History Main / MedievalEuropeanFantasy

* ''VideoGame/MountAndBlade'', which tries to keep as close to a realistic medieval setting as is physically possible, has this trope as its entire point. The games feature a number of empires based on historical nations such as the Mongolian Empire's 'Khergit Khanate' expy, though not all of the empires existed at the same time or necessarily had contact. On the other hand, the ''With Fire and Sword'' ExpansionPack is explicitly set in Poland in 1648. No points for guessing the time and locations of ''Napoleonic Wars''

* ''VideoGame/TheKingOfDragons'', a PlatformGame in which you fight lots of classical fantasy monsters and the red dragon as the final boss.

* From Music/{{Gloryhammer}}: Their first album,''Tales from The Kingdom of Fife'' is set in Medieval Fantasy Scotland. It starts with an evil sorcerer and an army of undead unicorns laying waste to Dundee and rides the tropes from there. This is because it is an AffectionateParody of PowerMetal HeavyMithril bands.

UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} may appear, as it almost always did in Medieval and Renaissance literature,[[note]]often [[AnachronismStew anachronistically]], as when the story took place in ancient Greece or Rome[[/note]] but it is fairly rare to find Christianity--or any real-life religion--in modern fantasy settings: that might attract distracting controversy towards the work, and wouldn't make sense for a setting that's supposed to be a different world than our own. {{Mythopoeia}} is possible, as well as CrystalDragonJesus. This will partly depend on whether it's a HighFantasy or LowFantasy setting, as [[ReligionIsMagic religion and magic are often closely associated]].

This is also frequently the setting of {{Eastern RPG}}s, {{Wutai}} aside, as well as most {{Western RPG}}s in between Sci-Fi games. The first settings of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' are perhaps the most well-known example - even though many later D&D settings avert this trope, the sheer popularity of [[TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms Faerûn]] makes this trope almost synonymous with D&D. Notably averted however in {{Wuxia}}, which is a sister trope (Chinese fantasy with a long literary tradition, set in a pseudo-historical AlternateUniverse China, featuring magic, [[KnightErrant wandering errant martial artists]], legendary artifacts, [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons]] and the rest). Played straight in most fantasy {{anime}}. Myth/ArthurianLegend usually [[{{Demythification}} (but not always)]] overlaps with Medieval European Fantasy.

UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} may appear, as it almost always did in Medieval and Renaissance literature,[[note]]often [[AnachronismStew anachronistically]], as when the story took place in ancient Greece or Rome[[/note]] but it is fairly rare to find Christianity--or any real life religion--in modern fantasy settings: that might attract distracting controversy towards the work, and wouldn't make sense for a setting that's supposed to be a different world than our own. {{Mythopoeia}} is possible, as well as CrystalDragonJesus. This will partly depend on whether it's a HighFantasy or LowFantasy setting, as [[ReligionIsMagic religion and magic are often closely associated]].

Christianity may appear, as it almost always did in Medieval and Renaissance literature,[[note]]often [[AnachronismStew anachronistically]], as when the story took place in ancient Greece or Rome[[/note]] but it is fairly rare to find Christianity--or any real life religion--in modern fantasy settings: that might attract distracting controversy towards the work, and wouldn't make sense for a setting that's supposed to be a different world than our own. {{Mythopoeia}} is possible, as well as CrystalDragonJesus. This will partly depend on whether it's a HighFantasy or LowFantasy setting, as [[ReligionIsMagic religion and magic are often closely associated]].

* ''Literature/DragonBones'': Vaguely medieval, vaguely European, with a couple of little countries unified under a high king, castles, swordfights, dragons, dwarves and all that. The king's court seems a bit anachronistic, as the king's habit of keeping a male concubine seems to be largely accepted, and everyone knows that the queen has a lover. Like in Lord of the Rings, the botany isn't accurately medieval European, either.

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' is predominantly Medieval European Fantasy with Greek flavor, though the games have a lot of Asian influences as well. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Wind Waker]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass Phantom Hourglass]]'' avert this to an extent, however, having more early modern [[TropicalIslandAdventure Pacific/Caribbean-style tropical island settings]] instead. While ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'' returns to the European-esque setting, it moves into the early modern period with elements of SteamPunk, and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' mixes Medieval European Fantasy with Sci-Fi {{Magitek}} and JidaiGeki elements.

** Belyanin's ''Jack the Mad King'' books are also set in this sort of setting, minus the FishOutOfTemporalWater scenario, but still full of anachronisms (like the protagonist and a giant using modern street slang, although that could be TranslationConvention). Until the last story, though, when the characters head [[ArabianNightsDays East]] to save a sultan's daughter.

%%* ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero''

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' is predominantly Medieval European Fantasy with Greek flavor, though the games have a lot of Asian influences as well. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Wind Waker]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass Phantom Hourglass]]'' avert this to an extent, however, having more early modern [[TropicalIslandAdventure Pacific/Caribbean-style tropical island settings]] instead. While ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'' returns to the European-esque setting, it moves into the early modern period with elements of SteamPunk, and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' mixes Medieval European Fantasy with Sci-Fi and JidaiGeki elements.

** The 3rd Party setting ''TabletopGame/WagaduChronicles'' is an intentional aversion, the creators wanted to raise awareness of African Culture by making a setting based on AncientAfrica.

No matter where a fantasy story may be written, whatever rich history the author's homeland might have, most fantasy stories take place in [[MiddleAges Medieval Europe]] (or a [[FantasyCounterpartCulture facsimile thereof, possibly reasonable]]), especially UsefulNotes/{{England}}. People will fight with swords and shields, and the government is usually vaguely feudal: it may not map well to any real-world political system, but it usually has [[RoyalBlood hereditary monarchs]] and [[BlueBlood nobles]] (which many other cultures also have, but if European titles are used, you're in a Medieval European Fantasy). Medieval European Fantasy settings are sometimes littered with SchizoTech, though FantasyGunControl is often a limiting factor.

** The 3rd Party setting ''TabletopGame/{{Wagadu Chronicles}}'' is an intentional aversion, the creators wanted to raise awareness of African Culture by making a setting based on AncientAfrica.

* The world of ''LightNovel/IveBeenKillingSlimesFor300YearsAndMaxedOutMyLevel'' is explicitly stated to be very heavily European-inspired, from the architecture, the culture of nearby Flatta village, and the technology level in general.

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' is predominantly Medieval European Fantasy with Greek flavor, though the games have a lot of Asian influences as well. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Wind Waker]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass Phantom Hourglass]]'' avert this to an extent, however, having more early modern [[TropicalIslandAdventure Pacific/Caribbean-style tropical island settings]] instead. While ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'' returns to the European-esque setting, it moves into the early modern period with elements of SteamPunk, and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' mixes Medieval European Fantasy with Sci-Fi elements.

%% As noted in the [=DnD=] entry under Tabletop Games, being based on [=DnD=] doesn't imply or give context to the trope at all. * ''Roleplay/RecordOfLodossWar'': Based directly on the creator's TabletopGames campaign. They started out playing ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' but later switched to the Japanese system ''Sword World RPG'' and, after that, a game system of their own invention.

%%* ''LightNovel/KonoSubarashiiSekaiNiShukufukuO''

* The first five ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games go in and out of this. The [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII seventh]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII eighth]], and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII thirteenth]] games are very much not examples, but most of the rest have some degree of this. [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX The tenth]] is an odd example. It has anti-technology, though that turns out to be the BigBad's plan. It also has more Asian inspired elements coming across as a mash up of Medieval Europe and Asian Wuxia.

* Literature/TheFirstLaw trilogy is mostly this setting, though it would definitely be ''late'' medieval or even early Renaissance. Or at least the corruption and backstabbing politics of the Renaissance. As the timeline progresses, the series apears to settle in Early-Modern European Fantasy.

%%* ''LightNovel/KyoKaraMaoh''

%%* ''LightNovel/{{Maoyu}}'''s Human World is like this. The Demon World appears to be a bit more of a FantasyKitchenSink.

%%* ''LightNovel/ScrappedPrincess''

%%* ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}''

* ''LightNovel/SpiceAndWolf'' is set in a world that looks almost exactly like Medieval England, and even brings in many Medieval England cultural ideas for DeliberateValuesDissonance with the audience, but it's also a world where primeval animal spirits (or "Gods") are a real, if now almost extinct, race, and even capable of walking amongst humans in disguise.

* Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower is based on ''Literature/TheHobbit'', ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' and ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', covering the mythological Second Age. The Southlands regressed to the TheDarkAges after the War of Wrath, and Numenor has a quasi-[[AncientGrome]] culture with feudal elements.

** ''Its prequel, ''Series/HouseOfTheDragn'', just as [[Literature/FireAndBlood the book is based on]], takes inspiration from the English historical conflict called the "Anarchy".

* ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'' and the subsequent Narnia books are set in a medieval world

* Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower is based on ''Literature/TheHobbit'', ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' and ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', covering the mythological Second Age. The Southlands regressed to the TheDarkAges after the War of Wrath, and Numenor has a quasi-{{Grome}} culture with feudal elements.

* ''Film/{{Ladyhawke}}'' takes place in Medieval France and features the magical element of a BalefulPolymorph curse.

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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/meuropaf.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''[[http://charroart.blogspot.fr/2011/07/fantasy-tavern.html Fantasy Tavern]]'' by Javier Charro.]]

The modern TropeCodifier for Medieval fantasy is ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', which was based heavily on European folklore, but this trope has older roots in the tradition of fantasy works set in actual medieval Europe, especially those connected to or influenced by the tales of Myth/KingArthur.