The Reenactment Effect

The Northeast is one of the most urbanized regions in Medieval America. It’s also one of the coldest. That should be a contradiction. In most medieval societies, snow means stagnation: shorter growing seasons, longer winters, and isolation that turns cities into backwaters, barbarians into kings, and kings into little more than tribal chiefs. But not here. Philadelphia is among the largest cities on the continent. Boston and Providence are on part witth mercantile centers of the Byzantine Empire or the Italian city-states.

In the immediate aftermath of the collapse, the most valuable people weren’t warlords or tech savants—they were blacksmiths, tanners, coopers, and millwrights. Knowledge of pre-electric life became worth more than gold. And in an ironic twist of fate, the same men and women who once ran  demonstrations at historical parks or sold pewter mugs at Renaissance Fairs became community leaders, teachers, and saviors. The great reenactors—once dismissed as hobbyists—were suddenly keepers of civilization.

This shift goes a long way toward explaining the technological stagnation of the past millennium. The leap backward into medieval life wasn’t just a survival tactic. It became a lifeline—and, for many, a crutch.

Around the world, certain countries had maintained strong historical memory through reenactment. In France, Germany, and Japan, museums and preservation societies emphasized the medieval or classical past. The Northeast was different. Its heritage industry focused less on the chivalric era and more on the early modern period—from roughly 1600 to 1800. Living museums dotted New England and the Mid-Atlantic: colonial farms, Puritan meeting houses, clockmakers' shops, schooner shipyards, and working presses. All packed into a relatively dense, accessible region.

This meant the Northeast entered the post-industrial age with not only memory of pre-industrial life—but access to its most advanced forms. Its metallurgy, carpentry, urban planning, and even rudimentary medicine reflected the zenith of pre-electric technology. It was the world’s last expression of Enlightenment-era craftsmanship. (Japan, for similar reasons, ended up more like its 18th century self than its 12th.)

In the wake of collapse, communities here shrank to a human scale with less chaos than in the Rust Belt or the Sun Belt. There was confusion, of course. Death, hunger, and fragmentation. But pride in the colonial past—and reverence for the founding myths of the United States—created a cultural bridge between the present and a half-remembered republic. In some ways, the Northeast is to the Old America what Constantinople was to Rome: continuity, not collapse.

No one wears tri-corner hats anymore, and no one's fielded a cannon in generations. The region suffered, same as everyone else. Reconstruction on a mass scale meant shortcuts. Much knowledge was lost in translation. But the outlines held. Today, the site of the former Thirteen Colonies remains one of the most urbanized, cohesive, and least war-torn regions in Medieval America.

The Courtesan's Guild

 The Oldest Profession, the Fourth Estate

Industrial America was not just recognized for its wealth or military might, but its cultural power as well. The 20th century saw stars of the screen and stage become veritable royalty. In the brutality of the Middle Ages, posing for a magazine cover or singing a catchy song is not what one could a marktable skill. However, going back to one's day job, when "day job" meant farming or fishing, was maybe a little too much for the beautiful elite. In the early days of the collapse, any overlord in power might have extended an invitation to a boyhood crush, and more than a few of them took it. Many a beautiful pop star or screen siren saw much more to like in the den of a conqueror then pens of hogs. But the more enrteprising banded together, the savvy of producers combined with the looks of models and took what they coud from the Hollywood infrastracture, and after some time, coalesced into the Courthsan's Guild.

In the old Middle Ages, harems were not merely dens of pleasure, they were displays of an empire's cultural breadth. They were entertainers and storytellers. And that is was the what the Courtesan's Guild eventually formed as. They don't just promise pleasure, they promise culture. Art. Refinement. A way to make one's mark without smashing an axe into one's face. To say they're a business, a church, an army, or a combination of all three is reductive. Simply put, they're an instituion.

The Studio System

Generally speaking, the Guild has tiers. First, you have your Gilded Goddesses. Your stars, the ones they put all the grooming chips on. They're introduced to the Governors, or the sons of governors, the weathiest merchants, etc. Then you have vituosas--more niche in their appeal but maybe especially talented at singing, juggling, etc. or they might be the more voloptuous or genderqueer variety. Think maybe character actresses or indie stars. It's always important to cater to every taste. Then you have the House Girls, the equivalent to the B-Movie figure, these are fixtures of brothels or casinos, the Guild's bread and butter. Beautiful, without the It Factor. Then there are the Uncut Gems, the iniates. Sometimes they actually go straight to the the Governor's harem, if the Governor finds her appealing and the Guild feels they probably aren't going to have a long term icon. (In fact, it's very common for courts to have their harem to get a little but of Guld training anyways.)

Softest of Soft Power

Once a Starlet is rises through the ranks (usually imprinted with a tattoo) they are forbidden to marry. This is something of a pact. It keeps the Guild from aquiring too much property, but also allows them a degree of autonomy from the Governors if they can "recall" their Starlets at any time. They are as a rule, neutral, but it's well known that they employ spycraft, and the Guild has the most extensive dossier in the western half of America. 

The Bodyguard

Even with its institutionalized power, the life of  a Starlet is not always the safest one, and this is where the it needs the hard power. Industrial Era California's security industry was extensive, with celebrities, mansion owners and CEOS, concert venues, and even night clubs needing protection. The ability to throw down *is* a marketable (if dangerous) skill in a Medieval Society, and it eventually evolved into its current state; A mercenry band that's part Praetorian Guard, part bouncer. The elites all over California employ the services of The Boydguard (that said, there are strict limits on how many a household can emplloy), and their biggest customers are the Courtesan's Guild, who they have an almost symbiotic relationship with.

Expansion East

For centuries the Guild was based  largely in the West Coast, with knock-offs or variants elsewhere exisiting as less regined iterations. However, they have always had their eye on New Orleans, the jewel of the continent, the Venice of America. When the Andersons took over Eastern Texas, its cowboy conqueror, Marshall Sol Anderson, fancied himself a a Biblical King, including all the saucy parts. The Guild made appeals, the carrot of civillization, with all its beauties and luxuries, and his quickly established harem was basically a the Courtesans exercising a franchise. (This of course, has seen Sol rebuked by many New Israelites, and they swear his kingdom will face judgement any day now. Any day...) Now, with access to the Gulf Coast and its markets, the Guild is a coast to coast fixture of the Sun Belt, binding the humid east and the arid west.

Let's Go To The Mall!

So it's been 20 years since Atlas Of Medieval America was first published, and 15 years I've been doing this blog. For the most part, I've been trying to stick to Matthew White's "canon", all fifteen articles and two dozen plus maps. White knows what he's talking about, and for all the satire, keeping to the "facts" and trying to rationalize it does keep things from getting out of hand or going all "Thundarr the Barbarian" or something. That said, I'm ready, after all the time, to officially ready to make my first break, and I do my "California Summer" series of articles.

On the original site, White states that California has become a Scientologist theocracy. This was something that seriously irritated fans (This was peak Tom Cruise couch-jumping era, and even though the actor's public image has recovered a bit, people are more skeptical of Scientology than ever). Now I'm not all about world-building as wish-fulfillment, but it's safe to say the "religion" has not grown, but looking more into California's history, and potential antecedents, I think it's fair to say that California is in fact overwhelmingly pluralistic. You can walk a street in Sacramento, Fresno, or even Los Angeles and you'll find temples at each end of the thoroughfare, shrines wedged between storefronts, and even people preaching strange new faiths. You can visit one. You can visit them all. In Medieval America, California is the Shopping Mall of Religions.

Ancient World:
The street religions of Medieval India, the Religious Carnivals of  Tokugawa Japan, and the Mystery cults of the of the early Roman Empire, as well as the cosmpolitanism of classical Alexandria, all provide historica antedents. Considering California's geographical resemblance to the Mediarranean World, as well as it's cultural connections to Asia (increased as it, at times, interacts more with the Pacific than even America's East coast), it naturally gravitated towards the Eastern approach to religious affiliation, as not a zero sum game, but fluid and complementary, in the same way Jennifer Lopez is an actress and a singer.

Californian History:
The West Coast's status as extremely secular has, ironically, often led its denizens to fill in the gap, embracing new waves of spirtual trends, some ironic, some dangerous, including The Church of Satan, Raëlism, Landmark Movement, Heaven's Gate, and as mentioned, Scientology. One might say this tendency towards experimental, trendy, or fringe faiths is very much tied into California itself, as the Gold Rush started not too long after the Second Great Awakening. The Gold Rush, the various periods in Hollywood, the Dot.com and Silicon Valley explosion, it's a world of hustle, reinvention, and trying to find the next big thing.

Anchor Temples:

The Macy's or Nordstrom of the religous mall, they're the classics that have had centuries to establish infrastructure, and whether or not their adherents are thriving, it's hard to imagine a main street without them

Catholicism: Because of its proximity to Mexico, and long history of Spanish missions (Some which have been coopted to by newer faiths, but not all), California is the one of the few places in the former Unite States the old Church has carved out a niche. Its main problem is that it's almost treated 

Buddhism: Even more dominant in the Pacific Northwest, it naturally has a place in California, though it should be said its American counterpart is something of a Pan-Asian gestalt, with an eco-conscious bent, and even tries to paint Christ as the ultimate Buddhist.

Scientology: Yes, this still has Churches, having spent centuries absorbing many self-help and Ufology relgions into its own orthodoxy.

The Botiques: Faiths that are either complemtary, or ethnic/profession based

Latter Day Saints: Actually might have larger temples on some cities, California is both the easiest and hardet place to send missionaries to. (Easy because it's geographically close and they won't get martyred, harder because they're kind of considered nerds.)

New Age: Another of Western America's "big four" because of it's more of a decentralized and at times "open air" faith, it's often practiced in gardens and the back rooms of shops.

Judaism: Califironia was a major Jewish center in modern times (Particularly because of the entertainment industry), synogogues aren't uncommon but largely found in strictly Jewish neighorhoods.

Cult of Beauty: With major sites in Malibu and Santa Barbara, it's the religion of brothels and courtesans, which is almost an entire fourth estate unto itself. Various women, historical and mythological are venerated, their pantheon almost entirely composed of Love Goddesses include but are not limited to Aphrodite, Lilith, Cleopaotra, Helen of Troy , Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Princess Diana, Jessica Rabbit, Beyonce, Daenerys Targaryen, Margot Robbie, and Zendaya.

The Silk Screen: Less of a faith than as a sort of recurring zen-like practice, where denizens sit in a darkened room for a couple hours, partaking in a carbonated water, and watching lights and shadows move across a screen. The point is not worship per se, it is a practice of community and restraint. To not talk, to laugh and cry in unison as part of a greater whole. Buddhists often highly reccomend the experience.

The Kiosks

Of course, no visit throughout the streets of the West Coast is complete without a startrup faith, shouting from their own stand. Most common are those saying that the end is nigh--the world almot came to an end a thousand years ago, and everybody is merely in the eye of the hurricane. Also, while Elvis is venerated across the continent, (Even the New Israelites love him. "No kings but Christ and Elvis" is a stong anti-monarchial stance.) groups of inquirers insist he's coming back. Then of course, there are those claiming the Serpent People are walking among us. These tend to come and go, when the world doesn't end, when Elvis doesn't come back, and the Serpent People came to get them.

RPGs and the New Jazz

Two years ago this weekend was the release of Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, a film that is generally enoyed by those who watched it, though at the time, for various various reasons, a surprisingly croweded spring schedule, Covid-based reshoots that bloated the buget, and some decisions by the company caused fans to boycott (generaly regarding some controversual takes on copyright and intellectual porperty ownership, this will become important in a bit), led to a commercial underperfomance for the picture. This is widely believed to have hampered an abiltity to take the property's popularity to new heights (As we would see with the Barbie phenomenon later this summer), especially when the game was starting to see a higher profile in places. That said, it could again become an instiution in Medieval America, for the most unlikely reason--the free publicity of controversy abd eventual santification by the mainstream.

In a culture starved for entertaonment options: No more video games, no more televison, even new magazines are going to stop coming out, tabletop games would be the best way for people to forget civillization has withered away. For a while, people would make due with popular board games like Monopoly and Battleship. Over time, we would see a winnowing to the more broad and less equipment intensive games like Chess and Checkers. But one might thrive most of all, which is classic Dungeons and Dragons. It would be a go-to for several reasons. First, the setting is already fairly Medieval as a default. it’s low-tech, easy to modify, and thrives on oral tradition. The only thing you really need is dice, and even those could be substituted with simple chance-based mechanics (like drawing numbered sticks). People could bring in maps and figurines, the most important thing is your imagination. To some extent the world-building would probably be a lot more simplified. (Perhaps a good example is Dragonstrike, a simplified, prefab setting that was made as a gateway to bring in more casual players.) Less prestige classes, or Pantheons and monsters that Wizards of the Coast would own the rights to. (Though perhaps an enterpising young individual might be imaganitive with the campaign, the lack of mass communication would probably mean sticking to the most stock of fantasy elements.)

But one of the greatest assets might be one of its' earliest threats early on. In the 80's, the games was a ligthning rod in the Satanic panic, with a sensationalist TV movie depicting players gone insane from playing it. For their part, most Catholics and Mainline Protestants (who would form the basis of the Non-Denominational Church) don't necessarily condemn it, but for the Fundamentalist groups that might see a huge membership drive early on? They would still be on this "Mazes and Monsters" kick. The game involves sorcery, gods, demons, and fantasy creatures, all of which can be seen as idolatry.Even when it’s harmless, it's about pretending to be someone else—a potential threat to religious identity. Eventually, evangelical leaders might push "Alternatives"—something like a Christian-themed RPG where you play as knights of the faith battling heretics, demons, or even Protestant vs. Catholic theological struggles. Once the game gets popular enough (because let’s face it, forbidding something makes it more popular), churches might co-opt it rather than ban it outright. You could get a "sanctioned" version of RPGs, where instead of magic spells, players have miracles, prayers, and relics. Instead of playing as wizards and thieves, you might have Paladins, Priests, and Crusaders.Maybe the default setting is Biblical or medieval Christian fantasy—think Pilgrim’s Progress meets Lord of the Rings. Some regions might only allow D&D-style games if they’re run by church authorities, turning them into moral teaching tools rather than freeform creativity. Much like with Pagan festivals becoming Holy Feast Days.

The "Prohibition Effect"—Too Popular to Stop

Much like Prohibition in the 1920s, banning RPGs could make them stronger. Underground gaming circles would pop up, held in secret or framed as "harmless" storytelling games. Once the absolute nerdiest hobbies, it might in turn be the forbidden fruit of social acitivity, with dungeon settings becoming new speakeasies. Some churches might actually use them as a social tool, realizing that fellowship is more important than micromanaging imaginary spells.The game becomes a rite of passage for rebels, intellectuals, and nonconformists, just as alcohol became a symbol of defiance during Prohibition. Eventually, after a generation or two, the resistance might burn itself out as RPGs become mainstream and ingrained in medieval American culture. Perhaps much like secular and sacred Christmas, D&D splits into two distinct paths; A "Purist" Christian version, where campaigns revolve around religious quests, miracles, and the triumph of virtue, and a "renegade" underground version, where people play as traditional fantasy adventurers in defiance of moral restrictions. In time, the game's use of oral storytelling to weave lessons about good and evil would thrive in a Christian society, much like Medieval passion plays. Much like how Jazz and Rock and Roll were once "the Devil's Music" only to become institutions (Elvis is now likely a sacred figure in Medieval America), ffantasy RPGs go through a similar cycle. They get co-opted and rebranded into something more socially acceptable. Finally, they become a cultural staple, with even the religious groups grudgingly embracing them. Eventually, the sheer joy of collective storytelling would win out, and even the most devout societies might find a way to make it work.

Cities in the Colonial Age

The whole "Gulf of Mexico" kerfuffle has me again thinking about Latin America and its place in the Medieval America project. (As many people refer to the entire hemisphere as "America"). And something I often think about is if it, like the United States, would be this crazy novel thing, or more closely resemble the 1500s, within a certain amount of reason. It is always fascinating to think of the region as this sort of strange bridge between the "pre-modern" world and the modern one. And I also think, in a world reverted to Medievalism, would it again be more bustling. This is probably not super surprising to people, but New York City is not the largest city in the Western Hemisphere, probably not even close. I do actually wonder if any "American", and I mean cities in the general United States landmass, would rank in the top five. It's actually quite possible to imagie the place as something of a backwater, or at the very least, perhaps like Medieval Russia, populous and complex, but somewhat sequestered from the wider goings on. It's notable that in the Colonial Era, the continent was much less of a concern than the Caribbean Islands, and I can see Panama, (whether or not they're able to technologically maintain a canal) to be the center of gravity. This isn't to say the Caribbean would necessarily be larger, as they wouldn't have colonial overlords extracting from them, and it might actually be difficult supporting a major metropolois on an island with medieval technology (for instance, water would be a huge concern), but it's interesting to ponder.

This is a census of the ten largest cities in the U.S. by decade. I would say by 1830 the U.S. cities started to have ceilings that would be higher than a Medieval muncipality would, in all likelihood. This and this are also good resources if the biggest cites as the Colonial era came to a close, keeping in mind it's very imperfect as a litmus, but it's where the biggest cities are comparable to the largest cities in medieval society, more or less. So the largest cities in the New World, around this period seem to be, in very approximate order,

1. Mexico City, Mexico,
2. Salvador, Brazil,
3. New York City, USA,
4. Puebla, Mexico 5. Lima, Peru
6. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
7. Havana, Cuba
8. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
9. Santiago, Chile
10. Carcas, Venuezuela

Gudajalara, Guanajato, and Kingston would also be contenders. So it's very likely Mexio would possibly have a sizeable number of major cities, but I think for a good deal of Latin America and the Caribbean, which were settled earlier, and were more important in the Early Modern period, there would also be more of a "cap". That is, the earlier you settled, the less grace you have to "catch up".


As you can see, the U.S. really did not start building up these cities until the 1800s, and this is where the wild cards to pop up. This article mark every sizeable settlment in the U.S. by chronology, and it's interesting that no city build after 1867, with Vancouver, seems to in general be among the bigger cities on White's map, not even Birmingham, Alabama, so I think that's a pretty good cut-off point. This would actually cut off a great deal of inner Brazil (Which one could make a case for seeing a LOT of its urban centers collapsing), and some Southern Cone countries. The Southern Cone is one I dwell on a lot--in many ways its development has resembled that of Canada and the U.S. as it does Latin America, and even if the rest of Latin America "reverts" more than becomes something brand-spanking new, would that apply to the Cone? Although, looking at the research I was surprised to find out how old and alreayd developed some Argentinian cities were.

The Gothic Zone

When I first discovered the site, like many I was disappointed at it being unfinished, and moreso, how little my neck of the woods was being written about. Especially since to a large degree, I graviated towards the sight because walking through the woods and villages of my New England home could sometimes feel like I was walking through Sherwood or Hobbiton. This is actually signifigant. Most readers of the sight have pointed that, by far, the Great Plains and the cowboys have had the most most focus, with three pages directly related to them, two of the specific nations at one point being directly under their sphere of influence, and the climate page giving them a direct focus. The second biggest focus would be directed on the Deep South and Desert regions of the U.S. The most focused on the Northeast would be the pages regarding the United States of America and the Non-Denominational Church, and while a lot of that territory is in the Northeast, it's probably important to note that the Headquarters for both is beneath the Mason-Dixon Line. In fact, I would say the Mason Dixon Line, and the Eastern borders of the Mississippi are very much junction points where White leaves them a bit of a mystery. Or are they?

Something that White mentions on the Race page is how people on the Great Lakes are largely physically indistinguishable from Europeans. They might actually be at times culturally idistinguishable as well. And that may go double for New Englanders and Quebecois. The specific pages White created--Southern Secetaries, Western Empires, Cowboys Horse Archers, and of course the United States of America--they're all most destinctly not European. It's about the drift between The West as in "Western Civillization" and The West as in the Western genre of motion pictures. To some extent, the site itself is almost a twist, thinking they'll get something like castles and knights in California (something we see in the Emberverse or Shannara) series of books, and oops, it turns it is not the case at all. Or mostly not the case. Because in New England, Eastern Canada, and some of the Great Lakes region, the climate, demographics and other factors create a region that could theoretically break off an reattach to Medieval Europe and it wouldn't miss that much of a beat. (I mean, there would be differences, but differences like you might see between France and Scandinavia.) The novelty just isn't there most of the time--a Medieval New England or Quebec or even Upstate New York could be the plopped into a fantasy novel and not show the seems. This is what I call the Gothic Zone.

Now when I say "Gothic", I'm not speaking of say, vampires and Byronic dramas and the like. Well, not completely. I'm also referring to French castles. I'm also referring to the Geats of Beowulf fame. Just a general sense of Northern European classicism. Or to put it this way, the recurring works of David Eggers. Eggers, a native of New Hampshire has set two of his films in New England, one in Germany, one across the wide Viking World, with a pending film set in England. Two are set in the 19th century, one in 1600s colonial America and one, of course, the Viking Age, and aforementioned fifth film is supposed to be in Medieval England. There is of course, a recurring focus on supernatural beings, folkloric, Gothic and Lovecraftian all. (There can probably be a lot to be said on the relationship between Rhode Islander H.P. Lovecraft and Texan Robert E. Howard in the nature of fantasy Americana.) As I've talked about before, New England has the vibes of a Transylvania, or Überwald. Nosferatu has historically taken half the plot of Dracula and moved it from England to Germany without seriously disrupting things (To some degree it could be said to shave off the Victorian English racism, just a tad.) Then of course, there's the Hammer Films where a lot of the vampire fiction takes place in some undisclosed Never-Neverland, a dizzying collision of Catholic Priests, ghouls, rustic villagers and snobby aristocrats. Perhaps not unlike New England itself. So I almost want to call it "The Eggers Line". It's not so much to say all of Egger's movies could have their locations switched around--the research is simply too good. But I want to say the entire expanse, from New England to Russia, all share an almost innate commonslity where setting THE NORTHMAN in Vermomt would be a less jarring shift than setting THE VVITCH in Illinois. So what is below the Gothic Zone, the Eggers line? What filmmaker embdies the ambiance of the uniquely American terrirory that White has covered? I feel the mkst satisfsctory answer is the Coen Brothers. Together, their collabarations have covered a great deal of the territory White has concentrated on. Joel eventally went off-brand (to a degree) with Tragedy of Macbeth, but have largely stayed in this zone. Now whats interesting is they are characterized as making movies set in several locations someone might not be surprised to find a cowboy hat and spurs in, there's a trilogy of movies--THE HUDSUCKER PROXY, BURN AFTER READING and INSIDE LEWYN DAVIS, set in East Coast metropoloi, two in New York City, one in Washington DC. But I would say these actually codify my classification. As mentiomed Washington is below the Mason Dixon Line. Though the Beltway could be on Mars for all Texans could be concerned, it is, by definition, as American as it gets, two sides of the same coin. New York could be said to be the same way though as far from "Western" as it is from "Medieval"--one might say it's the consummate World City, its almosy impossible to imagine Eggers shooting a movie in the Big Apple. What's also interesting to consider is the Great Lakes states--illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan serve as something of a No-Man's Land; The Coens have not set any workd North of New York or east of Minnesota. It could be said this is a region where the culture of the American Heartland and the Europhilia of the Northeast drift in and out, much like how the Russia, which beats some climactic similarity, has often found itself at the crossroads of east and west.

Commander in Chief

I'm probably one of the last ones to say anything, or maybe I'm the authority on saying anything, but we sometimes take the idea much, much more seriously than Matthew White. For all the fantasy novelist wrld-builder and all of it likes to ponder the subject, his surreal histories are, in general, extremely tongue-in-cheek and satirical. They're also not meant to be part of any larger "shared universe" (they can't, in fact), but they are all works from the same mind, who's often made the same observations about history.


White makes repeated references to things like "thrones" and even "kingdoms", but he makes certain to never officially invoke a title more associated with Medieval Europe. "President" is used, as is "Colonel". "Governor" is referred to a couple times, though not attached to any specific nation states. As I talked about in Noveember, there's no official correspondence between these terms, the important thing is they're used instead of things words "Duke", "Prince", and especially "King". There's probably a couple of factors here. The first is just White being humorous and whimsical and overall probably adds to the ambiance of Americana. The second is that it makes sense that Americans would be resistant to outright monarchial labels, even if the sementic distinction really doesn't mean anything anymore. But the the third is something, if you're a strange bird like me, can attribute the whole thing to a "translation convention". This is done throughout history...actually done throughout the present where what we call countries isn't necessarily the name they use for themselves. It's something J.R.R. Tolkien has said was done through his legendarium (That is Frodo would never have answered to the name "Frodo"), and it's even something White has claimed for his own works. The idea of using the word "President" in a feudal setting and have it "feel" right is something that's been in my head ever since it was used (as a translated subtitle) in the television show Shogun to describe Yoshii Toranaga's office (Not the Shogunate), which was very interesting, considering the term "Shogun" is a very, very unique feudal titel. So when we go back to White's page on the Roman Empire, and how they radically rejected monarchy to the point "King" was never used during the Republic OR the Empire, instead it was Caesar as something of loophole. That word would travel throughout history, corrupted into terms like "Kaiser", and "Czar", especially ironic as "Czar" would go on to be almost synonymous with absolutism. So if one likes, and doesn't wish to use a term like "President", which rightly or wongly evokes thing modernity and democracy, the actual title could be fiddled with. (The first instinct would be "Potus", although I'm not super, super fond of use of acronyms for the scenario. It's a little "cargo cult".) "Preden" and "Powesrtant" are things that came out of my mouth when saying the word faster, and slower, or in various exaggerated dialects.