Medieval Castles
MEDIEVAL LIFE IN A CASTLE
1. Motte
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and Bailey
The earliest castles
Lords and rich noblemen or knights lived in them
Made form wood
Picture
2. Motte
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and Bailey
2 parts
Lowest part – bailey
A round yard surrounded by a moat
Wooden fence around it
Contained servant’s houses and other buildings
3. Motte
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and Bailey
Get picture of remains
Motte was higher up
On a man-made mound (hill)
Wooden tower surrounded by fence
Tower was a lookout post
4. Disadvantages of Motte and Bailey
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Wood rattled over time
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Small and cramped
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Could be burned in attack by flaming arrows
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So, stone castles were built by the Normans
5. Stone
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Castle
Picture
Moat
Drawbridge
Portcullis
Gatehouse
Barbican – extra strong towers by entrance
Turrets
Bawn
Ramparts
Keep
6. The Bawn
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The courtyard contained:
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Stables
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Kitchen
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Well
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Forge
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Veg. gardens
7. Attacking a castle
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Siege towers
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Siege ladders
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Giant catapults
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Giant crossbow
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Battering rams
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Dug tunnels
8. Laying Siege
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Medieval Castles
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Sometimes an enemy just surrounded the castle
Tried to starve the lord and army
But veg. gardens and well inside
The lords family could survive months
9. Gunpowder
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In 1400’s gunpowder and the cannon invented
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Easier to capture castles
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So people stopped building them
10. Lord of a castle
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Owned the castle and all the land
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Serfs worked the land for him
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Servants in the keep
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Had foot soldiers and knights to fight for him
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The lord must be loyal to the king
11. Lord (2)
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Did daily business in the great hall
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Huge fires at either end
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Lord gave orders, collected rent
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Criminals brought before him here
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Was the judge of the town
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Punished people brought before
12. Food
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2 meals a day
Lunch at noon, supper at 4pm
Huge feasts
Lots of meat – duck, rabbit, hare, lamb, boar
Sat at top table
Food served on wooden plates
Or big slices of bread called Trenchers
Ate with fingers
Drank wine
13. Entertainment
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Hawking
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Watched tournaments between knights
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Minstrels sang at banquets
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Had a court jester
14. The Keep
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Family lived here
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Narrow winding stairs
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Always circled to the right
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Advantage for fighting
15. Rooms in Keep
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Solarium – big windows, sun room
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Chapel
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Great Hall – private apartments
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Latrines or garderobes
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Storerooms
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Dungeons
16. Lady in Castle
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Her role?
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Medieval Castles
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17. Lady
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To be a good mother and obedient wife
Arranged marriages
Brought a dowry
In return, husband supported her for life
No divorce
Couldn’t read or write
Learned spinning and weaving, needlework
Embroidered tapestries to hang on wall
Spent much time in solar room…
..doing these embroidery tasks
The tapestries made rooms seem warmer
18. Lady – Other duties
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Ran the whole household
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Ordered the servants
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Kept accounts of the stock in storeroom
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Learned how to use herbs in medicine
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When lord was away…
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…The lady was in charge of the castle
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Could have to defend castle from attack!
If writing essay on lady also mention stuff from lord i.e. she ate same food, entertainment.
19. Knights
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Medieval horse soldiers
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Worked for lord in army
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In return, given land
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Were important landowners – members of nobility
20. Becoming a knight – Page (Stage 1)
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3 stages of training
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Son of a nobleman fostered
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At 7 years old
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Called a Page
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Lived with that family
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Served at table, carried messages
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Personal assistant to lord and lady
21. Squire – Stage 2
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14 years became a squire
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Learned how to ride a horse in battle
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Used weapons
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Accompanied lord to battle
22. Knight – Stage 3
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Special dubbing ceremony
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Spent night before fasting and praying
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Confession and mass
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Priest blesses sword
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Kneels and is tapped on shoulders with sword
23. Chivalry
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The knight promises to obey the code of chivalry
1. Be loyal to his lord
2. Be brave
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Medieval Castles
3. Be polite to women
4. Be kind to poor
24. Knight’s job
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Here the horse soldiers in the lords army
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Rode steeds
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Wore protective chain mail
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Later knights wore suits of plate armour
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Very heavy
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Wore metal helmets with visors
25. Knight’s weapons
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Swords, battleaxes
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Metal clubs called Maces
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Long wooden lances
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Carried shields
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Their lords coat of arms painted on shield
26. Knightly entertainment
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Took part in mock battles with blunt swords
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Called tournaments – very dangerous
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Also jousting
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2 knights charged with lances…
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…and tried to knock the other off horse
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Hawking – special trained hawk
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..hunted other birds
REVISION
Lady –
Write down 6 jobs the lady had.
Keep –
Name 5 rooms in the keep
Say what happened there
Attacking castles -
Name 3 things done when attacking castles.
Explain a ‘siege’.
Knights -
Write about the 3 stages to becoming a knight.
Get picture
Identify 6 things the knight uses
Castle -
Name 9 parts to a castle.
Explain what they are.
Vocab – explain these words:
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Dowry
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Page
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Mace
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Dubbing ceremony
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Jousting
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Trenchers
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Garderobe
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Lances
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Bawn
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Barbican
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Portcullis
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Moat
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Keep
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