Folkloric fonts are making their way out of Tolkien books and onto tour posters. Horror novels about peasants are blowing up on TikTok. Pop stars are wearing armor and shooting fire arrows on award show stages. Grab your chainmail coifs and hennin—the Middle Ages are back.

Why (especially now) are we dreaming of the Dark Ages? Much like today, medieval times were full of mess and chaos. The violence was gratuitous and the vibes were turbulent. But they were also a reminder of what it means to be human. People believed in magic, got drunk, partied, and even endured a pandemic. Gaze into the reflection of a knight’s armor and you might see yourself staring back.

While the merging of past and present isn’t a newfound concept, the gravitation towards centuries-old motifs defies the 20-year trend cycle. We’re traveling past the point of nostalgia into a more mystical and distant realm: 600 BR (Before Rizzler).

Escapism plays a huge role in the romanticism of the Middle Ages. Take the existence of Medieval Times or Renaissance faires for example, which saw a resurgence after the pandemic. In these magical places you can be anyone you want (literally anyone, I saw someone dressed like Goofy once). They’re interactive and immersive – you can buy little dragons that sit on your shoulders or real swords at auctions. Knights joust but no one dies.

In music, artists are pulling from the period to recontextualize their modern day experiences with the sounds and fantasy of a bygone era. Harps and bagpipes accompany synths and autotune in imaginative ways that would make a peasant child astral project.

Caroline Polachek, the reigning queen of modern medieval, is arguably best known for this combination of worlds, both visually and musically. By juxtaposing concepts like sexting against ancient imagery, she casts our dilemmas in a new light. Suddenly the complex feelings conjured by long distance relationships and drunken regrets are made mystical. Modern melodrama becomes folklore.

Joanna Newsom, masterful harpist and songwriter, pulls more sonically from the Middle Ages in her approach to merging past and present. On Ys, she layers sound like an ornate tapestry, weaving together rhythms to create something vast and whole - yet complex. Joanna mythologizes deeply personal themes of death, loss, and relationships through allegory and antique instrumentals. On Divers, the music is so complex and sweeping it’s sometimes jarring for her to bring up relevant topics like gentrification of New York City.

We’re even taking the medieval home with us. On Pinterest, one of the trending searches of 2024 was “castlecore.” Scroll through and you’ll find wrought iron candlesticks, velvet upholstery, and even chainmail chandeliers. In the age of AI and mass production, the detailed script, tapestries, and embroidery of the Middle Ages appeal now more than ever as a sense of permanence–a cobblestoned path away from all the shiny newness. We’re yearning to slow down and craving the handcrafted.

Whether the ushering of armor and chainmail is indication of a newfound banishment of technology, a preparation for battle, or a mystical escape from reality, we've curated a collection of whimsical goods from far and wide to represent the medieval influence on our culture through recent years.