Castles
Early castles were built for protection and have little to do with our romanticized view of
magnificent castles with beautiful princesses looking out the window of the towers that we get
from fairy tales.
The first castles arose out of a need for protection created by the lack of a central government
and frequent invasions. Each lord and the people under his care needed to take care of
themselves and provide for their own protection. Castles were both homes and protective
fortresses.
The early castles were referred to as motte and bailey castles. The actual castle was built on top
of a motte (mound of dirt and rock) that gave it additional protection from invaders. The keep
referred to the stronghold of the castle built on top of the motte. A larger area next to the motte
contained buildings like the kitchen, stables, workshops and houses for the peasants. This area is
called the bailey. A wooden drawbridge (which could be drawn back over the moat during an
attack) usually connected the motte and bailey. Around the bailey and on top of the motte was a
wall of wooden stakes called a stockade. Motte and bailey castles were made of wood and earth.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, castles become more advanced with the use of stone walls. The
stone walls made castles stronger longer lasting and warmer.
Stone castles were still uncomfortable, crowded and dirty places to live. Winters were cold and
there was no hot water or plumbing. Fresh water was difficult to find. The only sanitation in
castles was usually a shaft in the castle walls that led to an underground sewer (which usually
served as the castle’s main water supply, too). Servants threw herbs on the floors to mask the bad
smells.
Other parts of the castle included:
Donjon – (dungeon) underground chamber for storage and occasionally used as a holding cell for
knights captured for ransom
Keep – lord’s residence
Turrets – small decorated towers
Parapet – low wall that protected the tower’s edge
Moat – ditch, man-made body of water
Portcullis – sliding grill of iron hung in the gateway
Arrow slits – slits carved in the parapet walls, used for defense