5 Ways to make Medieval Fantasy settings more Medieval (And original)
There is a specific kind of fantasy setting that a lot of people have grown tired of seeing. That being Medieval European Fantasy. It’s understandable why audiences are so vocally exhausted by it. After all, just think about all the fantasy novels, TV shows, and games filled with knights and kings and dragons.
But as someone who both writes fantasy and studies history, I have to ask: Is Medieval European Fantasy the right term? When you think about Medieval fantasy, you typically think along the lines of the default settings for Dungeons and Dragons or Lord of the Rings adjacent franchises.
Though, beyond architectural similarities, an overabundance of broadswords, and giving monarchy a little too much credit, Medieval European fantasy seems to have very little to do with actual European history and folklore.
I mean, sure, you can trace elves and dwarves back to Norse myth or cite dragons from the terrifying serpents that were said to roam the Mediterranean (Which were also, more often than not, just whales sticking their junk out of the water). And you can call anyone with a few more shekels than your…
