Social Studies

10th Grade

By

Christina Kave

“A Castle is a large medieval fortress with adequate living accommodations for its owner or Lord. Although early castles were constructed of timber an dearth, our main image is of the later castle constructed of masonry and stone. Fortified medieval mansions are sometimes referred to as castles”

- Jerome Morris

Why castles were built?Why castles were built?

The castle was primarily a base for which the lord and his armed horsemen could control the surrounding countryside. The range of the horse was some 10 miles and sometimes one did not return the same day.

Continued…

It is a crucial importance of controlling the land. Ideally a strong castle had to be as impregnable as possible. The defensive role of the castle and the degree of defensive capability was determined and controlled by the design and architectural development.

Who occupied the castles?Who occupied the castles?

The feudal system in the Middle Ages contained a Lord or master which had serfs or vessels working for him. The vessels worked for their Lord in exchange for living in the castle or on the Lord’s land. The castle was isolated because it had all it needed, the church, village, and surrounding farm land in which the serfs worked. This system eventually lead to the Magna Carta in 1215.

King John and The Magna Carta

On June 15, 1215, a group of powerful nobles forced King John of England to sign the Magna Carta. This document listed the nobles’ demands for reform, and it also

required that the king obey the laws of the land.

1. The Magna Carta set down legal principles that are still with us. It stated, for example, “A free man shall not be forced to pay a large fine for a minor offense.” In other words, the punishment should fit the crime.

2. The Magna Carta also made it clear that free people could not be put in jail without a fair trial.

Magna Continued…

3. The Magna Carta also stated that NO new taxes could be levied without the approval of the “common council,” which included nobles, church leaders, and townspeople.

As you can see, the Magna Carta was an early effort to establish certain rights and liberties that we enjoy today.

Military, political, social and economic roles

The emphasis on each of these aspects varied according to the wishes of the lord who built it. He was presented with different options, in military or domestic design, which he had to balance against his resources if he wished to be prudent. The site, the military strength and the domestic accommodation all tell us the sort of life that the lord expected to live in the castle.

Now let’s learn some definitions about Medieval Castles

• Motte-an earthwork mound on which a castle was built

• Arrow Loop- a narrow vertical slit cut into a wall through which arrows could be fired from inside

Moat- a deep trench usually filled with water that surrounded

a castle

Drawbridge- a wooden bridge leading to a gateway, capable of

being raised or lowered

Continued….• Concentric- having two sets of walls, one inside

the other• Dungeon- the jail, usually found in one of the

towers

• Inner Ward- also called inner bailey, open area in the center of a castle

• Bailey- courtyard within the walls of the castle

Drum Tower- a round tower built into a wall

Terminology Continued

• Walk Walk- the area along the tops of the walls from which soldiers could defend the castle

• Garderobe- latrine

Fun facts about who occupied castles

• The castle household was astir at daybreak

• Knights and men-at-arms clambered to the walls and towers to relieve the night watch

• In the great chamber, the lord and lady awakened in their curtain bed. They slept naked, and before rising put on linen undergarments.

Building a castle could take a whole lifetime of hard work.

This is why they are all different because they were built by men of differing ranks, at different

times in different regions.

Conclusion

Understand that the Middle Ages were a period of achievement as well as a time of violence and

suffering. Just because all these beautiful castles were being built does not mean people weren’t

suffering as well. Events such as bubonic plague and people such as St. Benedict, Emperor

Justinian, Charlemagne, William the Conqueror, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Michael Palaeologus, and

Joan of Arc should all be taken into consideration when discussing this era in history as well.

This is what makes castles so interesting, that they are both so variable and yet are built

according to certain clear principles. They provide us with an immediate point of

contact with the middle ages.