Seeing in the Dark Ages

I used to know a talented artist who was very spiritual. He loved medieval art. I imagine the Middle Ages were quieter times, with a peaceful enough climate to allow God's voice to be heard. No one thought Joan of Arc was crazy when she reported hearing voices. Life was far less comfortable then. Plague shortened lifespans. Marriage was acceptable at a shockingly early age. But for a population focused on heavenly rewards, the situation may have been acceptable, even beautiful. Some brilliant music came out of the churches and cloisters. Some not so great, I admit, but the great stuff rivals any modern work. We tend to measure a society's success by its physical standard of living. As such, we look down on our hay-pitching forbears. We're glad we live in a time when everyone knows the world is round. Maybe we attach too much importance to science. They had TB, probably from inhaling too much incense and snorting snuff. We have TV. Which is worse? A disease of the body, which, according to faith, is a temporary vessel, or a disease of the immortal soul? (Except, of course, for the TV shows I like.) While the battering rams of medieval kingdoms may appear ridiculous alongside an M1 Abrams, the comparison is strictly scientific. Medieval ballads like Scarborough Fair and Court of the Crimson King can make modern dance songs repeating two words for three minutes sound kind of stupid. There are more ways to evaluate a society's success than by its science. While they had no flu shots, perhaps the people of the so-called Dark Ages were more spiritually advanced than we are today.
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