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