Category Archives: Castles

Before castles: where did kings live?

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Ruth

What did Europe’s Dark Ages-era kings and lords live in? In the Castle series, I make the case that castles—fortified residences—were quintessentially Norman innovations for governing the rebellious newly-conquered English land. There seem to be two kinds of royal houses … Continue reading →

Posted in Castles | Comments Off on Before castles: where did kings live?

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 →

Posted in Castles, Food | Leave a comment

Life as a knight

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Ruth

Adult life as a knight divided into two typical stages. In the first, the young man was a member of another man’s household; later, he would have his own manor or castle to govern. In the first stage, he had … Continue reading →

Posted in Castles, Medieval cycle of life | Tagged | Leave a comment

Boy knights

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Ruth

Medieval children born into land-owning (that is, aristocratic) families had a specific career future to prepare for. Until the late Middle Ages, they were less likely to go to school than their non-aristocratic age peers. In the early Middle Ages, … Continue reading →

Posted in Castles, Medieval cycle of life | Tagged | Leave a comment