| Castles remind us of a time that was full of | | | | a new construction material. Stone became the |
| adventure and romance. Castles remind us of a | | | | only material to build one's castle out of because |
| time in history in which there was a lack of | | | | it made castles much stronger against attack. The |
| government and order. Although there was not | | | | tower of London is an example of a masonry |
| mass confusion and anarchy, there was less | | | | castle. The ideal stone for castles was the fine |
| order. Castles were the basis of feudalism. Castles | | | | limestone of Caen in Normandy. This limestone |
| can be seen as a manifestation of feudal society. | | | | was soft when first quarried, but gradually |
| Feudalism started with the rise of castles and | | | | became hard as it was exposed to air. To insulate |
| ended with their end. The castle set the tone as | | | | against the cold stone walls of castles, the |
| the only homestead that nobility would live in | | | | women made tapestries for the walls. The |
| during this time. Castles were influenced by and | | | | tapestries almost always contained a story |
| influenced many medieval cathedrals in Europe. | | | | relating to the castle. One of the most famous |
| Although castles served many purposes, their | | | | tapestries is the Bayeux Tapestry. It depicts the |
| primary purpose was military. At that time, people | | | | Norman knights before Hastings in 1066. Since |
| were not protected by merely shutting and | | | | they were now using stone, castle builders were |
| locking a regular wooden door. They needed the | | | | able to integrate defenses into the castles.Castles |
| protection of castles and their knights. The lords | | | | needed to have defenses. They were not made |
| and constables of castles needed serfs to work | | | | impregnable. They were made so that it would |
| the land to make revenue in order to pay rent to | | | | take an enormous amount of artillery and money |
| the more important nobles. Given the following | | | | to take the castle. They were made so that it |
| evidence, it is relatively obvious why castles and | | | | would take a large amount of time to take a |
| castle building played an instrumental role in the | | | | castle. The castle of Newcastle at Tyne was far |
| development of Western Europe.Castles are | | | | from impregnable in 1173, but it was strong |
| unique to a time in history known as medieval | | | | enough to make an ill-prepared Scottish King |
| times. The word medieval in our times is an insult | | | | William think twice about a siege: "Well sees the |
| to anything as is the word feudal. Through the | | | | king of Scotland that he will never complete the |
| haze and ruins, one can imagine dungeons, | | | | conquest of Newcastle on Tyne without military |
| chivalrous knights, and mighty Lords who ruled | | | | engines" (Ibid 80). Some defenses used by castles |
| the land and protected the common peasant | | | | were machiolations. Machiolations were projecting |
| from barbarians and other invaders. The rise of | | | | battlements to protect against arrows and other |
| castles marked the rise of feudalism. This was all | | | | weapons. They were at the top of the wall |
| started by the crusades. The majority of the | | | | surrounding the castle. Arrowslits or arrow loops |
| knights and nobles went to liberate the holy land | | | | were slits that were cut into stone to allow |
| from the Muslims. The Crusades influenced castle | | | | sharpshooters a place to shoot. They were angled |
| builders back in Europe. Ideas were gathered from | | | | so that the sharpshooter was protected from |
| Muslim and Byzantine fortifications. Because of the | | | | oncoming projectiles. Another defense used was |
| lack of protection in Europe, a castle's strength | | | | Greek fire. This was an incendiary device that |
| needed to be increased because of the | | | | was used against wooden attack machines. The |
| ever-present threat of a Muslim invasion. The end | | | | ingredients of Greek fire are a mystery. It is |
| of Feudalism also marked the end of the middle | | | | thought that it contained some of the following |
| ages and hence the end of the great castle | | | | components: crude oil, refined oil, naphtha, pitch, |
| era.Castles integrated the combination of | | | | resin, sulfur, quicklime, and bitumen. This deadly |
| residence and fortress. The first castle dates | | | | mixture was put on an arrow and then shot onto |
| back to King Sargon II of Khorsabad in ancient | | | | one of the attacking machines and it gave |
| Egypt. He erected a grand palace for himself to | | | | explosive results. Greek fire was probably |
| protect him and his subjects. The first recorded | | | | developed in the seventh century by the |
| references to castles was the Edict of Pistes by | | | | Byzantines for naval warfare. Greek fire was a |
| Charles the Bald, king of the West Franks. "We | | | | morale builder for the defenders during a siege. |
| will and expressly command that whoever at this | | | | The Lord of Joinville described Greek fire as "This |
| time has made castles and fortifications and | | | | Greek fire was suck that seen from the front as |
| enclosures without our out permission shall have | | | | it darted towards us it appeared as large as a |
| them demolished by the First of August" (Brown | | | | vessel of verjuice, and the tail of the fire that |
| Architecture of Castles 13). Other castle laws | | | | streamed behind it was as long as the shaft of a |
| were the Norman Institutions handed down by | | | | great lance. The noise it made in coming was like |
| William the Conqueror after he took over England. | | | | that of a thunderbolt falling from the skies; it |
| One law says that no one shall raise castles in | | | | seemed like a dragon flying through the air. The |
| Normandy without the Duke's license.An ideal | | | | light this huge, flaming mass shed all around it was |
| castle site was one that had natural obstacles for | | | | so bright that you could see right through the |
| defense such as steep hillsides and water. Castles | | | | camp as clearly as if it were day. Three times |
| that were built on rocks or islands were especially | | | | that night the enemy slung Greek fire at us from |
| effective. An example of this is Bodiam in Sussex | | | | their petraries, and three times they shot it from |
| which was the home of Sir Edward Dalyngrigge in | | | | their arbalestres a tour" (Ibid 88).Weapons were |
| 1385. A moat offered good protection, but building | | | | used against castles during a siege included the |
| on a lake or river offered better protection. The | | | | trebuchet, mangonel, belfry, ballista, ram, and |
| site should not be too remote. It should have | | | | bore. The trebuchet was a big machine that flung |
| water and building material readily available nearby. | | | | artillery like a catapult. The mangonel was similar |
| A site should have a good climate, good pasture, | | | | to the trebuchet but smaller and more |
| and ample fertile land. If a castle had all these | | | | maneuverable. Its strength was based on the |
| things, it would increase its chances of surviving a | | | | tautness of the hemp, rope, or tightly twisted |
| siege.A large majority of early castles followed | | | | animal sinew. Artillery used by these weapons |
| the motte and bailey design. These designs utilized | | | | include rocks, fireballs, and dead animals to spread |
| earth and timber. A motte and bailey design is a | | | | disease. The belfry was a mobile tower which |
| design where the keep is on a hill or motte behind | | | | was built higher than the castle walls in order to |
| the bailey which is the open area of the castle | | | | scale them during siege. The ballista was |
| similar to a town square. A bridge usually | | | | essentially a large crossbow that hurled rocks and |
| connected the motte to the bailey. The motte | | | | other large boulders. The ram was a device that |
| was a great mound of earth or rock. Sometimes | | | | did what its name says. It was used to knock the |
| it was artificial, but the majority of the time it | | | | portcullis or gate down. The bore was a device |
| was authentic. At its base there was a deep | | | | used by the attackers during a tactic known as |
| trench that resembled a moat. This was used as | | | | mining. They mined from their camps to the |
| defense. Surrounding the motte was a wall of | | | | castle walls. They would set up a support then |
| timber. The motte also contained the keep which | | | | start a fire to break down the castle walls. The |
| is where the lord of the manor and his family | | | | defenders of the castle also used this tactic to |
| lived. The keep was the innermost part of the | | | | counter the attackers siege. They would watch |
| castle. It was the last defense against attack. The | | | | the moat to see the vibrations caused by the |
| keep has also been referred to as the donjon. | | | | attackers shovels. Then they would start a |
| This is where the French got the word dungeon | | | | counter mine. This was the most effective tactic |
| meaning the jail or place to hold prisoners. | | | | used in a siege but it was the most dangerous. It |
| Surrounding the entire premises was a wooden | | | | was dark, had contaminated or little air and there |
| fence that was at least ten feet in height. These | | | | was always a threat that the tunnel would cave in |
| wooden stakes were then implanted in the ground | | | | or be caved in by the castle's garrison.Castles |
| for support. The fence sometimes stood upon | | | | were not just fortresses but also residences of |
| posts to allow men to get through. During a siege, | | | | the nobility. It is this balance of military and |
| the perimeter would be covered with wet animal | | | | residential qualities which make a castle so |
| skins to curb the threat of arson. Most motte and | | | | different from other fortifications. Castles had all |
| bailey castles were built before William the | | | | the best furnishings and colors. They had chapels |
| Conqueror's conquest in 1066.Walter the | | | | because Europe was a Christian continent. They |
| Archdeacon wrote a biography of John, bishop of | | | | occasionally had more than one. On the castle |
| Therouanne about 1130. In it he describes | | | | property were things like gardens, parks, |
| Merchem Castle near Dixmude: "There was, near | | | | vineyards, dovecotes, fishponds, mills, and stables. |
| the porch of the church, a fortress which we | | | | Castle were not as primitive as we think them to |
| may call a castle... exceedingly high, built after the | | | | be. They had some of the conveniences that we |
| custom of that land by the lord of the town | | | | have today. They had a form of a toilet. It was a |
| many years before. For it is the habit of the | | | | toilet made of stone. People who wished to use it |
| magnates and nobles of those parts... to raise a | | | | had to bring some material to protect themselves |
| mound of earth as high as they can and surround | | | | from the cold stone. The waste would eventually |
| it with a ditch as broad as possible. The top of | | | | drain to a river by way of an underground pool. |
| this mound they completely enclose with a | | | | These cesspits would often have to be cleaned |
| palisade of hewn logs bound close together like a | | | | out by dung farmers.Not all castles were |
| wall, with towers set in its circuit so far as the | | | | extravagant fortresses that housed kings and all |
| site permits. In the middle of the space within the | | | | his subjects. Many castles were just built for the |
| palisade they build a residence, or, dominating | | | | lord, his family and a few servants. Other castles |
| everything, keep" (Brown Architecture of Castles | | | | that were not well protected or had no threat of |
| 21)Castle designers saw a need for improvement | | | | attack were called fortified manors. The design of |
| because wood and earth were not strong and | | | | a castle was taken very seriously by the lords. |
| were not effective protection against fire. There | | | | There is reference to Aubree, wife of the Count |
| was also a need for bigger, grander castles | | | | of Bayeux, executing on the spot, Lanfred, her |
| because noble visitors did not travel alone so a | | | | master mason after he completed her castle. She |
| castle would have to have enough room for the | | | | did this because she was so pleased with it that |
| occasional visitor and his or her group. The | | | | she didn't want him to build one like it for anyone |
| architects who designed castles were known as | | | | else.Castles were the basis of feudalism. They |
| master masons. They saw that stone would be a | | | | controlled the land and all within it. A castle was a |
| more effective building material. Although it was | | | | lord's response to a mounted cavalry charge. |
| cold and hard to work with, it provided the much | | | | Castles were effective centers of military power |
| needed protection against fire. These newer | | | | and territorial lordship whether or not the king or |
| castles are called enclosure castles. Like motte | | | | prince was there. Castles are an important part to |
| and dailey designs, enclosures castles had a wall | | | | history. They are phenomenal structures that still |
| protecting the perimeter of the manor. However | | | | influence modern houses today.You may visit and |
| these castles were not built upon hills or mottes. | | | | for instant access to over 45,000 plus term |
| The keep of the castle was incorporated into the | | | | papers and essays. You may have all of these |
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| had a bailey. With this new style of castles came | | | | |