The Refined Reader (8) Medievalism in Fantasy

The Refined Reader aims to take a look at the journey to where we are as readers today.  It's part history, part commentary - providing a brief, conversational summary of various aspects of our bookish past and comparing it to how it has affected us in modern times.  I love history, but I am no historian, and while I plan to do my research, if there are any errors, please let me know!  This is as much a learning venture for me as I hope it is for my blog visitors!

It is interesting to see that many fantasy stories use a medievalist setting for their world-building.  My understanding of fantasy as a genre usually means a story that has elements that does not exist within our known laws of the universe.  It differs from Science Fiction because something in Science Fiction could exist in our world (in the future), but in Fantasy those ideas are unlikely to ever exist.  For a genre that can literally embrace anything, why is medievalist folklore elements like dragons, chivalry, elves, etc, so popular?  After reading up on it, I don't think there is a definitive answer, but there are some historical circumstances that might explain this.

The early, very influential fantasy writers like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were Medievalist scholars.  Their works helped change how fantasy was viewed (with many thanks to earlier author George MacDonald) as a story that could take fantastical and magical elements to reveal something about the human condition.  And because they were so important to how people saw what makes up a fantasy, it makes sense that their inclusion of Medieval elements would persist in the genre.

Another possible reason is that Medieval world-building is an easy shortcut to create a different enough world to our own that can embrace the fantastical elements in these stories.  The lack of technology and the generally superstitious mindset of the Middle Ages is used to great effect.  People were not as advanced at that time, and that works better in a story where it is important for people to rely on themselves to make a difference in their world.  And the importance of personal achievement and accomplishment that features prominently in Fantasy was idealized in Medieval folklore.

The most simple reason I think is that because Europeans spread across the globe earlier and faster than other cultures, European culture dominated so that it was less likely that an Asian or African based folklore would take over the fantasy genre.  Maybe medievalism is popular in fantasy because it got there first.

Do you have some favorite non-medievalist fantasy stories? Do you feel you enjoy medievalist fantasy more than fantasies with other settings?

Sources:
Wikipedia / Wikipedia
Approaches to Medievalism
Modern Medieval