Magnificent Middle Ages

Nikhil Mathews

PeopleThere were many types of people in the middle ages. The most

known people were the kings and queens, Although there were much more. For example, there were serfs lords, nuns and, peasants. The king ruled over everyone. The lord had a lot of land and had serfs working for him. The nuns and monks were very religious people who spent most of their time in the church. Entertainers were also there like jesters and troubadours. Those are just a few of the many people in the Middle Ages.

Knights

There were many steps in becoming a knight. They had to learn how to use swords and crossbows. The boys had to first clean the other knight’s armor. Once they were old enough they would practice a lot with different kinds of weapons. They also had to go to the church alone and pray an entire night with no sleep or no food. In the morning the man would take a bath and get ready. A lord or another important person would make him a knight and hand him a sword. The knight promised to fight for his king and never back out on a battle It was very hard to become a knight. I know I wouldn't want to be a knight!

Feudal SystemIn the Middle Ages the Feudal system was the law of the

land. It consisted of many people. The feudal system was when the upper classes had control over the lower classes. If a king gave some land to a baron the baron had to pay off her debt by giving some money to the king for the army, or the baron had to have the army ready if there was an attack. Another part of the feudal system was the lords and the peasants. The peasants got some land, and they had many rights. They could make special groups, build materials, or plant crops. In return the peasant had to work on the lord’s land. The Feudal system really balances everything out.

Weaponry

There were many weapons also in the middle ages. One weapon was the ballista. It was a giant crossbow, and it also needed several men to operate. Another weapon used a lot by the Romans was the battering ram. They used it by swinging the tree trunk one side and ramming the opponent on the other hence the name battering ram. Machicolations were used if a intruder was coming toward the castle the machicolations would drop boiling water or burning hot iron on the man’s head. The mangonel was like giant catapult that usually fired huge boulders at the enemy. If you got too close to one of these weapons the sight would not be a good one.

Cathedrals and ChurchesAnother major part in the middle ages was religion. There many churches in the middle ages. Some cathedrals took one hundred years or more to complete! Many people worked to build the cathedrals. The craftsmen actually built a lot of the cathedral. The architect made the deigns for the church , and there was a lot of pressure on him. The masons made sure that every block was exactly in their place. They also carved the blocks. Stone-cutters cut the stone into various shapes. They were paid for each stone they cut. Sometimes the next generation of workers had to take over where there ancestors left off. Building a cathedral was a lot of hard work.