Since the historical period is the Middle Ages, much of Chaucer's work reflected on the society of his time. This time period was the Middle Ages, better known as the “Dark Ages”. During this time people were trying to recover from the collapse of the Roman Empire. They experienced a dramatic cultural stagflation (“Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia”) 25. Society then included knights, clergy, and commoners; Much of what Chaucer's work mentions and covers. Chaucer lived in the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages began around the 5th century and ended around the 15th century (“Middle Ages”)16. This time period is where the Vikings were born ("Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia") 26. Also during this time were the Crusades, which were a series of wars with Christians against Muslims. The Crusades lasted from 1095 to