Why Did the Dark Ages Feel So Dark?

Imagine you move to a new house but forget your diary. For years, no one knows what happened, so people think it was boring and dark. The Dark Ages were like that for Europe! After the big Roman Empire broke apart, there were fewer books and stories written down. But guess what? People still lived their lives, farmed food, and made friends in France, Germany, and Russia. It wasn't actually dark or scary. We only call it 'dark' because we lost some of our old maps and letters. Later, when kings like Charlemagne started writing things again, the lights came back on!