There's a reason we share so many history memes on this site. Sure, they're almost always funny. But the real reason is that there is just so much material to choose from. Memes are being made using crap that has happened over the span of thousands of years. And that means there's something for enthusiasts of nearly every period of history. Into memes about Ancient Greece and Rome? Well, they're everywhere. Prefer memes about the Middle Ages? Those are pretty prolific as well. Don't even get us started on World War II memes. There are plenty, but we have to be a little more careful with 'em due to the utter bleakness of the subject matter. So if you're looking for some historical entertainment, chances are we'll have a good meme for you in here. Don't thank us - thank the past.
medieval
The Middle Ages were some dark times. With murder and pillaging being part of everyday life, it's a wonder anyone survived it. But because of the chill attitude towards killing and death, medieval art depicts it somewhat disturbingly, giving us a potential insight into the times' mindset. As you can see in the medieval artwork below, the people getting murdered don't seem to give a d*mn; the victims look bored, and the murderers look like they're having a great time. I guess when murder is normalized, it isn't that big of a deal anymore? What a strange time to be alive!
Sick and tired of history memes from the twentieth century? Well you're in luck - this gallery contains 20 dank memes from the times of the Wild West, also known as the Middle Ages. What the f*ck people were doing back then, we'll never truly understand.
Gesǣlig Eastordæg! Or something like that.
Throughout the history of civilization, art has been an unparalleled tool for understanding the zeitgeist of a given era. Call us crazy, but we like to think that memes are a lot like classical paintings if you think about them as cultural documents of the time. A lot of art from the past have even been reappropriated into memes. The scenes captured in Medieval and Neoclassical paintings often depict expressive and dramatic characters that one would be crazy not to try and meme today. Was Caravaggio just a pioneer of the Baroque or was he actually a 17th century memelord? We've got a bunch of great classical art memes that prove art is truly timeless.
A lot of classical art is beautiful and awe-inspiring, but then there's some that just makes you scratch your head and wonder WTF the artist was even thinking. Most of the following memes reside in the latter camp. Click here for more classical art hilarity from eBaum's World!
These medieval paintings of animals will never get old, and there are always new ridiculous paintings to discover! Last time, it was revealed to the world that paintings, during the Medieval Ages, were filled with cats licking their own butts.
No, we are not kidding. It's totally a real thing and we don't know why. And now, thanks to Twitter user, @DannyDutch, we have new Medieval art to gawk and obsess over. A thread of medieval paintings of animals that look nothing like the animals they are supposed to be. Why? Because the artists themselves have never seen these animals before, and are going off of descriptions of said animal.
Reminds us of how we picture dinosaurs today. Who knows, we could be terribly off when it comes to the prehistoric giants.
Why medieval animal painting is your favorite? We slightly intrigued and afraid of the beaver.
If you've followed us for a while, you'll know we love a good recreation. Whether it's couples who reenact famous movie posters, or people passing their time in quarantine by recreating famous paintings, we've got your covered. And now we have a new recreation gem for you, in the form of some Czech students who reenacted strange scenes from medieval books and it's hilarious. I'm not going to lie, this might be my favorite reenactment yet.
It's either a joint or a delicious burrito.
Tumblr has got a raging petard for medieval battle tactics and the consensus seems to be that what the past lacked in sanitation, it made up for with cool swords and unconventional weapons. Sometimes you see some gizmo an Italian blacksmith threw together six hundred years ago and all you can think is "that is badass." Who knew history could be fun.
