A Recommended Reading List of Late Medieval History From Pentiment Game Director Josh Sawyer

It will arrive November 15. Pentiment This will enable you to experience one of most original and innovative gaming realms in the world this year. Andreas Maler is an artist living at Kiersau Abbey, near Tassing, Upper Bavaria. You’ll live your 16-year-old life here^ThOver the span of 25 years, the century-old early modern world. Kicking off the storyline of this narrative adventure is the murder of a nobleman whom your friend, Brother Piero, stands accused; it’s up to you to prove his innocence.

You will be able to choose a set of lifestyle and education-related traits to help you define Andreas as you embark on your adventure. These will affect the various options available to you through dialog interactions. From Hedonist to Occultist, Medicine, or Theology, and even where he has travelled for his “wanderjahre” or wander years, you will have a wide variety of choices to establish Andreas’ background and knowledge to help immerse you even deeper in the game’s world.

Pentiment’s setting is inspired and informed by a mix of fiction and non-fiction works that we are sharing with you here today, personally recommended by Game Director Josh Sawyer. You can get a better understanding of how religions and states clashed during the period of each of these books. Pentiment, how people can change over time, the life of late medieval peasants, and how education and literacy can put one at odds with the Church — many of these elements and themes will play out in various respects throughout your time with Pentiment.

Learn more about each one of the recommended works by clicking here.

“Dürer’s Journeys: Travels of a Renaissance Artist” by Susan Foister and Peter van den Brink
“Wonderful compilation of essays exploring The travels of 16th century artist Albrecht Dürer and the impact they had on his life.  Dürer kept a number of travel journals over the years and they provide incredible insights into how he thought about art, his contemporaries, other cultures, and the many changes that were rapidly occurring in his own homeland. This hardcover also contains many illustrations, both by Dürer and other European artists of the period.”

“The Faithful Executioner: Life and Death, Honor and Shame in the Turbulent Sixteenth Century” by Joel F. Harrington
“This fascinating bit of microhistory looks at the life of a single executioner, Franz Schmidt, who lived during the latter half of the 16^thBavaria, century. Schmidt’s father was forced into the executioner business through a shocking and cruel twist of fate. Due to the shame and stigma associated with executioner work, it was almost impossible to escape once the family had been in business. Franz kept a meticulous diary — rare if not unique among executioners — that reveals an unusual level of professionalism and piety as well as a lifelong desire to restore the honor of his family. The book also gives an interesting view into the consolidation of the power to execute justice under the state — the nascent belief that the state held the power to avenge injustices against the people through their reviled agent, the executioner.”

“The Return of Martin Guerre” by Natalie Zemon Davis
“After consulting with Zemon Davis, he wrote this book.^Th century historical case, Le Retour de Martin Guerre. It is the wild but true story of a young man from the Basque town of Hendaye who disappeared for eight years and returned a changed man — a very changed man. After resuming life with his wife, son, and extended family, details started to emerge that cast doubt on the man’s identity. Jean Coras from Toulousain recorded it for posterity. It is a quick read and the film’s worth watching, too.”

“Peasant Fires: The Drummer of Niklashausen” by Richard Wunderli
“Even though it predates the famous 16th-century peasant rebellion^ThThe small, 1476-strong uprising by Niklashausen peasants is just as interesting in the century Swabia. A farmer named Hans Böhm said he had received visions of the Virgin Mary. Hans stated that Mary instructed him, among other things to take down corrupt priests. Carnival gave the peasants the confidence to leave their job and travel to Niklashausen, where they could listen to the visionary. You may have already guessed that it did not end well for them, but it’s an interesting look at a community turned upside down by a single charismatic peasant.”

“The Cheese and the Worms: The Cosmos of a Sixteenth-Century Miller” by Carlo Ginzburg
“Ginzburg was among the pioneers in micro-historical studies of strange little men. Domenico Scandella, also known as Menocchio in Friulian was the dude. At a local school, he learned how to read. He used his literacy to read a wide variety of books that contributed to his formulation of an extremely unorthodox cosmology — so unorthodox that some (e.g. Inquisitors might have considered it heretical. It all came down to his belief in the creation of a cheese-like mixture from which all elements could be combined. One of the worms became God and ate the cheese. Much like Hans Böhm, Things didn’t work out for Menocchio in the end, mostly because like Hans, Menocchio simply could not shut up about his beliefs. Fantastic book.”

“The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco
“Already an established medievalist and semiotician, Eco decided to write fiction at the age of 48, a time when he said you either ‘escape with a Cuban ballerina and abandon [your] family or you write a novel.’ He started with a list of names – names of monks. When he finished, he had ‘created a murder mystery set in a 14^thThe Roman Curia and Franciscans engage in a heated debate about the apostolic poor at a century-old Italian monastery. The Name of the Rose manages to be a gripping thriller populated with colorful characters while illuminating the setting’s historical context in incredible detail. Despite his extensive use of historical research, Eco chose to set his story in an unnamed fictional abbey, which gave him the freedom to create the labyrinthine Aedificium, containing ‘more books than any other Christian library.’ It’s a fantastic novel (my ‘favorite), a huge inspiration for Pentiment, and I highly recommend it.”

This list is intended to stimulate your curiosity about the future world. Pentiment Late medieval literature and history. Pentiment will release on November 15 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11 PC, and Steam for $19.99. The game will be also available as part of Xbox Game Pass or PC Game Pass. Game Pass allows pre-orders of the game and Game Pass users can also pre-install it.

Pentiment

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99

Art is Death’s Imitator
You will be transported into a world of illustrated manuscripts and woodcuts, in an era when Europe is experiencing great religious and political changes. Andreas Maler is a master painter who was caught in the middle murders, scandals and intrigues of the Bavarian Alps.

Illustrated world
The 16th Century Europe is as it was seen by the great master artists. The Pentiment is a living and breathing universe that was inspired by the great illuminated manuscripts as well as the first printed books.

Discover the truth about mysteries
You can choose from a variety of academic and social backgrounds to meet colorful characters and discover the secrets and stories that are hidden in the tiny Bavarian town Tassing.

Make a difference in the world
In an era of great religious and political change, each decision you make can have a profound impact on the community’s future. You can make your way through these turbulent times by making your decisions and watching the results over time.