ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

The Secret History of the Mongols

Okay kiddo, so let's talk about the Secret History of the Mongols. It's a really old book that tells us about the Mongols who lived a long time ago, before our grandparents and great-grandparents were even born.

The book tells us stories about the Mongols' lives, like how they hunted for food, how they fought in wars, and how they made friends and enemies. But here's the cool part: the book was written in a secret code that only a few people could read!

Why did they write it in a secret code, you ask? Well, it's because the Mongols wanted to keep their stories safe from other people who might want to steal them. They didn't want other people to know all their secrets, because then their enemies might use them against them in battle.

The book was written on pieces of animal skin that were stitched together, kind of like a really old-fashioned book. It's really hard to read because the language is very different from the way we speak today, but some people have studied it and translated it into languages we can understand.

The Secret History of the Mongols is really important because it gives us a glimpse into what life was like for people a long time ago. It's like a time machine that takes us back to the past!