Outdated ideas about race are built into the very fabric of the fantasy genre, which have been recycled from Lord of the Rings to Dungeons…
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,…
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…
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…
Medieval Europe's greatest travellers wrote avidly about hundreds of cultures across the world. What did they say about race? Part XXXIII of Race, Racism and…
Jewish life in the medieval world was not always dire. In fact, it featured long periods of multicultural cooperation that helped both Jews and non-Jews…
One sleepy German town has a dark secret that links medieval Jews, the Nazis, and Pope Benedict: a deeply anti-Semitic Catholic ritual only abandoned in 1993. Part XXXI of Race, Racism and the Middle Ages,…
The victims of oppression do not need to be "perfect" in order to deserve empathy, rights, and justice. As true in 1096 as it is…
A call to action in the wake of Charlottesville to re-enactors, LARPers, and all who enjoy the Middle Ages casually. Part XXIX in our ongoing…