Excerpt
Introduction: So You Want to Be a Knight?
The air smelled different back then. Not like cars or pizza or shampoo. More like horses, smoke, and fresh dirt. The Middle Ages were full of clanking armor, clattering hooves, flickering torches, and clattering tools. People didn’t flip light switches or tap on phones. They lit fires and used candlelight. If they wanted to send a message, they might ride for days to deliver it—on horseback, in the rain, uphill both ways. (Okay, maybe not always uphill. But still. It was rough.)
Everywhere you looked, there were signs of a different kind of life. Big stone castles sat on hills like sleeping giants. In towns, blacksmiths hammered iron into tools, bakers made bread in hot ovens, and kids your age helped out with chores instead of homework. No buzzing TVs. No Wi-Fi. Just the hum of the marketplace, the clop-clop of horse hooves, and the occasional shout of “Make way for the knight!”
You might be wondering—what exactly was the Middle Ages? It’s the name we give to a long stretch of time in European history. It came after the fall of the Roman Empire and before people started building big ships to explore the world. That’s about a thousand years, which is a lot of time. Even in the Middle Ages, life changed from century to century. But some things stayed the same—like kings, castles, and knights.
People lived in all sorts of places. There were bustling towns full of traders and travelers, and quiet farming villages where everyone knew each other. In the countryside, families worked the land, growing food and raising animals. Most people lived pretty simple lives. If you were a farmer, you probably stayed a farmer your whole life. If your parents were weavers, you'd probably learn to weave. That’s just how things were.
But there was another layer to all of it—a kind of giant ladder. At the top were kings and queens. Below them were powerful lords who owned land and castles. Then came knights, who promised to protect those lands. Farther down were the people who worked the land or learned trades. This ladder was called feudalism. It sounds complicated, but it basically meant that everyone had a role, and people depended on each other—especially during tough times.
Tough times happened a lot. There were famines when crops didn’t grow. There were plagues that made people sick. And there were wars—lots of them. That’s part of why knights were so important. They weren’t just sword-swinging warriors. They were protectors. They helped defend castles, rescue towns, and fight for their lords. Sometimes they fought in giant battles. Other times, they protected a dusty road or kept watch over a castle gate.
But not everyone liked knights. Not all of them were kind. Some were greedy or mean. Some used their armor and training to take what they wanted. That's why knights had to follow rules—rules about how to treat others, especially people who couldn’t fight back. Those rules were called the code of chivalry, and good knights took it very seriously.
Even though it was a dangerous time, the Middle Ages weren’t all gloom and doom. There were fairs with games and music. There were feasts with roasted meats and sticky honey cakes. There were stories—endless stories—about dragons, daring escapes, hidden treasure, and mysterious forests. People told them around fires at night, passing them down from one generation to the next.
Not all of those stories were true, of course. But they told you a lot about what people cared about: bravery, loyalty, adventure, and standing up for what's right. Knights weren’t just soldiers. They were part of those stories—sometimes real, sometimes legendary, but always larger than life.
Even kings and queens weren’t always living the easy life. They had to make hard choices, run big kingdoms, and deal with tricky problems like taxes, invaders, and hungry citizens. Some were smart and strong leaders. Others were… not so great. There were times when even a small mistake could lead to a rebellion or war. That meant trust mattered. A king needed to trust his knights. A knight needed to trust his squire. And a squire—well, they needed to learn fast and be ready for anything.
The world back then didn’t run on electricity or engines. It ran on strength, loyalty, and a whole lot of teamwork. People didn’t just survive on their own. They built communities. They supported each other. If there was a fire, everyone helped put it out. If there was a festival, everyone danced and cheered. If there was danger, they looked to the knights to protect them.
Of course, not everyone agreed on everything. There were different kingdoms with different rulers. People spoke different languages, followed different customs, and believed in different ideas. But one thing most people shared was a respect—sometimes fear, sometimes admiration—for the world of knights.
Being a knight wasn’t easy. You couldn’t just throw on a helmet and start charging around. It took years of training, tons of practice, and a lot of discipline. But to most kids back then, becoming a knight was a dream. Not just because of the armor and battles, but because knights stood for something. They had a purpose. They were part of something bigger than themselves.
That sense of purpose shaped the world around them. Castles were built to keep people safe. Horses were bred for strength and speed. Weapons were crafted with care. And through it all, knights learned to carry themselves with pride—and with responsibility.
Of course, being part of the Middle Ages wasn’t all swords and squires. There was hard work, too. You might have to wake up before the sun, haul water from a well, or scrub muddy boots. You might have to study, clean, or cook. No one just sat around all day. Not even the royals.
The air smelled different back then. Not like cars or pizza or shampoo. More like horses, smoke, and fresh dirt. The Middle Ages were full of clanking armor, clattering hooves, flickering torches, and clattering tools. People didn’t flip light switches or tap on phones. They lit fires and used candlelight. If they wanted to send a message, they might ride for days to deliver it—on horseback, in the rain, uphill both ways. (Okay, maybe not always uphill. But still. It was rough.)
Everywhere you looked, there were signs of a different kind of life. Big stone castles sat on hills like sleeping giants. In towns, blacksmiths hammered iron into tools, bakers made bread in hot ovens, and kids your age helped out with chores instead of homework. No buzzing TVs. No Wi-Fi. Just the hum of the marketplace, the clop-clop of horse hooves, and the occasional shout of “Make way for the knight!”
You might be wondering—what exactly was the Middle Ages? It’s the name we give to a long stretch of time in European history. It came after the fall of the Roman Empire and before people started building big ships to explore the world. That’s about a thousand years, which is a lot of time. Even in the Middle Ages, life changed from century to century. But some things stayed the same—like kings, castles, and knights.
People lived in all sorts of places. There were bustling towns full of traders and travelers, and quiet farming villages where everyone knew each other. In the countryside, families worked the land, growing food and raising animals. Most people lived pretty simple lives. If you were a farmer, you probably stayed a farmer your whole life. If your parents were weavers, you'd probably learn to weave. That’s just how things were.
But there was another layer to all of it—a kind of giant ladder. At the top were kings and queens. Below them were powerful lords who owned land and castles. Then came knights, who promised to protect those lands. Farther down were the people who worked the land or learned trades. This ladder was called feudalism. It sounds complicated, but it basically meant that everyone had a role, and people depended on each other—especially during tough times.
Tough times happened a lot. There were famines when crops didn’t grow. There were plagues that made people sick. And there were wars—lots of them. That’s part of why knights were so important. They weren’t just sword-swinging warriors. They were protectors. They helped defend castles, rescue towns, and fight for their lords. Sometimes they fought in giant battles. Other times, they protected a dusty road or kept watch over a castle gate.
But not everyone liked knights. Not all of them were kind. Some were greedy or mean. Some used their armor and training to take what they wanted. That's why knights had to follow rules—rules about how to treat others, especially people who couldn’t fight back. Those rules were called the code of chivalry, and good knights took it very seriously.
Even though it was a dangerous time, the Middle Ages weren’t all gloom and doom. There were fairs with games and music. There were feasts with roasted meats and sticky honey cakes. There were stories—endless stories—about dragons, daring escapes, hidden treasure, and mysterious forests. People told them around fires at night, passing them down from one generation to the next.
Not all of those stories were true, of course. But they told you a lot about what people cared about: bravery, loyalty, adventure, and standing up for what's right. Knights weren’t just soldiers. They were part of those stories—sometimes real, sometimes legendary, but always larger than life.
Even kings and queens weren’t always living the easy life. They had to make hard choices, run big kingdoms, and deal with tricky problems like taxes, invaders, and hungry citizens. Some were smart and strong leaders. Others were… not so great. There were times when even a small mistake could lead to a rebellion or war. That meant trust mattered. A king needed to trust his knights. A knight needed to trust his squire. And a squire—well, they needed to learn fast and be ready for anything.
The world back then didn’t run on electricity or engines. It ran on strength, loyalty, and a whole lot of teamwork. People didn’t just survive on their own. They built communities. They supported each other. If there was a fire, everyone helped put it out. If there was a festival, everyone danced and cheered. If there was danger, they looked to the knights to protect them.
Of course, not everyone agreed on everything. There were different kingdoms with different rulers. People spoke different languages, followed different customs, and believed in different ideas. But one thing most people shared was a respect—sometimes fear, sometimes admiration—for the world of knights.
Being a knight wasn’t easy. You couldn’t just throw on a helmet and start charging around. It took years of training, tons of practice, and a lot of discipline. But to most kids back then, becoming a knight was a dream. Not just because of the armor and battles, but because knights stood for something. They had a purpose. They were part of something bigger than themselves.
That sense of purpose shaped the world around them. Castles were built to keep people safe. Horses were bred for strength and speed. Weapons were crafted with care. And through it all, knights learned to carry themselves with pride—and with responsibility.
Of course, being part of the Middle Ages wasn’t all swords and squires. There was hard work, too. You might have to wake up before the sun, haul water from a well, or scrub muddy boots. You might have to study, clean, or cook. No one just sat around all day. Not even the royals.