Past and Present

The final scenes of The Last Jedi are straight out of a 14th-century medieval tale. But Rian Johnson has turned the medieval message on its head and thrown a gauntlet to alt-Right fascism. Asa Mittman explores. Part XLII of Race, Racism and the Middle Ages.

Swastikas were used in early medieval art. But that doesn't mean they should be worn by reenactors. Ken Mondschein explores in part XLI of our series Race, Racism and the Middle Ages.

The Race, Racism and the Middle Ages series has been more than we could have ever thought it would be. Here we take a moment to pause, reflect, and look forward. Part XXXX, by Paul B. Sturtevant.

Is that Thor's hammer a symbol of hate or not? What about that Celtic tattoo? Or that flag? In a world gone mad, how do you keep your cool? Part XXXIX of Race, Racism and the Middle Ages, by Paul B. Sturtevant.

There are quite a few medieval European depictions of the Virgin Mary seemingly with dark skin: the "Black Madonnas." Did some medieval Christians think of the mother of Christ as a woman of color?

Medieval European travel writers like Marco Polo were not what we could call textbook racists. But they were endlessly fascinated by the other religions they found around the world. Part XXXVII of our series Race, Racism, and the Middle Ages, by James Hill.

Outdated ideas about race are built into the very fabric of the fantasy genre, which have been recycled from Lord of the Rings to Dungeons and Dragons and beyond. But a new crop of creators are trying to change the way we dream about the past. Part XXXVI of Race, Racism and the Middle Ages, by Paul B. Sturtevant.

George R.R. Martin wants to have his cake and eat it too: he claims his breakout hit fantasy series is based on real history, but hand-waves away criticism of his approach to issues of race. Part XXXV in Race, Racism and the Middle Ages, by Shiloh Carroll.

We've been discussing Race, Racism and the Middle Ages for 9 months. It's time to address the elephant in the room: the "Knights" of the Ku Klux Klan. Part XXXIV of Race, Racism and the Middle Ages, by Amy S. Kaufman.