Medieval Living has a couple of recent posts revisiting the discussion of girl medieval nerds, one recommending girls read the works of Steven Till.
My own daughter fled from medieval geekdom* a few years ago, primarily because I would have liked it -- and there's nothing less cool than something your dad likes. All things medieval got jettisoned with all things literary.
I'm started to see the veneer cracking, though, as her own natural curiousity is getting the better of her. It started with history (with a brief enthusiasm for the Egyptians), then moved into Latin. Now, after hearing that a non-academic adult male friend was finding Pride and Prejudice "freakin' hilarious,"** she nonchalantly expressed an interest in that. We recently watched the movie Labyrinth, and she really enjoyed that -- the first open interest in anything vaguely medievalist.
So, for the female Wordhoarders out there, what medievalist bait would you suggest for a high school girl who's desperately trying not to show an interest in anything medieval? It has to be subtle, or she'll suspect the trap and I'll lose my quarry.
*I prefer the word "geek" to "nerd." For a brief overview of the difference, see here. Dork, of course, rarely applies to medieval enthusiasts.
** If you don't find Pride and Prejudice funny from the very first line, you're not reading it right.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
If she enjoyed Labyrinth, she might also enjoy "Legend" (one of my all-time favorites along with Labyrinth). Also, you could leave A Connecticut in King Arthur's Court laying around, although that might be too obvious. Maybe start with other Mark Twain works and then accidently remember that one! That might lead into an Arthurian interest and it's easy to go medieval after that! :-)
ReplyDeleteWell, there's always Russell Crowe as Robin Hood coming up....some other medievalist movies out and about that can sneak it in there under the guise of entertainment.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed several of my students reading vampire-themed stories - Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer has been quite popular among the high school girls (and even a few boys are carrying it in their backpacks). By no means are these vampire fantasy stories Medieval, but I do think there might be a cross-over there somewhere. Guess I'm also thinking of the Bloodrayne movie which is set in the 18th century, as well as other vampire-themed movies . . . I think they are appealing to Medievalist audiences as well. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteThere are several venues: medieval-themed games can be one (MMOs or console games that drape themselves in pseudo-medieval materials). Movies such as "Kingdom of Heaven", "Ever After", "A Knight's Tale", "The Messenger" or "The Lion in Winter" aren't perfect pictures of the Middle Ages, but offer compelling characters.
ReplyDeleteWould she be game for a rewatch of the LotR movies? I was deep into Arthuriana during my high school years: everything from Morte d'Arthur to Tennyson. You can add plenty of movies in that genre (and a lot of young women love "The Mists of Avalon" if you're looking for a more contemporary book tie-in).
Oh! "Stardust" (Michelle Pfeiffer, Peter O'Toole, Robert DeNiro). Great Fun! And then, of course, the medieval fantasy standard "The Princess Bride". Fantasy and fairy tale are a wonderful entry into the medieval world, as you know. You do not mention her age. Does she like dragons? "Dragonheart" might be another film to consider. As for books, what about Anne McAffrey's "Dragonriders of Pern" series? Avatar borrowed a lot from those books, I think.
ReplyDeleteoh! 'The Lion in Winter', one of my favourite movies of all time. But I would be very careful about that, because in the end she might end up in love with Peter O'Toole; and he's hardly Middle-Aged nowadays.
ReplyDeleteBeowulf is what got me hooked, but that's not exactly subtle, is it? There's always Narnia, LotR, and The Princess Bride. I think medieval is becoming more ok in pop culture these days. Oh! And there's that new animated movie coming out, "How to Train Your Dragon." Maybe the "cute" factor will help there.
ReplyDelete"Tristan and Isolde" has all the brooding "Twilight-ness" that any young Emo soul needs.
ReplyDeleteMercedes Lackey, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and Elizabeth Moon's "Deed of Paksinarion."
She might also enjoy The Dark Crystal, puppets on a quest.
ReplyDeletePatricia Wrede's "Dealing with Dragons" series is more fantasy than medieval, but very clever and funny. I got a whole van-load of mid & high school girls, plus a dad, hooked on them. The main character is a princess who wants to learn improper subjects, like Latin and cooking. :-)
ReplyDeleteMalory's "Morte D'Arthur" is a lot of fun. I also really enjoy TH White's "Once and Future King" and Gerald Morris' Arthurian retellings.