Monthly Archives: October 2013

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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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 →

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The demographic bust centuries

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Ruth

I want to make an argument that may not be provable. I’m aware of what evidence there is, and isn’t, for it; I’m aware of how much work it would entail to actually track this down and provide solid evidence … Continue reading →

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Post-plague modern values

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Ruth

Although I’ve had difficulty keeping up the momentum of this long series on the medieval plague’s effect, I’m going to wrap it up with a short series on why I believe that we have lived in the plague’s world for … Continue reading →

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