Luka

Profile

I originally come from a small county in northeast Croatia, where I completed my primary and high school education. Then, I moved to the city of Rijeka (Fiume) in 2013 where I completed my undergraduate double degree in History and English Language and Literature as well as a postgraduate teaching degree in History and English Language and Literature. My BA dissertation was a comparison between the Templars and the Hashashins, taking inspiration from the Assassin’s Creed franchise, analysing their origins, internal structures and ideologies and finding similarities and differences between them. My MA dissertation was a comparison between Crusader and Saracen forces from the First till the Fourth Crusade, comparing and analysing their arms, armour and tactics. After finshing my studies in Croatia, I moved to Cardiff in 2018 where I completed my second postgraduate degree in Ancient and Medieval Warfare in 2019. The topic of this MA dissertation was Following a small pause in my studies, in 2020 I continued my academic journey in Leeds at the Institute for Medieval Studies, pursuing a PhD in medieval history with an emphasis on historical authenticity in video games and its depiction of combat in medieval and neo-medieval settings. 
My main research questions:

• How can we determine the historicfal authenticity of both Assassin’s Creed: Ezio’s Trilogy and Kingdom Come: Deliverance?
• What type of methodology would be required to analyse a historical video game, or even a video game by itself from the perspective of the academic research of history?
• What would be the main, primary source base for analysing medieval warfare which would be used to determine the historical authenticity of the aforementioned games?
• How can we then apply such a methodological tool on different research avenues, having warfare and combat as the presented medium? Furthermore, how can we then use this analysis of the representatyion of warfare and combat as a means to understand the wider cultural work of the chosen games?

Research interests

Alongside my disseration topics which state my primary research interests, my other interests include warfare in Ancient Greek-states, religious cults and societies and Greek and Norse mythologies.  

Qualifications

• Double Honours BA in History & English Language and Literature
• Double Honours MA in History - Teaching Track & English Language and Literature - Teaching Track
• MA in Ancient and Medieval Warfare