I recently commented on a Substack post in which “Endeavour” argued that the reason the imagery of heroism disappeared from Western culture is that the “[t]he concept of nationhood as defined by shared ancestry was replaced by one defined by a set of liberal civic values which could be applied universally.”
I have encountered far left SubStack medievalist users who are insanely nationalistic too btw. The far right ones (dismayed to discover they even exist), I instantly block. The leftist nationalists I give a chance, but have blocked me because I insist there were no nations in the Middle Ages, but instead language groups. Using terms like „France“ in 1200 is beyond misleading. These accounts are not academic though, but more enthusiasts. Their motivations I put a question mark by, they promote ideology, not knowledge.
Would rather not mention names but there is no shortage of them on Substack. A profile to look for:
1. They write as though the Middle Ages only happened in the British Isles and never on the Continent, which they entirely ignore: even though medieval culture was thoroughly ‘international’ and predominantly in Latin, not vernaculars. Elites (who set culture) intermarried ‘internationally’ and political entities were not so geographic as today. King Henry II spent more time on the Continent than on the islands. ‘International’ I put in scare quotes because there were no nations, but language groups. George Orwell wrote in his essays the Lion and the Unicorn that the English are the most nationalistic ppl on earth and he was and still is right.
2. These accounts completely ignore the massive role of Christianity in the Middle Ages, which was a backdrop of everything, as though it didn’t or hardly existed. Some of these users have never even read the Bible, THE most important document of the Middle Ages, which plays a role in everything. You can’t do the Middle Ages and not know the Bible because you will have no idea whats going on. Its the lens medieval ppl saw the world through. Its impossible to seriously study or understand the Middle Ages without an in-depth understanding of the Bible, even if you are an atheist.
3. Interest in ‘pagan history’ when there is no such thing. Pagans were illiterate and left no written records. These accounts call archaeology history. This tendency is shared by the far right: an obsession with pre-Christian paganism. This was the founding ideology of the Nazi party (google Rudolf Jung 1919) but is carried on by many of these far left accounts.
4. They are dilettantes and not serious scholars, they are enthusiasts whose motivations I question. They use the Middle Ages to promote their ideology and show no genuine interest in it.
5. If you were to ask these accounts about their politics, they are far left wing, into gender ideology etc. They are feminists or male feminist simps. This is bizarre to me because the Middle Ages is unambiguously patriarchal. Its as though their interest in it is to have something to complain about. They play victim by identifying with supposedly oppressed women who lived 1000 years ago, which seems delusional to me. When you point out medieval elite women were highly literate, that abbesses ruled over territories and the serfs attached to it, they block you.
The left and right paradigm kind of breaks down because many of their positions are far right. I have had them proudly defend their nationalism. Both far left and far right are intolerant and bigotted about any rational debate which challenges them and they instantly block you. Both bolsheviks and nazis did this historically: they were right because they were right and a rational discussion was not to be engaged in. You are wrong with your facts because you are not one of them. They are anti intellectuals.
I have encountered far left SubStack medievalist users who are insanely nationalistic too btw. The far right ones (dismayed to discover they even exist), I instantly block. The leftist nationalists I give a chance, but have blocked me because I insist there were no nations in the Middle Ages, but instead language groups. Using terms like „France“ in 1200 is beyond misleading. These accounts are not academic though, but more enthusiasts. Their motivations I put a question mark by, they promote ideology, not knowledge.
Would rather not mention names but there is no shortage of them on Substack. A profile to look for:
1. They write as though the Middle Ages only happened in the British Isles and never on the Continent, which they entirely ignore: even though medieval culture was thoroughly ‘international’ and predominantly in Latin, not vernaculars. Elites (who set culture) intermarried ‘internationally’ and political entities were not so geographic as today. King Henry II spent more time on the Continent than on the islands. ‘International’ I put in scare quotes because there were no nations, but language groups. George Orwell wrote in his essays the Lion and the Unicorn that the English are the most nationalistic ppl on earth and he was and still is right.
2. These accounts completely ignore the massive role of Christianity in the Middle Ages, which was a backdrop of everything, as though it didn’t or hardly existed. Some of these users have never even read the Bible, THE most important document of the Middle Ages, which plays a role in everything. You can’t do the Middle Ages and not know the Bible because you will have no idea whats going on. Its the lens medieval ppl saw the world through. Its impossible to seriously study or understand the Middle Ages without an in-depth understanding of the Bible, even if you are an atheist.
3. Interest in ‘pagan history’ when there is no such thing. Pagans were illiterate and left no written records. These accounts call archaeology history. This tendency is shared by the far right: an obsession with pre-Christian paganism. This was the founding ideology of the Nazi party (google Rudolf Jung 1919) but is carried on by many of these far left accounts.
4. They are dilettantes and not serious scholars, they are enthusiasts whose motivations I question. They use the Middle Ages to promote their ideology and show no genuine interest in it.
5. If you were to ask these accounts about their politics, they are far left wing, into gender ideology etc. They are feminists or male feminist simps. This is bizarre to me because the Middle Ages is unambiguously patriarchal. Its as though their interest in it is to have something to complain about. They play victim by identifying with supposedly oppressed women who lived 1000 years ago, which seems delusional to me. When you point out medieval elite women were highly literate, that abbesses ruled over territories and the serfs attached to it, they block you.
The left and right paradigm kind of breaks down because many of their positions are far right. I have had them proudly defend their nationalism. Both far left and far right are intolerant and bigotted about any rational debate which challenges them and they instantly block you. Both bolsheviks and nazis did this historically: they were right because they were right and a rational discussion was not to be engaged in. You are wrong with your facts because you are not one of them. They are anti intellectuals.
What is a far left medievalist nationalist? If you could give examples of accounts.