Historical Manipulations in "Ancient Tale" movie

[Peterski]

In the "Ancient Tale" (Polish: "Stara Baśń") novel, the main battle takes places between Poles vs. Germans. However, in the 2003 movie based on that novel, the Germans are replaced by the Vikings (who were never the enemies of Poland, in fact Denmark was Poland's ally).

I wonder who had interest in removing the theme of Polish-German hostility and replacing it by Polish-Viking hostility?

Was the movie sponsored by some German organizations or by Polish left-wing Pro-German media?

[Peterski]

Here is the scene in quesion (people are always surprised, why in this scene the Vikings fight as cavalry, which was very unusual for them - the answer is simple, in the novel there is a charge of German heavy cavalry - there is no any battle against the Vikings!):


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1jjiE1CkcU

[Bobby Martnen]

I don't even really watch American movies, so I know nothing about Polish cinema lol

You should summon Teutone to this thread

[Dandelion]

Poles are more renowned for their cavalry, but in the Early Modern era.

Speaking of Germanic cavalry. Julius Caesar used Germanic mercenaries and they were cavalrymen. Gauls happened to have had superior cavalry to the Romans.

[Ülev]

Poles are more renowned for their cavalry, but in the Early Modern era.

Speaking of Germanic cavalry. Julius Caesar used Germanic mercenaries and they were cavalrymen. Gauls happened to have had superior cavalry to the Romans.

et tu Brute contra Husaria polonorum?

[Gwydion]

Yeah weird film but I thought the first half was pretty good. That said I am not sure one could say it was pro-German. In the film the wife of the the villain/king tells her husband to hire the Norse after he had the initial idea of hiring Saxon mercenaries but she dissuades him by telling him that once the Saxon arrives its hard to make him leave whereas the Vikings only wanted to be financially compensated, basically saying it was a dangerous move to hire Germans.

I don't know anything about the original novel though since I can't speak/read Polish so can't say why they decided to change it in the film.

[Veneda]

Maybe the movie makers wanted "Stara baśn"/"Ancient Tale" to be more contemporary and they replaced Garmans by Vikings. Vikings are more embedded into Western media as celebs than Germans are

[Ülev]

Maybe the movie makers wanted "Stara baśn"/"Ancient Tale" to be more contemporary and they replaced Garmans by Vikings. Vikings are more embedded into Western media as celebs than Germans are

exactly

[Peterski]

Poles are more renowned for their cavalry, but in the Early Modern era.

Yeah, but already in the Middle Ages we had very good cavalry.

In that movie the army facing the Vikings was not a regular army, but rebels against the ruling prince (who hired Viking mercenaries).

[Bobby Martnen]

Almost all of the middle aged Polish guys I know have a mustache

[Papa]

Vikings happend also to raid Slavs.

[Peterski]

Vikings happend also to raid Slavs.

Not in the area where action of that movie is taking place (West-Central Poland).

[Papa]

Not in the area where action of that movie is taking place (West-Central Poland).

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Viking_Expansion.svg

That's it, everyone around was their victim.

[Peterski]

Even the map you just posted shows that Poland was not affected, except maybe some coastal areas.

But actually relations between West Slavs and Vikings were mostly friendly. We had common enemies.

[Ülev]

it could be a revenge, I suppose ---> Swedish Deluge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deluge_(history))


During the wars the Commonwealth lost approximately one third of its population as well as its status as a great power due to invasions by Sweden and Russia.[8] According to Professor Andrzej Rottermund, manager of the Royal Castle in Warsaw, the destruction of Poland in the deluge was more extensive than the destruction of the country in World War II.

and here: https://www.theapricity.com/forum/showthread.php?208739-Relationship-of-Poland-amp-Russia-to-Sweden