Mentality in Fantasy

I'm quite interested in history, and in particular in a field that I suppose
would be called 'history of mentality' in English.

An example. Consider a medieval farmer woman in the real world. Now from an
external p.o.v. one could look back at her with something akin to empathy.
She was born in the wrong time for her to have any of the liberties that we
take for granted. She worked from the day she could walk, and until the day
she died prematurely. She bore many children, and she was considered
property to be sold in marriage for advantages. The concept of the nuclear
family (a later invention) was miniscule, and her purpose in life was to
better the status of her kin. If that meant that she was a piece of property
to sell to another kin for certain advantages, then that was how things
would be. Externally, she was to be pitied, that farmer woman. With
hindsight.

But the interesting part, to me, is to try to look inside her head - and
when you do you find it very different to our minds. Large differences to
you and me is that she would be very devoutly religious, bordering on what
you or I would call fanatical. She would be no stranger to death and to
suffering. Her world would extend a mile or so beyond her home. She lived in
a dark age, and by that I mean a physically dark age. And the lack of
liberties we pity her for would be alien concepts for her, as she would
never have been exposed to the idea of individuality for individuality's
sake and female emancipation. Her home would be very dimly light in the
daytime since there would be few windows, and when night came she would be
enmeshed in a darkness we can't imagine in this illuminated age.

Her mentality would make her quite alien to us in large ways and small ways.
That is a very fascinating thought. But I've only seen this reflected in a
few works of fantasy. Most of the time it seems the people populating a
medieval fantasy world are modern people dressed in medieval clothes, with a
few swords flung in.

Do you agree with this? If yes or no, how come?


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Relevant Pages

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