Post-Classical Period
| Tropes and genres | |
|---|---|
| Synonym(s) | Middle Ages, Medieval Times, Medieval Period, Feudal Era, Post-Ancient Era, Post-Antiquity Era, Pre-Colombian Period |
| Related tropes/genres | Medieval AU, Regency, Victorian, Edwardian |
| See also | High Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Historical RPF, Real World Events in Fanworks |
| Related articles on Fanlore. | |
This is about the historical time period. For the AU trope, see Medieval AU. For the related Fantasy genre, see High Fantasy.
The Post-Classical Period (approximately 5th century AD to 15th century AD) is a large span of world history marked primarily by the Middle Ages and the Feudal Era of Europe and elsewhere.[1] Fans often use the term "medieval" to refer to some of these time periods.
The post-classical period is a popular setting for fanworks, both from fandoms set during the actual post-classical period, and medieval aus in other fandoms.
The post-classical period is a popular setting in historical dramas and High Fantasy, and thus period accuracy is not usually the biggest goal. It's often more of an aesthetic, or a romanticized and idealized setting with kings and knights and such.
The post-classical period is also a popular setting for cosplay and the major basis for The Society for Creative Anachronism.
Example Fandoms
Fictional works created within the post-classical period, contemporary with the time.
Set In
- The Canterbury Tales
- Chalion
- The Faerie Queene
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance
- Ladyhawke
- Merlin
- Once Upon a Time
- Robin Hood
- The Sims Medieval
- The Tale of Genji
- The Witcher
Flavored By
These are fandoms that are inspired by or have medieval elements.
- Assassin's Creed
- Beauty and the Beast (TV) (the Tunnel world)
- Berserk
- Darkover
- Dragon Age
- Final Fantasy IX
- A Knight's Tale
Medieval AUs
Medieval AUs are fanworks that take characters in non-medieval settings, and either transport them, or fully imagine them there already.
Cosplay and Other Fan Activities
Characters
See List of Post-Classical Characters.
Historical Fiction
Fictional works set in the post-classical period.
- The Lion in Winter, a 1966 Broadway play (with multiple movie adaptions) about Henry II of England.
- The White Queen, a TV show based on historical book series The Cousin's War by Philippa Gregory, focused on the women involved in The War of the Roses.
- The Tudors, a TV show loosely based on the rule of King Henry VIII.
Example Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Archives & Links
- Arthurian Mythhology and Related Fandoms tag on Ao3.
- Historical RPF tag on Ao3
- Feudalism tag on Ao3