The Germanic Heroic Tradition in Video Games: Playing Mass Medievalism

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.

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.