A Touch of Medieval

I've always had a thing for medieval times. People generally look at it as a 'romantic' period in history when it was anything but.  Life span wasn't very long at all. If war and treachery didn't get you early on, poor nutrition and disease took it's toll. It definitely wasn't a romantic time.

So what's the attraction? That's a question I have never been able to figure out. Mention knights in shining armor (it wasn't all that shiny) or damsels in distress (many of them were the cause of the 'problems' they supposedly were rescued from) and you've got my attention. It doesn't matter that television and the movies don't always get it right. They reserve the right to play with historical facts. That's fine by me, as long as they don't change it too much. After all, there has to be some semblance of truth to the story. Every fiction is based on a kernel of truth.

Case in point... Back in February I watched an episode of a TV series called Reign. After that one episode I was hooked. For anyone not familiar with the series, it's about Mary, Queen of Scots (who was queen of France for barely a year), Catherine De Medici (who was Italian) and her husband, King Henry II. The writers toy with historical fact, period clothing and other things they think they can get away with. And they succeed for the most part. You just have to know what really went on. History purists don't accept the deviations and others, (myself included) will take them for what they're worth. From a writer's point of view it opens possibilities to create plots that don't exist in real history.

Take King John of England. He held the throne for the ten years his brother Richard was king. (Richard preferred to be away on crusade than stay at home and rule).  In history books, John has been touted as not being such a bad king. In movies, he has a reputation for being a nasty character. he's the English ruler you love to hate. If not for John, the USA might be looking at an entirely different sort of Constitution since it was based on the Magna Carter.

Then there's the medieval tales that don't -- or barely -- stick to historical fact. A perfect example of this is the movie, A Knight's Tale. It pretty much sticks to the facts about jousting and tourneys, but the music and dance? Totally modern. While it seems completely out of place, it did fit the story. It was done in such a way as to have fun with it and not worry about fact. It's one of my favorites. It combines time periods without getting into any aspect of time travel. (that's another story.)

It all comes down to what you're willing to accept. Expand your horizons and take a chance on something new or a little different. You might find out you like it.

Update:    After Junior Dove left, the nest was empty for a day or so. It didn't take long for another pair of doves to claim the nest and prepare to raise a family. Unfortunately, since the tree has leafed out, it's no longer possible to see the nest.