"Mine hips doth not bear false witness" : En undersökning av historiebruk och porträtteringen av medeltiden på sociala medier via #MedievalTikTok

Sammanfattning: This essay aim to study the hashtag and trend #MedievalTikTok, popular on the TikTok mobileapplication starting late summer 2020. The trend will get looked at through concepts like use of history (historiebruk). Some of the main ways the trend uses history is for entertainment, socialization and commercialization. Michael Nordberg’s book "Den dynamiska medeltiden" is also central for the text and works as an academical and theoretical basis. Nordbergs workquestions the idea of the ”dark middle ages”, disproving many unfavorable misconceptions about the period. #MedievalTikTok centers on users acting out the middle ages through simple costumes, shakespearean language, TikTok’s in-app editing features and medieval style covers of pop songs. Bardcore, as this genre of music is called, exploded in popularity in early summer2020. Artist Stantough’s cover of Shakira’s ”Hips don’t lie” is particularly significant in relation to the trend. #MedievalTikTok tends to replicate the same ideas that Nordberg questions. For example the prevalence of witch hunts is greatly exaggerated as well as the absolute rigidity of gender roles and class. The middle ages depicted in the trend is also very geographically limited, with Western Europe being the centerpiece. Northern Europe and vikings are for example overlooked. Other signifiers of the trend is a compression of time and mixups with preceding and following eras such as the early modern period. Popculture, limited school hours dedicated to the middle ages and comedic overstatements influence the trends dated portrayal of the medieval period.