The Militant Middle Ages : a Contemporary Politics between New Barbarians and Modern Crusaders

In The Militant Middle Age s Tommaso di Carpegna Falconieri delves into common perceptions of the Middle Ages and how these views shape current political contexts, offering a new lens for scrutinizing contemporary society through its instrumentalization of the medieval past. In The Militant Middle Ages, historian Tommaso di Carpegna Falconieri delves into common perceptions of the Middle Ages and how these views shape contemporary political contexts. Today more than ever, the medieval era is mined from across the political spectrum for symbols, examples, allegories, and models to represent and interpret the present. From "new crusades" to fantasy literature and cosplay, from Catholic Traditionalism to environmentalism, from neo-Vikings to medieval tourism and festivals, Carpegna Falconieri leads us in an impassioned and often disquieting journey through the "Modern Middle Ages." The first book-length study dedicated to the broad phenomenon of political medievalism, The Militant Middle Ages offers a new lens for scrutinizing contemporary society through its instrumentalization of the medieval past. - First published in Italian as Medioevo militante. La politica di oggi alle prese con barbari e crociati - © 2011 Giulio Einaudi editore s.p.a., Torino The Militant Middle Ages: Contemporary Politics between New Barbarians and Modern Crusaders 3 Copyright 4 Contents 5 Preface to the English Edition (2019) 7 Acknowledgments 8 Prologue 10 Introduction 13 1 The Neo-Medieval West 25 2 All New Barbarians and Same Old Crusaders 38 3 Once upon a Time in the Middle Ages 62 4 The Middle Ages of Identity 78 5 Merchants and Bowmen: Middle Ages of the City 89 6 Folk and Jesters: Anarchist and Leftist Middle Ages 100 7 Templars and Holy Grail: Middle Ages of Tradition 117 8 Warriors of Valhalla: Middle Ages of the Great North 145 9 Druids and Bards: Celtic Middle Ages 154 10 Popes and Saints: Catholic Middle Ages 165 11 Peoples and Sovereigns: Middle Ages of Nations 185 12 Emperors and Wanderers: Middle Ages of a United Europe 206 Epilogue 228 References and Sources 235 Index of Personal Names 281