How come...

Tanotrooper · Post by **Tanotrooper** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:52 am

... that all the Americans here have such an interest in the European Middle Ages? As there is no sign of knights or any castles in your lands, how did you became a castle fan?

I'd like to know what attracted everyone to this castle theme. I'm sure we'll hear a lot of different reasons, so it's great to hear everyone's reason.

Gaetano

Mikael-o · Post by **Mikael-o** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:39 am

Well, as a Canadian

with a great grandparents from the UK, I still feel that the European Middle Ages is part of my ancestry.

Although I was all over Classic Space until I read "Lord of the Rings" as a child. Tolkien's elves were the reason I bought 6066 ...

So it was likely for my love for fantasy novels that sparked my interest in Castle Lego as a child. I still think of David Eddings with every jousting set released.

Kel.

Donut · Post by **Donut** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 12:50 pm

My interest in Legos developed during Christmas of 95. I was in TRU with my dad and we were walking down the aisles. We came across the LEGO section and I suddenly became dazzled with all the neat looking sets. I decided to get the Royal Knight's Castle because I really liked the minifigs and from there my castle fascination began to develop.

By the way, I noticed you are new to the forum Mikael-o/Kel. Welcome to C-C and I hope you enjoy your stay here!

Rusty Brick · Post by **Rusty Brick** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 1:40 pm

As a child I liked building in Space and in Castle. I liked having pretend sword fights with my friends, building forts out of anything, and I loved movies with castles and sword fighting. So I had a basic interest in castley stuff. What really tipped the scale for me was how easy it is to build castles with legos (I've never been able to build a decent space ship. It baffles me to this day).

I would love to live closer to actual castles, but my one trip to Europe and Robin Hood movies will have to suffice.

Aliencat · Post by **Aliencat** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 1:49 pm

Interesting to read. I've been living in the USA for just over a year now, next week my fiancée (she's American) and I are moving back to my homeland, the Netherlands. I've really heard a lot of Americans express an interest in castles and the middle ages, and I've been asked many times if I happened to live close to a castle.

Rusty Brick wrote:As a child I liked building in Space and in Castle. I liked having pretend sword fights with my friends, building forts out of anything, and I loved movies with castles and sword fighting. So I had a basic interest in castley stuff.

Same here

Rusty Brick wrote:I would love to live closer to actual castles, but my one trip to Europe and Robin Hood movies will have to suffice.

Chance has it my parents' house (where I grew up) is literally across the street from a small moated fort from 1393, named Het Juffere. Not a large or famous castle, but a castle nonetheless.

Blue Head · Post by **Blue Head** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 2:13 pm

Im origonaly from England, and have visited my home land a lot, thus seeing a bunch of castles. This helped my lego mind turn to castle.

Post by **Athos** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 2:28 pm

Maybe its because we don't have any castles of our own, so we have to build them from Lego?

Personally, I'm just into history. So I like all the historical themes. I've got most every set of all the historical themes (Ninja, Pirate, Adventurers, Wild West and Castle).

Steve

Count Blacktron · Post by **Count Blacktron** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 2:48 pm

When I was a teen I discovered a bit of my family ancestry and became enamoured with the lands of my blood ties. It's an exploration of my past, my family origins and the traditions and lives of those whom I came from. Currently this has led me to my obsessions in LEGO, mythology and history.

Coatsy · Post by **Coatsy** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 2:53 pm

Gaetano,

Speaking only for me, I have interest in the Middle Ages/Castles/Kinghts/Culture, because of other influences, movies such as Legend, Robin Hood, and even Excalibur got me interested. I am also a history person so that period was one I studied, espeically the Turkish and European forces during the First Crusade. Finally some of my ancestors come from the British Isles and I was interested in the culture they came from. Last I checked those islands have some casltes

As I have mentioned a few times in other posts I got my first LEGO Castle set when I was around 5 or 6 and I have not lost interest since. It is fun explaining to my fiancee and friends why I still get Castle Lego sets. Building them is actually a great stress relief for me.

Aliencat · Post by **Aliencat** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:05 pm

Coatsy wrote:It is fun explaining to my fiancee and friends why I still get Castle Lego sets. Building them is actually a great stress relief for me.

Couldn't agree more.

Coatsy · Post by **Coatsy** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:36 pm

Aliencat, it is good to see that other's have the same idea/opinion with Lego construction a good stress reliever. The only side effects are a sore back from huncing over the table a little too much.

Aliencat · Post by **Aliencat** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:51 pm

Coatsy wrote:The only side effects are a sore back from huncing over the table a little too much.

That, and nothing but air in my wallet...

Spongey · Post by **Spongey** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 4:24 pm

I was also influenced by Medieval books, particularly Redwall, and later LOTR. There's just this thrill I get with lances, swords, castles and inns.

Post by **Bruce N H** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 5:31 pm

Hey,

As with a couple of others above, I'd say that the blame can be laid at the feet of Tolkien and authors that followed his lead. I've also had a long interest in history, and even as a kid I loved such realistic books as David Macaulay's Castle:

.
I remember checking that out from my grade school library again and again.

BTW, this doesn't belong in "LEGO Castle Sets". I'm going to shift it into "medieval life", which might be closer to the mark.

Bruce

smcginnis · Post by **smcginnis** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 6:09 pm

I really don't know why I love medieval-ness so much. I actually read lots of King Arthur stuff, and Robin Hood stories, and Tolkien because I liked castles; i.e., they weren't what got me into them.

If there's anything I like more than castles, it's ancient cultures such as the Mesopotamians and ancient tribes of the British Isles (especially Wales). However, as far as LEGO is concerned, I love castle the best.

I think I was just born to love ancient stuff, and futuristic ideas; nearer history (U.S. history, Renaissance) and modern times almost don't interest me at all.

~smcginnis