages, a period of European history that lasted from around 500 to 1500 C.E.—or A.D., if you’re feeling old-fashioned. Take the famous Harry Potter stories, for example, by acclaimed author J.K. Rowling. A lot in Harry’s world feels medieval, like the Hogwarts castle with its wizards and goblins. Even the spells at Hogwarts sound a lot like Latin, which was the international language used during the Middle Ages. Don’t be deceived by Rowling’s incredible story-telling, however! Hogwarts and all of its characters are entirely made-up. This is a work of fantasy. Other fantasy stories sound a little more medieval, like Cressida Cowell’s How to Train Your Dragon series or J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings novels, both of which became hit movies. Yet here again, both the characters and settings of these stories are completely fictional. I’m sorry to report that Hiccup Horrendous Haddock never existed; neither did Middle Earth or the Third Age! A story that is set in the Middle Ages, on the other hand, uses a real medieval time and place. This is historical fiction. A good example of historical fiction is Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman. While the main character Catherine never existed—that we know of—Catherine’s place and time did: central England of the late 1200s (near the end of the Middle Ages). So did quite a few of the secondary characters in Catherine, Called Birdy, like Dewi of Wales or Gilbert of Lincolnshire. Comment: What are some medieval novels that you've read in the historical fiction category? How about some fantasy ones? QUIZ #1 To help you think some more about this, here are three expressions that sound medieval from three different novels. Can you tell which one of the three was actually spoken in the Middle Ages? 1. Faeder ure 2. Expelliarmus 3. Khazad aimenu For the correct answer, click on the button below: Comments are closed.
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John HainesI have been publishing in medieval studies for 20+ years. I started my career teaching elementary and middle school students. My favorite pastime at 10 years old was drawing cartoons! Archives
January 2022
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