Well, I don't have any PhDs, but feel near incapable of watching space scifi nowadays, for having learned too much about physics and space (most of those would fit better to submarine and aerial dogfights)... What you do is not a failure. What you too is not speaking with a wall, but you're speaking into the future. Things like that just take time. General folk tend to be into "action" and "epic", perhaps youth in particular - I was one in the past ... but that media also became my launchpad to look up the actual history (and mediators like you, taking advantage of modern media possiblities and reaching out to the audience is absolute blessing for us. Eg, a commoner attempting to take a peek into the videos and blogs after or prior their shift at factories, farms, offices, ...)
This is me watching medical shows -cringing at the lack of hand washing, gloves and masks. But harder still seeing romances in the ER. You are working hard and any free moment is doing paperwork, restocking and maybe sitting down for a moment. The reality is so different. We really appreciate all the education we receive from your channel.
@@katherinegaston5229 This is so true (yet we have whole generation that got into medicine because of Dr House for example - like star trek, still going from since sixties, inspired many to space and tech). I used sci-fi for assuming that more people have easier time to connect with that. As for "vikings" (and medieval peasantry) - I've actually grown up at what would have been pretty similar to Scandinavian homestead, built around longhouse (there's one available for public at Ruhnu - not reconstruction, but renovated to museum; not just a house, but whole farmstead - oldest part dating back over three centuries). Sure, my experience is much more modern and this gives own biases (and there pleanty of unknowns) - but it also provides enough to gringe over so many medieval depictions (that's temporary hunter's hut, nut peasant's resident; that's successful grand farmer, not meager poor peasant family; this stuff were hardly available for nobility and not at all commonplace for general population; that's ancient Persian, not medieval northern Europe; this construction would have been incredibly impractical and expensive, and that other one won't last for long; from where did they get all of that silk, cotton, and naylon; etc).
@@nodruj8681 it is likely the most academically accurate show. It's a comedy but every scenario is based on historical social norms. They speak in a contemporary way, but that's what makes it funny. But remember that the bar for accuracy is very low.
The best part about Norsemen is that they created the show in two languages, side by side. First they filmed in Norwegian, then they filmed the same scene in English, with the Norwegian humor translated fairly accurately, which is very difficult. It wasn't just a hilarious show, the production quality was very high. Everyone should watch Norsemen, the humor is great.
@waffle.23 what are you talking about? Movies/shows can convey a lot of information that books cannot, and are also more accessible to the general population. I say this as an avid book reader
@@laconsuela69 it just wouldnt be profitable or even as enjoyable as something like vikings. And you mention books cant convey everything, well thats exactly why we cannot make a historically accurate show anyways liberties has to be taken. The vikings show is perfect if it makes people excited to go and self study. Same with a movie like Troy best case scenario it makes a few people go and read Homer.
This resonates with me a lot!! I'm an illustratör by trade heavily inspired from norse art and history! I try to be as faithful as possible in my craft (even if I also take a lot of creative liberties like using elder futhark together with urnes knotwork), but seeing these companies just making a vegvisir on a skull and then just massproducing them to sell thousands make me really upset, and as Dr Crawford says: envious! You are definitely not a failure, Dr Jackson! You are an inspiration and a guide to many of us! I used you as a reference in my bachelor thesis about runes and I will always be thankful for the treasure trove of knowledge you posses and share with us all!!
I second that. I get people like to romantisize/fantasize periods of history but it ultimately disorts peoples' perception of history and people tend to end up believing the historical inaccuracies of said shows as "fact" which can be destructive in of itself. it's honestly not too different from when people try passing off pseudoscience and pseudohistorical/pseudoarcheology as factually true.
I don't think it's about the "general consumer interest" at all. If people want to watch historical media, they have no choice but to watch what's already on the market. People would gladly watch historical accurat media - if it was available to them.
You are in company about these media issues. I follow a Tudor historian, Claire Ridgeway. She shares your concerns. Except, of course, with Tudor era films. It's sad that "reality" isn't seen as entertaining.
Vikings, GOT, Witcher, Last Kingdom, Musketeers, Tudors, Britannia, Barbarians... it's all exactly the same :D "Charleez, the Viking costumes are available from the wardrobe. Order some medieval stuff for Richard III please!" - costume designers
This was the best way to describe it. You are not a failure at all. If it wasnt for men and women like you that care about our true history and accuracy of its representation then it would have been lost long ago. Keep up the work and continue to teach and learn.
It would be so awesome if someone could make a historically accurate film of one of the sagas. They are so full of action, adventure, romance, and magic that they don’t need to be Hollywood-ized.
You're not a failure mate, you're doing a fantastic job. Science communication is insanely important - doesn't matter much what we brood on in the ivory tower if there's not ppl like you who bring proper information to the masses Much love from a fellow historical linguist ❤
Here's my take - those movies got me interested, but you educated me. I probably wouldn't have found you without them. I'm grateful for both 😊 PS could look at it like Neil DeGrass Tyson. So many scifi movies out there make a mess of science, but he's just here to educate. He's built platforms to amplify that, but he allows those inaccurate sources to be a tool in teaching.
You're not a failure I'm sorry that your dedication and work goes unappreciated sometimes but I'm letting you know there are people that are very grateful that you are teaching and representing Old Norse properly considering there's a lot of misconceptions . I personally want to thank you for your dedication and hours of research . I'm not the best reader so I appreciate RUclips channel .
Dr. C! Will you be hosting another online language course? I missed out on registration for the last one but would love to take one with you in the future!
All that being said, I think you’d like Norsemen. It’s hilarious and is making fun of the other viking shows. It’d probably be a good review for your channel as well.
My good doctor, you are so amazingly gracious and graceful around the stuff you don’t like! This is the mark of the good Christian, and of the good human being, I shall say!
Lies and fantasy always sell best VS the truth. Money tends to chase such things after all. You're never a failure @JacksonCrawford, rather you opened our eyes to a window to a culture in the past amdist this day and age of too much technology. THANK YOU❤!
I do not think you're a failure and I'm glad that many people commenting agree. I've actually found your channel after watching people play God of War. Games/movies provide gateway opportunities to look up the subjects people found interesting about where they learned, played or watched. The problem is how to get more people to find people like you to provide the accurate historic facts.
@Arcusiridis 0 seconds ago You are definitely not a failure. Not your fault what people chose for entertainment! You do a great job sharing your vast knowlegde on the subject -for free and I am grateful for that. I love the content and your style of presenting.
Maybe you should write some form of authentic screenplay and see if a producer will pick it up, you might find a sense of fulfilment in that. Keep up the good work Doc ❤
You're definitely not alone in feeling apathy toward the cultural hegemony of hollywood and celebrity; people my age are even starting to explicitly avoid them. I think you're succeeding in something much more meaningful, and you've been an incredible resource for connecting legitimately with the norse. In a world that feels increasingly absent of meaning I think there is a respite to be found in connecting with people of the past, and that there is a growing respect for doing so authentically and without pretense or ulterior motives. ❤ Much Love
I'd love to see you get funded and write Viking and Norse stories that represent the culture based on your research and that of others. The real deal so to speak. Media production is becoming pretty cheap soon thanks to AI. Great work, and thank you so much for sharing your insights and knowledge!
Mr Jackson Crawford, you are by no means a failure. You are teaching people like me a dead language that I for one take in because of my roots genetically speaking. You have opened doors for me that I never knew and if I'm honest, helped me grow into a person who now knows my most inner deep primal self. For one to understand that most times they are either on drugs or get out into a trance, in my case it was a trance by the music I found afterwards of finding you first. So thank you for helping me. Thank you for the work you put forth to teach, thank you for the knowledge you pass on. As far as your own personal beliefs about yourself, sir please don't be so negative and hard on yourself, it's not worth the time or effort. We all make bad choices and we live and learn that's how we gain wisdom.
You're definitely not a failure. I can agree with this, I do like to watch some fantasy of Viking things, but definitely need to understand what's fantasy and not tied to the real culture and practices. With that said, I gotta give props to The Northman, that was a damn good movie with pretty good accuracy
You're not a failure. The way I see it is that they're here to entertain (like court jesters), and their art is limited by consumerism, tainted. Your art is to preserve the language, and you do it wonderfully. I'm enjoying the class, but I need to study harder. 😂 What you do is NOT easy. ❤
Thanks for sharing - you are in no way a failure. As a creative person interested in acurately representing a culture, I often feel stuck in the middle. I am not an academic so my knowledge of the subject doesn't come close to matching yours yet my art isn't as popular as fantasy artists who focus on what "looks cool" instead of what is authentic. Sometimes I think I should just cash in and make fantasy art or give up art and become an academic. Are you looking for another assistant 😅
Nick Lloyd of Lindybeige did a vid a while back on Historical Advisors on films that may help assuage your enuui on the topic, or make it worse. Either way it's a good watch.
As someone who can enjoy both worlds, I think they can simply not be compared. Fantasy shows actually can catch the interest of many and lead them to a person like you! I like costuming as well as reenactment, fantasy as well as research. It's two different hobbies. One with the brain relaxing and enjoying spectacular pictures and one to put your heart into learning the real history. For the latter, your work, dedication and effort are definitely gold. Thank you for being who you are.
"I don't believe creative people should be restricted from making art about periods of history they don't have PhDs in" That's really not the point. Of course they shouldn't be 'restricted', it just means that what they make isn't any good. They can hire people who *do* have PhDs, so there's no excuse.
They have million dollar budgets plus marketing. I said this about a completely different topic today already: We do what we can by getting through to those that we can. It's really all we can.
The primary difference is you educate while they entertain. A failure you are not. Arguably, they make more money but you have chosen to take a higher road. Respect!
I would love to see a series aimed at creatives who care about accuracy but can't afford to get a PhD. What are the really important basics, educated guesses about things we don't know for sure, etiquette for approaching experts in the field with questions, etc.
The one good film I've seen is Útlaggin, a 1981 Icelandic filming of Gisli's Saga. It definitely looks the most authentic, and the acting seems to be pretty good. Unfortunately, I think it's only possible to see it in low-quality ripped versions on RUclips.
That be funny for Travis fimmel spewing his doctorate thesis on Vikings he even pawed at lagertha butt she wasn’t happy about it.most time accuracy doesn’t even matter.
I get it. I'm a teacher. I once had a whole table of students answer the test question, "What is the highest measured wind speed in Antarctica?" with "Penguins."
It's really hard to watch hollywood media regarding subject matter you have any serious knowledge in. I know I avoid anything involving IT security. But I'm adding history, space and various other subjects as I learn more.
One of the things I like best about the TV series Vikings is the attempt they made to show how Norse family life and social life actually worked, including the endemic and necessity of slaves living with families and how their sense of Justice and morality differs from today. They made a valiant attempt to bring the humanity to our view.
You're not failing at all. You teach people about historical accuracy while also stimulate them to think critically, which is very much needed in a society which is full of misinformation!
Having an excuse to do historical research is one of the reasons I took up the pen. While indeed most of my work leans into fantasy of some variety, much of it also focuses on our own world and features characters who lived through history. The way I see it, the past is a foreign land, with foreign perspectives that can delight and terrify us in equal measure. Trying to realize those characters, their beliefs, attitudes, habits, clothes - that wouldn't be possible without scholars like you. And like you, I hope that in some way, my work will contribute to popular interest in historical peoples. The dead have given us so much that we take for granted, even though they can no longer speak for themselves - I feel we at least owe them the courtesy of trying to understand them as they understood themselves.
They say if you like going to restaurants, don't learn how to be a chef. I know exactly how you feel, doing the real thing and the hard work of becoming an expert does NOT make you friends. Everyone wants the cheap version that's on their TV and has zero ability to absorb the non-dumbed down versions. Add in the emotional connection people get to the fantasy and fiction and I honestly regret my expertise and want to go back to ignorance whenever I try to connect with anyone about something Hollywood got to first. It is just punishing.
There is a difference between accuracy in almost any show/movie based in history and an actual documentary. A show, although may be misleading in whatever aspect nerds get offended by, you fail to realize that it has the primary purpose to entertain not educate. If you want accuracy go watch a documentary.
You are anything but a failure, I learn so much from you and thoroughly enjoy this channel! I know from experience how hard it is to disseminate knowledge to lay audiences. You’re awesome👏👏
As a paleontologist, I encounter similar issues with media involving dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. I'm not the kind of person who rants about Jurassic World, I'm just resigned to the fact that most of the public doesn't care about accuracy, and therefore neither do producers.
Hey, there is good news, within the fantasy scene, especially epic fantasy, there is an increasing trend towards actual historic research. As in, there are still fantasy elements like dragons or elves, but they don't feel like fairy-tales or action movies. There is also an increasing trend moving away from stereotypical warrior-type chosen one heroes towards multi-POV from characters in different places in society - a merchant, a priest, an innkeeper, a maid, a sailor etc. in addition to warriors and wizards, so you get a more holistic view of society.
I totally get it. I watched them as I had little knowledge when Vikings first started, and it honestly fueled my own research and study. While I recognize both shows at the tv version of Braveheart, I do enjoy the overall story and action as I tell myself it’s all a fantasy story. But at the same time I totally get how you feel. It’s kind of like how I can’t watch movies featuring the military and most tv shows when they have an episode revolving around the military because I know I’m going to get upset at the inaccuracies and the lack of care by Hollywood to get anything right.
Farya Faraji on RUclips has videos on this topic that you should definitely watch. He explains in elaborate detail why these bands are not historically accurate and are just entertainment. I will note myself that they share far more in common with Siberian, Mongolian and Native American music than they do anything Norse. Traditional Norse music includes the tvisongur and vikivaki of Iceland. You can also get an idea of what their "war music" would have sounded like based on the Bronze Age lurs found in the National Museum of Denmark, although those predate the Viking Era by many centuries.
If I may make a suggestion, why don't you write a short story, a novella, a novel? If you're not a "creative" yourself, maybe co-author something with someone? Maybe Gaiman himself 😄 If he's not available, I'll give it a go 😄😄😄
Bro, your probably the most famous Old Norse guy in the pagan community - this kinda puts into perspective me thinking "I wish I had an audience like crawford.
Little off-topic: with all those cigars I'm getting worried that defeating alkohol addiction you are getting slip into the nicotine addiction. It's very common problem and I don't like you to fall into it too. It's not that I'm trying to tell you how you suppose to live, it's your life and your decisions after all. But I'm worried you are inconciously getting into another serious problem and you know allready how bad addictions can be. Wishing you all the best!
Yeah, I tried watching Vikings and even being a novice historian, knowing the names of real people were just being tossed around as place holders for standard cliffhanger drama with a new set of outfits really bummed me out. They had the budget and could have made a little bit of effort to follow history.
"Vikings" from history channel, was actually historically based with many accurate reflections. They played creatively with timeline because certain very cool things happen while everything else is boring. So they take the cool things and put it into wrong timeline. And then make two unrelated people brothers to make it work. Not lack of research! On the contrary! So much research that they decided to lean on their creative rights to deliver the story to the masses that otherwise would ignore it
You’re not a failure sir
Agreed. You're not a failure. They just value money over historical accuracy.
@@shredtalktv7546 in a nutshell basically
You're not a failure, sir.
I remember in Vikings when they reached Gamla Uppsala and it had mountains, waterfalls etc. Gamla Uppsala is as flat as you can imagine....
like denmark-flat?
@@FreezeMathias More or less!
@@FreezeMathiasGood for riding bikes, that kinda flat haha
Maybe they went to Hjortmossberget in Uppsala. Not saying that Vikings is 100% correct, still a good show though.
You're definitely not a failure Jackson. Keep thinking, speaking, writing and rocking.
Well, I don't have any PhDs, but feel near incapable of watching space scifi nowadays, for having learned too much about physics and space (most of those would fit better to submarine and aerial dogfights)...
What you do is not a failure. What you too is not speaking with a wall, but you're speaking into the future. Things like that just take time.
General folk tend to be into "action" and "epic", perhaps youth in particular - I was one in the past ... but that media also became my launchpad to look up the actual history (and mediators like you, taking advantage of modern media possiblities and reaching out to the audience is absolute blessing for us. Eg, a commoner attempting to take a peek into the videos and blogs after or prior their shift at factories, farms, offices, ...)
You might enjoy Battlestar Galactica of you miss the genre.
That's why I got more into Stargate than star trek.
@@NastySasquatch Well, they at least solved the "humanoid aliens" by "descendants of the Ancients".
This is me watching medical shows -cringing at the lack of hand washing, gloves and masks. But harder still seeing romances in the ER. You are working hard and any free moment is doing paperwork, restocking and maybe sitting down for a moment. The reality is so different.
We really appreciate all the education we receive from your channel.
@@katherinegaston5229 This is so true (yet we have whole generation that got into medicine because of Dr House for example - like star trek, still going from since sixties, inspired many to space and tech).
I used sci-fi for assuming that more people have easier time to connect with that.
As for "vikings" (and medieval peasantry) - I've actually grown up at what would have been pretty similar to Scandinavian homestead, built around longhouse (there's one available for public at Ruhnu - not reconstruction, but renovated to museum; not just a house, but whole farmstead - oldest part dating back over three centuries). Sure, my experience is much more modern and this gives own biases (and there pleanty of unknowns) - but it also provides enough to gringe over so many medieval depictions (that's temporary hunter's hut, nut peasant's resident; that's successful grand farmer, not meager poor peasant family; this stuff were hardly available for nobility and not at all commonplace for general population; that's ancient Persian, not medieval northern Europe; this construction would have been incredibly impractical and expensive, and that other one won't last for long; from where did they get all of that silk, cotton, and naylon; etc).
I absolutely loved watching Norsemen, a Norwegian comedy show about vikings. It’s hilarious.
That one is probably the most historically accurate
@@FREDDAGGS I highly doubt it
@@nodruj8681 I was joking, but its probably true. Not because its accurate either.
@@nodruj8681 it is likely the most academically accurate show. It's a comedy but every scenario is based on historical social norms. They speak in a contemporary way, but that's what makes it funny. But remember that the bar for accuracy is very low.
The best part about Norsemen is that they created the show in two languages, side by side.
First they filmed in Norwegian, then they filmed the same scene in English, with the Norwegian humor translated fairly accurately, which is very difficult.
It wasn't just a hilarious show, the production quality was very high.
Everyone should watch Norsemen, the humor is great.
You've not failed sir - you've sure taught me a lot!
As a creative person who would love to be involved in creating period accurate entertainment but would happily settle for fantasy I appreciate this.
I enjoy your content, and your book translating the Poetic Edda.
Great perspective, and refreshing amount of honesty. Thank you for the years you have spent informing us.
It would be awesome if you were hired on to consult a historically accurate viking show
But this is exactly the problem he is talking about. A historically accurate viking show wouldn't make it past the producers' pitch meeting.
@@yojimbo301 exactly. And who needs that anyways when theres tons of books you can read if youre actually interested.
@waffle.23 what are you talking about? Movies/shows can convey a lot of information that books cannot, and are also more accessible to the general population. I say this as an avid book reader
@@laconsuela69 it just wouldnt be profitable or even as enjoyable as something like vikings. And you mention books cant convey everything, well thats exactly why we cannot make a historically accurate show anyways liberties has to be taken. The vikings show is perfect if it makes people excited to go and self study. Same with a movie like Troy best case scenario it makes a few people go and read Homer.
This resonates with me a lot!! I'm an illustratör by trade heavily inspired from norse art and history! I try to be as faithful as possible in my craft (even if I also take a lot of creative liberties like using elder futhark together with urnes knotwork), but seeing these companies just making a vegvisir on a skull and then just massproducing them to sell thousands make me really upset, and as Dr Crawford says: envious!
You are definitely not a failure, Dr Jackson! You are an inspiration and a guide to many of us! I used you as a reference in my bachelor thesis about runes and I will always be thankful for the treasure trove of knowledge you posses and share with us all!!
Your content has actually been more enjoyable for me than most mainstream viking shows.
I second that. I get people like to romantisize/fantasize periods of history but it ultimately disorts peoples' perception of history and people tend to end up believing the historical inaccuracies of said shows as "fact" which can be destructive in of itself. it's honestly not too different from when people try passing off pseudoscience and pseudohistorical/pseudoarcheology as factually true.
General consumer interest is not your failure, Jackson.
I don't think it's about the "general consumer interest" at all. If people want to watch historical media, they have no choice but to watch what's already on the market. People would gladly watch historical accurat media - if it was available to them.
You are in company about these media issues. I follow a Tudor historian, Claire Ridgeway. She shares your concerns. Except, of course, with Tudor era films. It's sad that "reality" isn't seen as entertaining.
"failure" says someone who inspires me
You’re a legend and what you are doing is important. You can always choose to feed into the algorithm more - you will grow even more
Vikings, GOT, Witcher, Last Kingdom, Musketeers, Tudors, Britannia, Barbarians... it's all exactly the same :D
"Charleez, the Viking costumes are available from the wardrobe. Order some medieval stuff for Richard III please!" - costume designers
This was the best way to describe it. You are not a failure at all. If it wasnt for men and women like you that care about our true history and accuracy of its representation then it would have been lost long ago. Keep up the work and continue to teach and learn.
It would be so awesome if someone could make a historically accurate film of one of the sagas. They are so full of action, adventure, romance, and magic that they don’t need to be Hollywood-ized.
The norseman, with Alex Skarsgard, is a saga. Its made in the same weird way that sagas are.
The northman is exactly what you’re looking for. Its (loosely) based on a saga, too, the one that inspired Hamlet, no less!
Yepp, that movie w Skarsgard is top.
You're not a failure mate, you're doing a fantastic job. Science communication is insanely important - doesn't matter much what we brood on in the ivory tower if there's not ppl like you who bring proper information to the masses
Much love from a fellow historical linguist ❤
Those shows got me into you! So the fantasy led to learning about the reality which is much more interesting!
You are the man.
Never think any different.
Here's my take - those movies got me interested, but you educated me. I probably wouldn't have found you without them. I'm grateful for both 😊
PS could look at it like Neil DeGrass Tyson. So many scifi movies out there make a mess of science, but he's just here to educate. He's built platforms to amplify that, but he allows those inaccurate sources to be a tool in teaching.
That view is 100/10 I would never leave that spot.
A beautiful backdrop, as always!
You're not a failure I'm sorry that your dedication and work goes unappreciated sometimes but I'm letting you know there are people that are very grateful that you are teaching and representing Old Norse properly considering there's a lot of misconceptions . I personally want to thank you for your dedication and hours of research . I'm not the best reader so I appreciate RUclips channel .
Dr. C! Will you be hosting another online language course? I missed out on registration for the last one but would love to take one with you in the future!
You are a Truthsayer in this matter.., Thank you for that Sir...Salute!
Your no failure, you are a great success and I wish more media would show the true history
I’ve bought all your books and agree with the stark contrast of facts vs fantasy. Love your work to preserve such a fascinating period of history
All that being said, I think you’d like Norsemen. It’s hilarious and is making fun of the other viking shows.
It’d probably be a good review for your channel as well.
My good doctor, you are so amazingly gracious and graceful around the stuff you don’t like! This is the mark of the good Christian, and of the good human being, I shall say!
I appreciate this post so much.
They do it with EVERYTHING
Lies and fantasy always sell best VS the truth. Money tends to chase such things after all. You're never a failure @JacksonCrawford, rather you opened our eyes to a window to a culture in the past amdist this day and age of too much technology. THANK YOU❤!
I do not think you're a failure and I'm glad that many people commenting agree. I've actually found your channel after watching people play God of War. Games/movies provide gateway opportunities to look up the subjects people found interesting about where they learned, played or watched. The problem is how to get more people to find people like you to provide the accurate historic facts.
I respect people who can be reflective about themselves. You are working well as an educator. Media rarely thinks about accuracy.
@Arcusiridis
0 seconds ago
You are definitely not a failure. Not your fault what people chose for entertainment! You do a great job sharing your vast knowlegde on the subject -for free and I am grateful for that. I love the content and your style of presenting.
Listen man the people who really want to know will find you, trust me. You’re no failure 🙏🏿
The old adage of 'Truth is stranger than fiction'
I don’t watch the shows either. I started but just can’t. But I love reading your books. I would like to get a signed copy some day.
Maybe you should write some form of authentic screenplay and see if a producer will pick it up, you might find a sense of fulfilment in that. Keep up the good work Doc ❤
ily dr Crawford you’re the best
You're definitely not alone in feeling apathy toward the cultural hegemony of hollywood and celebrity; people my age are even starting to explicitly avoid them. I think you're succeeding in something much more meaningful, and you've been an incredible resource for connecting legitimately with the norse. In a world that feels increasingly absent of meaning I think there is a respite to be found in connecting with people of the past, and that there is a growing respect for doing so authentically and without pretense or ulterior motives. ❤ Much Love
I totally agree with you. ...not the failure part, but everything else you said.
I'd love to see you get funded and write Viking and Norse stories that represent the culture based on your research and that of others. The real deal so to speak. Media production is becoming pretty cheap soon thanks to AI.
Great work, and thank you so much for sharing your insights and knowledge!
Mr Jackson Crawford, you are by no means a failure. You are teaching people like me a dead language that I for one take in because of my roots genetically speaking. You have opened doors for me that I never knew and if I'm honest, helped me grow into a person who now knows my most inner deep primal self. For one to understand that most times they are either on drugs or get out into a trance, in my case it was a trance by the music I found afterwards of finding you first. So thank you for helping me. Thank you for the work you put forth to teach, thank you for the knowledge you pass on. As far as your own personal beliefs about yourself, sir please don't be so negative and hard on yourself, it's not worth the time or effort. We all make bad choices and we live and learn that's how we gain wisdom.
You're definitely not a failure.
I can agree with this, I do like to watch some fantasy of Viking things, but definitely need to understand what's fantasy and not tied to the real culture and practices.
With that said, I gotta give props to The Northman, that was a damn good movie with pretty good accuracy
You're not a failure. The way I see it is that they're here to entertain (like court jesters), and their art is limited by consumerism, tainted. Your art is to preserve the language, and you do it wonderfully. I'm enjoying the class, but I need to study harder. 😂 What you do is NOT easy. ❤
Thanks for sharing - you are in no way a failure. As a creative person interested in acurately representing a culture, I often feel stuck in the middle. I am not an academic so my knowledge of the subject doesn't come close to matching yours yet my art isn't as popular as fantasy artists who focus on what "looks cool" instead of what is authentic. Sometimes I think I should just cash in and make fantasy art or give up art and become an academic. Are you looking for another assistant 😅
Nick Lloyd of Lindybeige did a vid a while back on Historical Advisors on films that may help assuage your enuui on the topic, or make it worse. Either way it's a good watch.
skald thank you i feel the same
As someone who can enjoy both worlds, I think they can simply not be compared. Fantasy shows actually can catch the interest of many and lead them to a person like you! I like costuming as well as reenactment, fantasy as well as research. It's two different hobbies. One with the brain relaxing and enjoying spectacular pictures and one to put your heart into learning the real history. For the latter, your work, dedication and effort are definitely gold. Thank you for being who you are.
"I don't believe creative people should be restricted from making art about periods of history they don't have PhDs in"
That's really not the point. Of course they shouldn't be 'restricted', it just means that what they make isn't any good. They can hire people who *do* have PhDs, so there's no excuse.
They have million dollar budgets plus marketing. I said this about a completely different topic today already:
We do what we can by getting through to those that we can. It's really all we can.
I guess it would be the same as watching "Blazing Saddles" to see how things were in the "wild weat".😂
The primary difference is you educate while they entertain. A failure you are not. Arguably, they make more money but you have chosen to take a higher road. Respect!
Can somebody get this guy a history channel documentary
I would love to see a series aimed at creatives who care about accuracy but can't afford to get a PhD. What are the really important basics, educated guesses about things we don't know for sure, etiquette for approaching experts in the field with questions, etc.
the professor is a treasure
Thanks for sharing… butyou’re a big success in my book
The one good film I've seen is Útlaggin, a 1981 Icelandic filming of Gisli's Saga. It definitely looks the most authentic, and the acting seems to be pretty good. Unfortunately, I think it's only possible to see it in low-quality ripped versions on RUclips.
As much as I enjoy the Norse shows, I do wish they were accurate. Do you pass on the Norse music as well? Danheim, SKÁLD, etc?
That be funny for Travis fimmel spewing his doctorate thesis on Vikings he even pawed at lagertha butt she wasn’t happy about it.most time accuracy doesn’t even matter.
I get it. I'm a teacher. I once had a whole table of students answer the test question, "What is the highest measured wind speed in Antarctica?" with "Penguins."
I want to watch it either
It's really hard to watch hollywood media regarding subject matter you have any serious knowledge in. I know I avoid anything involving IT security. But I'm adding history, space and various other subjects as I learn more.
A well written historical TV show that has been researched by professionals would be so so good
You're a god damn MVP
One of the things I like best about the TV series Vikings is the attempt they made to show how Norse family life and social life actually worked, including the endemic and necessity of slaves living with families and how their sense of Justice and morality differs from today. They made a valiant attempt to bring the humanity to our view.
What he said. ❤
You're not failing at all. You teach people about historical accuracy while also stimulate them to think critically, which is very much needed in a society which is full of misinformation!
I don't care if they add fantasy stuff, mythological stuff, but I'd like it to be rooted in reality and as historically accurate as possible
Having an excuse to do historical research is one of the reasons I took up the pen. While indeed most of my work leans into fantasy of some variety, much of it also focuses on our own world and features characters who lived through history. The way I see it, the past is a foreign land, with foreign perspectives that can delight and terrify us in equal measure. Trying to realize those characters, their beliefs, attitudes, habits, clothes - that wouldn't be possible without scholars like you. And like you, I hope that in some way, my work will contribute to popular interest in historical peoples. The dead have given us so much that we take for granted, even though they can no longer speak for themselves - I feel we at least owe them the courtesy of trying to understand them as they understood themselves.
i wanna make some HAPD (Historical Accuracy Police Department) tshirts
They say if you like going to restaurants, don't learn how to be a chef. I know exactly how you feel, doing the real thing and the hard work of becoming an expert does NOT make you friends. Everyone wants the cheap version that's on their TV and has zero ability to absorb the non-dumbed down versions. Add in the emotional connection people get to the fantasy and fiction and I honestly regret my expertise and want to go back to ignorance whenever I try to connect with anyone about something Hollywood got to first. It is just punishing.
There is a difference between accuracy in almost any show/movie based in history and an actual documentary. A show, although may be misleading in whatever aspect nerds get offended by, you fail to realize that it has the primary purpose to entertain not educate. If you want accuracy go watch a documentary.
You are anything but a failure, I learn so much from you and thoroughly enjoy this channel! I know from experience how hard it is to disseminate knowledge to lay audiences. You’re awesome👏👏
This man is a genius
What? And I'm about to start consuming Vikings the History Channel show 😭
That company that made Gods of War kind of sounds like how the producers didn't care.
As a paleontologist, I encounter similar issues with media involving dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. I'm not the kind of person who rants about Jurassic World, I'm just resigned to the fact that most of the public doesn't care about accuracy, and therefore neither do producers.
Watch Vinland Saga, it's an anime but it makes Viking shows like childs play, it's amazing honestly and quite accurate as far as i know
You're the coolest linguist on here. Stay cool.
Thats a nice view
I feel it. If you know anything about anything, movies become unwatcheable. I have both, the nerd rage and the jealousy you describe.
Hey, there is good news, within the fantasy scene, especially epic fantasy, there is an increasing trend towards actual historic research. As in, there are still fantasy elements like dragons or elves, but they don't feel like fairy-tales or action movies.
There is also an increasing trend moving away from stereotypical warrior-type chosen one heroes towards multi-POV from characters in different places in society - a merchant, a priest, an innkeeper, a maid, a sailor etc. in addition to warriors and wizards, so you get a more holistic view of society.
I totally get it. I watched them as I had little knowledge when Vikings first started, and it honestly fueled my own research and study.
While I recognize both shows at the tv version of Braveheart, I do enjoy the overall story and action as I tell myself it’s all a fantasy story.
But at the same time I totally get how you feel. It’s kind of like how I can’t watch movies featuring the military and most tv shows when they have an episode revolving around the military because I know I’m going to get upset at the inaccuracies and the lack of care by Hollywood to get anything right.
What kind of cigar are you enjoying there.
Im curious on what your intake is on norse music like Wardruna or Danheim what is your thoughts and what would be accurate music in the viking era
Farya Faraji on RUclips has videos on this topic that you should definitely watch. He explains in elaborate detail why these bands are not historically accurate and are just entertainment. I will note myself that they share far more in common with Siberian, Mongolian and Native American music than they do anything Norse. Traditional Norse music includes the tvisongur and vikivaki of Iceland. You can also get an idea of what their "war music" would have sounded like based on the Bronze Age lurs found in the National Museum of Denmark, although those predate the Viking Era by many centuries.
Accurate viking music is probably just singing with a western early mediaeval type harp, flute/pipe.
If I may make a suggestion, why don't you write a short story, a novella, a novel? If you're not a "creative" yourself, maybe co-author something with someone? Maybe Gaiman himself 😄 If he's not available, I'll give it a go 😄😄😄
Bro, your probably the most famous Old Norse guy in the pagan community - this kinda puts into perspective me thinking "I wish I had an audience like crawford.
You should still check out Vinland Saga
Little off-topic: with all those cigars I'm getting worried that defeating alkohol addiction you are getting slip into the nicotine addiction. It's very common problem and I don't like you to fall into it too.
It's not that I'm trying to tell you how you suppose to live, it's your life and your decisions after all. But I'm worried you are inconciously getting into another serious problem and you know allready how bad addictions can be.
Wishing you all the best!
The only “Viking” age movie I liked was Valhalla Rising. With Mads Mikkelson. And it’s not accurate by any means, but it’s just a weird trippy film.
Exactly 💯!!!
I’ll watch Viking shows once they start making good ones 😂
Yeah, I tried watching Vikings and even being a novice historian, knowing the names of real people were just being tossed around as place holders for standard cliffhanger drama with a new set of outfits really bummed me out. They had the budget and could have made a little bit of effort to follow history.
Imagine what we feel about the "House of the Dragon" lol
"Vikings" from history channel, was actually historically based with many accurate reflections. They played creatively with timeline because certain very cool things happen while everything else is boring. So they take the cool things and put it into wrong timeline. And then make two unrelated people brothers to make it work. Not lack of research! On the contrary! So much research that they decided to lean on their creative rights to deliver the story to the masses that otherwise would ignore it