"Every age sort of has its own history. History is really the stories that we retell to ourselves to make them relevant to every age. So we put our own values and our own spin on it"

Terry Jones’s observation highlights the dynamic nature of history and the way societies interact with their past. History does not exist as a static, immutable record; rather, it is continually shaped and reshaped by those who remember, retell, and interpret it. Each era revisits the past, selecting and emphasizing certain events, figures, and narratives that resonate with contemporary values, concerns, and identities.

The stories societies tell about their history are filtered through the lens of present-day priorities. As cultures evolve, so do their collective memories. What one generation venerates, another might question or reinterpret. This ongoing process allows history to remain relevant; if stories from the past are to have meaning for people today, they must be accessible and applicable to modern circumstances. Thus, every age retells history in a manner that feels pertinent, sometimes even using the past to legitimize current ideals or to critique them.

The retelling also means that history acts as both a mirror and a mold for societies. The way the past is remembered can reinforce prevailing values, such as freedom or justice, or it might challenge current norms by bringing to light forgotten or suppressed stories. This recalibration is not deception or fabrication, but rather a natural, almost inevitable, consequence of human engagement with memory and meaning. Facts remain, but their arrangement and significance shift as cultural attitudes and societal needs change.

Moreover, this perspective reveals that objectivity in history is complicated by subjective interpretation. While the events themselves do not change, their representations do. What is considered a hero or a villain, a tragedy or a triumph, often reflects the moral compass of the retellers. By recognizing this, societies can better understand how the stories they inherit shape their worldview, and how that worldview, in turn, shapes the stories they tell about the past.