Category Archives: Castles

“Modern” warfare

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Ruth

The century of the First Crusade was, to its time, like the first World War to ours. To put it another way, Northern Europe was a “developing nation” while the Near East was modern. The history of medieval Europe is … Continue reading →

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Hall life

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Ruth

When you look at these early 12th century square (or rounded-off) keeps with modern eyes, you find it hard to believe that it could serve as a family’s home. Most of the space was used for storage, since the keep … Continue reading →

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Early post-Crusade towers

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Ruth

The Crusades sponsored a constant flow of people between northern Europe and the Middle East. By 1150, the keeps and towers built in Europe were influenced by what knights and masons had seen in the Levant. Byzantine towers, like the … Continue reading →

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The Black Tower of Constantinople

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Ruth

When the Norman, French and German Crusaders began to explore the existing fortifications in the Middle East, they found things they had never seen before. The Byzantine Empire had built forts that the Saracens now held. Although they were not … Continue reading →

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Castles in the Holy Land

Posted on October 12, 2013 by Ruth

Although Normans began to build castles in order to hold onto their English land–and then later to fight off their French cousins from seizing their Norman land–castles didn’t really come into their own until the Normans became the backbone of … Continue reading →

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The White Tower of London

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Ruth

One of the first citadels William the Conqueror built was, of course, in his new capital city. He was far from secure there; he needed to project power to the craftsmen who populated and controlled the city. Indeed, the City … Continue reading →

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Life in an early tower castle

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Ruth

Early castles were designed to withstand short sieges, with the understanding that help from a more powerful overlord would be on its way. They were not designed to handle the type of physical assaults that later castles suffered. In this … Continue reading →

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Motte and Bailey

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Ruth

The first Norman castles were forts in which the invading Norman lords took up personal residence. The earliest design, made of earth and timber, set the pattern that all castles followed after: the motte and bailey. The motte was the … Continue reading →

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History of castles: 1066

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Ruth

Walled fortresses are nothing new in history. The key distinction between a town and a city in ancient times was whether it had a fortified wall around it. Many cities were walled, with protected gates and fighting posts at stations … Continue reading →

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Tromp L’oeil cuisine

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Ruth

Artifice was art in a high-class medieval kitchen. Tromp l’oeil, if not la palate. Aristocratic feasts, such as for Christmas, a wedding, or a knighting, were the peak time for all such tricks. Feasts served food in courses, but the … Continue reading →

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