Medieval Castles - An Essay

Castles remind us of a time that was full ofcastles came a new construction material. Stone
adventure and romance. Castles remind us of a timebecame the only material to build one's castle out of
in history in which there was a lack of governmentbecause it made castles much stronger against
and order. Although there was not mass confusionattack. The tower of London is an example of a
and anarchy, there was less order. Castles were themasonry castle. The ideal stone for castles was the
basis of feudalism. Castles can be seen as afine limestone of Caen in Normandy. This limestone
manifestation of feudal society. Feudalism startedwas soft when first quarried, but gradually became
with the rise of castles and ended with their end. Thehard as it was exposed to air. To insulate against the
castle set the tone as the only homestead thatcold stone walls of castles, the women made
nobility would live in during this time. Castles weretapestries for the walls. The tapestries almost always
influenced by and influenced many medievalcontained a story relating to the castle. One of the
cathedrals in Europe. Although castles served manymost famous tapestries is the Bayeux Tapestry. It
purposes, their primary purpose was military. At thatdepicts the Norman knights before Hastings in 1066.
time, people were not protected by merely shuttingSince they were now using stone, castle builders
and locking a regular wooden door. They needed thewere able to integrate defenses into the
protection of castles and their knights. The lords andcastles.Castles needed to have defenses. They were
constables of castles needed serfs to work the landnot made impregnable. They were made so that it
to make revenue in order to pay rent to the morewould take an enormous amount of artillery and
important nobles. Given the following evidence, it ismoney to take the castle. They were made so that
relatively obvious why castles and castle buildingit would take a large amount of time to take a
played an instrumental role in the development ofcastle. The castle of Newcastle at Tyne was far
Western Europe.Castles are unique to a time infrom impregnable in 1173, but it was strong enough
history known as medieval times. The word medievalto make an ill-prepared Scottish King William think
in our times is an insult to anything as is the wordtwice about a siege: "Well sees the king of Scotland
feudal. Through the haze and ruins, one can imaginethat he will never complete the conquest of
dungeons, chivalrous knights, and mighty Lords whoNewcastle on Tyne without military engines" (Ibid 80).
ruled the land and protected the common peasantSome defenses used by castles were machiolations.
from barbarians and other invaders. The rise ofMachiolations were projecting battlements to protect
castles marked the rise of feudalism. This was allagainst arrows and other weapons. They were at
started by the crusades. The majority of the knightsthe top of the wall surrounding the castle. Arrowslits
and nobles went to liberate the holy land from theor arrow loops were slits that were cut into stone to
Muslims. The Crusades influenced castle builders backallow sharpshooters a place to shoot. They were
in Europe. Ideas were gathered from Muslim andangled so that the sharpshooter was protected from
Byzantine fortifications. Because of the lack ofoncoming projectiles. Another defense used was
protection in Europe, a castle's strength needed to beGreek fire. This was an incendiary device that was
increased because of the ever-present threat of aused against wooden attack machines. The
Muslim invasion. The end of Feudalism also markedingredients of Greek fire are a mystery. It is thought
the end of the middle ages and hence the end of thethat it contained some of the following components:
great castle era.Castles integrated the combination ofcrude oil, refined oil, naphtha, pitch, resin, sulfur,
residence and fortress. The first castle dates back toquicklime, and bitumen. This deadly mixture was put
King Sargon II of Khorsabad in ancient Egypt. Heon an arrow and then shot onto one of the attacking
erected a grand palace for himself to protect him andmachines and it gave explosive results. Greek fire
his subjects. The first recorded references to castleswas probably developed in the seventh century by
was the Edict of Pistes by Charles the Bald, king ofthe Byzantines for naval warfare. Greek fire was a
the West Franks. "We will and expressly commandmorale builder for the defenders during a siege. The
that whoever at this time has made castles andLord of Joinville described Greek fire as "This Greek
fortifications and enclosures without our outfire was suck that seen from the front as it darted
permission shall have them demolished by the First oftowards us it appeared as large as a vessel of
August" (Brown Architecture of Castles 13). Otherverjuice, and the tail of the fire that streamed behind
castle laws were the Norman Institutions handedit was as long as the shaft of a great lance. The
down by William the Conqueror after he took overnoise it made in coming was like that of a thunderbolt
England. One law says that no one shall raise castlesfalling from the skies; it seemed like a dragon flying
in Normandy without the Duke's license.An ideal castlethrough the air. The light this huge, flaming mass shed
site was one that had natural obstacles for defenseall around it was so bright that you could see right
such as steep hillsides and water. Castles that werethrough the camp as clearly as if it were day. Three
built on rocks or islands were especially effective. Antimes that night the enemy slung Greek fire at us
example of this is Bodiam in Sussex which was thefrom their petraries, and three times they shot it
home of Sir Edward Dalyngrigge in 1385. A moatfrom their arbalestres a tour" (Ibid 88).Weapons
offered good protection, but building on a lake orwere used against castles during a siege included the
river offered better protection. The site should nottrebuchet, mangonel, belfry, ballista, ram, and bore.
be too remote. It should have water and buildingThe trebuchet was a big machine that flung artillery
material readily available nearby. A site should have alike a catapult. The mangonel was similar to the
good climate, good pasture, and ample fertile land. Iftrebuchet but smaller and more maneuverable. Its
a castle had all these things, it would increase itsstrength was based on the tautness of the hemp,
chances of surviving a siege.A large majority of earlyrope, or tightly twisted animal sinew. Artillery used by
castles followed the motte and bailey design. Thesethese weapons include rocks, fireballs, and dead
designs utilized earth and timber. A motte and baileyanimals to spread disease. The belfry was a mobile
design is a design where the keep is on a hill ortower which was built higher than the castle walls in
motte behind the bailey which is the open area oforder to scale them during siege. The ballista was
the castle similar to a town square. A bridge usuallyessentially a large crossbow that hurled rocks and
connected the motte to the bailey. The motte was aother large boulders. The ram was a device that did
great mound of earth or rock. Sometimes it waswhat its name says. It was used to knock the
artificial, but the majority of the time it wasportcullis or gate down. The bore was a device used
authentic. At its base there was a deep trench thatby 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. TheThey would set up a support then start a fire to
motte also contained the keep which is where thebreak down the castle walls. The defenders of the
lord of the manor and his family lived. The keep wascastle also used this tactic to counter the attackers
the innermost part of the castle. It was the lastsiege. They would watch the moat to see the
defense against attack. The keep has also beenvibrations caused by the attackers shovels. Then
referred to as the donjon. This is where the Frenchthey would start a counter mine. This was the most
got the word dungeon meaning the jail or place toeffective tactic used in a siege but it was the most
hold prisoners. Surrounding the entire premises was adangerous. 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 thecave in or be caved in by the castle's garrison.Castles
ground for support. The fence sometimes stoodwere not just fortresses but also residences of the
upon posts to allow men to get through. During anobility. It is this balance of military and residential
siege, the perimeter would be covered with wetqualities which make a castle so different from other
animal skins to curb the threat of arson. Most mottefortifications. Castles had all the best furnishings and
and bailey castles were built before William thecolors. They had chapels because Europe was a
Conqueror's conquest in 1066.Walter the ArchdeaconChristian continent. They occasionally had more than
wrote a biography of John, bishop of Therouanneone. On the castle property were things like gardens,
about 1130. In it he describes Merchem Castle nearparks, 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... exceedinglythem to be. They had some of the conveniences
high, built after the custom of that land by the lordthat we have today. They had a form of a toilet. It
of the town many years before. For it is the habit ofwas a toilet made of stone. People who wished to
the magnates and nobles of those parts... to raise ause it had to bring some material to protect
mound of earth as high as they can and surround itthemselves from the cold stone. The waste would
with a ditch as broad as possible. The top of thiseventually drain to a river by way of an underground
mound they completely enclose with a palisade ofpool. These cesspits would often have to be cleaned
hewn logs bound close together like a wall, without by dung farmers.Not all castles were extravagant
towers set in its circuit so far as the site permits. Infortresses that housed kings and all his subjects.
the middle of the space within the palisade they buildMany castles were just built for the lord, his family
a residence, or, dominating everything, keep" (Brownand a few servants. Other castles that were not well
Architecture of Castles 21)Castle designers saw aprotected or had no threat of attack were called
need for improvement because wood and earthfortified manors. The design of a castle was taken
were not strong and were not effective protectionvery 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 travelthe spot, Lanfred, her master mason after he
alone so a castle would have to have enough roomcompleted her castle. She did this because she was
for the occasional visitor and his or her group. Theso pleased with it that she didn't want him to build
architects who designed castles were known asone like it for anyone else.Castles were the basis of
master masons. They saw that stone would be afeudalism. They controlled the land and all within it. A
more effective building material. Although it was coldcastle was a lord's response to a mounted cavalry
and hard to work with, it provided the much neededcharge. Castles were effective centers of military
protection against fire. These newer castles are calledpower 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 perimeterhistory. They are phenomenal structures that still
of the manor. However these castles were not builtinfluence modern houses today.You may visit and for
upon hills or mottes. The keep of the castle wasinstant access to over 45,000 plus term papers and
incorporated into the wall surrounding the property.essays. You may have all of these quality papers for
These castles still had a bailey. With this new style ofonly $19.95.