Wednesday, September 30, 2009

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Historical Places: A World of Ideals


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Within medieval romances, historical places, although only briefly mentioned, served a few purposes. They allowed medieval peoples to draw on their knowledge of the past to make judgments about the present. You can often hear comparisons to the past, with people either trying to portray the present as a vast improvement, or depicting a certain nostalgia in which they long for the ‘good ole days.’
The historical locations mentioned in many medieval romances alluded to religion, and more specifically, historical legends. These places were in many ways used in literature to help show the connection between the medieval era and the more glorious and religious time of the past; to remind readers that this was something from their history that they should be proud of. Other historical locations brought up memories of battles and such legacies as the vast Roman Empire. These places brought up in people's minds images of wealth, prosperity, religious devotion, and glory: everything that they idealized, and what many strived for. The prosperity and glory of the past helped to remind people what they were capable of achieving, and that, looking ahead, things could be .

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