The Middle Ages are usually broken down by historians into two parts, the early Middle Ages and the late Middle Ages. Sometimes the first half is also called the Dark Ages though scholars now feel that this period was not nearly as “dark” as once thought—lots of learning and discovery were actually taking place. The English spoken during these socalled Dark Ages is known today as Old English, but back then it wasn’t old at all. It was lively and spry, and now it had a whole new island to conquer.
