OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

Castles had many special parts to keep enemies out. A moat was a deep ditch filled with water that went all around the castle. To get inside, you had to cross a drawbridge that could be pulled up. The tallest part of the castle was called the keep. That was where the king or lord lived. Tiny openings called arrow slits let archers shoot arrows while staying safe behind the walls.

Boys who wanted to be knights started training when they were just seven years old. First, they worked as a page. Pages learned to ride horses and practice with wooden swords. When a page turned about fourteen, he became a squire. Squires helped real knights get ready for battle. At age twenty-one, a squire could finally become a knight in a special ceremony.

• The word “castle” comes from the old Latin word castellum, which means “a small fort.”
• The first castles were made of wood. Later, people rebuilt them using stone to make them stronger.
• Some castles had secret tunnels so people could escape if enemies attacked.
• Knights wore heavy suits of armor that could weigh as much as a second grader!