3 Castle had moats

What were the Middle Ages in the middle of? We call the years between the ancient world and the modern world in Europe the Middle Ages. They started in the 470s, when rule by the Romans came to an end, and they finished in the 1450s. The Romans once ruled most of Europe and North Africa. Then fierce warriors invaded, splitting Roman lands into many small kingdoms. By the 1450s Europe had larger countries again, more like those of today. The map above includes many of the people and places talked about in this book. In the Middle Ages, no one knew what the whole world looked like. This is what Arab map- makers thought the world looked like In the 1150s. it shows Asia, North Africa and Europe. Neither the Arabs nor the Europeans knew about other parts of the world. Most people thought the world was flat. Sailors were afraid of falling over the edge if they on went long voyages!

Why did kings and queens wear crowns? European rulers in the Middle Ages had much more power than they do today. They made the laws, and everyone had to do what they said. A glittering golden crown was like a badge—I it was one way of showing how important the king or queen was. The king told the barons what to do. The barons told the knights what to do. Everyone told the poor peasants what to do. The ruler of the Inca people of South America was called the Sapa Inca. His crown was made of gold and feathers. His tunic and cloak were made of fine wool. European kings and queens were often given funny nicknames. Some rulers were good, some were bad— and some were just ugly! In many countries today, laws are made by the group of people we call a parliament, not the king or queen. Why were the peasants revolting? Well, they didn't actually look revolting, just a bit muddy! Poor people often rose up in revolt and fought against their rulers, though. They were trying to win a better way of life. The peasants had to give money or food to their local lord every year— even though they often went hungry themselves.

Why did castles have moats? Moats were deep, wide ditches filled with water, which made it harder for enemies to break into a castle. Friendly visitors could cross the moat over a drawbridge. But when enemies attacked, the drawbridge was raised. Spies and traitors were chained up in the castle's dungeons. These were dark and damp and full of rats and spiders! Strong stone walls were built to protect towns and cities all over the world. The picture on the right shows Great Zimbabwe, a walled city began in the 1000s by the Shona people of southern Africa. Pueblo Bonito was one of the walled towns built by the Anasazi people of North America between 950 and 1300. One way to beat enemies who shut themselves up in a castle was to surround it—and wait! This was called a siege. When the castle ran out of food and water, the people inside had to give in. In the 1300s, people in Europe learned how to make big guns called cannons. In time it became easier to blow up castles—if the guns went off properly!

Why did knights wear armour? In battle, knights were bashed and battered about by swords, arrows, axes, long pointed lances and metal clubs called maces. They had to protect their bodies from all these sharp weapons, so they wore suits of tough metal armour. Putting on armour wasn't easy. A squire was a boy who was learning to be a knight. He helped the knight get ready for battle. Armour wasn't very comfortable to wear, so knights put on thick padded clothes underneath. Until the 1200s most knights wore chain-mail armour. This was made from linked metal rings. Later armour was made from solid metal plates. By the end of the Middle Ages, a knight was like a can of beans on legs-completely covered in metal! Japanese knights were called samurai. Their armour was made of metal plates fixed to padded silk and leather. A samurai always had a bath before going into battle. Then, if he died, he knew he would be clean and ready to go to heaven. Bows and deadly arrows were used by soldiers in most parts of the world.

Why did churches have steeples? Steeples made churches look as if they were pointing up to heaven. During the Middle Ages, people throughout the world showed love for their god by building beautiful churches, mosques or temples. Spire builders worked high above the ground on a tiny wooden platform. It must have been very dangerous! Even church roofs and drainpipes were decorated, sometimes with very ugly heads called gargoyles. Rainwater spouted out through their mouths. The world's biggest holy building is the Hindu temple of Angkor Wat, in Cambodia. It was built in the 1100s. You could fit 8,317 tennis courts inside it! Why did mosques have minarets? Minarets are the tall slender towers on mosques, the buildings where Muslims pray to God. They, too, point to heaven. At the top of the minaret is a balcony, where a man called a muezzin stands to call people to prayer. In 803, workers finished carving a 70-metre-high statue of Buddha into cliffs near the town of Leshan, in China. Two people can sit on just one of its toenails! Gautatna Buddha was a great religious teacher who was born in India in the 560s BCE.

Who were steeples on their heads? All kinds of weird and wonderful headdresses passed in and out of fashion in Europe during the Middle Ages. In the 1400s women began wearing tall hats called hennins, which looked rather like church steeples. Getting through a doorway must have been tricky—some hennins were nearly a metre high! Some hats were shaped like animals' horns. Others were like butterflies' wings. There were no shops selling ready-made clothes. Rich people paid tailors to make their clothes. Poor people made their own. People showed off their money by wearing expensive clothes and jewellery. The finest materials were made in Italy, Spain and the East. Who wore platform shoes? Streets were so muddy that noble ladies started to wear shoes with very high soles. Maids often had to hold the lady up as she walked along! Have you ever seen shoes with long pointed toes like this? The toes were so long they had to be tied to the wearer's leg! They were all the rage for men about 600 years ago. Some French knights trying to escape from an enemy army had to cut the points off their shoes before they could run away!