[RobbyS]

Much of it is Enlightenment propoganda. Trading on Newton’s system, they looked back and represented Galileo as a prophet scorned. Most of them, especially Voltaire, had only a high schoolers understanding of Newton, but pretended to know much more. The Church was in a kind of intellectual doldrums, with no one of the stature of an Aquinas to dig into the new science and reflect on it.

[AnalogReigns]

A LOT of Englightenment thinking was revisionist history. Even down to something like medieval swords.... The wimpy rapier or the curved cavalry saber were all that were left of practical fighting swords by the 17th & 18th Centuries' era of gunpowder, and along with a loathing for all things medieval, came a loathing for their swords.

A classic 13th Century sword was imagined as nothing but a heavy machete-like chopper--which is far from the truth. A quality two edged sword from the high middle ages was finely crafted (as any Samurai sword), of high quality steel, and weighed in at just over 2 lbs.

Only now, within the last 10 years or so--are duplicates of such quality swords available.