This series investigates, via historical inquiry, the Middle Ages a dynamic time that paved the way for many achievements of the modern-day world. Picturesque castles, noble knights, elegant maidens and troubadours these romantic images form the generally-accepted conception of the Middle Ages, but there is a darker side to this time, like castle dun GEO :ns, torture chambers, and bloody raids and pillaging. In this golden age of chivalry, knights were the military elite of the day, effective fighters on horseback who practised their skills of war in tournaments and mock battles. They also fought battles as crusaders for the Teutonic order, attacking the 'heathen' in Eastern Europe and even as far east as Jerusalem.