If your fantasy late-medieval-esque Europe isn't actually our world

[conuly]

then I guess I can overlook the potatoes, the peppers, and even the vanilla. Sure. They're useful crops, after all, even if there appears to be nothing similar to the Columbian Exchange in this universe.

However, I gotta draw the line at skunks and poison ivy coexisting in the same environment as peacocks and... okay, actually it turns out that my knowledge of native non-domesticated Afro-Eurasian flora and fauna is a bit skimpy, but you know what I mean. What's next, kangaroos?

Relatedly: Hedgehogs live in Europe. Porcupines live in America. I know that they're both prickly, but they're not interchangeable in the environment or, crucially, in stories.

Comments

[conuly]

Seriously, your wise Native American elder is not going to prove a point with a story about hedgehogs - and please, everybody, stop making up "traditional" stories that aren't. You might think your audience won't notice, and you're depressingly likely to be correct, but the ones who do notice that will be even more annoyed than I am about the potatoes.