Abstract

The medieval crusades were complicated; their memory even more so. Their reuse across popular culture is a maelstrom of images, tropes, and ideas, further
exacerbated when added to the mushrooming world of historical gaming. Not only
is it impossible to imagine any kinds of games which have no inaccuracies, it is
no longer possible to imagine any which would be deemed as accurate; we are no
longer in the realm of historical accuracy but authenticity, and the extent to which
a given imagined past coincides with our individual memory of that past. By exploring a range of tropes and historical icons established over time and which contribute to the mythical capital of popular memory, this chapter will explore the
ways in which historical games construct authenticity through a range of crusading
icons which resonate with popular ideas and tropes about the crusades.