Going Medieval On White Supremacists (Rebroadcast)

WAMU 88.5 | By Paige Osburn

Published June 11, 2021 at 3:38 PM EDT

Two protesters dressed as medieval knights take a break after attending a march and rally organised by the pro-European People's Vote campaign.

The Middle Ages spanned roughly a thousand years – and encompassed all seven continents.

But when most Americans think about Medieval times (not the restaurant), our brains go straight toan all-white version of Medieval Europe that never really existed.

The myth is so pernicious, white supremacists have used it to draw people to their cause for more than a hundred years.

Last month, it was even alluded to in a memo calling on Republicans to form a caucus driven by “Anglo-Saxon political traditions.”

So, while we still hear a lot about the Vikings, the Celts, and the supposed “Anglo-Saxons,” what were those groups really like? And what does our misunderstanding of the Middle Ages mean for how we view our world today?