Our own dark hearts: Re-evaluating the medieval dungeon

Of all the negative associations commonly made with medieval Europe, the subterranean world of the dungeon is one the darkest, and also one of the strongest. The dungeon serves as a physical locus for the metaphorical darkness of the (imagined) Middle Ages and yet, even though the dungeon should repulse us, we continue to be drawn towards it, both emotionally and physically. The dungeon inhabits our literature and our art as an established constant, an unambiguous resonance, but it also draws us in physically. We flock to see dimly lit chambers in castles and stately homes, or to pass through ‘dark tourism’ destinations like the London Dungeon. Every year millions of people voluntarily enter dungeons to be educated, shocked, appalled, and amused. This paper focuses on the phenomenon of the medieval dungeon as it exists in the popular imagination.