The Tiffany Problem (When People Think They Know History, But Don't)

The figure in blackened armor rode through the muck of the street, light rain beading on his helm like sweat. His horse snorted, blowing steam from its nostrils. The wind snapped the pennant on the rider's lance, showing the colors of his house; a red dragon rampant on a field of black. One of the Drakes, then, no doubt looking to cause trouble as the "noble" lords so often were.

"You there," the figure called, pointing at a butcher standing beneath the awning over his door. "I seek the Lady Tiffany Valis. Where shall I find her?"

And be quick! She and I have business to discuss.

For those who snickered or rolled their eyes at the intro, it's there to make a point. Because, though most folks don't know it, the name Tiffany was actually in common use as far back as the 12th century. It was short for Theophania, in case you wondered. We associate it with modern culture and wealth thanks to its repopularization in the 1960s, and it's significantly more common usage in the 1980s and 1990s, but it's an old damn name.

The problem is that most of your readers won't know that, and there's a name for this weird phenomenon: The Tiffany Problem.

Most People Actually Know Dick About History

According to MamaMia, this term was coined by author Jo Walton. To paraphrase her explanation, it's about the tension between actual, historical facts and people's common perception of what history was like. Or, put another way, the facts of what happened in history versus someone's beliefs about what history was like.

And this rabbit hole gets WEIRD!

If you're looking for a few examples, don't worry, I've got you covered. One of my personal favorites, detailed in 6 Ridiculous Myths About The Middle Ages Everyone Believes is that medieval people were not, in fact, filthy. Washing your hands before and after a meal was customary, and communal bathing was a daily occurrence for many workmen (a tradition carried on from the Romans). It was such a common practice that soap manufacture and sale was on an almost industrialized scale by the 13th century in Europe.

There was supposed to be a scene in the film Gladiator where our protagonist became the celebrity face of a brand of olive oil, according to 5 True Stories Cut From Movies For Being Too Realistic. And in case the title of that article didn't give it away, that was totally a thing that famous gladiators did in ancient Rome. There were even billboards advertising their products, and some of them had frigging action figures! And as I pointed out in the post Introduce Some "Period" Technology In Your Game over on my sister blog Improved Initiative, there are dozens of other things we assume belong solely in the modern day that have been around for centuries.

As a quick for instance; Ancient Rome had shopping malls, complete with food courts. The Persian Empire engineered air conditioning and cold houses where they could store chilled food and ice in the middle of the desert. Over 2000 years ago Hero of Alexandria invented a vending machine that dispensed holy water when you put a coin into a slot. The Vikings had arrest warrants, child support, and welfare systems.

History is a weird damn place, folks.

Embrace The Bizarre Facts (It Makes Your Work Stand Out)

On the one hand, it's entirely possible to just embrace convention when you're writing. Whether you're writing historical fiction, or just using real history as a foundation for a fantasy setting, nothing says you must adhere to all the facts, or confuse your audience with unwilling education.

But wouldn't your work be a lot more interesting if you did?

And you get to be smug that you did the research as a bonus!

This goes beyond naming conventions and cultural quirks, as well; it also applies to the norms that so many people think were common, but in fact weren't. Like how modern borders are just imaginary lines on maps, given that Charles Mann mentioned there were ex-samurai working as mercenaries for the Spanish to protect their shipments in Caribbean in the late 1500s and early 1600s. Or how most traditional cowboys in the old West tended to be either Mexican or black, and that the white cowhand is largely a Hollywood invention. Or about how one of the most feared pirates in history was both a woman, and Chinese.

History is a strange place. And if your work is going to draw criticism from readers for "being inaccurate," there's nothing more satisfying than being able to cite the source. Because then you can start a whole second conversation about your work, and that's always good for drawing in new, interested readers.

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That's all for this week's Craft of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife!

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