: Re: How can I explain my world if the character is technologically not yet capable of understanding it? One feature of my world is a plant that lives in a magmaous (rather than "volcanic") cave.

@Debbie451

Vote Up Vote Down

At a medieval technology level, everything is magic. There was absolutely zero understanding of plant and animal breeding. The role of sex in reproduction was known, of course, but no-one knew when female humans and animals were fertile, nor how a foetus developed, nor the best way to manage birth. People knew that seeds grew into things, but had no idea of how. People thought plants derived all their nutrition from the soil, and had no knowledge at all of photosynthesis, nitrogen fixing, or anything like that.

So there's a plant which grows only in caves. Is it more amazing to a medieval mind than a plant which grows only in forest clearings, or only in full sunlight, or only in a few rare areas of the country, or only in rivers, or only in the sea? Or the mushroom Phallus Impudicus? At most, your medieval guy might meet a monk who knew his Pliny (or whatever your Roman equivalent is) and surprise the monk with a new fact. Otherwise the medieval mind will just accept it as something unusual that exists, without further comment.

IMO, attempting an explanation would be utterly anachronistic and would destroy suspension of disbelief. If you really do want to explain it within the story, as a minimum you need a Renaissance environment with substantial scientific research going on. You simply can't get there with a medieval world.

(0)

Login to post a comment!