The Germanic Heroic Tradition in Video Games

Playing Mass Medievalism
Erscheinungsjahr 2025
ISBN: 978-3-032-02251-6
Verlag: Springer

Buch, Englisch, 252 Seiten, Format (B × H): 153 mm x 216 mm, Gewicht: 451 g

Reihe: The New Middle Ages

This monograph examines the appropriation and ludification of the Germanic heroic tradition in video games as a digital medium, a process that unfolds on the margins of official discourse about the early Middle Ages. The project analyzes the adaptation of medieval material to the video game format through the use of Germanic epic motifs, such as the configuration of the hero, his conflict with the antagonist, and the pursuit of fame and wealth, derived from the medieval written sources that inspire them. Using narratology, the author evaluates the remediation of these narratives in video games as a playful, digital, and immersive experience.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Torres-Hergueta, Enrique

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Literaturgeschichte und Literaturkritik
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Europäische Geschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Klassische Literaturwissenschaft
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Literaturtheorie: Poetik und Literaturästhetik
• Sozialwissenschaften Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaften Medienwissenschaften

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 01: Introduction: The Contemporary Middle Ages.- Chapter 02: The Medieval Legacy: From the Renaissance to Globalization.- Chapter 03: Half a Century of Evolution: The Shaping of Germanic Heroic Narratives in Mass Popular Culture.- Chapter 04: Video Games as Playable Explorations of the Past.- Chapter 05: Playing the Hero: The Germanic Archetype in the Digital World.- Chapter 06: Into the Virtual Lair: Defeating Evil and Claiming the Prize.- Chapter 07: Final Remarks: Germanic Heroism in the Digital Age.

Über Autor(innen)

Enrique Torres-Hergueta  is a Lecturer in the Department of English Philology at the University of Extremadura, Spain. His research explores the contemporary reception and adaptation of the Middle Ages across diverse media forms.