The Encyclopædia Britannica notes that some researchers see the Renaissance period starting in the 13th century, while others argue that it began in the 14th or even 15th centuries. The person behind the ingenious ‘Weird Medieval Guys’ account is Olivia M. Swarthout (@tochterzwiebel). She started the project back in 2019. In the 5 years since its inception, the account has grown by leaps and bounds. In mid-2022, it boasted just shy of 100k followers on X (still Twitter back then). However, now, in 2024, a jaw-dropping 678k people from all around the world now follow it on the social network. The founder of the project, Olivia, even published a book in late 2023, titled ‘Weird Medieval Guys: How to Live, Laugh, Love (and Die) in Dark Times.’ “I spent a lot of time online looking for images from medieval manuscripts to incorporate into the project, and I was amazed at the works that I found. Not just the art itself, but also the extent to which these priceless, one-of-a-kind manuscripts and documents have been digitized and cataloged online for anyone across the world to browse,” she told us during an earlier interview. “Because I found so many pieces that I thought were extremely funny and endearing and could only send so many of them to my friends before they got sick of me, I also liked the idea that I could connect with other people online about how cool the art is,” she said. “Most of what I post is from the eras that are referred to as the High Middle Ages and Late Middle Ages, which encompass approximately the 11th to the 16th century. I do think that this period of time is very unique from a Western art historical standpoint because the printing press had not yet been invented, so all books were written out by hand and often included notes and doodles that were added in spontaneously by scribes who never thought these additions would be seen by the general public,” the founder of the project told us earlier. “Therefore, we have a huge amount of content from this era that reflects the humor and thoughts of (somewhat) average people. And when we look at what they created, we actually find that a lot of it contradicts how we view the ‘Dark’ Ages.” “When we look at, say, a drawing of a cat playing an organ, it’s easy to imagine it being endearing to its creator 600 years ago in the same way it is today, that it brought people the same kind of joy then as it does now. And I think we as humans enjoy how art and humor bridge that gap,” she told us. “One of my personal guiding principles of internet use is that, often, you get back out what you put in, so I think by trying to keep the account pretty lighthearted and wholesome, I’ve attracted very kind-hearted feedback.” Among some of her followers are actual medieval art and history researchers, which just goes to show how successful ‘Weird Medieval Guys’ has gotten. “There are people of all ages and from around the world whose comments I luckily get to read and understand due to the magic of internet translation.” She added: “I’m so glad that even though what I post is pretty silly, and I’m not an authority on medieval art whatsoever, so many different people are able to come together over my account! I’m really thankful for everyone who’s supported me, and I have so many more weird medieval guys that I can’t wait to share. Do you think you’d be able to do a better job at painting these creatures if you were suddenly transported back in time? What do you like the most about the Middle Ages? We can’t wait to hear your thoughts! Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
