Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Research paper on castles of the middle ages
Early medieval castles
Research paper on castles of the middle ages
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Research paper on castles of the middle ages
Who doesn’t love castles? Castles are beautiful creations that serve as a temporary home for families of royalty. Many castles are brilliant buildings with complex architecture and features. A few of these features are the mighty walls, the base, and the towers. Some of the architecture commonly used to build castles dates back many years. Castles are loaded with powerful defenses and clever traps. Castles are also needed to be filled with obstructions and defenses in order to protect the royal family from the harsh and cruel world. Additionally, the interior of castles is dazzling with many important rooms. In the middle ages, castles were elaborate structures, and many are still standing today. As stunning as the castle is on the outside, …show more content…
The demand for castles in western Europe was to fortify newly established cities. “To protect themselves from sudden raids by the Vikings, the nobles needed strongholds to which they could retreat until they gathered their vassals for battle” (“The Medieval Castle”). Castles were used alongside Feudalism. When Feudalism was a popular idea, castles were used. When a family of royalty or nobility felt threatened, they would hide in the castle. Castles were not a permanent home to anyone. A castle could be closely compared to a storm shelter. When a family felt in danger, they would go to a storm shelter. If the royal family did not feel safe on their estates, they would be protected by knights and defenses in the castle. “Dover Castle, mainly the creation of Henry II in the 12th century, is one of the greatest of all English castles. It was kept in repair as a working fortress, and garrisoned, until the mid-20th century” (Johnson 37). Around the fourteenth century was the time when castles were becoming abandoned due to gunpowder and cannons (“The Medieval Castle”). Also, the end of the Hundred Years’ War caused the decline of castles (“Castles”, Gale). The enemies were creating far more advanced siege weapons that were able to obliterate the walls of castles. After this point, castles were forgotten about and turned into historical monuments. People can actually go and …show more content…
If an enemy were to get close to the wall, there needed to be weapons to take down the attackers. For the odd chance that an enemy gets inside the castle, traps were set up all around. The major source of weaponry in castles were the archers. The arrow loops were what allowed the archers to take down large amounts of enemies. Castle defenders rained arrows down on the opponents leaving the enemies unable to shoot back. Archers were mainly the only defense outside of the castle. There were many more surprises for an enemy who entered the castle. Barbicans were clever inventions. A barbican was a defense used to confuse enemies (“Castle Learning Center”). Enemies would enter the barbican and would end up acting like a maze to them (“Castle Learning Center”). Barbicans were used as a distraction. While the enemy was being confused, defenders would attack the enemies. Barbicans left the attackers in a difficult position. The defenders knew the layout of the entire barbican, so they were able to shoot arrows onto the attackers. Sometimes the attackers would even charge them in a sword battle. Another clever defense was the murder hole. Murder holes were openings in the ceiling where defenders could drop deadly projectiles upon their enemies (“Castle Learning Center”). The attackers would enter a hallway that is fairly straight. A defender would be on a floor on top of them. The defender would then drop
Is the architectural design of modern homes slowly changing back to the architectural design of castles in the Middle Ages? If design of homes is changing back to design of castles is it a reflection on our society that castles of the Middle Ages were built primarily for defense. Does this mean that as a society we are tying to pull away from each other? There are many similar characteristics and features between modern homes and castles that are incorporated into the design specifically for defense reasons.
In medieval Europe there were many different weapons and types of fighting. It depended on the time period they fought in. “A soldier's choice of armor depended on the time during which he lived, the type of fighting he did and his economic situation” (Blackwell 1). Some types of fighting were hand-to-hand, which were swords, axes, and many more. Another type would be projectiles, like crossbows, javelins. The last one would be firearms which guns and others. “Many medieval soldiers wore armor to protect themselves from the weapons of their enemies” (Blackwell 2). Siege weapons such as catapults helped armies break into castles and towns. Most soldiers carried some blades in addition to their swords. “A dagger had a hilt like sword and a double-edged blade that was typically between 6 and 12 inches long” (Blackwell 1). Medieval soldiers used many weapons for hand-to-hand combat. All knights carried a sword with them and were expected to be skilled at swordplay. If you could afford swords then there was always something cheaper like the Quarterstaffs, which are long...
... was begun in 1077. The main building, included a small cathedral in one corner, and rises three stories. Towers extend from each of the four corners. Exterior walls enclose the premises. The walls were clearly built for defensive purposes with towers on each corner. The tower of London exists, with some later modifications, till this day.
(Doc. 1) The knights would contribute the protection for the nobles as they gave the king money and knights. (Doc. 1). Another influence on the lives of the people was the Church. “The role of the Church was very large in Medieval
...e went into motion. Possible projectiles of the trebuchet were living prisoners, jugs of Greek fire, rocks, and animals. Another large weapon of siege was used primarily in storms, the battering ram. In its early stages, the ram was no more than a hefty beam with a mass of metal attached to the end. Men would hoist the cumbersome boom onto their shoulders and run into a wall or door as many times as needed until the surface under attack gave way. In the Middle Ages, it was developed into more of a machine, for the ram hung from the center of a tent under which the men operating the ram could hide. The ram could be swung like a pendulum much more easily than having to constantly run back and forth. Also, castle guards often poured hot oil or other things onto the ram and its engineers. The tent, which was on wheels, protected the men and the battering ram as well.
But then less armored knights would use daggers a short pointed knife. Then there would be flails that would consist of a spiked ball attached to a chain that connected to a wood handle. And was usually used for torturing prisoners. Next are lances a long spear like weapon designed for horseback. And now the most common weapon in the medieval era is the sword.
However, you can still see the large wall slots for the roof trusses which begin at the upper third of the spaces between the windows. This indicates that the ceiling would have vaulted upwards. The colour of the walls is also disputable. The castle itself is constructed from Kenilworth stone obtained from an area close to the castle.
Castles were introduced in the tenth century during the war period of the Middle Ages which was home to hundreds of people including the knights. Knights were loyal to the king or ruler and fought for the kingdom. Castles had a significant effect on on the Middles Ages and on the wars and crusades that took place during the war period. The first castle was introduced in 1066 CE, the particular castle, Motte and Bailey, was the first castle introduced to the Middle Ages and was brought to the world by the Normans, as it says in the website, primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk. These incredible buildings were home to many people ruled by the lord.
If you have never seen hammer throwing, competitors that perform use a heavy weight that is connected to a chain. They spin on a pivot foot and whoever throws the “hammer” the furthest, wins the game. Horseshoes is played the exact same way as it is today. Hunting was done for a lot of reasons in the Medieval era. It was for sport, food, and clothing.
Castle Vale was built in between 1964 to 1969 to accommodate 20,000 people (Mornement, 2005). In the early days, the estate was comprised of 34 tower blocks alongside a mix of maisonettes and houses. This area was initially redeveloped throughout the 60s to provide houses to the people who had to be relocated through slum clearance in Birmingham City Centre.
When off their horse, fought with swords (Shuter). Foot soldiers guarded the castle and fought for the lord. They fought with daggers, pikes, crossbows, and longbows (Bingham 25). Knights had complex weapons for battle which was crucial for survival. The types of battle training that the knights did also varied.
You need to be more careful and selective with choosing the right castle because you could not exchange them just as easily than if you would just rent them for the day. Also it is not as easy to sell castles if you want to dispose them because not everyone has the space to allot for them. Here are a few things to ask yourself before you buy one: How often are you supposed to clean them? What electric facilities are required? Is it safe to keep them outside?
The first castles built (Motte and Bailey) were made of wood and quick to build, but they were burnt and worn down easily, so the next castles were made of stone. (Square keeps) They were tall, strong, large and lasted long, but attackers would surround the castle and wait for ages for the people inside to come out. The third castles (Shell Keeps) were even stronger, but because they were made of heavy stone, they might collapse. So finally, the fourth castles (concentric) were built and they were the strongest, largest most defensive and most expensive castles built.
It has earned the name “Chateau” which in French means, “Castle”. When the Chateau was first constructed in 1623, it was constructed as a hunting lodge made of brick, stone, and slate (3-1 Internet 3). When the New Chateau was constructed around 1631, it was decorated in the Baroque style. The style expressed the power and authority of the head of state. Baroque architecture combined in new ways with classical and renaissance elements as columns, arches, and capitals.
The most impressive structure of Windsor Castle is the Round Tower, or Keep, which stands 80 feet high. According to tradition, King Arthur sat with the Knights of the Round Table within this tower. Surrounded by a moat, it was also used as a prison until 1660.