I'm taking an online
class, Magic in the Middle Ages. I thought I would share this week's homework
assignment with you.
Does the image of the
Middle Ages in films lead us to misconceptions about medieval society?
I think the films
produced for the mass market are created for entertainment value and to follow
a proven story line that will sell films. Films portray the Middle Ages as
dull, dumb, colorless, and without compassion (that’s left to the hero and
heroine).
Films for the mass
market, like Braveheart, made $93 million. I enjoyed the film for its action
and ‘feel,’ no more correctly, the romance of the period and the love William
Wallace had for his wife and his people. While it isn’t accurate I do remember
William Wallace and what he fought for.
But I’m digressing. I
don’t think we can rely on films to give us an accurate account when their main
focus is on entertainment. Films do not portray the period accurately and,
unfortunately, most viewers believe what they see to be the truth.
How would you value
the magical thought today in comparison to magic in the Middle Ages?
I don’t think people
today believe that their minds can make things happen. We demand concrete
evidence. We may not
know the how and why but we keep pushing for the answers.
However, superstition
is still rampant. Baseball players wear a special sock, rock stars where
glitter gloves, my granddaughter will only use her special pencil on her math
test. Do these things work? No, but they do give the user a sense of ease which
may be all they need to hit the ball, sing the song and get 100% on her test.
One of my class mates
here mentioned the CERN Particle Accelerator and the ‘god’ particle and how our
physicists are searching to explain the magic of the solar systems creation. To
me the vastness of space and the concept that there are no boundaries there is
not conceivable. My societal upbringing has created boundaries and my mind has
a hard time thinking past them. Am I an ancient who cannot see beyond the
unknown? Am I willing to accept magic as the answer rather than the big bang
theory? I hope not.
Do you think we have
prejudices regarding the Middle Ages?
There are prejudices
regarding this period as a result of not knowing what’s true. We judge things
based on our own era and we don’t see things from a different time period’s
perspective, what they knew and how they lived.
Are we still under the
legacy of the Renaissance artists, who introduced themselves as the ‘light’
after some ‘Dark Ages’ for ‘marketing purposes’?
I do think the
Renaissance named the Dark Ages to heighten their own The art of the Dark
Ages reflected the time. With the fall of Rome and lack of leadership the
church stepped in and took control. They tithed the populace and with the
fortune they amassed, built great cathedrals and commissioned paintings,
frescos, and books. It wasn’t until the Crusades and the establishment of
extended trade routes and the enlightenment of the Islamic literature and art
and the resurgence of classical art and literature that Europeans began to
realize that there was a beautiful world.
I do think the
Renaissance named the Dark Ages to heighten their
own self esteem. The
Dark Ages weren’t totally without their heroes Marco Polo, Joan of Arc,
Gutenberg, and Leonardo Da Vinci.
***
The class has been
very interesting. There are over 11,000 people taking the class worldwide. The
level of expertise ranges from novices who have an interest to people with PhDs
in a variety of fields. It’s been some time since I’ve been in
school taking quizzes and writing homework assignments but I’m up to the
challenge. You can follow the class on Facebaook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/799267190151738/.
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