History Main / MedievalMorons

* The FlatWorld myth is a DeadUnicornTrope. No, medieval Europeans (at least the scholars) didn't think the Earth was flat. And no, they didn't think it was [[Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail banana-shaped]] Europeans learned that the Earth was round during the time of UsefulNotes/AncientGreece and that knowledge was never lost. The idea that belief in a flat Earth was widespread during the Middle Ages appears to have been invented during the 19th century, for the purpose of giving a HistoricalHeroUpgrade to UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus and casting him as a proto-Enlightenment thinker who achieved glory by challenging medieval superstition. In reality, it was Columbus who made a huge error over the size of the Earth, claiming one could sail directly from Spain to India. His detractors (including clergy members) rightly said it was far larger and this couldn't be done. His fleet almost ran out of food and the sailors had gotten to the edge of mutiny when they ran into the Americas. That other wiki has an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_flat_Earth article]] about this specific issue.[[note]]TL;DR: The myth was started during the debate over biological evolution in the 19th century, were evolutionists attempted to portray this specific debate as an eternal struggle between religion and science.[[/note]]

What's more, TheFundamentalist was actually just as much a VocalMinority then as now. The Vatican, for example, has actually held to a non-literal interpretation of Genesis as early as the time of St. Augustine (who compared God to a farmer planting seeds to watch them grow), and it is in fact these very writings of his that got him canonized as a Saint in the first place. In fact, medieval Christian monks were some of ''the earliest proto-scientists,'' operating under the logic that learning more about God's world would allow them to learn more about God!

This trope was popularized by the Enlightenment due to the "MedievalStasis" trope, their perception on [[DarkAgeEurope the world after Rome as]] [[AfterTheEnd a post-apocalyptic, war-ridden, anti-intellectual dystopia]], and how they saw themselves as paragons of progress recovering the glory of the classical world. [[Analysis/MedievalMorons Of course, reality is more complex than that.]] Not only did Enlightenment thinkers harbor their own misconceptions and prejudices [[FromBadToWorse (some of them far worse than anything previously believed)]], but medieval people were just as intelligent on average as any other representative person living in any other period of history; they simply did not have the accumulated experience and knowledge that people take for granted when their world includes things like universal education and literacy, plus extensive trade and travel infrastructure connecting them to most other parts of the known world (case in point, do ''you'' know how to build a computer?). Basically, unless you were very special or belonged to an organization with some of these features, you had to spend most of your time surviving in a way that didn't require these things.

Whenever you see medieval people in fiction, particularly peasants, they will always be depicted as [[TheDitz stupid]], small-minded, xenophobic, [[DirtyCoward savage but cowardly]], superstitious, [[GullibleLemmings gullible]], and primitive. And of course, [[NoWomansLand all men treat all women like crap all the time]] - the Old World equivalent of stereotypical American rednecks.

** Monasteries carefully preserved and duplicated by hand the precious writings saved from the fall of Rome, with more scholarly monks often encouraged to devote their lives to the study and practice of philosophy, mathematics, engineering, and physics, or medicine. ''How The Irish Saved Civilization'' is a good intro to this.

* For centuries, Renaissance-era writings on the medieval era were considered gospel, enough so that most historians considered them greater authority than actual medieval era manuscripts. This is where this trope and DungAges largely come from. However, today it's accepted that most Renaissance-era writers held a rather extreme biased against what's now known as the middle ages. For example, the idea of a "dark ages" was put forth where nothing of value was written, and [[ConfirmationBias Renaissance-era scholars dismissed any writing from this time as forgeries.]] In reality, a lot of the negative tropes associated with the Middle Ages were far more prevalent in the [[PsychologicalProjection Renaissance or even early Enlightenment.]] For example, people bathed far less in the Renaissance while corruption among the Church and nobility skyrocketed. Renaissance-era scholars just assumed that these things must have been far worse in the Middle Ages.

And let's cap this section off by busting the most widespread misconception about the Middle Ages: No, medieval scholars didn't believe the Earth was flat, and no, they didn't think it was [[Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail banana-shaped]], either. The round shape of the Earth was discovered in classical antiquity, and that knowledge was not lost or suppressed during the Medieval period. Indeed, people familiar with art history may already know about the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globus_cruciger Globus Cruciger]], which is a Medieval symbol of both divine and secular power depicting a decidedly round Earth.[[note]]You may also notice this symbol's resemblance to a certain [[HolyHandGrenade armament]].[[/note]] This flat earth myth was once so widespread that there's an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_flat_Earth article]] on that other wiki addressing it specifically.

* The FlatWorld myth is a DeadUnicornTrope. No, medieval Europeans (at least the scholars) didn't think the Earth was flat. Europeans learned that the Earth was round during the time of UsefulNotes/AncientGreece and that knowledge was never lost. The idea that belief in a flat Earth was widespread during the Middle Ages appears to have been invented during the 19th century, for the purpose of giving a HistoricalHeroUpgrade to UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus and casting him as a proto-Enlightenment thinker who achieved glory by challenging medieval superstition. In reality, it was Columbus who made a huge error over the size of the Earth, claiming one could sail directly from Spain to India. His detractors (including clergy members) rightly said it was far larger and this couldn't be done. His fleet almost ran out of food and the sailors had gotten to the edge of mutiny when they ran into the Americas.

And let's cap this section off by busting the most widespread misconceptions about the Middle Ages: No, medieval scholars didn't believe the Earth was flat, and no, they didn't think it was [[Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail banana-shaped]], either. The round shape of the Earth was discovered in classical antiquity, and that knowledge was not lost or surprised during the Medieval period. Indeed, people familiar with art history may already know about the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globus_cruciger Globus Cruciger]], which is a Medieval symbol of both divine and secular power depicting a decidedly round Earth.[[note]]You may also notice this symbol's resemblance to a certain [[HolyHandGrenade armament]].[[/note]] This flat earth myth was once so widespread that there's an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_flat_Earth article]] on that other wiki addressing it specifically.

* ''ComicBook/PaxRomana,'' which involves a paramilitary group sent into the time of Constantine the Great averts this. The Romans are shocked and amazed by the technological power displayed, but they're by no means idiots. Neither do they blindly follow the newcomers or their advice, though they nonetheless accept them eventually.

* ''Literature/TheLordOfBembibre'': The narrator states the rumors about the Templar Knights being heretics and sorcerers were believed by the 14th century peasants because medieval people were ''obviously'' superstitious, ignorant and gullible.

* {{Subverted}} in the Creator/PoulAnderson novel ''Literature/TheHighCrusade''. [[ScaryDogmaticAliens A high-tech alien empire]] is brought to its knees [[RockBeatsLaser by a 14th century English army]]. The Medieval characters naturally view things through a Medieval lens (the aliens are initially mistaken for demons) but are very capable and clever. In fact [[spoiler:not only do the Crusaders end up conquering the aliens, they convert them to both feudalism and Christianity]] by the end. Unfortunately, the movie played this trope nearly completely straight.
** Also {{inverted}}. The medieval English are able to repeatedly outsmart and deceive super-advanced aliens. It's not too ridiculous as the Wersgor are implied to have fallen into an intellectual rut since they became a galactic superpower, whereas Sir Roger, the leader of the English, has had to become a MagnificentBastard from an early age just to have a hope of surviving the perils of European courtly politics.

* Averted in ''Literature/TheNameOfTheRose''. Some of the characters are outright brilliant, and even those whose beliefs seem backwards by modern standards generally have the learning and rhetorical skill to defend them. Granted, almost all of them are monks, so it follows that they are educated. The handful of peasants and outlaws we see are not nearly as impressive.

* Largely averted in ''Manga/{{Jin}}''. The title character's medical skills are frequently not trusted as much as they really ought to be, but that's because he's doing things so far and above the pre-Meiji period that the only way they can believe it is to see it. Doctors get a fair amount of respect, Jin is eventually able to get Cattle Punk versions of 2000-era medical tools made, etc. Neither are the denizens of Tokugawa Japan portrayed as ignoramuses.

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

* Nutritional deficiencies in the general population could lead to other forms of mental retardation and physical disability, especially during times of famine and hitting pregnant women (and their unborn children) in particular; for example, during the Middle Ages in Europe, there was an epidemic of cretinism in parts of the Swiss Alps due to iodine deficiency, and, while the effects of both lead and alcohol poisoning were somewhat known at the time, the dangers of fresh water and the benefits of using lead were thought to outweigh them. All this could possibly have led to substantially lowered IQ and developmental disabilities.

* PlayedStraight with ''[[Film/TheNameOfTheRose In The Name Of The Rose]]'', the film version. Everyone but [[TheWatson the narrator]] and the hero [[DetectiveStory William of Baskerville]] is a moron or a fanatic or both.
** Or one of the victims, like Brother Severino, the herbalist.
** Averted in the novel.

* OlderThanRadio: ''Literature/AConnecticutYankeeInKingArthursCourt''. Of course, [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny the trope was new]] when Creator/MarkTwain used it, and he was trying to portray the [[AristocratsAreEvil evils of aristocracy]]. Still, it's exaggerated and unhistorical, with most of the characters just generally acting TooDumbToLive. He was also satirizing the excessively poetic and romantic portrayals of Arthurian legend that were popular at the time--by pointing out that, had Arthur and his knights actually behaved as they were typically portrayed, they would have had to have been absolutely childlike morons.

* Poul Anderson further subverted this trope in his short story "The Man Who Came Early", in which the eponymous man TrappedInThePast fails to impress medieval Icelanders. They aren't even particularly fazed by his handgun.

Heck, not even TheFairFolk were as widely believed-in as many think they were. For example, that aforementioned St. Augustine guy was once asked [[FridgeLogic how they fit into the Adam and Eve narrative]], and his response was "We can worry about that once we know for certain that there are any [Fair Folk]." In other words, they tampered their beliefs with ''critical thinking and evidence-oriented skepticism.''

** Doubly subverted when Sir Bedivere is approached by a mob of superstitious villagers who think they have caught a witch and accordingly want permission [[BurnTheWitch to burn her]]. When Bedivere asks them the obvious question of how they know the woman is a witch, they only come up with nonsensical non-evidence ("she looks like one", "she has a wart", and a perfectly human-shaped man claiming she turned him into a newt). The impression that Bedivere is [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure a voice of reason]] trying to talk the villagers out of their superstitious fury is soon scattered when Bedivere instead uses a string of equally nonsensical "logical" conclusions to "prove" that witches are made of wood (because they burn), and therefore weigh the same as a duck (because ducks float on water like wood). By use of a pair of giant scales, Bedivere and the villagers proceed to determine that the suspect weighs the same as a duck, and accordingly the woman is hauled off as a witch.

* While [[Creator/MontyPython the Pythons]] were aware this wasn't really the case (Terry Jones was a medieval historian in fact, and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Jones%27_Medieval_Lives hosted a series]] later about it, which specifically pointed out that it's a more sophisticated, complex period than is thought by many), in ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'' they both used the trope straight (in the "witch-burning" scene) and subverted it in the "peasants digging filth" scene:

* ''ComicBook/JohanAndPeewit'': When Johan is chasing Boustroux, two peasants spotted them. They wonder who they should be helping and eventually settled for Boustroux despite his sinister look and dark clothes. Since his clothes are fancier, he's probably a noble in distress while the young man must be a ruffian.
* In ''ComicBook/TheScrameustache'' it is invoked by Uncle Georges, and predictably the heroes gets in trouble because of medieval peasants.

** In ''ComicBook/TwoForTheDeathOfOne'', Superman gets dragged to the Middle Ages. Fourteenth century English villagers are depicted as superstitious dullards who mistake Superman with a demon and shout "Demons!" and "Witchcraft!" every time they see something slightly unusual.

* While [[Creator/MontyPython the Pythons]] were aware this wasn't really the case (Terry Jones is a medieval historian in fact, and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Jones%27_Medieval_Lives hosted a series]] later about it, which specifically pointed out that it's a more sophisticated, complex period than is thought by many), in ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'' they both used the trope straight (in the "witch burning" scene) and subverted it in the "peasants digging filth" scene:

* The two protagonists of ''Film/LesVisiteurs'', Jacquouille in particular. It's not helped by the fact that they have travelled time from their era, the 12th century, to the 20th century. [[FishOutOfTemporalWater The medieval way they interact with 20th century life constantly gets them in trouble]]. For instance, they utterly destroy a postal van, thinking it to be a devil-powered cart driven by a Saracen (he's a black postman actually).

* ''{{Film/Timeline}}'': {{Discussed}} when the group is trying to escape and Chris claims their modern knowledge is enough that they can surely outthink medieval people. It's quickly {{subverted}} however, since those people are no dumber than them and (being from the era) have a lot of ''advantages'' regarding knowledge. They only barely manage to escape.

* {{Averted}} in Creator/MichaelCrichton's ''Literature/{{Timeline}}''. In this book, the time travelers are often outwitted and outmatched by the natives. A consistent theme is that while the time travelers possess modern knowledge, they do not have the skills or resources to survive in the more primitive environment. Of particular note is that Crichton specifically details the natives' sanitation practices. Lack of awareness of bacteria did not prevent them from attending to hygiene, averting the stereotype of "living in filth". On the other hand there are some pretty disgusting things, such as the tannery, that were TruthInTelevision.

* {{Subverted}} in the Creator/PoulAnderson novel ''Literature/TheHighCrusade''. [[ScaryDogmaticAliens A high-tech alien empire]] is brought to its knees [[RockBeatsLaser by a 14th century English army]]. The Medieval characters naturally view things through a Medieval lens (the aliens are initially mistaken for demons), but are very capable and clever. In fact [[spoiler:not only do the Crusaders end up conquering the aliens, they convert them to both feudalism and Christianity]] by the end. Unfortunately, the movie played this trope nearly completely straight.

* Discussed at one point in ''Literature/{{Safehold}},'' when Merlin quotes [[ClarkesThirdLaw Arthur C. Clarke]] for Cayleb and tells him not to feel like an ignorant savage because within the framework they have, the people of Safehold are every bit as clever and creative as the people of the high-tech society Merlin came from. It also helps that the people from Merlin's time that founded Safehold's civilization helped them be able to be better than the time they're trying to emulate (Age of Sail-esque where they have muskets and use galleys and galleons). For instance, the sanitation problems of that time period are essentially nonexistent due to one of the holy books of the setting's religion talking about how in this case cleanliness is ''literally'' next to godliness.

* Subverted in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "The Awakening," with a 17th century farmboy named Will Chandler, who, while illiterate and only just aware of what year it is, proves to be quite bright.

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': The average inhabitant of the [[TheEmpire Imperium]] is this IN SPACE. They consider [[GodEmperor the Emperor to be a god]] and [[TheTheocracy the government to be his priesthood]], and mutation is the new "witchcraft", with mutant persecution widespread. What's more, the existence of the [[MachineWorship Mechanicus]] ensures that, while lasguns and starships are everywhere, nobody is actually qualified to build or repair them, and most believe that praying to them is what makes them work. This does vary a lot by depiction and planet, with the above description fitting the most flanderised versions or less advanced planets. The prayers and rites circulated by the Mechanicus are mostly actual, if ritualised instructions to maintain the equipment, and only the more prestigious tech is monopolized by the Priesthood of Mars. In a slightly lighter depiction, your typical Civilized World resident has an education on par with a modern first world country.
* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'': Peasants in the Empire and Bretonnia are seen as this by the nobles. Some of them are indeed this (whether through inbreeding, aristocratic oppression or superstitions that lead to burning the state-approved wizard because they can't read his papers and don't want to bother finding someone who can). It doesn't help that in some areas, the smarter peasants know that getting the nobs involved in matters of justice only leads to more trouble for everyone involved, so they [[ObfuscatingStupidity Obfuscate Stupidity]], perpetuating the stereotype among aristocracy that peasants are clumsy oafs capable of accidentally stabbing themselves in the back with a scythe seventeen times.

* ''WesternAnimation/TimeSquad''. In one particular episode, they manage to quickly convince Copernicus to stop being a farmer and write about how the Earth moves around the sun. He promptly agrees and goes to research under the basis that "That sounds important!" only to be seen in the end of the episode running back to where the Squad had just gone, screaming, "Wait! I forgot to ask! WHAT IS THIS 'SUN'?!"
* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''. Characters from TheFuture commonly refer to the 20th century as "The Stupid Ages." Leela even tells Fry that being a drop-out of a 20th-century college is the equivalent of being a ''high-school'' drop-out in the 31st century, so Fry ends up enrolling in a college in order to drop-out properly.

** Monasteries carefully preserved and duplicated by hand the precious writings saved from the fall of Rome, with more scholarly monks often encouraged to devote their lives to the study and practice of philosophy, mathematics, engineering and physics, or medicine. ''How The Irish Saved Civilization'' is a good intro to this.

* For centuries, Renaissance era writings on the medieval era were considered gospel, enough so that most historians considered them greater authority than actual medieval era manuscripts. This is where this trope and DungAges largely comes from. However, today it's accepted that most Renaissance era writers held a rather extreme biased against what's now known as the middle ages. For example, the idea of a "dark ages" was put forth where nothing of value was written, and [[ConfirmationBias Renaissance era scholars dismissed any writing from this time as forgeries.]] In reality, a lot the negative tropes associated with the Middle Ages were far more prevalent in the [[PsychologicalProjection Renaissance or even early Enlightenment.]] For example, people bathed far less in the Renaissance while corruption among the Church and nobility skyrocketed. Renaissance era scholars just assumed that these things must have been far worse in the Middle Ages.

* [[http://bestiary.ca/ Medieval Bestiaries]] listed mythical creatures such as dragons and unicorns, and claimed all sort of fanciful facts regarding real animals: [[http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast78.htm lion]] cubs are born dead and stay this way for three days, until a lion breathes on them and they come to life. If a [[http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast180.htm wolf]] sees you first you lose your voice. [[http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast77.htm Female elephants]] must give birth in water or a dragon will come and eat her baby. Hyenas can mate with lionesses to produce [[http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast160.htm leucrotas]], which among other weird attributes have horse heads and deer hind quarters. [[http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast257.htm Peacocks]] never fly because they are ashamed of their ugly feet. However, this isn't unique to the Middle Ages. Pliny the Elder's ''Natural History'' from the late Roman Empire has some very similar claims, including bizarre ones like saying no woman is left-handed. There is some debate on how seriously bestiaries were intended to be taken, since other medieval scientific manuscripts detailing far more correct observations about animals and plants have been found, but are not labeled as bestiaries. Bestiaries known were often owned by churches or the aristocracy, and were often used to illustrate morality tales. It's entirely possible that the majority of the Bestiaries were intended to be works of fantasy at the time they were written.

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': The average inhabitant of the Imperium is this IN SPACE. They consider the Emperor to be a god and the government to be his priesthood, and mutation is the new "witchcraft", with mutant persecution widespread. What's more, the existence of the [[MachineWorship Mechanicus]] ensures that, while lasguns and starships are everywhere, nobody is actually qualified to build or repair them, and most believe that praying to them is what makes them work. This does vary a lot by depiction and planet, with the above description fitting the most flanderised versions or less advanced planets. The prayers and rites circulated by the Mechanicus are mostly actual, if ritualised instructions to maintain the equipment, and only the more prestigious tech is monopolized by the Priesthood of Mars. In a slightly lighter depiction, your typical Civilized World resident has an education on par with a modern first world country.

* {{Subverted}} in ''The Navigator''. While the time-displaced villagers are understandably disoriented and frightened by much of what they encounter - and when it's a construction site full of mechanical earthmovers, who could blame them? - they make quite a few reasonable deductions and plans, within the limits of their knowledge and faith.

Heck, not even TheFairFolk were as widely believed-in as many think they were. For example, that aforementioned St. Augustine guy was once asked [[FridgeLogic how they fit into the Adam and Eve narrative]], and his response was "We can worry about that once we know for certain that there are any [Fair Folk]." In other words, they tampered their beliefs with ''evidence-oriented skepticism.''

This trope was popularized by the Enlightenment due to the "MedievalStasis" trope, their perception on [[DarkAgeEurope the world after Rome as]] [[AfterTheEnd a post-apocalyptic, war-ridden, anti-intellectual dystopia]], and how they saw themselves as paragons of progress recovering the glory of the classical world. [[Analysis/MedievalMorons Of course, reality is more complex than that.]] Not only did Enlightenment thinkers harbor their own misconceptions and prejudices [[FromBadToWorse (some of them far worse than anything previously believed)]], but medieval people were just as intelligent on average as any other representative person living in any other period of history; they simply did not have the accumulated experience and knowledge that people take for granted when their world includes things like universal education and literacy, plus extensive trade and travel infrastructure connecting them to most other parts of the known world (case in point, do ''you'' know how to biuld a computer?). Basically, unless you were very special or belonged to an organisation with some of these features, you had to spend most of your time surviving in a way that didn't require these things.

What's more, TheFundamentalist was actually just as much a VocalMinority then as now. The Vatican, for example, has actually held to a non-literal interpretation of Genesis as early as the time of St. Augustine (who compared God to a farmer planting seeds to watch them grow), and it is in fact these very writings of his that got him canonized as a Saint in the first place.

This trope was popularized by the Enlightenment due to the "MedievalStasis" trope, their perception on [[DarkAgeEurope the world after Rome as]] [[AfterTheEnd a post-apocalyptic, war-ridden, anti-intellectual dystopia]], and how they saw themselves as paragons of progress recovering the glory of the classical world. [[Analysis/MedievalMorons Of course, reality is more complex than that.]] Not only did Enlightenment thinkers harbor their own misconceptions and prejudices [[FromBadToWorse (some of them far worse than anything previously believed)]], but medieval people were just as intelligent on average as any other representative person living in any other period of history; they simply did not have the accumulated experience and knowledge that people take for granted when their world includes things like universal education and literacy, plus extensive trade and travel infrastructure connecting them to most other parts of the known world. Basically, unless you were very special or belonged to an organisation with some of these features, you had to spend most of your time surviving in a way that didn't require these things.

** One should note that virtually all the medieval morons in the ''Kaamelott'' universe are more like modern morons (due to how they speak, with many a AnachronismStew) in medieval garb.

* ''Series/{{Kaamelott}}'' is based almost entirely on this, with Myth/KingArthur as the OnlySaneMan due to his Roman upbringing. His knights are forever bickering about finding the Grail instead of actually looking for it, his father-in-law builds a catapult in the main courtyard and wants to knock down the gate so it can be taken outside, and then you have Guethenoc and Roparzh, two peasants with a mutual case of SitcomArchNemesis who don't mind setting fire to half the land or poisoning most of the livestock to get back at each other despite it meaning starvation for them and the rest of the country. Lancelot's betrayal isn't even due to kidnapping the queen [[spoiler:she leaves of her own accord, to Arthur's delight]], it's because the knights are as bad as the peasants so he sets up his own army. The fact that his soldiers are just as inept as Kaamelott's never seems to occur to him.

Occasionally people living in [[OldShame another widely disliked time]] will get this depiction. [[TheFifties the 1950s]] have long been favorite targets, and increasingly [[TheSeventies the 1970s]] and [[TheEighties '80s]] have been getting this too (when it comes to more contemporary issues such as homophobia).

** Even for the average European peasant, intelligence and ingenuity were valued-riddle contests were staples of the medieval fair, and windmills and waterwheels powered complex proto-factories for milling flour, forging metal, and processing timber.