Monograph by Robert Houghton
The Middle Ages in Computer Games: Ludic Approaches to the Medieval and Medievalism, 2024
Offers the most comprehensive analysis and discussion of medievalist computer games to date.
Ga... more Offers the most comprehensive analysis and discussion of medievalist computer games to date.
Games with a medieval setting are commercially lucrative and reach a truly massive audience. Moreover, they can engage their players in a manner that is not only different, but in certain aspects, more profound than traditional literary or cinematic forms of medievalism. However, although it is important to understand the versions of the Middle Ages presented by these games, how players engage with these medievalist worlds, and why particular representational trends emerge in this most modern medium, there has hitherto been little scholarship devoted to them.
This book explores the distinct nature of medievalism in digital games across a range of themes, from the portrayal of grotesque yet romantic conflict to conflicting depictions of the Church and religion. It likewise considers the distinctions between medievalist games and those of other periods, underlining their emphasis on fantasy, roleplay and hardcore elements, and their consequences for depictions of morality, race, gender and sexuality. Ultimately the book argues that while medievalist games are thoroughly influenced by medievalist and ludic tropes, they are nonetheless representative of a distinct new form of medievalism. It engages with the vast literature surrounding historical game studies, game design, and medievalism, and considers hundreds of games from across genres, from Assassin's Creed and Baldur's Gate to Crusader Kings and The Witcher series. In doing so, it provides a vital illustration of the state of the field and a cornerstone for future research and teaching.
Calls for Papers by Robert Houghton
MAMO 2025 – Call for Papers
The Middle Ages in Modern Games: ‘Temporalities’
The Centre for Medi... more MAMO 2025 – Call for Papers
The Middle Ages in Modern Games: ‘Temporalities’
The Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research at the University of Winchester is pleased to sponsor The Middle Ages in Modern Games (MAMG) strand at The Middle Ages in the Modern World (MAMO) conference. The conference will take place on 24 to 26 June 2025 at King’s College London. The theme of the Strand is ‘Temporalities’.
Time is a peculiar thing in both medievalism and gaming. The very notion of the Middle Ages is an arbitrary chronological construct with substantial baggage. Periodisation distinguishes the medieval from the modern or ancient and tropes such as millennia long medieval stasis or chronological kitchen sinks are rife. Games likewise play with time, often through basic elements such as pausing or reloading, but also through more complex mechanics and narratives around time travel or settings spanning generations or centuries. In combination, these medievalist and gaming trends can produce distinct representations of the period and can allow a new form of engagement with the Middle Ages.
This strand addresses the representation of time and temporalities within games. We invite papers of 20 minutes addressing any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any forms of digital or tabletop games, but we particularly welcome contributions which engage with ‘Temporalities’ broadly defined.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
Teaching Medieval Chronologies through Games
Time manipulation as counterplay
Periodisation within Games
Medieval Timekeeping and Calendars
Global Chronological Perspectives
Medievalism in Sci-Fi Games
Alternative Timelines
Medieval Time Travellers
The ‘Middle Ages’ outside Europe
Distinguishing the Medieval from the Modern
Medievalist Memories of the Ancient World
Time Skips in Stories and Mechanics
Persistent Medieval Worlds
Comparing Real Time and Turn Based Games
The Evolution of Medievalist Games
Medieval Lifecycles in Game Mechanics
Subverting Medievalist Chronologies
Mythical and Non-Historical Time in Games
Multiverses and Multiple Temporalities
Medievalist Games and Regimes of Historicity
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars and professionals at any point in their career—Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers, Independent Scholars and members of any groups under-represented within the academy are particularly welcome. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the fantasy genre.
Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words and brief biographies as attachments in Word to midagesmodgames<at>gmail.com by Friday 10 January 2025.
The Middle Ages in Modern Games: ‘Worlds of Learning’
Leeds IMC 2025 – Call for Papers
The Centr... more The Middle Ages in Modern Games: ‘Worlds of Learning’
Leeds IMC 2025 – Call for Papers
The Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research at the University of Winchester is pleased to sponsor The Middle Ages in Modern Games strand at the Leeds International Medieval Congress (IMC), 7 to 10 July 2025. The theme of the Congress is ‘worlds of learning’.
In engagement-oriented classrooms, games have become powerful tools for educators and students alike. While traditionally viewed as leisure activities, games are increasingly recognized for their potential to enhance learning across disciplines. Video games, board games, and roleplaying games can all serve as valuable pedagogical tools, fostering deeper engagement with course material and promoting the development of key cognitive skills. Beyond this, games must consider how players learn mechanics and gameplay in order to ensure player success. This onboarding process typically utilizes numerous different mechanisms both within and without the game, and its implementation is subject to developer standards and is not industry standard.
This strand addresses both the role of learning within games, as well as the use of games as pedagogic tools. We invite papers and sessions that explore the educational potential of these games, examining both how they function as learning tools and how they depict the concept of learning itself within their design and storytelling. We also welcome papers and sessions addressing any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any forms of digital or tabletop games.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
Teaching Medieval History, broadly defined, through Games
Knowledge creation in Medievalist games
Depictions of learning, preaching, and/or teaching in Medievalist games
Simulating history in the classroom through roleplay
The Global Middle Ages in Modern Games
Crafting and building as hands-on history simulation
Map development and location discovery in Medievalist games
Choice-based gameplay and altering the Medieval past
Empowering subaltern perspectives through play
Senses and information gathering in Medievalist games
Indices, Codices, and expert knowledge
Player choice and Discovery learning in Medievalist Games
Gameplay mechanics in Medievalist games
Pedagogical strategies involving gameplay in Medievalist games
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars and professionals at any point in their career—Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers, Independent Scholars and members of any groups under-represented within the academy are particularly welcome. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the fantasy genre.
Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words and brief biographies as attachments in Word to [email protected] by Friday 13 September 2024.
middleagesinmoderngames.net
The Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research at the University of Winchester presents The Fif... more The Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research at the University of Winchester presents The Fifth Middle Ages in Modern Games Asynchronous Conference (@MidAgesModGames, #MAMG24) on 4 to 7 June 2024. The central themes of this year’s event are ‘Cooperation’ and ‘Conflict’.
Cooperation and conflict are intrinsically linked within many medievalist games. From the intrigue and court politics of Crusader Kings and Succession to the gleeful backstabbing carnage of King of the Castle and Munchkin, the Middle Ages in games are a period of shifting alliances and inevitable betrayal. Multiplayer games may make or break friendships while rivalries and alliances may create entirely new game dynamics and ways of looking at the Middle Ages.
This conference considers the Middle Ages and Medievalism in Modern Games. We invite analytical ‘papers’ (comprising 400-500 words of text or 5-minute videos) and sessions of 3 to 5 papers which address any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any and all forms of modern games. We particularly welcome papers addressing the central conference themes of ‘Cooperation’ and ‘Conflict’. The conference will be conducted remotely and there will be no registration fee. To promote accessibility and inclusivity, the event runs asynchronously across time zones.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
Collaborative World Building
Rivalries within and between Game Communities
User Feedback and Game Design
Mechanics of Peace and War, Diplomacy and Intrigue
Inclusive Engagement with Race, Gender and Sexuality
Asymmetric or Mutual Victory Conditions
Roleplay and Metagaming
Hostile and Toxic Gaming Environments
Empathetic History through Games
Indigeneity and Colonialism
Real World Conflicts and Medievalist Games
Friendships in and around Games
Interactions between Developers and Scholars
Non-Violent Games
Controversies around Games and Gaming
We encourage submissions from medievalists, games scholars and developers at any point in their career— especially those from Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers and members of any groups under-represented within the academy and industry. We welcome pieces addressing any region globally, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’ and ‘medievalism’.
We will accept papers in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
Please send abstracts of no more than 200 words, brief biographies, and indications of time zone and availability as attachments in Word to: Robert.Houghton<at>Winchester.ac.uk by Friday 3 May.
Crises are common within and around Modern Games, and the Middle Ages provide copious inspiration... more Crises are common within and around Modern Games, and the Middle Ages provide copious inspiration for this theme. Medievalist game narratives thrive on crisis and change whether in the form of disaster and threat to more peaceful transitions. Mechanics describing these crises can be diverse and elaborate, and creating urgency can create original and engaging gameplay. Medieval and medievalist themes of crisis often appear in interesting and unexpected ways within these games as a result. Beyond this, game design and study are currently experiencing crises around representation, communication and preservation within medievalist games, while the definition of 'crisis' remains a topic of debate.
Fantasy and Apocalypse are closely tied to medievalist games. Pseudo-medieval worlds are by far t... more Fantasy and Apocalypse are closely tied to medievalist games. Pseudo-medieval worlds are by far the most common setting for fantasy games from Dungeons and Dragons to World of Warcraft. Meanwhile, many games with apocalyptic and postapocalyptic settings such as Fallout and Torment: Tides of Numenera make use of medieval tropes to build their worlds.
THE PUBLIC MEDIEVALIST AND THE CENTRE FOR MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ... more THE PUBLIC MEDIEVALIST AND THE CENTRE FOR MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WINCHESTER ARE PLEASED TO SPONSOR THE MIDDLE AGES IN MODERN GAMES TWITTER
CONFERENCE (@MIDAGESMODGAMES, #MAMG21) ON 25 TO 28 MAY 2021.
Games are a potent tool for the exploration of the Middle Ages
and Medievalism. Digital and physical games often provide the
deepest engagement their players experience of the medieval
world. They can be potent tools for education and research. The
period provides a wealth of source material for developers and
modders. The Middle Ages present vast potential for games and
vice versa but, as demonstrated acutely in recent years, the
combination can easily be exclusionary and harmful.
This conference considers the Medieval and Medievalism in
Modern Games. Following the success of the conference last
year, we invite ‘papers’ (comprising a thread of 12 Tweets) that
address any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in
any and all forms of modern games. The conference will be
conducted remotely and there will be no registration fee.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
• The ‘Dark Ages’ as setting and trope
• Colonialism and imperialism in games
• Modelling medieval society
• Medievalism in sci-fi worlds
• Queerness in games and gaming
• Game development and modification
• Global settings and perspectives
• Gaming culture and politics
• Race, Whiteness and Indigeneity in Ludic Theory
• Historical conservation through games
• Games for education and research
We encourage submissions from medievalists, games and media scholars, and game developers at any point in their career—
Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers and members of any groups under-represented within the academy and industry
are particularly welcome. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—
including the fantasy genre.
Please send abstracts of no more than 200 words and brief biographies as attachments in Word to
[email protected] by Friday 9 April.
Banner image taken with permision from Wagadu Chronicles by Twin Drums. Find their developing Afro-Fantasy game here: https://thewagaduchronicles.com/
THE PUBLIC MEDIEVALIST AND THE CENTRE FOR MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ... more THE PUBLIC MEDIEVALIST AND THE CENTRE FOR MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WINCHESTER ARE PLEASED TO SPONSOR THE MIDDLE AGES IN MODERN GAMES STRAND AT THE LEEDS INTERNATIONAL MEDIEVAL CONGRESS (IMC), 4 TO 7 JULY 2022
‘Borders’ and divisions are ubiquitous throughout representations of the Middle Ages in Modern Games. Games are built on clear and undisputable boundaries. Concrete dividing lines appear between kingdoms and cultures, town and country, and biomes. Geographies, mechanics and audio-visuals distinguish factions, religions, moralities, ethnicities, and eras. These boundaries are often binary, simplistic or superficial and are frequently controversial. However, understanding the motivations behind these boundaries is an important part of comprehending ludic history and the creation of more nuanced and interesting divisions informs more effective analysis and design for commercial, pedagogical and scholarly purposes.
This strand addresses the role of ‘Borders’ in the representation, reception and discussion of the Middle Ages in Modern Games. We invite papers and sessions addressing any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any forms of digital or tabletop games, but we particularly welcome contributions which engage with ‘Borders’ broadly defined.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
Physical and Geographical Borders in Games
Division as Design Tool
Conquest and Territorial Expansion
Crossing Borders and Exploration
Language Divides as Game Mechanic
Boundaries between ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’
Gender Divisions in Story and Mechanics
Playing the Global Middle Ages
Approaches to Race, Whiteness and Indigeneity
Chronological Rifts
Distinguishing Player Characters and NPCs
Divisions within Gaming Communities
Localisation and Regionalisation
Modding Borders and Boundaries
Ludic Borders and Teaching the Middle Ages
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars and professionals at any point in their career—Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers, Independent Scholars and members of any groups under-represented within the academy are particularly welcome. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the fantasy genre.
Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words and brief biographies as attachments in Word to [email protected] by Friday 17 September.
Call for Papers:
The Middle Ages in Modern Games: ‘Climate’ at Leeds IMC 2021
The Public Med... more Call for Papers:
The Middle Ages in Modern Games: ‘Climate’ at Leeds IMC 2021
The Public Medievalist and the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research at the University of Winchester are pleased to sponsor The Middle Ages in Modern Games strand at the Leeds International Medieval Congress (IMC), from 5 to 8 July 2021. The theme of this year’s Congress is ‘Climate’.
Numerous ‘Climates’ influence the use of the Middle Ages in Modern Games. Meteorological climates are used to distinguish settings and regions, to drive plots, or as opponents to overcome. Many games demand the exploration, exploitation and expansion of these climates. Cosmological climates form world building elements and present symbols of the occult. Models of political climates form the core mechanics of many games. Modern social climates influence the design and reception of games ranging from demands for ‘historical accuracy’ to drives for new and inclusive approaches.
This strand addresses the role of ‘Climates’ in the representation, reception and discussion of the Middle Ages in Modern Games. We invite papers and sessions addressing any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any forms of modern games, but we particularly welcome contributions which engage with ‘Climate’ broadly defined.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
•‘Medieval’ Climates and Weather Mechanics
•Cosmology as Fantasy World Building
•Ludic Colonialism and Imperialism
•Environmental Determinism in Games
•Social, Political, and Economic Models
•Disease, Famine, and Flood as Narrative
•Queerness in and around Games
•Playing The Global Middle Ages
•Race, Whiteness and Indigeneity in Ludic Theory
•Social and Political Reception of Games
•Games as Conservation
•Games for Teaching Medieval Climates
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars at any point in their career—Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers and members of any groups under-represented within the academy are particularly welcome. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the fantasy genre.
Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words and brief biographies as attachments in Word to Robert.Houghton(at)Winchester.ac.uk by Friday 11 September.
Over the last decade, gaming technologies have been incorporated into many aspects of archaeologi... more Over the last decade, gaming technologies have been incorporated into many aspects of archaeological practice (Mol et al. 2017; Reinhard, 2018) and related heritage and historical fields (Chapman, 2016; Chapman et al. 2017; McCall, 2013). In many ways, the particular affordances of this new media offer new ways of examining archaeological data and communicating findings in museums, online websites, and formal educational environments. As the use of gaming technologies in this context have become more widespread, however, many questions in regard to the representational appropriateness of the medium and the theoretical and practical problems involved in designing and using them remain still largely unanswered.
This session invites 30-minute presentations, comprising a 10 minute summary of a theoretical issue, and if possible, a 20 minute practical demonstration or testing session of a history/heritage game project, prototype, or proof-of-concept. Ideas to actively involve the audience and to seek feedback are encouraged. Links to resources for proof of concept, prototyping and play-testing game ideas will be provided to participants before the session.
The Public Medievalist and the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research at the University of ... more The Public Medievalist and the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research at the University of Winchester are pleased to sponsor a series of sessions around the theme ‘The Middle Ages in Modern Games’ at The Middle Ages in the Modern World (MAMO) from 2 to 4 July 2020 in London.
Games present new ways to explore the Middle Ages. Digital and physical games allow interaction with the past in a manner no other media can provide. Their mechanics and rules can present complex models of society for their players to explore, test, and debate. As a media, games have substantial potential as learning, impact and research tools. However, these games can also promote negative stereotypes and misunderstandings about the period through their content and broader culture.
This strand considers the Medieval and Medievalism in Modern Games. Building on the success of the strand at the International Medieval Congress in 2019, it will address the ways in which games present the Middle Ages and why this is important to our work and society more broadly. We invite papers that address any aspects of the expression of the medieval period or medievalism in any and all forms of modern games.
This strand considers the Medieval and Medievalism in Modern Games. Building on the success of the strand at the International Medieval Congress in 2019, it will address the ways in which games present the Middle Ages and why this is important to our work and society more broadly. We invite papers that address any aspects of the expression of the medieval period or medievalism in any and all forms of modern games.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
Mythical and fantasy influences in games
Concepts and mechanics of morality
Playing social and political structures
Violence in and around games
Religious and racial outsiders and ‘others’
Gender and sexuality
The place of the Middle Ages in games
Games for education, outreach and impact
Designing and modding games
Gaming communities and culture
Controversies and negative aspects of games
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars at any point in their career. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a very broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the pseudo-medieval fantasy genre.
Participants will be invited to adapt their papers for publication on The Public Medievalist.
Abstracts should not exceed 300 words and should be sent, as attachments in Word, to [email protected] by Friday 13 December.
THE PUBLIC MEDIEVALIST AND THE CENTRE FOR MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ... more THE PUBLIC MEDIEVALIST AND THE CENTRE FOR MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WINCHESTER ARE
PLEASED TO SPONSOR A SERIES OF SESSIONS AROUND THE THEME ‘PLAYING THE MIDDLE AGES’ AT THE LEEDS INTERNATIONAL MEDIEVAL CONGRESS (IMC), FROM 6 TO 9 JULY 2020.
Games are increasingly important to our field. Medieval and fantasy tabletop, roleplaying and computer games command a considerable and growing audience. These games can fundamentally influence how their players think about and understand the Middle Ages. This can make them powerful teaching and outreach tools, but can also lead to fundamental misunderstandings about the period and the reinforcement of tropes and stereotypes.
This strand engages the potential and pitfalls of games. Building on the success of the strand at the IMC in 2019, it will consider the utility of this medium in the classroom, in our research, and in the wider world. We invite papers that address any aspects of the expression of the medieval period or medievalism in any and all forms of modern games.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
• Games as teaching or heritage tools
• Creation and modification of games
• Racialised and gendered identities in games
• History and historians in games
• Gamer identities and communities
• Fantasy and medievalism in games
• Controversy in and around games
• Roleplay and Simulation
• Games and archaeology
• Games as historical debate and research
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars at any point in their career. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a very broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the pseudo-medieval fantasy genre.
Participants will be invited to adapt their papers for publication on The Public Medievalist.
Abstracts should not exceed 300 words and should be sent, as attachments in Word, to [email protected] by Friday 13 September.
The Public Medievalist (https://www.publicmedievalist.com/) is a web publication with a simple purpose: to present thoughtful, nuanced, and cutting-edge scholarship on medieval studies freely to the public in an accessible and engaging format. The articles on the site run the gamut from medievalist film and video game commentaries to explorations of lesser-known pieces of medieval history and literature, to work that shows how the Middle Ages remains present in contemporary politics and culture. Even more than a publication,The Public Medievalist strives to be a platform where medievalists of any level can promote their work to, and practice their skills at writing for, a wider audience.
THE PUBLIC MEDIEVALIST IS PLEASED TO SPONSOR A SERIES OF SESSIONS AROUND THE THEME 'PLAYING THE M... more THE PUBLIC MEDIEVALIST IS PLEASED TO SPONSOR A SERIES OF SESSIONS AROUND THE THEME 'PLAYING THE MIDDLE AGES' AT THE LEEDS INTERNATIONAL MEDIEVAL CONGRESS (IMC), FROM 1 TO 4 JULY 2019
The medium of games is vibrant and powerful. Over the last few decades the rise and spread of computer games, a renaissance in board and tabletop games, and a popularisation of roleplaying games and LARPing. These games are of interest to medievalists and educators for a wide range of reasons. They can engage their players with historical
period. They can be used to teach theory and historical debates. They can act as research tools. They can even fundamentally influence how we think and talk about the Middle Ages.
This strand moves beyond well-trodden debates over historical accuracy and authenticity in games to consider the utility of this medium in the classroom, in our research, and in the wider world. We invite papers that address any aspects of the expression of the medieval period in any and all forms of modern games.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
• Games as teaching tools
• Game Design and Mechanics
• Identity in games and gaming communities
• Games as national narratives
• Historical research in support of games
• Appropriation of games by extremist groups
• Engaging Historiography through Games
• Controversy in and around games
• Differentiation between history and fantasy
• Roleplay and Simulation
• Archaeology in/of games
• Games as historical debate and research
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars at any point in their career. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a very broad definition of 'medieval'—including the pseudo-medieval fantasy genre.
Participants will be invited to adapt their papers for publication on The Public Medievalist.
Abstracts should not exceed 300 words and should be sent, as attachments in Word, to [email protected] by Friday 14 September.
The Public Medievalist (https://www.publicmedievalist.com/) is a web publication with a simple purpose: to present thoughtful, nuanced, and cutting-edge scholarship on medieval studies freely to the public in an accessible and engaging format. The articles on the site run the gamut from medievalist film and video game commentaries to explorations of lesser-known pieces of medieval history and literature, to work that shows how the Middle Ages remains present in contemporary politics and culture. Even more than a publication, The Public Medievalist strives to be a platform where medievalists of any level can promote their work to, and practice their skills at writing for, a wider audience.
As part of The Middle Ages in the Modern World (MAMO, https://themamo.org/) to be held at the Uni... more As part of The Middle Ages in the Modern World (MAMO, https://themamo.org/) to be held at the University of Manchester between 28 June and 1 July 2017, papers are invited dealing with the theme of Historical Accuracy pertaining to the medieval period in any and all forms of Modern Media. In a world where the understanding of ‘historical truth’ is becoming more fluent, where authors of fiction insist of the ‘historical truth’ within their works, and where experts, data and reasoned analysis is rejected as valid truths, the debates around historical accuracy have never been more relevant. The popularity of games, films, books and other media with medieval or medievalist themes combined with less comprehensive popular understanding of the period makes issues of historical accuracy particular relevant to works dealing with this era. This strand invites papers from scholars dealing with all forms of modern media including literature, films, music, games, news broadcasts and new media to discuss changing concepts of historical accuracy relating to the middle ages across disciplines and audiences.
Topics for discussion may include (but are not restricted to):
Academic accuracy and popular accuracy
Restrictions placed on historical accuracy by the nature of media
Issues of gender roles or race roles
The construction or revision of political and national narratives
Popular desire for historical accuracy
Issues of authenticity and realism
The power of popular beliefs and conceptions
Historical accuracy in works of fantasy fiction
Censorship and self-censorship
Interactivity
The manipulation of historical events for financial or political ends
Abstracts should not exceed 250 words and should be sent, as attachments in Word to [email protected] and [email protected] by Friday 23 September.
Conference Sessions by Robert Houghton
The Middle Ages in Modern Games
Asynchronous Conference: Cooperation and Conflict
http://middleag... more The Middle Ages in Modern Games
Asynchronous Conference: Cooperation and Conflict
http://middleagesinmoderngames.net/
Tuesday 4 June – Friday 7 June 2024
Conference Programme
Tuesday 4 June
Field of Glory Day 2024
16:00
Join us on
twitch.tv/slitherinetv
Claire Kennan and Robert Houghton discuss the Historical Context of Field of Glory: Kingdoms
Alberto Casulini and Neil McKenna showcase gameplay strategies and highlight features
Wednesday 5 June
Opening Address – 9:00
•9:00: Markus Mindrebø (University of Stavanger)
First Keynote – 12:00
•12:00: Medieval Borders in the Context of Video Games – Juan Francisco Jiménez Alcázar (Universidad de Murcia)
Sponsored Session: Field of Glory: Kingdoms – 15:00
•15:00: More than a Wargame: Introducing Field of Glory: Kingdoms
•15:15: The Art of Field of Glory: Kingdoms
•15:30: Making Friends and Enemies: Interpersonal and International Relations in Field of Glory: Kingdoms
•15:45: Alliances, Schemes and Betrayals: Multiplayer Cooperation and Conflict in Field of Glory: Kingdoms
Empathy and Roleplay- 18:00
•18:00: Binary Dynamics in A Plague Tale: Innocence - Jéssica Iolanda Costa Bispo(Nova University of Lisbon)
•18:15: Modeling Medieval Mentalities – Some Promising Trends in Historical Games - Adam Bierstedt (Ludohistory)
•18:30: A Collaborative Crime Against Humanity: Creating the Siege and Sack of Constantinople in The Remaking of the Medieval World, 1204 - John Giebfried (University of Vienna)
•18:45: How Information Moves: Character Networks in Role-playing Games - James Baillie (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
Warfare and Violence – 21:00
•21:00: Warriors of the Virtual Past: Unravelling Historical Conflicts in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla – Enrique Torres-Hergueta (University of Seville)
•21:15: The Iberian struggle as a structuralist representation of the Reconquista in Crusader Kings III - Arthur Antônio Soares de Oliveira (Federal University of Espírito Santo)
•21:30: From History to Fantasy: Exploring the Dynamics of Medieval Warfare in Gaming – Johansen Quijano (Tarrant County College)
Thursday 6 June
Culture, Chronology and Fantasy – 9:00
•9:00: For the Divines, the Emperor, and the Tribunal: East-West Cultural Cooperation and Conflict in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - Pratama Wirya Atmaja* Andreas Nugroho Sihananto, and M. Afdal Susilo Aji (University of Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur)
•9:15: Palimpsestic Fantoms in Assassin’s Creed: Revelation — A Reading on cooperation and conflict through encounters between Early Modernity and Medievalism – Yujia (Flavia) Jin (University of Glasgow)
•9:30: Analyzing the Grimdark Neomedieval Chronotope in The Witcher Game Series - Homeira Baghbanmoshiri (Kobe University)
Game Development – 12:00
•12:00: Fall of Gelgel Empire: Root of Bali’s Warring Era in Fall of Bali - Muhammad Abdul Karim (Sengkala Dev)
•12:15: Legal Disputes as a Game Mechanism in The Knight & the Maiden – Andreas Kjeldsen (Stark Raving Sane Games)
•12:30: Virtù, Humours, and the psychology of the renaissance soldier: Modelling decision-making in skirmishes through Force of Virtue – Samuel Gassman (Masterstroke Games)
Aesthetics – 15:00
•15:00: Fables of Friendship and Fury: How Tails of Iron and Inkulinati Explore Cooperation and Conflict Through Medievalist Aesthetics – Baykar Demir (Istanbul University)
•15:15: Cognitive-Visual Reasoning of Medieval Space in Modern Video Games - Emilija Vuković (University of Belgrade)
•15:30: The Sword as Symbol of Chivalry in The Witcher 3 – Katie Vernon (University of York)
•15:45: Cooperation, conflict, and more-than-human agencies in medieval games - Vinicius Marino Carvalho (State University of Campinas)
Interplayer Conflict and Cooperation – 18:00
•18:00: The Group Over the Self or Vice-Versa: How Hunting Monsters Reflects the Spirit of Cooperation and Conflict from the Middle Ages - Johansen Quijano (Tarrant County College)
•18:15: Survival Strategies in LARPs: Conflict or Cooperation? – Anastasija Ropa (Latvian Academy of Sport Education) andEdgar Rops(Independent Scholar)
•18:30: Feudalism and Intercommunity Feuds: A look at the rivalry between the Overwatch and Valorant Community - Shashvat Singh (Uppsala University)
Art History and Historiography – 21:00
•21:00: Renaissance Magic Against a Medieval World: An Art-Historical Reading of Elden Ring’s Raya Lucaria Academy – Mikael Sebag(University of California, Irvine)
•21:15: History is Written by the House Leader: Perspectivism in Fire Emblem Three Houses - Quinn Bouabsa-Marriott (University of St Andrews)
•21:30: Nobunaga's Ambition and contemporary Japan: History of medieval historiography, medievalism, and historical subcultures – Hirohito Tsuji (University of East Anglia)
Friday 7 June
Il Medioevo nei Giochi Moderni - Italian Perspectives – 9:00
•9:00: World of Warcraft, l’evoluzione di un MOORPG dal sapore medievale – Luigi D’Anto’
•9:15: Conflitto e Cooperazione negli Imperi Romani, Occidentale e Orientale, in Attila: Total War – Simone Divincenzo (University of Genoa)
•9:30: Alleanze e intrighi: la diplomazia in Age of Empires II - Simone Vitolo (University of Turin)
•9:45: Beyond the Battlefield: medieval war and RTS games - Simone Fleres
Rebellion, Networks and Law – 12:00
•12:00: Beyond Feudalism: how modern games can handle internecine conflicts in early medieval polities – Arturo Mariano Iannace (IMT School for Advanced Studies, Lucca)
•12:15: Relationships in crisis: Visualising and analysing the breakdown of medieval aristocratic networks with Crusader Kings - Markus Mindrebø (University of Stavanger)
•12:30: Law as Violence: Langobard Laws & Tabletop Roleplay Games – Thom Gobbitt (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
Inclusivity, Exclusion and Dehumanisation – 15:00
•15:00: Returning to an Imagined Past: How Game Mods Reinforce Anachronistic Medieval Fantasy – Blair Apgar (Elon University)
•15:15: The ‘Playersexuality’ Debate: Love, Romance, Identity, and Player Perceptions of Baldur’s Gate 3 and the Dragon Age Series - Christine Tomlinson (University of California, Irvine & University of Southern Denmark)
•15:30: Bandits and thieves in RPGs : dehumanization and heroification of the criminal – Albert Leparc (Paris-Sorbonne University)
•15:45: Who is the Real Enemy? The Races of Elves and Giants in God of War (2018) - Renata Leśniakiewicz-Drzymała(Jagiellonian University, Kraków)
Second Keynote – 18:00
•18:00: The Sonic Environments of Medieval(ist) Games – Karen Cook (University of Hartford)
Closing Remarks – 21:00
•Robert Houghton (University of Winchester)
Uploads
Monograph by Robert Houghton
Games with a medieval setting are commercially lucrative and reach a truly massive audience. Moreover, they can engage their players in a manner that is not only different, but in certain aspects, more profound than traditional literary or cinematic forms of medievalism. However, although it is important to understand the versions of the Middle Ages presented by these games, how players engage with these medievalist worlds, and why particular representational trends emerge in this most modern medium, there has hitherto been little scholarship devoted to them.
This book explores the distinct nature of medievalism in digital games across a range of themes, from the portrayal of grotesque yet romantic conflict to conflicting depictions of the Church and religion. It likewise considers the distinctions between medievalist games and those of other periods, underlining their emphasis on fantasy, roleplay and hardcore elements, and their consequences for depictions of morality, race, gender and sexuality. Ultimately the book argues that while medievalist games are thoroughly influenced by medievalist and ludic tropes, they are nonetheless representative of a distinct new form of medievalism. It engages with the vast literature surrounding historical game studies, game design, and medievalism, and considers hundreds of games from across genres, from Assassin's Creed and Baldur's Gate to Crusader Kings and The Witcher series. In doing so, it provides a vital illustration of the state of the field and a cornerstone for future research and teaching.
Calls for Papers by Robert Houghton
The Middle Ages in Modern Games: ‘Temporalities’
The Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research at the University of Winchester is pleased to sponsor The Middle Ages in Modern Games (MAMG) strand at The Middle Ages in the Modern World (MAMO) conference. The conference will take place on 24 to 26 June 2025 at King’s College London. The theme of the Strand is ‘Temporalities’.
Time is a peculiar thing in both medievalism and gaming. The very notion of the Middle Ages is an arbitrary chronological construct with substantial baggage. Periodisation distinguishes the medieval from the modern or ancient and tropes such as millennia long medieval stasis or chronological kitchen sinks are rife. Games likewise play with time, often through basic elements such as pausing or reloading, but also through more complex mechanics and narratives around time travel or settings spanning generations or centuries. In combination, these medievalist and gaming trends can produce distinct representations of the period and can allow a new form of engagement with the Middle Ages.
This strand addresses the representation of time and temporalities within games. We invite papers of 20 minutes addressing any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any forms of digital or tabletop games, but we particularly welcome contributions which engage with ‘Temporalities’ broadly defined.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
Teaching Medieval Chronologies through Games
Time manipulation as counterplay
Periodisation within Games
Medieval Timekeeping and Calendars
Global Chronological Perspectives
Medievalism in Sci-Fi Games
Alternative Timelines
Medieval Time Travellers
The ‘Middle Ages’ outside Europe
Distinguishing the Medieval from the Modern
Medievalist Memories of the Ancient World
Time Skips in Stories and Mechanics
Persistent Medieval Worlds
Comparing Real Time and Turn Based Games
The Evolution of Medievalist Games
Medieval Lifecycles in Game Mechanics
Subverting Medievalist Chronologies
Mythical and Non-Historical Time in Games
Multiverses and Multiple Temporalities
Medievalist Games and Regimes of Historicity
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars and professionals at any point in their career—Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers, Independent Scholars and members of any groups under-represented within the academy are particularly welcome. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the fantasy genre.
Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words and brief biographies as attachments in Word to midagesmodgames<at>gmail.com by Friday 10 January 2025.
Leeds IMC 2025 – Call for Papers
The Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research at the University of Winchester is pleased to sponsor The Middle Ages in Modern Games strand at the Leeds International Medieval Congress (IMC), 7 to 10 July 2025. The theme of the Congress is ‘worlds of learning’.
In engagement-oriented classrooms, games have become powerful tools for educators and students alike. While traditionally viewed as leisure activities, games are increasingly recognized for their potential to enhance learning across disciplines. Video games, board games, and roleplaying games can all serve as valuable pedagogical tools, fostering deeper engagement with course material and promoting the development of key cognitive skills. Beyond this, games must consider how players learn mechanics and gameplay in order to ensure player success. This onboarding process typically utilizes numerous different mechanisms both within and without the game, and its implementation is subject to developer standards and is not industry standard.
This strand addresses both the role of learning within games, as well as the use of games as pedagogic tools. We invite papers and sessions that explore the educational potential of these games, examining both how they function as learning tools and how they depict the concept of learning itself within their design and storytelling. We also welcome papers and sessions addressing any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any forms of digital or tabletop games.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
Teaching Medieval History, broadly defined, through Games
Knowledge creation in Medievalist games
Depictions of learning, preaching, and/or teaching in Medievalist games
Simulating history in the classroom through roleplay
The Global Middle Ages in Modern Games
Crafting and building as hands-on history simulation
Map development and location discovery in Medievalist games
Choice-based gameplay and altering the Medieval past
Empowering subaltern perspectives through play
Senses and information gathering in Medievalist games
Indices, Codices, and expert knowledge
Player choice and Discovery learning in Medievalist Games
Gameplay mechanics in Medievalist games
Pedagogical strategies involving gameplay in Medievalist games
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars and professionals at any point in their career—Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers, Independent Scholars and members of any groups under-represented within the academy are particularly welcome. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the fantasy genre.
Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words and brief biographies as attachments in Word to [email protected] by Friday 13 September 2024.
middleagesinmoderngames.net
Cooperation and conflict are intrinsically linked within many medievalist games. From the intrigue and court politics of Crusader Kings and Succession to the gleeful backstabbing carnage of King of the Castle and Munchkin, the Middle Ages in games are a period of shifting alliances and inevitable betrayal. Multiplayer games may make or break friendships while rivalries and alliances may create entirely new game dynamics and ways of looking at the Middle Ages.
This conference considers the Middle Ages and Medievalism in Modern Games. We invite analytical ‘papers’ (comprising 400-500 words of text or 5-minute videos) and sessions of 3 to 5 papers which address any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any and all forms of modern games. We particularly welcome papers addressing the central conference themes of ‘Cooperation’ and ‘Conflict’. The conference will be conducted remotely and there will be no registration fee. To promote accessibility and inclusivity, the event runs asynchronously across time zones.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
Collaborative World Building
Rivalries within and between Game Communities
User Feedback and Game Design
Mechanics of Peace and War, Diplomacy and Intrigue
Inclusive Engagement with Race, Gender and Sexuality
Asymmetric or Mutual Victory Conditions
Roleplay and Metagaming
Hostile and Toxic Gaming Environments
Empathetic History through Games
Indigeneity and Colonialism
Real World Conflicts and Medievalist Games
Friendships in and around Games
Interactions between Developers and Scholars
Non-Violent Games
Controversies around Games and Gaming
We encourage submissions from medievalists, games scholars and developers at any point in their career— especially those from Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers and members of any groups under-represented within the academy and industry. We welcome pieces addressing any region globally, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’ and ‘medievalism’.
We will accept papers in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
Please send abstracts of no more than 200 words, brief biographies, and indications of time zone and availability as attachments in Word to: Robert.Houghton<at>Winchester.ac.uk by Friday 3 May.
CONFERENCE (@MIDAGESMODGAMES, #MAMG21) ON 25 TO 28 MAY 2021.
Games are a potent tool for the exploration of the Middle Ages
and Medievalism. Digital and physical games often provide the
deepest engagement their players experience of the medieval
world. They can be potent tools for education and research. The
period provides a wealth of source material for developers and
modders. The Middle Ages present vast potential for games and
vice versa but, as demonstrated acutely in recent years, the
combination can easily be exclusionary and harmful.
This conference considers the Medieval and Medievalism in
Modern Games. Following the success of the conference last
year, we invite ‘papers’ (comprising a thread of 12 Tweets) that
address any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in
any and all forms of modern games. The conference will be
conducted remotely and there will be no registration fee.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
• The ‘Dark Ages’ as setting and trope
• Colonialism and imperialism in games
• Modelling medieval society
• Medievalism in sci-fi worlds
• Queerness in games and gaming
• Game development and modification
• Global settings and perspectives
• Gaming culture and politics
• Race, Whiteness and Indigeneity in Ludic Theory
• Historical conservation through games
• Games for education and research
We encourage submissions from medievalists, games and media scholars, and game developers at any point in their career—
Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers and members of any groups under-represented within the academy and industry
are particularly welcome. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—
including the fantasy genre.
Please send abstracts of no more than 200 words and brief biographies as attachments in Word to
[email protected] by Friday 9 April.
Banner image taken with permision from Wagadu Chronicles by Twin Drums. Find their developing Afro-Fantasy game here: https://thewagaduchronicles.com/
‘Borders’ and divisions are ubiquitous throughout representations of the Middle Ages in Modern Games. Games are built on clear and undisputable boundaries. Concrete dividing lines appear between kingdoms and cultures, town and country, and biomes. Geographies, mechanics and audio-visuals distinguish factions, religions, moralities, ethnicities, and eras. These boundaries are often binary, simplistic or superficial and are frequently controversial. However, understanding the motivations behind these boundaries is an important part of comprehending ludic history and the creation of more nuanced and interesting divisions informs more effective analysis and design for commercial, pedagogical and scholarly purposes.
This strand addresses the role of ‘Borders’ in the representation, reception and discussion of the Middle Ages in Modern Games. We invite papers and sessions addressing any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any forms of digital or tabletop games, but we particularly welcome contributions which engage with ‘Borders’ broadly defined.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
Physical and Geographical Borders in Games
Division as Design Tool
Conquest and Territorial Expansion
Crossing Borders and Exploration
Language Divides as Game Mechanic
Boundaries between ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’
Gender Divisions in Story and Mechanics
Playing the Global Middle Ages
Approaches to Race, Whiteness and Indigeneity
Chronological Rifts
Distinguishing Player Characters and NPCs
Divisions within Gaming Communities
Localisation and Regionalisation
Modding Borders and Boundaries
Ludic Borders and Teaching the Middle Ages
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars and professionals at any point in their career—Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers, Independent Scholars and members of any groups under-represented within the academy are particularly welcome. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the fantasy genre.
Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words and brief biographies as attachments in Word to [email protected] by Friday 17 September.
The Middle Ages in Modern Games: ‘Climate’ at Leeds IMC 2021
The Public Medievalist and the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research at the University of Winchester are pleased to sponsor The Middle Ages in Modern Games strand at the Leeds International Medieval Congress (IMC), from 5 to 8 July 2021. The theme of this year’s Congress is ‘Climate’.
Numerous ‘Climates’ influence the use of the Middle Ages in Modern Games. Meteorological climates are used to distinguish settings and regions, to drive plots, or as opponents to overcome. Many games demand the exploration, exploitation and expansion of these climates. Cosmological climates form world building elements and present symbols of the occult. Models of political climates form the core mechanics of many games. Modern social climates influence the design and reception of games ranging from demands for ‘historical accuracy’ to drives for new and inclusive approaches.
This strand addresses the role of ‘Climates’ in the representation, reception and discussion of the Middle Ages in Modern Games. We invite papers and sessions addressing any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any forms of modern games, but we particularly welcome contributions which engage with ‘Climate’ broadly defined.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
•‘Medieval’ Climates and Weather Mechanics
•Cosmology as Fantasy World Building
•Ludic Colonialism and Imperialism
•Environmental Determinism in Games
•Social, Political, and Economic Models
•Disease, Famine, and Flood as Narrative
•Queerness in and around Games
•Playing The Global Middle Ages
•Race, Whiteness and Indigeneity in Ludic Theory
•Social and Political Reception of Games
•Games as Conservation
•Games for Teaching Medieval Climates
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars at any point in their career—Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers and members of any groups under-represented within the academy are particularly welcome. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the fantasy genre.
Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words and brief biographies as attachments in Word to Robert.Houghton(at)Winchester.ac.uk by Friday 11 September.
This session invites 30-minute presentations, comprising a 10 minute summary of a theoretical issue, and if possible, a 20 minute practical demonstration or testing session of a history/heritage game project, prototype, or proof-of-concept. Ideas to actively involve the audience and to seek feedback are encouraged. Links to resources for proof of concept, prototyping and play-testing game ideas will be provided to participants before the session.
Games present new ways to explore the Middle Ages. Digital and physical games allow interaction with the past in a manner no other media can provide. Their mechanics and rules can present complex models of society for their players to explore, test, and debate. As a media, games have substantial potential as learning, impact and research tools. However, these games can also promote negative stereotypes and misunderstandings about the period through their content and broader culture.
This strand considers the Medieval and Medievalism in Modern Games. Building on the success of the strand at the International Medieval Congress in 2019, it will address the ways in which games present the Middle Ages and why this is important to our work and society more broadly. We invite papers that address any aspects of the expression of the medieval period or medievalism in any and all forms of modern games.
This strand considers the Medieval and Medievalism in Modern Games. Building on the success of the strand at the International Medieval Congress in 2019, it will address the ways in which games present the Middle Ages and why this is important to our work and society more broadly. We invite papers that address any aspects of the expression of the medieval period or medievalism in any and all forms of modern games.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
Mythical and fantasy influences in games
Concepts and mechanics of morality
Playing social and political structures
Violence in and around games
Religious and racial outsiders and ‘others’
Gender and sexuality
The place of the Middle Ages in games
Games for education, outreach and impact
Designing and modding games
Gaming communities and culture
Controversies and negative aspects of games
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars at any point in their career. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a very broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the pseudo-medieval fantasy genre.
Participants will be invited to adapt their papers for publication on The Public Medievalist.
Abstracts should not exceed 300 words and should be sent, as attachments in Word, to [email protected] by Friday 13 December.
PLEASED TO SPONSOR A SERIES OF SESSIONS AROUND THE THEME ‘PLAYING THE MIDDLE AGES’ AT THE LEEDS INTERNATIONAL MEDIEVAL CONGRESS (IMC), FROM 6 TO 9 JULY 2020.
Games are increasingly important to our field. Medieval and fantasy tabletop, roleplaying and computer games command a considerable and growing audience. These games can fundamentally influence how their players think about and understand the Middle Ages. This can make them powerful teaching and outreach tools, but can also lead to fundamental misunderstandings about the period and the reinforcement of tropes and stereotypes.
This strand engages the potential and pitfalls of games. Building on the success of the strand at the IMC in 2019, it will consider the utility of this medium in the classroom, in our research, and in the wider world. We invite papers that address any aspects of the expression of the medieval period or medievalism in any and all forms of modern games.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
• Games as teaching or heritage tools
• Creation and modification of games
• Racialised and gendered identities in games
• History and historians in games
• Gamer identities and communities
• Fantasy and medievalism in games
• Controversy in and around games
• Roleplay and Simulation
• Games and archaeology
• Games as historical debate and research
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars at any point in their career. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a very broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the pseudo-medieval fantasy genre.
Participants will be invited to adapt their papers for publication on The Public Medievalist.
Abstracts should not exceed 300 words and should be sent, as attachments in Word, to [email protected] by Friday 13 September.
The Public Medievalist (https://www.publicmedievalist.com/) is a web publication with a simple purpose: to present thoughtful, nuanced, and cutting-edge scholarship on medieval studies freely to the public in an accessible and engaging format. The articles on the site run the gamut from medievalist film and video game commentaries to explorations of lesser-known pieces of medieval history and literature, to work that shows how the Middle Ages remains present in contemporary politics and culture. Even more than a publication,The Public Medievalist strives to be a platform where medievalists of any level can promote their work to, and practice their skills at writing for, a wider audience.
The medium of games is vibrant and powerful. Over the last few decades the rise and spread of computer games, a renaissance in board and tabletop games, and a popularisation of roleplaying games and LARPing. These games are of interest to medievalists and educators for a wide range of reasons. They can engage their players with historical
period. They can be used to teach theory and historical debates. They can act as research tools. They can even fundamentally influence how we think and talk about the Middle Ages.
This strand moves beyond well-trodden debates over historical accuracy and authenticity in games to consider the utility of this medium in the classroom, in our research, and in the wider world. We invite papers that address any aspects of the expression of the medieval period in any and all forms of modern games.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
• Games as teaching tools
• Game Design and Mechanics
• Identity in games and gaming communities
• Games as national narratives
• Historical research in support of games
• Appropriation of games by extremist groups
• Engaging Historiography through Games
• Controversy in and around games
• Differentiation between history and fantasy
• Roleplay and Simulation
• Archaeology in/of games
• Games as historical debate and research
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars at any point in their career. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a very broad definition of 'medieval'—including the pseudo-medieval fantasy genre.
Participants will be invited to adapt their papers for publication on The Public Medievalist.
Abstracts should not exceed 300 words and should be sent, as attachments in Word, to [email protected] by Friday 14 September.
The Public Medievalist (https://www.publicmedievalist.com/) is a web publication with a simple purpose: to present thoughtful, nuanced, and cutting-edge scholarship on medieval studies freely to the public in an accessible and engaging format. The articles on the site run the gamut from medievalist film and video game commentaries to explorations of lesser-known pieces of medieval history and literature, to work that shows how the Middle Ages remains present in contemporary politics and culture. Even more than a publication, The Public Medievalist strives to be a platform where medievalists of any level can promote their work to, and practice their skills at writing for, a wider audience.
Topics for discussion may include (but are not restricted to):
Academic accuracy and popular accuracy
Restrictions placed on historical accuracy by the nature of media
Issues of gender roles or race roles
The construction or revision of political and national narratives
Popular desire for historical accuracy
Issues of authenticity and realism
The power of popular beliefs and conceptions
Historical accuracy in works of fantasy fiction
Censorship and self-censorship
Interactivity
The manipulation of historical events for financial or political ends
Abstracts should not exceed 250 words and should be sent, as attachments in Word to [email protected] and [email protected] by Friday 23 September.
Conference Sessions by Robert Houghton
Asynchronous Conference: Cooperation and Conflict
http://middleagesinmoderngames.net/
Tuesday 4 June – Friday 7 June 2024
Conference Programme
Tuesday 4 June
Field of Glory Day 2024
16:00
Join us on
twitch.tv/slitherinetv
Claire Kennan and Robert Houghton discuss the Historical Context of Field of Glory: Kingdoms
Alberto Casulini and Neil McKenna showcase gameplay strategies and highlight features
Wednesday 5 June
Opening Address – 9:00
•9:00: Markus Mindrebø (University of Stavanger)
First Keynote – 12:00
•12:00: Medieval Borders in the Context of Video Games – Juan Francisco Jiménez Alcázar (Universidad de Murcia)
Sponsored Session: Field of Glory: Kingdoms – 15:00
•15:00: More than a Wargame: Introducing Field of Glory: Kingdoms
•15:15: The Art of Field of Glory: Kingdoms
•15:30: Making Friends and Enemies: Interpersonal and International Relations in Field of Glory: Kingdoms
•15:45: Alliances, Schemes and Betrayals: Multiplayer Cooperation and Conflict in Field of Glory: Kingdoms
Empathy and Roleplay- 18:00
•18:00: Binary Dynamics in A Plague Tale: Innocence - Jéssica Iolanda Costa Bispo(Nova University of Lisbon)
•18:15: Modeling Medieval Mentalities – Some Promising Trends in Historical Games - Adam Bierstedt (Ludohistory)
•18:30: A Collaborative Crime Against Humanity: Creating the Siege and Sack of Constantinople in The Remaking of the Medieval World, 1204 - John Giebfried (University of Vienna)
•18:45: How Information Moves: Character Networks in Role-playing Games - James Baillie (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
Warfare and Violence – 21:00
•21:00: Warriors of the Virtual Past: Unravelling Historical Conflicts in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla – Enrique Torres-Hergueta (University of Seville)
•21:15: The Iberian struggle as a structuralist representation of the Reconquista in Crusader Kings III - Arthur Antônio Soares de Oliveira (Federal University of Espírito Santo)
•21:30: From History to Fantasy: Exploring the Dynamics of Medieval Warfare in Gaming – Johansen Quijano (Tarrant County College)
Thursday 6 June
Culture, Chronology and Fantasy – 9:00
•9:00: For the Divines, the Emperor, and the Tribunal: East-West Cultural Cooperation and Conflict in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - Pratama Wirya Atmaja* Andreas Nugroho Sihananto, and M. Afdal Susilo Aji (University of Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur)
•9:15: Palimpsestic Fantoms in Assassin’s Creed: Revelation — A Reading on cooperation and conflict through encounters between Early Modernity and Medievalism – Yujia (Flavia) Jin (University of Glasgow)
•9:30: Analyzing the Grimdark Neomedieval Chronotope in The Witcher Game Series - Homeira Baghbanmoshiri (Kobe University)
Game Development – 12:00
•12:00: Fall of Gelgel Empire: Root of Bali’s Warring Era in Fall of Bali - Muhammad Abdul Karim (Sengkala Dev)
•12:15: Legal Disputes as a Game Mechanism in The Knight & the Maiden – Andreas Kjeldsen (Stark Raving Sane Games)
•12:30: Virtù, Humours, and the psychology of the renaissance soldier: Modelling decision-making in skirmishes through Force of Virtue – Samuel Gassman (Masterstroke Games)
Aesthetics – 15:00
•15:00: Fables of Friendship and Fury: How Tails of Iron and Inkulinati Explore Cooperation and Conflict Through Medievalist Aesthetics – Baykar Demir (Istanbul University)
•15:15: Cognitive-Visual Reasoning of Medieval Space in Modern Video Games - Emilija Vuković (University of Belgrade)
•15:30: The Sword as Symbol of Chivalry in The Witcher 3 – Katie Vernon (University of York)
•15:45: Cooperation, conflict, and more-than-human agencies in medieval games - Vinicius Marino Carvalho (State University of Campinas)
Interplayer Conflict and Cooperation – 18:00
•18:00: The Group Over the Self or Vice-Versa: How Hunting Monsters Reflects the Spirit of Cooperation and Conflict from the Middle Ages - Johansen Quijano (Tarrant County College)
•18:15: Survival Strategies in LARPs: Conflict or Cooperation? – Anastasija Ropa (Latvian Academy of Sport Education) andEdgar Rops(Independent Scholar)
•18:30: Feudalism and Intercommunity Feuds: A look at the rivalry between the Overwatch and Valorant Community - Shashvat Singh (Uppsala University)
Art History and Historiography – 21:00
•21:00: Renaissance Magic Against a Medieval World: An Art-Historical Reading of Elden Ring’s Raya Lucaria Academy – Mikael Sebag(University of California, Irvine)
•21:15: History is Written by the House Leader: Perspectivism in Fire Emblem Three Houses - Quinn Bouabsa-Marriott (University of St Andrews)
•21:30: Nobunaga's Ambition and contemporary Japan: History of medieval historiography, medievalism, and historical subcultures – Hirohito Tsuji (University of East Anglia)
Friday 7 June
Il Medioevo nei Giochi Moderni - Italian Perspectives – 9:00
•9:00: World of Warcraft, l’evoluzione di un MOORPG dal sapore medievale – Luigi D’Anto’
•9:15: Conflitto e Cooperazione negli Imperi Romani, Occidentale e Orientale, in Attila: Total War – Simone Divincenzo (University of Genoa)
•9:30: Alleanze e intrighi: la diplomazia in Age of Empires II - Simone Vitolo (University of Turin)
•9:45: Beyond the Battlefield: medieval war and RTS games - Simone Fleres
Rebellion, Networks and Law – 12:00
•12:00: Beyond Feudalism: how modern games can handle internecine conflicts in early medieval polities – Arturo Mariano Iannace (IMT School for Advanced Studies, Lucca)
•12:15: Relationships in crisis: Visualising and analysing the breakdown of medieval aristocratic networks with Crusader Kings - Markus Mindrebø (University of Stavanger)
•12:30: Law as Violence: Langobard Laws & Tabletop Roleplay Games – Thom Gobbitt (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
Inclusivity, Exclusion and Dehumanisation – 15:00
•15:00: Returning to an Imagined Past: How Game Mods Reinforce Anachronistic Medieval Fantasy – Blair Apgar (Elon University)
•15:15: The ‘Playersexuality’ Debate: Love, Romance, Identity, and Player Perceptions of Baldur’s Gate 3 and the Dragon Age Series - Christine Tomlinson (University of California, Irvine & University of Southern Denmark)
•15:30: Bandits and thieves in RPGs : dehumanization and heroification of the criminal – Albert Leparc (Paris-Sorbonne University)
•15:45: Who is the Real Enemy? The Races of Elves and Giants in God of War (2018) - Renata Leśniakiewicz-Drzymała(Jagiellonian University, Kraków)
Second Keynote – 18:00
•18:00: The Sonic Environments of Medieval(ist) Games – Karen Cook (University of Hartford)
Closing Remarks – 21:00
•Robert Houghton (University of Winchester)
Games with a medieval setting are commercially lucrative and reach a truly massive audience. Moreover, they can engage their players in a manner that is not only different, but in certain aspects, more profound than traditional literary or cinematic forms of medievalism. However, although it is important to understand the versions of the Middle Ages presented by these games, how players engage with these medievalist worlds, and why particular representational trends emerge in this most modern medium, there has hitherto been little scholarship devoted to them.
This book explores the distinct nature of medievalism in digital games across a range of themes, from the portrayal of grotesque yet romantic conflict to conflicting depictions of the Church and religion. It likewise considers the distinctions between medievalist games and those of other periods, underlining their emphasis on fantasy, roleplay and hardcore elements, and their consequences for depictions of morality, race, gender and sexuality. Ultimately the book argues that while medievalist games are thoroughly influenced by medievalist and ludic tropes, they are nonetheless representative of a distinct new form of medievalism. It engages with the vast literature surrounding historical game studies, game design, and medievalism, and considers hundreds of games from across genres, from Assassin's Creed and Baldur's Gate to Crusader Kings and The Witcher series. In doing so, it provides a vital illustration of the state of the field and a cornerstone for future research and teaching.
The Middle Ages in Modern Games: ‘Temporalities’
The Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research at the University of Winchester is pleased to sponsor The Middle Ages in Modern Games (MAMG) strand at The Middle Ages in the Modern World (MAMO) conference. The conference will take place on 24 to 26 June 2025 at King’s College London. The theme of the Strand is ‘Temporalities’.
Time is a peculiar thing in both medievalism and gaming. The very notion of the Middle Ages is an arbitrary chronological construct with substantial baggage. Periodisation distinguishes the medieval from the modern or ancient and tropes such as millennia long medieval stasis or chronological kitchen sinks are rife. Games likewise play with time, often through basic elements such as pausing or reloading, but also through more complex mechanics and narratives around time travel or settings spanning generations or centuries. In combination, these medievalist and gaming trends can produce distinct representations of the period and can allow a new form of engagement with the Middle Ages.
This strand addresses the representation of time and temporalities within games. We invite papers of 20 minutes addressing any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any forms of digital or tabletop games, but we particularly welcome contributions which engage with ‘Temporalities’ broadly defined.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
Teaching Medieval Chronologies through Games
Time manipulation as counterplay
Periodisation within Games
Medieval Timekeeping and Calendars
Global Chronological Perspectives
Medievalism in Sci-Fi Games
Alternative Timelines
Medieval Time Travellers
The ‘Middle Ages’ outside Europe
Distinguishing the Medieval from the Modern
Medievalist Memories of the Ancient World
Time Skips in Stories and Mechanics
Persistent Medieval Worlds
Comparing Real Time and Turn Based Games
The Evolution of Medievalist Games
Medieval Lifecycles in Game Mechanics
Subverting Medievalist Chronologies
Mythical and Non-Historical Time in Games
Multiverses and Multiple Temporalities
Medievalist Games and Regimes of Historicity
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars and professionals at any point in their career—Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers, Independent Scholars and members of any groups under-represented within the academy are particularly welcome. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the fantasy genre.
Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words and brief biographies as attachments in Word to midagesmodgames<at>gmail.com by Friday 10 January 2025.
Leeds IMC 2025 – Call for Papers
The Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research at the University of Winchester is pleased to sponsor The Middle Ages in Modern Games strand at the Leeds International Medieval Congress (IMC), 7 to 10 July 2025. The theme of the Congress is ‘worlds of learning’.
In engagement-oriented classrooms, games have become powerful tools for educators and students alike. While traditionally viewed as leisure activities, games are increasingly recognized for their potential to enhance learning across disciplines. Video games, board games, and roleplaying games can all serve as valuable pedagogical tools, fostering deeper engagement with course material and promoting the development of key cognitive skills. Beyond this, games must consider how players learn mechanics and gameplay in order to ensure player success. This onboarding process typically utilizes numerous different mechanisms both within and without the game, and its implementation is subject to developer standards and is not industry standard.
This strand addresses both the role of learning within games, as well as the use of games as pedagogic tools. We invite papers and sessions that explore the educational potential of these games, examining both how they function as learning tools and how they depict the concept of learning itself within their design and storytelling. We also welcome papers and sessions addressing any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any forms of digital or tabletop games.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
Teaching Medieval History, broadly defined, through Games
Knowledge creation in Medievalist games
Depictions of learning, preaching, and/or teaching in Medievalist games
Simulating history in the classroom through roleplay
The Global Middle Ages in Modern Games
Crafting and building as hands-on history simulation
Map development and location discovery in Medievalist games
Choice-based gameplay and altering the Medieval past
Empowering subaltern perspectives through play
Senses and information gathering in Medievalist games
Indices, Codices, and expert knowledge
Player choice and Discovery learning in Medievalist Games
Gameplay mechanics in Medievalist games
Pedagogical strategies involving gameplay in Medievalist games
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars and professionals at any point in their career—Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers, Independent Scholars and members of any groups under-represented within the academy are particularly welcome. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the fantasy genre.
Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words and brief biographies as attachments in Word to [email protected] by Friday 13 September 2024.
middleagesinmoderngames.net
Cooperation and conflict are intrinsically linked within many medievalist games. From the intrigue and court politics of Crusader Kings and Succession to the gleeful backstabbing carnage of King of the Castle and Munchkin, the Middle Ages in games are a period of shifting alliances and inevitable betrayal. Multiplayer games may make or break friendships while rivalries and alliances may create entirely new game dynamics and ways of looking at the Middle Ages.
This conference considers the Middle Ages and Medievalism in Modern Games. We invite analytical ‘papers’ (comprising 400-500 words of text or 5-minute videos) and sessions of 3 to 5 papers which address any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any and all forms of modern games. We particularly welcome papers addressing the central conference themes of ‘Cooperation’ and ‘Conflict’. The conference will be conducted remotely and there will be no registration fee. To promote accessibility and inclusivity, the event runs asynchronously across time zones.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
Collaborative World Building
Rivalries within and between Game Communities
User Feedback and Game Design
Mechanics of Peace and War, Diplomacy and Intrigue
Inclusive Engagement with Race, Gender and Sexuality
Asymmetric or Mutual Victory Conditions
Roleplay and Metagaming
Hostile and Toxic Gaming Environments
Empathetic History through Games
Indigeneity and Colonialism
Real World Conflicts and Medievalist Games
Friendships in and around Games
Interactions between Developers and Scholars
Non-Violent Games
Controversies around Games and Gaming
We encourage submissions from medievalists, games scholars and developers at any point in their career— especially those from Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers and members of any groups under-represented within the academy and industry. We welcome pieces addressing any region globally, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’ and ‘medievalism’.
We will accept papers in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
Please send abstracts of no more than 200 words, brief biographies, and indications of time zone and availability as attachments in Word to: Robert.Houghton<at>Winchester.ac.uk by Friday 3 May.
CONFERENCE (@MIDAGESMODGAMES, #MAMG21) ON 25 TO 28 MAY 2021.
Games are a potent tool for the exploration of the Middle Ages
and Medievalism. Digital and physical games often provide the
deepest engagement their players experience of the medieval
world. They can be potent tools for education and research. The
period provides a wealth of source material for developers and
modders. The Middle Ages present vast potential for games and
vice versa but, as demonstrated acutely in recent years, the
combination can easily be exclusionary and harmful.
This conference considers the Medieval and Medievalism in
Modern Games. Following the success of the conference last
year, we invite ‘papers’ (comprising a thread of 12 Tweets) that
address any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in
any and all forms of modern games. The conference will be
conducted remotely and there will be no registration fee.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
• The ‘Dark Ages’ as setting and trope
• Colonialism and imperialism in games
• Modelling medieval society
• Medievalism in sci-fi worlds
• Queerness in games and gaming
• Game development and modification
• Global settings and perspectives
• Gaming culture and politics
• Race, Whiteness and Indigeneity in Ludic Theory
• Historical conservation through games
• Games for education and research
We encourage submissions from medievalists, games and media scholars, and game developers at any point in their career—
Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers and members of any groups under-represented within the academy and industry
are particularly welcome. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—
including the fantasy genre.
Please send abstracts of no more than 200 words and brief biographies as attachments in Word to
[email protected] by Friday 9 April.
Banner image taken with permision from Wagadu Chronicles by Twin Drums. Find their developing Afro-Fantasy game here: https://thewagaduchronicles.com/
‘Borders’ and divisions are ubiquitous throughout representations of the Middle Ages in Modern Games. Games are built on clear and undisputable boundaries. Concrete dividing lines appear between kingdoms and cultures, town and country, and biomes. Geographies, mechanics and audio-visuals distinguish factions, religions, moralities, ethnicities, and eras. These boundaries are often binary, simplistic or superficial and are frequently controversial. However, understanding the motivations behind these boundaries is an important part of comprehending ludic history and the creation of more nuanced and interesting divisions informs more effective analysis and design for commercial, pedagogical and scholarly purposes.
This strand addresses the role of ‘Borders’ in the representation, reception and discussion of the Middle Ages in Modern Games. We invite papers and sessions addressing any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any forms of digital or tabletop games, but we particularly welcome contributions which engage with ‘Borders’ broadly defined.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
Physical and Geographical Borders in Games
Division as Design Tool
Conquest and Territorial Expansion
Crossing Borders and Exploration
Language Divides as Game Mechanic
Boundaries between ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’
Gender Divisions in Story and Mechanics
Playing the Global Middle Ages
Approaches to Race, Whiteness and Indigeneity
Chronological Rifts
Distinguishing Player Characters and NPCs
Divisions within Gaming Communities
Localisation and Regionalisation
Modding Borders and Boundaries
Ludic Borders and Teaching the Middle Ages
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars and professionals at any point in their career—Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers, Independent Scholars and members of any groups under-represented within the academy are particularly welcome. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the fantasy genre.
Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words and brief biographies as attachments in Word to [email protected] by Friday 17 September.
The Middle Ages in Modern Games: ‘Climate’ at Leeds IMC 2021
The Public Medievalist and the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research at the University of Winchester are pleased to sponsor The Middle Ages in Modern Games strand at the Leeds International Medieval Congress (IMC), from 5 to 8 July 2021. The theme of this year’s Congress is ‘Climate’.
Numerous ‘Climates’ influence the use of the Middle Ages in Modern Games. Meteorological climates are used to distinguish settings and regions, to drive plots, or as opponents to overcome. Many games demand the exploration, exploitation and expansion of these climates. Cosmological climates form world building elements and present symbols of the occult. Models of political climates form the core mechanics of many games. Modern social climates influence the design and reception of games ranging from demands for ‘historical accuracy’ to drives for new and inclusive approaches.
This strand addresses the role of ‘Climates’ in the representation, reception and discussion of the Middle Ages in Modern Games. We invite papers and sessions addressing any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any forms of modern games, but we particularly welcome contributions which engage with ‘Climate’ broadly defined.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
•‘Medieval’ Climates and Weather Mechanics
•Cosmology as Fantasy World Building
•Ludic Colonialism and Imperialism
•Environmental Determinism in Games
•Social, Political, and Economic Models
•Disease, Famine, and Flood as Narrative
•Queerness in and around Games
•Playing The Global Middle Ages
•Race, Whiteness and Indigeneity in Ludic Theory
•Social and Political Reception of Games
•Games as Conservation
•Games for Teaching Medieval Climates
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars at any point in their career—Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers and members of any groups under-represented within the academy are particularly welcome. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the fantasy genre.
Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words and brief biographies as attachments in Word to Robert.Houghton(at)Winchester.ac.uk by Friday 11 September.
This session invites 30-minute presentations, comprising a 10 minute summary of a theoretical issue, and if possible, a 20 minute practical demonstration or testing session of a history/heritage game project, prototype, or proof-of-concept. Ideas to actively involve the audience and to seek feedback are encouraged. Links to resources for proof of concept, prototyping and play-testing game ideas will be provided to participants before the session.
Games present new ways to explore the Middle Ages. Digital and physical games allow interaction with the past in a manner no other media can provide. Their mechanics and rules can present complex models of society for their players to explore, test, and debate. As a media, games have substantial potential as learning, impact and research tools. However, these games can also promote negative stereotypes and misunderstandings about the period through their content and broader culture.
This strand considers the Medieval and Medievalism in Modern Games. Building on the success of the strand at the International Medieval Congress in 2019, it will address the ways in which games present the Middle Ages and why this is important to our work and society more broadly. We invite papers that address any aspects of the expression of the medieval period or medievalism in any and all forms of modern games.
This strand considers the Medieval and Medievalism in Modern Games. Building on the success of the strand at the International Medieval Congress in 2019, it will address the ways in which games present the Middle Ages and why this is important to our work and society more broadly. We invite papers that address any aspects of the expression of the medieval period or medievalism in any and all forms of modern games.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
Mythical and fantasy influences in games
Concepts and mechanics of morality
Playing social and political structures
Violence in and around games
Religious and racial outsiders and ‘others’
Gender and sexuality
The place of the Middle Ages in games
Games for education, outreach and impact
Designing and modding games
Gaming communities and culture
Controversies and negative aspects of games
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars at any point in their career. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a very broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the pseudo-medieval fantasy genre.
Participants will be invited to adapt their papers for publication on The Public Medievalist.
Abstracts should not exceed 300 words and should be sent, as attachments in Word, to [email protected] by Friday 13 December.
PLEASED TO SPONSOR A SERIES OF SESSIONS AROUND THE THEME ‘PLAYING THE MIDDLE AGES’ AT THE LEEDS INTERNATIONAL MEDIEVAL CONGRESS (IMC), FROM 6 TO 9 JULY 2020.
Games are increasingly important to our field. Medieval and fantasy tabletop, roleplaying and computer games command a considerable and growing audience. These games can fundamentally influence how their players think about and understand the Middle Ages. This can make them powerful teaching and outreach tools, but can also lead to fundamental misunderstandings about the period and the reinforcement of tropes and stereotypes.
This strand engages the potential and pitfalls of games. Building on the success of the strand at the IMC in 2019, it will consider the utility of this medium in the classroom, in our research, and in the wider world. We invite papers that address any aspects of the expression of the medieval period or medievalism in any and all forms of modern games.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
• Games as teaching or heritage tools
• Creation and modification of games
• Racialised and gendered identities in games
• History and historians in games
• Gamer identities and communities
• Fantasy and medievalism in games
• Controversy in and around games
• Roleplay and Simulation
• Games and archaeology
• Games as historical debate and research
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars at any point in their career. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a very broad definition of ‘medieval’—including the pseudo-medieval fantasy genre.
Participants will be invited to adapt their papers for publication on The Public Medievalist.
Abstracts should not exceed 300 words and should be sent, as attachments in Word, to [email protected] by Friday 13 September.
The Public Medievalist (https://www.publicmedievalist.com/) is a web publication with a simple purpose: to present thoughtful, nuanced, and cutting-edge scholarship on medieval studies freely to the public in an accessible and engaging format. The articles on the site run the gamut from medievalist film and video game commentaries to explorations of lesser-known pieces of medieval history and literature, to work that shows how the Middle Ages remains present in contemporary politics and culture. Even more than a publication,The Public Medievalist strives to be a platform where medievalists of any level can promote their work to, and practice their skills at writing for, a wider audience.
The medium of games is vibrant and powerful. Over the last few decades the rise and spread of computer games, a renaissance in board and tabletop games, and a popularisation of roleplaying games and LARPing. These games are of interest to medievalists and educators for a wide range of reasons. They can engage their players with historical
period. They can be used to teach theory and historical debates. They can act as research tools. They can even fundamentally influence how we think and talk about the Middle Ages.
This strand moves beyond well-trodden debates over historical accuracy and authenticity in games to consider the utility of this medium in the classroom, in our research, and in the wider world. We invite papers that address any aspects of the expression of the medieval period in any and all forms of modern games.
Topics may include (but are not restricted to):
• Games as teaching tools
• Game Design and Mechanics
• Identity in games and gaming communities
• Games as national narratives
• Historical research in support of games
• Appropriation of games by extremist groups
• Engaging Historiography through Games
• Controversy in and around games
• Differentiation between history and fantasy
• Roleplay and Simulation
• Archaeology in/of games
• Games as historical debate and research
We encourage submissions from medievalists or games and media scholars at any point in their career. We also welcome pieces dealing with any region of the globe, and within a very broad definition of 'medieval'—including the pseudo-medieval fantasy genre.
Participants will be invited to adapt their papers for publication on The Public Medievalist.
Abstracts should not exceed 300 words and should be sent, as attachments in Word, to [email protected] by Friday 14 September.
The Public Medievalist (https://www.publicmedievalist.com/) is a web publication with a simple purpose: to present thoughtful, nuanced, and cutting-edge scholarship on medieval studies freely to the public in an accessible and engaging format. The articles on the site run the gamut from medievalist film and video game commentaries to explorations of lesser-known pieces of medieval history and literature, to work that shows how the Middle Ages remains present in contemporary politics and culture. Even more than a publication, The Public Medievalist strives to be a platform where medievalists of any level can promote their work to, and practice their skills at writing for, a wider audience.
Topics for discussion may include (but are not restricted to):
Academic accuracy and popular accuracy
Restrictions placed on historical accuracy by the nature of media
Issues of gender roles or race roles
The construction or revision of political and national narratives
Popular desire for historical accuracy
Issues of authenticity and realism
The power of popular beliefs and conceptions
Historical accuracy in works of fantasy fiction
Censorship and self-censorship
Interactivity
The manipulation of historical events for financial or political ends
Abstracts should not exceed 250 words and should be sent, as attachments in Word to [email protected] and [email protected] by Friday 23 September.
Asynchronous Conference: Cooperation and Conflict
http://middleagesinmoderngames.net/
Tuesday 4 June – Friday 7 June 2024
Conference Programme
Tuesday 4 June
Field of Glory Day 2024
16:00
Join us on
twitch.tv/slitherinetv
Claire Kennan and Robert Houghton discuss the Historical Context of Field of Glory: Kingdoms
Alberto Casulini and Neil McKenna showcase gameplay strategies and highlight features
Wednesday 5 June
Opening Address – 9:00
•9:00: Markus Mindrebø (University of Stavanger)
First Keynote – 12:00
•12:00: Medieval Borders in the Context of Video Games – Juan Francisco Jiménez Alcázar (Universidad de Murcia)
Sponsored Session: Field of Glory: Kingdoms – 15:00
•15:00: More than a Wargame: Introducing Field of Glory: Kingdoms
•15:15: The Art of Field of Glory: Kingdoms
•15:30: Making Friends and Enemies: Interpersonal and International Relations in Field of Glory: Kingdoms
•15:45: Alliances, Schemes and Betrayals: Multiplayer Cooperation and Conflict in Field of Glory: Kingdoms
Empathy and Roleplay- 18:00
•18:00: Binary Dynamics in A Plague Tale: Innocence - Jéssica Iolanda Costa Bispo(Nova University of Lisbon)
•18:15: Modeling Medieval Mentalities – Some Promising Trends in Historical Games - Adam Bierstedt (Ludohistory)
•18:30: A Collaborative Crime Against Humanity: Creating the Siege and Sack of Constantinople in The Remaking of the Medieval World, 1204 - John Giebfried (University of Vienna)
•18:45: How Information Moves: Character Networks in Role-playing Games - James Baillie (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
Warfare and Violence – 21:00
•21:00: Warriors of the Virtual Past: Unravelling Historical Conflicts in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla – Enrique Torres-Hergueta (University of Seville)
•21:15: The Iberian struggle as a structuralist representation of the Reconquista in Crusader Kings III - Arthur Antônio Soares de Oliveira (Federal University of Espírito Santo)
•21:30: From History to Fantasy: Exploring the Dynamics of Medieval Warfare in Gaming – Johansen Quijano (Tarrant County College)
Thursday 6 June
Culture, Chronology and Fantasy – 9:00
•9:00: For the Divines, the Emperor, and the Tribunal: East-West Cultural Cooperation and Conflict in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - Pratama Wirya Atmaja* Andreas Nugroho Sihananto, and M. Afdal Susilo Aji (University of Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur)
•9:15: Palimpsestic Fantoms in Assassin’s Creed: Revelation — A Reading on cooperation and conflict through encounters between Early Modernity and Medievalism – Yujia (Flavia) Jin (University of Glasgow)
•9:30: Analyzing the Grimdark Neomedieval Chronotope in The Witcher Game Series - Homeira Baghbanmoshiri (Kobe University)
Game Development – 12:00
•12:00: Fall of Gelgel Empire: Root of Bali’s Warring Era in Fall of Bali - Muhammad Abdul Karim (Sengkala Dev)
•12:15: Legal Disputes as a Game Mechanism in The Knight & the Maiden – Andreas Kjeldsen (Stark Raving Sane Games)
•12:30: Virtù, Humours, and the psychology of the renaissance soldier: Modelling decision-making in skirmishes through Force of Virtue – Samuel Gassman (Masterstroke Games)
Aesthetics – 15:00
•15:00: Fables of Friendship and Fury: How Tails of Iron and Inkulinati Explore Cooperation and Conflict Through Medievalist Aesthetics – Baykar Demir (Istanbul University)
•15:15: Cognitive-Visual Reasoning of Medieval Space in Modern Video Games - Emilija Vuković (University of Belgrade)
•15:30: The Sword as Symbol of Chivalry in The Witcher 3 – Katie Vernon (University of York)
•15:45: Cooperation, conflict, and more-than-human agencies in medieval games - Vinicius Marino Carvalho (State University of Campinas)
Interplayer Conflict and Cooperation – 18:00
•18:00: The Group Over the Self or Vice-Versa: How Hunting Monsters Reflects the Spirit of Cooperation and Conflict from the Middle Ages - Johansen Quijano (Tarrant County College)
•18:15: Survival Strategies in LARPs: Conflict or Cooperation? – Anastasija Ropa (Latvian Academy of Sport Education) andEdgar Rops(Independent Scholar)
•18:30: Feudalism and Intercommunity Feuds: A look at the rivalry between the Overwatch and Valorant Community - Shashvat Singh (Uppsala University)
Art History and Historiography – 21:00
•21:00: Renaissance Magic Against a Medieval World: An Art-Historical Reading of Elden Ring’s Raya Lucaria Academy – Mikael Sebag(University of California, Irvine)
•21:15: History is Written by the House Leader: Perspectivism in Fire Emblem Three Houses - Quinn Bouabsa-Marriott (University of St Andrews)
•21:30: Nobunaga's Ambition and contemporary Japan: History of medieval historiography, medievalism, and historical subcultures – Hirohito Tsuji (University of East Anglia)
Friday 7 June
Il Medioevo nei Giochi Moderni - Italian Perspectives – 9:00
•9:00: World of Warcraft, l’evoluzione di un MOORPG dal sapore medievale – Luigi D’Anto’
•9:15: Conflitto e Cooperazione negli Imperi Romani, Occidentale e Orientale, in Attila: Total War – Simone Divincenzo (University of Genoa)
•9:30: Alleanze e intrighi: la diplomazia in Age of Empires II - Simone Vitolo (University of Turin)
•9:45: Beyond the Battlefield: medieval war and RTS games - Simone Fleres
Rebellion, Networks and Law – 12:00
•12:00: Beyond Feudalism: how modern games can handle internecine conflicts in early medieval polities – Arturo Mariano Iannace (IMT School for Advanced Studies, Lucca)
•12:15: Relationships in crisis: Visualising and analysing the breakdown of medieval aristocratic networks with Crusader Kings - Markus Mindrebø (University of Stavanger)
•12:30: Law as Violence: Langobard Laws & Tabletop Roleplay Games – Thom Gobbitt (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
Inclusivity, Exclusion and Dehumanisation – 15:00
•15:00: Returning to an Imagined Past: How Game Mods Reinforce Anachronistic Medieval Fantasy – Blair Apgar (Elon University)
•15:15: The ‘Playersexuality’ Debate: Love, Romance, Identity, and Player Perceptions of Baldur’s Gate 3 and the Dragon Age Series - Christine Tomlinson (University of California, Irvine & University of Southern Denmark)
•15:30: Bandits and thieves in RPGs : dehumanization and heroification of the criminal – Albert Leparc (Paris-Sorbonne University)
•15:45: Who is the Real Enemy? The Races of Elves and Giants in God of War (2018) - Renata Leśniakiewicz-Drzymała(Jagiellonian University, Kraków)
Second Keynote – 18:00
•18:00: The Sonic Environments of Medieval(ist) Games – Karen Cook (University of Hartford)
Closing Remarks – 21:00
•Robert Houghton (University of Winchester)
Sponsored by The Public Medievalist and the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research, University of Winchester
@MidAgesModGames
#MAMG20
Tuesday 30 June – Friday 3 July 2020
Sponsored by: The Public Medievalist and the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research, University of Winchester
The aim is to cover a wide geographical and chronological range in Italy to encourage and develop common themes across the peninsula. Was violence a cause or consequence of political and social change? How was violence normalised within the various societies of early medieval Italy? How were different types of violence represented in the sources? These questions are important throughout the period and need to be considered with a wide view.
https://storicamente.org/houghton-boniface-canossa-vita-mathildis-conrad-ii
The bishops of Parma were some of the most powerful ecclesiastical figures in Italy under the Ottonian and early Salian emperors. They enjoyed a large territory and a series of rights and exemptions allowing them to act decisively within the region; a key example of this was the prolonged attempt by Cadalus, bishop of Parma, to claim the papal seat as Honorious II in 1061-1072. However, towards the end of the eleventh century the bishops of Parma featured less prominently in the ongoing papal-imperial conflict. By the middle of the twelfth century they had been largely replaced by the commune of Parma as the dominant force in the city. Authors such as Schumann, Fasoli and Santifaller have seen this change in the political structure of Parma as the result of the imposition of Gregorian and Paterene ideals on the bishopric which called for the reduction or elimination of the secular roles of the bishop. However, the extended absences of the bishops from the city have not been considered in this context in any real depth. By considering the political, judicial and economic infrastructures employed during these absences I will attempt to establish whether a causal or consequential link can be made to the bishops’ diminishing secular role.
Through international and interdisciplinary collaboration between students, historians, game and media scholars, and commercial game designers the project will produce a practical model game (The Investiture Contest) alongside traditional academic, education, and popular outputs. Summary This project will present and demonstrate a new method of conducting academic historical research through the development and modification of tabletop and digital games. Although the project focuses on the medieval period, the applications of the methods developed have potential applications in all periods and fields of history.
This is an international collaborative project and relies on the involvement of scholars from multiple institutions. Any suggestions, feedback, or interest in circulating online questionnaires is greatly appreciated and should be directed to Robert Houghton ( [email protected] ).
However, this analysis is flawed. It rests predominantly on the questionable evidence of a single source: the Vita Mathildis by Donizone of Canossa. Through the examination of the charter sources, this paper argues that Donizone misrepresented Boniface’s actions and that there is considerable evidence that Boniface was not a consistent ally of the German emperors.
In the UK, as in many other countries, the middle ages is a rarely taught subject within the pre-university curriculum. Up to the age of 18 students are likely to encounter The Vikings, The Norman Conquest, The Crusades and The Black Death alongside one or two regional themes. Beyond this, they are generally left to their own devices.
This is a well known situation. Universities that teach the middle ages acknowledge that their intake of students will not have the same educational foundation as their counterparts in modern history. As such, emphasis is placed on providing this foundation.
Less well acknowledged is the influence of modern media which incorporates medieval elements on student perceptions of this period. Some students become interested in the period because of The Lord of the Rings, A Game of Thrones, or Assassins Creed. Moreover, even though it is clearly fictional, this media has influenced how students perceive the middle ages as a whole.
This paper will present and analyse the results of a survey currently underway at the University of St Andrews which addresses this issue. Preliminary results indicate that a large number of students chose to study medieval history because of their experience and that a small portion of students have made use of media to inform their studies. The paper will consider the results of this survey and their consequences for teaching the middle ages.
Historical computer games are a relatively young medium but they have a great potential to influence popular perceptions of history. Their interactivity can have both a conscious and subconscious impact on the formative learning of those who play them: the interactive elements of these games encourage greater retention of detail while non-linear storytelling elements can give the impression of a more complete and "accurate" world. The impact of these games varies depending on the historical period in question and players' encounters with representations of this period in other media. Computer games have a lesser learning impact when dealing with periods such as the twentieth century which are covered in detail in school and in popular media in general. They can have a more profound impact on players' understanding of more obscure periods such as the Middle Ages which do not form a regular part of many curricula and are not as prevalent in popular culture.
The impact of different forms of popular media on public perceptions has been investigated and quantified by several studies, most notably Rosenzweig and Thelen's 1998 investigation. However, the influence of computer games has been generally ignored. This study highlights the importance of this medium and asks what consequences the advent of historical computer games has for teaching history.
Firstly, I will discuss the depiction of the middle ages in Grand Strategy Computer Games such as Crusader Kings and Medieval Total War. I will highlight the technological, research and balance restraints placed on these games and demonstrate how this influences their design and their representation of the medieval period. I will argue that games of this genre set in this period share many of the same restrictions in their design as their counterparts in other historical periods, but that there are also some unique challenges in representing the middle ages.
Secondly, I will consider the impact these games have on undergraduate perceptions of the middle ages. I will underline some overt demonstrations of this influence (both positive and negative) and suggest that these games also influence student perceptions in more subtle ways. I will conclude with a consideration of the effects of this genre of game on student perceptions of other periods of history.
This paper will address the changing nature of the relationship networks of the various bishops of Parma over the course of the eleventh century. Through the use of relationship mapping software, the bishop’s interactions with the members of his diocese and with other key figures in Italy will be portrayed in a new depth. This will be used to argue that the political role of the bishops of Parma changed significantly during this period and that this change was a major cause of the loss of their secular role in the city in the twelfth century.
This paper will focus on the impact of computer games on undergraduate students’ perceptions of the medieval period. I will argue that within this electronic medium the genre of grand strategy games are the most influential to student’s deep understanding of historical concepts. These games grant the player control of almost every aspect of a state or kingdom, holding sway over economic, diplomatic and military actions to an extent that would be envied by rulers of modern states. I will argue that these games are influential for two reasons. Firstly, they provide a level of non-linear interactivity which is not found within other mediums or within most other genres of computer game. The ability to make choices and see consequences on a grand scale provides a greater depth of learning and reinforcement of ideas than is facilitated through more linear media. Secondly, these games display a simplified but functional model of society. Despite necessary or inadvertent abstractions and inaccuracies they present the player with a thoroughly developed world to explore which follows consistent and relatively logical rules. Having established this foundation, I will go on to highlight the ways in which these games have influenced students’ thinking in the classroom and within their coursework and note the potential benefits and pitfalls of ideas obtained in this way. Finally, I will consider how these arguments can be applied to other periods of history and other forms of media
The grant to the Bishop was important because it gave away key royal powers to a figure of questionable loyalty to the king. Likewise, Berengar was the leading rival of Hugh and Lothar at this point and his appearance in a position of power within the diploma raises questions about the political situation in the realm. Hugh’s absence as signatory is significant, as such a situation is almost unique and has implications for the interaction of authority between Hugh and his son. Finally, the mention of the cives urbium is useful for the study of the changing political role and authority of the urban population of Italy, a group that would later play a major role in the political landscape of the region.
Moreover, I will argue that Bernard’s episcopate was not a sudden loss of power but instead that the role of the bishop in secular matters had been diminishing since the episcopate of Cadalus starting in the 1040s and this was increasingly apparent during the episcopates of Everard and Wido. The types of absence of Cadalus, Everard and Wido from Parma varied but in every case the crcumstances and manner of their rule removed them from their role as bishop.
Grand Strategy Games have typically been somewhat weak in their coverage of the middle ages. As has been the case in other mediums, the period has often been eschewed in favour of the classical, renaissance or modern eras with little more than a cursory knight sandwiched between legionaries and musketeers. However, this balance has been redressed to a large extent in the new millennium. Games spanning the entirety of human history have placed greater emphasis on the Middle Ages and series such as Medieval: Total War and Crusader Kings have focused exclusively on the Middle Ages. The popularity of these games makes them of increasing importance to medievalism and to teachers of medieval history whose students have increasingly come into contact with this media.
This paper will address the changing representation of the medieval period within this genre. It will discuss the difficulties inherent in producing games of this sort with regards to the Middle Ages looking at how modern preconceptions on the part of both author and audience have dictated design decisions. It will consider the restrictions placed on these games by technology and research limitations as well as the unique nature of politics, warfare and society within the medieval period. It will address the demands for historical accuracy, which increasingly come from the audience rather than the author and how this impacts on the way these games play. Finally it will deal with the dichotomy between free will and predetermination within this medium, an issue which has gained prominence in recent years.
This is largely because the relationship between the Canossans and the German kings has traditionally been presented as being consistently amicable from the mid tenth century to the mid eleventh century, only breaking down, spectacularly and completely, in the 1050s during the reign of Henry III. Fumagalli, Menant, Rinaldi, Bonacini and others have all advocated variants of this thesis. These authors highlight prominent events in the narrative sources: such as Adalbert Atto’s protection of Queen Adelaide in the 950s. Adalbert’s son Tedald appearing as a prominent supporter of Henry II on his entry to Italy in 1002 or his grandson Boniface riding to the rescue of Conrad II at Parma in 1037. It is also possible to provide diplomatic evidence connecting the Canossan family to the various kings of Italy for much of this period, most often through their appearance as intercessors. This connection to the crown has been presented as key to the Canossans gaining significant interests in Reggio, Modena, Mantua, Parma, Ferrara, Brescia, Verona, Piacenza, Bergamo, lake Garda and other areas in northern Italy by 1014. Major possessions and political rights would later be added in Tuscany through the acquisition of the title of marquis of that region.
However, this theory of ongoing good relations between Canossa and the king has been questioned by Anton and Schumann who note a various measures taken by Conrad II to balance or even undermine the strength of the Canossans in certain key areas: for example the aggrandisement of the bishop of Parma in the face of Canossan expansion in the area or a delay of as much as a decade before Boniface was created marchess of Tuscany. While Boniface did frequently enjoy cordial relations with Conrad II, their relationship was not consistently close. Today I will argue that it is possible to identify another, earlier point at which relations between the Canossans and the German kings was less than amicable: specifically during and around Henry II’s second expedition to Italy from late 1013 to mid 1015. This cooling of relations is demonstrated most strongly in the charter to the arimanni of Mantua in early 1014. I will therefore argue three connected points: firstly, that the relationship between the emperor and the Canossans was troubled in both 1014 and 1055 and that the charters were issued in these years to counter Canossan power. Secondly, this attempt to curtail Canossan dominance necesitated the use of rhetorically charged language in both documents and this was reflected in part by the choice of terms to describe their recipients. Thirdly, although these arguments are not incompatable with the presence of a distinct social structure in Mantua, the charters also suggest that arimanni and cives were used to describe those with a broad range of economic interests which can not easily be reconciled with distinctions between cives and milites.
The bishops of Parma were some of the most powerful ecclesiastical figures in Italy under the Ottonian and early Salian emperors. They enjoyed a large territory and a series of rights and exemptions allowing them to act decisively within the region. However, towards the end of the eleventh century the bishops of Parma featured less prominently in the ongoing papal-imperial conflict. By the middle of the twelfth century they had been largely replaced by the commune of Parma as the dominant force in the city. However, the extended absences of the bishops from the city have not been considered in this context in any real depth. By considering the political, judicial and economic infrastructures employed during these absences I will attempt to establish whether a causal or consequential link can be made with the bishop’s diminishing secular role.
"the women" in the instigation of riot against the bishop of Parma in 1104. The participation of these women is referenced only in the work of Donizone, an Italian monk and poet, who views the attack in a wholly negative context. I will argue that Donizone emphasised the role played by these unidentified women as part of a broader narrative technique used to disparage those who participated in the assault.
Donizone’s Vita Mathildis is a source of massive importance for the study of the representation of transgression, particularly transgression of gender roles, in eleventh and twelfth century Italy. The document focuses on the deeds of Matilda of Canossa, arguably the most important female figure in the investiture contest, and details a number of other women in prominent roles and undertaking actions normally the preserve of men. Donizone’s depictions of these women from the high nobility have been discussed in great depth but the significance of the appearance of this unnamed woman has generally been ignored.
The incident in Parma in 1104 was a consequence of the installation of a new Gregorian bishop in the city with the support of Matilda of Canossa. Prior to this, Parma had been a stalwart supporter of the emperor in his conflict with the pope. Donizone, as Matilda’s polemicist, sought to portray her and her opponents in a particular light. In the case of Parma, he presented the rioters undertaking an act of social and legal transgression and this paper will argue that his reference to a woman instigating the riot sought to invoke notions of transgression of gender roles to further undermine the position of the rioters. In broader terms it will address the use of women as rhetorical figures in the literature of twelfth century Italy.
This has produced the following narrative: Bernard was invited to Parma by the people of the city on the death of the previous bishop Wido. He arrived in the cathedral and began to conduct mass. However, his presence and preaching was displeasing to the plebs- traditionally seen as the lower sections of society in the city- because of his verbal attack on the emperor. This led to an outcry against Bernard which descended into violence as swords were drawn in the cathedral. Bernard’s attendants fled, or in the case of the brave abbot Tedald, were injured, and Bernard allowed himself to be captured. Bernard, having been imprisioned overnight, was released either through divine intervention, according to his vitae, or through the arrival of Matilda of Canossa, according to her vita. The people of the city then did penance to him and supported him as bishop. Essentially Bernard was deposed for a day.
Scholarly accounts of the incident have tended to disregard the uprising as a blip in the occupation of the see with no lasting consequences. This paper will argue that the incident had long term political implications and served to define the relationship between the people of Parma and their bishop.
This paper will argue that this depiction is incorrect. Instead, I will argue that the destruction of Rivalta in 1114 was an action designed to uphold rights granted to the citizens in 1090 and 1091. Moreover, I will argue that subsequent legislation was issued in 1116 upholding the destruction of the palace at Rivalta. Fundamentally, I will suggest that this violent incident was intrinsically linked to several items of legislation.
This paper examines the appearance of the terms arimanni and cives in several charters issued to the Mantuans in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. It argues that these terms were selected by the authors of the earliest of these charters in order to emphasise imperial authority within and around Mantua. The paper then addresses the changing use of these terms throughout this period looking at their adoption by local magnates (Matilda of Canossa and her husband Welf) and ultimately by the monastery of San Benedetto Polirone and possibly the arimanni or cives themselves.
The use of ties to the past was an important aspect of kingship in early medieval Italy. The Carolingians supported their rule by presenting it as a continuation of Lombard and even Roman administration and legislation. Their successors continued this practice in various and changing ways throughout the course of the tenth century and beyond. While it is important to note that there were many means of claiming authority and that invoking memory was not always the most important of these means, it was used throughout the medieval period. By linking their actions to the behaviour (or the remembered behaviour) of previous kings, current monarchs or contenders to the throne signalled their claim to legitimate kingship. This can often be observed in the surviving diplomatic evidence. The use of language and structures similar to those of the documents of previous kings can not always be explained simply as the re-issuing of previous documents or the incorporation of existing formulas for convenience. In these cases, when the context is correct, it is possible to identify royal claimants attempting to use memory of the past to promote their aspirations. By examining the language and structure used in the charter of 1014 and the context in which it was issued I will attempt to establish whether the document can be seen as an attempt to invoke the past to promote Henry’s kingship and the consequences this would have on our view of his reign.