The Differences Between Fantasy Towns and Historical Medieval Towns
Fantasy towns are not real medieval towns… And that’s not a bad thing. As any worldbuilder will tell you, fantasy towns may have their basis in European medieval towns (however loosely) but they are far from accurate representations of them. And that’s okay. While worldbuilders may wish to use historically accurate depictions of medieval towns when designing historically accurate fictional worlds, the quintessential fantasy town fulfills a different niche. Fantasy towns are meant to be fantasy – they are designed to elicit a sense of wonder and awe, to provide thrilling narratives and quests, and to showcase wild characters and creatures. With that in mind, the differences between fictional fantasy towns and more realistic historical settlements is knowledge that worldbuilders may wish to have in their back pocket. Afterall, most fictional towns and villages exist on a sliding scale somewhere between truth and fantasy.
Size & Layout
FANTASY
Fantasy often features grand, sprawling towns teeming with life. A dense network of interconnected streets and back alleyways wait to be explored.
REALITY
Medieval towns were smaller affairs. Think a few thousand residents, huddled together for safety. Land was precious for farming, so there wasn’t much room for urban sprawl. Medieval towns were often organized around specific trades. Butchers clustered near slaughterhouses, while tanners, whose work produced a foul odor, were relegated to the outskirts. This segregation ensured a more “functional” town layout than the more cluttered and aesthetically pleasing depictions in fantasy.
Economy
FANTASY
Fantasy towns are hubs of trade and business. Marketplaces, potion shops, inns, and taverns can all be found selling their wares to any passing buyer.
REALITY
In reality, most people in medieval towns were farmers or laborers. Guildhalls, representing the power of skilled artisans, are another prominent feature of large medieval towns often absent from fantasy towns (with the exception, perhaps, of the adventurer’s guild).
Sewage
FANTASY
Crystal-clear rivers flow through the town, and cobblestone streets are meticulously swept. The unpleasant odors, waste, and bodily unpleasantness are confined to often sprawling sewer systems that serve as additional regions to explore beneath the town.
REALITY
Waste disposal was a constant battle. Open sewers running down narrow streets were commonplace, creating a constant offensive odor. Wells and other water sources were often contaminated, leading to a high prevalence of waterborne diseases.
Defenses
FANTASY
Fantasy towns are often ringed by impressive town walls or palisades and to enter adventurers must make their way through a well-guarded gatehouse.
REALITY
Medieval towns relied more on practicality. Walls were expensive, so many towns had ditches, fences, or even just a poorly trained militia.
Religion
FANTASY
Religion might be present, but it often takes a backseat to grand adventures. Any church or temple found in a fantasy town is usually a small affair, and used mostly as a site of magical healing or quiet prayer to a fictional god.
REALITY
The Church played a central role in medieval life. Churches served as centers of worship, education, and social gatherings. Religious festivals and rituals formed a significant part of the year’s calendar, shaping the rhythm of daily life.
Castles
FANTASY
Grand castles dominate the landscape, housing benevolent rulers or heroic knights.
REALITY
Castles were primarily military structures, often austere and imposing. They housed a small elite – the lord, his family, and a limited retinue of soldiers. The vast majority of the population resided in smaller, more modest dwellings.
Variety of Peoples
FANTASY
Elves, dwarves, and other fantastical creatures mingle freely, creating a rich tapestry of interesting and unique characters. Adventurers from far-off lands and distant cultures fill the inns and taverns with tales of ancient ruins and long-lost treasures.
REALITY
Travel was arduous and dangerous, leading to a far less interesting and more homogenous population. While trade routes fostered limited cultural exchange, encountering people from far-flung lands would have been a rare event.