Divine intervention was a real thing in the Middle Ages, especially the days of Charlemagne, the time period for The Cross and the Dragon. When the Franks prayed for a victory, they were literally praying, holding litanies and abstaining from meat and wine (or paying alms).
My guest post on The Edible Bookshelf elaborates on the role religion played in the Carolingian era (eighth and ninth century Europe) and in The Cross and the Dragon. Visit the Edible Bookshelf for why I say to neglect religion would be literary malpractice.
Christ in Majesty from the Lorsch Gospels (public domain image via Wikimedia Commons)
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This is an interesting topic I’ve thought a lot about. I’ve often heard in writing groups/conferences that overtly religious characters are not easy to publish in mainstream fiction (unless they are a bigoted villain and their beliefs are portrayed in a negative, dogmatic way), but it seems that supernatural beliefs and religion would have to be a major part of any story set during the Middle Ages in order to accurately reflect the culture and worldview of the time.
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Well said. That is exactly why religion and magic have a presence in my books.
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