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More of a reflection than a comment on the article itself: I have a sneaking suspicion the success of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla has had a positive impact on pe

More of a reflection than a comment on the article itself: I have a sneaking suspicion the success of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla has had a positive impact on people's interest in this time period in England. Certainly got me to click. Gorgeous game, lots of educational tidbits, highly recommended if you're looking for a little bit of escapism during the pandemic. :)

exmadscientist 6y ago
For me it was overhearing a few episodes of the British History Podcast [0] (not being a podcast person myself) which prompted a click. Highly recommended if you're into this time period; the podcast just reached Episode 365, in the mighty year 1050. If you ever believed that the Dark Ages were truly Dark, there are few better ways to disabuse yourself of that notion than listening to a few episodes.... [0] https://www.thebritishhistorypodcast.com/ https://www.thebritishhistorypodcast.com/
edgyquant 6y ago
I’m a history nerd in general but it was Tolkien describing how he wondered what the Anglo-Saxons would have thought of the Roman structures (and comparing it to the Hobbits viewing the First Age Elven structures) that originally piqued my interest in the Anglo-Saxons. But any game that sparks that interest in others is okay by me, even if I’ll likely never play it due to a low attention span when it comes to games other than the Legend of Zelda.
- twic 6y ago
  There's a poem written by an Anglo-Saxon about a Roman ruin (which Tolkien was aware of, and perhaps you are too!): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ruin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ruin Someone here points out that there are a lot of significant ruins in The Lord of the Rings: https://feudalendeavor.pressbooks.com/chapter/meldingofanglosaxonthemes/ https://feudalendeavor.pressbooks.com/chapter/meldingofanglo...
ycombinete 6y ago
The series Vikings, as well. Much of what's described in this article is represented in the series.
kul 6y ago
And “The Last Kingdom” on Netflix. Very interesting seeing the Saxon response to the Viking invasions.
- thisisnico 6y ago
  Such an incredible series.
Bayart 6y ago
It's just a fashionable theme these days. I'm not quite sure about the « educational content ». It seems to be beyond fantastical when it comes to ethnic interactions and religion. It's quite worrying seeing where people get their historical pointers from.
stareatgoats 6y ago
Yes, many games, TV-series as well as films ('the Dig') seem to pop up signaling a renewed interest in this period. As a Scandinavian it is with mixed pride and horror that the savage war-loving nature of our past is uncovered, which at the same time contributed to the early formation of many of the most influential kingdoms in history after the fall of the Roman Empire. Such as England (the Anglo-Saxons, and later the Vikings), Russia (the Rus), and Spain (the Visigoths). Not to mention the mark that the Normans made in early Europe. This influence is a tribute to the power of war and plunder and the renewed interest in the time period is probably in part related to the current zeitgeist in which chauvinism and the rattling of swords is once more on the agenda. Given the immense firepower at our disposal currently we should perhaps better try and counter with stories about the benefits of peace, too.
- checkyoursudo 6y ago
  As also a Scandinavian, I find that I have neither much pride nor horror. I guess I am fascinated by our history without wanting to emulate it. Similarly, I am an adamant pacifist, but I nevertheless love WWII histories, novels, and movies. I don't want there to be another world war, but I am still fascinated by the ones we've had. I do empathize with your feelings. I think they are natural of course. I do however wonder if there ever really was a time when chauvinism and sabre-rattling were not on the agenda? Maybe not to the same degree, perhaps. I do think the "better angels of our nature" trend will continue over the very long term. There are always rough periods. Ultimately, I agree fully with your prescription. Those of us who love peace should promote peace. I think we can do so while acknowledging and exploring the dark sides of history. You know, the learn from our mistakes adage and all that.
  - Aloha 6y ago
    War can be a necessary evil. But even when needed it's still evil. What often appeals about WWII is one side was clearly good, and one side clearly not, that moral clarity is often lacking today.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
matkoniecz 6y ago
> lots of educational tidbits If you think that it is useful in this way you may be interested what was excluded. See https://acoup.blog/2020/11/20/miscellanea-my-thoughts-on-assassins-creed-valhalla/ https://acoup.blog/2020/11/20/miscellanea-my-thoughts-on-ass... > To say that the game sanitizes this history is a profound understatement. (...) > In short, your raiding doesn’t so much as inconvenience the civilian population. (...) > You are a viking (one thing they do right: viking is a job description, meaning ‘raider,’ not an ethnic identity) who does not kill non-combatants. This is akin to the famous joke about the pirates who don’t steal anything. > We should be clear about what is happening in England in c. 875 when the game takes place. After almost a century of repeated Norse and Danish viking raids on the English coast (which, to be clear, were not merely raids for physical goods; they were slave raids as trading in slaves (‘thralls’) was an important part of the Scandinavian economy), the arrival of what the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle calls the ‘Great Heathen Army’ (in 865) turned that into a war of conquest. The Norse and Danes overran the English kingdoms (save Wessex) and settled in the area, subjugating the population, taking the best farmland from its former owners and generally wrecking the place in the process. Our sources are very clear that this was not a particularly pleasant process for the existing population and the surviving English kingdom of Wessex responded to it with a series of reforms that radically militarized the kingdom.
- prox 6y ago
  The Netflix series The Last Kingdom seems to portray what you describe pretty well.
  - LilBytes 6y ago
    I was expecting to hate this show but I ended up enjoying it. Even more than what I my highest possible expectations gave me. There's an episode in the Last Kingdom and in Vikings when we see the great pyres lit to communicate a raid was occurring. There's quite a few on the coast of North Eastern England where I grew up still present to this day. Admittedly I some what doubt they're original .
    - 6y ago
DyslexicAtheist 6y ago
I'm in the middle of Vikings season 5 so I naturally clicked.

exmadscientist 6y ago

For me it was overhearing a few episodes of the British History Podcast [0] (not being a podcast person myself) which prompted a click. Highly recommended if you're into this time period; the podcast just reached Episode 365, in the mighty year 1050. If you ever believed that the Dark Ages were truly Dark, there are few better ways to disabuse yourself of that notion than listening to a few episodes.... [0] https://www.thebritishhistorypodcast.com/ https://www.thebritishhistorypodcast.com/

edgyquant 6y ago

I’m a history nerd in general but it was Tolkien describing how he wondered what the Anglo-Saxons would have thought of the Roman structures (and comparing it to the Hobbits viewing the First Age Elven structures) that originally piqued my interest in the Anglo-Saxons. But any game that sparks that interest in others is okay by me, even if I’ll likely never play it due to a low attention span when it comes to games other than the Legend of Zelda.

twic 6y ago
There's a poem written by an Anglo-Saxon about a Roman ruin (which Tolkien was aware of, and perhaps you are too!): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ruin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ruin Someone here points out that there are a lot of significant ruins in The Lord of the Rings: https://feudalendeavor.pressbooks.com/chapter/meldingofanglosaxonthemes/ https://feudalendeavor.pressbooks.com/chapter/meldingofanglo...

ycombinete 6y ago

The series Vikings, as well. Much of what's described in this article is represented in the series.

kul 6y ago

And “The Last Kingdom” on Netflix. Very interesting seeing the Saxon response to the Viking invasions.

thisisnico 6y ago
Such an incredible series.

Bayart 6y ago

It's just a fashionable theme these days. I'm not quite sure about the « educational content ». It seems to be beyond fantastical when it comes to ethnic interactions and religion. It's quite worrying seeing where people get their historical pointers from.

stareatgoats 6y ago

Yes, many games, TV-series as well as films ('the Dig') seem to pop up signaling a renewed interest in this period. As a Scandinavian it is with mixed pride and horror that the savage war-loving nature of our past is uncovered, which at the same time contributed to the early formation of many of the most influential kingdoms in history after the fall of the Roman Empire. Such as England (the Anglo-Saxons, and later the Vikings), Russia (the Rus), and Spain (the Visigoths). Not to mention the mark that the Normans made in early Europe. This influence is a tribute to the power of war and plunder and the renewed interest in the time period is probably in part related to the current zeitgeist in which chauvinism and the rattling of swords is once more on the agenda. Given the immense firepower at our disposal currently we should perhaps better try and counter with stories about the benefits of peace, too.

checkyoursudo 6y ago
As also a Scandinavian, I find that I have neither much pride nor horror. I guess I am fascinated by our history without wanting to emulate it. Similarly, I am an adamant pacifist, but I nevertheless love WWII histories, novels, and movies. I don't want there to be another world war, but I am still fascinated by the ones we've had. I do empathize with your feelings. I think they are natural of course. I do however wonder if there ever really was a time when chauvinism and sabre-rattling were not on the agenda? Maybe not to the same degree, perhaps. I do think the "better angels of our nature" trend will continue over the very long term. There are always rough periods. Ultimately, I agree fully with your prescription. Those of us who love peace should promote peace. I think we can do so while acknowledging and exploring the dark sides of history. You know, the learn from our mistakes adage and all that.
- Aloha 6y ago
  War can be a necessary evil. But even when needed it's still evil. What often appeals about WWII is one side was clearly good, and one side clearly not, that moral clarity is often lacking today.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

matkoniecz 6y ago

> lots of educational tidbits If you think that it is useful in this way you may be interested what was excluded. See https://acoup.blog/2020/11/20/miscellanea-my-thoughts-on-assassins-creed-valhalla/ https://acoup.blog/2020/11/20/miscellanea-my-thoughts-on-ass... > To say that the game sanitizes this history is a profound understatement. (...) > In short, your raiding doesn’t so much as inconvenience the civilian population. (...) > You are a viking (one thing they do right: viking is a job description, meaning ‘raider,’ not an ethnic identity) who does not kill non-combatants. This is akin to the famous joke about the pirates who don’t steal anything. > We should be clear about what is happening in England in c. 875 when the game takes place. After almost a century of repeated Norse and Danish viking raids on the English coast (which, to be clear, were not merely raids for physical goods; they were slave raids as trading in slaves (‘thralls’) was an important part of the Scandinavian economy), the arrival of what the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle calls the ‘Great Heathen Army’ (in 865) turned that into a war of conquest. The Norse and Danes overran the English kingdoms (save Wessex) and settled in the area, subjugating the population, taking the best farmland from its former owners and generally wrecking the place in the process. Our sources are very clear that this was not a particularly pleasant process for the existing population and the surviving English kingdom of Wessex responded to it with a series of reforms that radically militarized the kingdom.

prox 6y ago
The Netflix series The Last Kingdom seems to portray what you describe pretty well.
- LilBytes 6y ago
  I was expecting to hate this show but I ended up enjoying it. Even more than what I my highest possible expectations gave me. There's an episode in the Last Kingdom and in Vikings when we see the great pyres lit to communicate a raid was occurring. There's quite a few on the coast of North Eastern England where I grew up still present to this day. Admittedly I some what doubt they're original .
  - 6y ago

DyslexicAtheist 6y ago

I'm in the middle of Vikings season 5 so I naturally clicked.