What is in the castle. Reichsburg Castle, Germany. Concentric circles of defense
Medieval castles were actually not just large fortresses with massive stone walls. These were ingeniously designed fortifications that used many ingenious and creative ways to protect the inhabitants of the castle from attack by enemies. Literally everything - from the outer walls to the shape and location of the stairs - was very carefully planned to provide maximum protection to the inhabitants of the castle. In this review about the little-known secrets hidden in the construction of medieval castles.
Almost every castle was surrounded by a moat filled with water. It is generally accepted that this was an obstacle to the storming troops, however, in fact, this was not the main function of the moat.
Vischering Castle in Germany. The castle consists of an outer defensive courtyard, protective locks, a drawbridge thrown over a moat, the main building and a chapel.
One of the biggest problems for residents medieval castle or fortress was that the invading army could dig tunnels under the fortifications. Not only could the enemy get inside the castle underground, but the tunnels could also lead to the collapse of the castle walls. The ditch prevented this, since the tunnel dug under the ditch inevitably flooded with water and collapsed.
Nesvizh Castle. Belarus.
This was a very effective deterrent against tunneling. Often the moat was laid not around the outer wall of the castle, but between the outer and inner walls.
Concentric circles of defense
It was an extremely effective method of defense for the inhabitants of a medieval castle, and looked like a series of obstacles surrounding the castle.
Hochosterwitz Castle. Austria.
As a rule, such obstacles were (in proportion to the distance from the castle) a scorched and dug field, an outer wall, a moat, an inner wall, a donjon tower. The attacking army had to overcome each of these obstacles in turn. And it took a lot of time and effort.
main gate
The main gate of the castle was often the most dangerous place the entire structure, since, if necessary, they could turn into a deadly trap.
Eltz Castle in Germany.
They often led to a small courtyard, at the other end of which there was also another gate, equipped with an iron descending grate. If the attackers broke through the first gate and found themselves in the yard, then the grate fell, after which the aggressors found themselves in a trap.
Svirzh castle in the village of Svirzh Lviv region. Main gate.
At the same time, there were small holes in the walls of the courtyard through which the defenders could shoot from bows and crossbows at the enemy soldiers who were trapped.
Hidden secrets of stairs
Staircases in medieval castles were actually very elaborate. First, they were almost always helical, very narrow and built clockwise.
Spiral staircase in Mir Castle. Belarus.
This meant that it was very difficult for attacking opponents who climbed up the stairs (and one at a time, because the stairs were narrow), because they had a sword in their right hand. And since there was always a wall on the right hand, they had no opportunity to swing. For the defenders, the wall of the spiral staircase was on the left hand, so they had more possibilities for a swing.
Staircase with reverse twist and uneven steps in the Wallenstein castle in Germany.
Another original feature of the stairs was that they had uneven steps: some were very high and others were low. The defenders of the castle, being familiar with the local stairs, could quickly climb up and down them, and the attackers often stumbled and fell, exposing themselves to a blow.
secret passages
Many castles had secret passages that served various purposes. Some of them were made so that the inhabitants of the castle could flee in case of defeat, and also so that during the siege the defenders would not be cut off from food supplies.
Koretsky castle in Ukraine.
Secret passages also led to secret chambers where people could hide, food was stored and (which was quite common) an additional well was dug for water.
Predjama Castle in Slovenia.
Therefore, the medieval castle was much more than just a large glamorous palace with massive stone walls around it. It was a structure designed down to the smallest detail to protect the inhabitants. And each castle was full of its own little secrets.
Since the seas and rivers provided a great overview for tracking down and attacking foreign invaders.
The supply of water made it possible to maintain ditches and ditches, which were an indispensable part of the castle's defense system. Castles also functioned as administrative centers, and reservoirs helped facilitate the collection of taxes, because rivers and seas were important trade waterways.
Also, castles were built on high hills or in cliffs of rocks that were difficult to attack.
Stages of building a castle
At the beginning of the construction of the castle, ditches were dug in the ground around the location of the future building. Their contents were piled up inside. It turned out a mound or hill, which was called "mott". A castle was later built on it.
Then the walls of the castle were built. Often two rows of walls were erected. The outer wall was lower than the inner one. It had towers for the defenders of the castle, a drawbridge and a lock. Towers were built on the inner wall of the castle, which were used for. The basement rooms were intended to store food in case of a siege. The platform, which was surrounded by an inner wall, was called "bailey". On the site there was a tower where the feudal lord lived. Castles could be supplemented with extensions.
What were castles made of?
The material from which the castles were made depended on the geology of the area. The first castles were built of wood, but later stone became the building material. Sand, limestone, granite were used in construction.
All construction was done by hand.
The walls of castles were rarely made entirely of solid stone. Outside, the wall was lined with processed stones, and on its inside, uneven shapes and different sizes were laid out. These two layers were connected with lime mortar. The solution was prepared right on the site of the future structure, and stones were also whitened with it.
Wooden scaffolding was erected at the construction site. At the same time, horizontal beams were stuck into holes made in the walls. Boards were laid on top of them. On the walls of the castles of the Middle Ages, you can see square recesses. These are the marks from the scaffolding. At the end of the construction, the construction niches were filled with limestone, but over time it fell off.
The windows in the castles were narrow openings. On the tower of the castle, small openings were made so that the defenders could shoot arrows.
What did the locks cost?
If it was about royal residence, then for the construction specialists were hired throughout. So the king of medieval Wales, Edward the First built his ring castles. The masons cut the stones into blocks of the correct shape and size, using a hammer, chisel and measuring tools. This work required a high level of skill.
Stone castles were expensive. King Edward almost ruined the state treasury by spending 100,000 pounds on their construction. About 3,000 workers were involved in the construction of one castle.
The construction of castles took from three to ten years. Some of them were built in the war zone and took longer to complete. Most of the castles built by Edward the First are still standing.
At the mention of the castles of the Middle Ages, picturesque walls entwined with ivy, beautiful ladies in high towers and noble knights in shining armor come to mind. But it was not these lofty images that motivated the feudal lords to build impregnable walls with loopholes, but harsh reality.
During the Middle Ages, Europe experienced many changes. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the processes of migration of peoples began, new kingdoms and states appeared. All this was accompanied by constant conflicts and strife.
feudal nobleman, who had a knighthood, to protect himself from enemies, and even the closest neighbors could become them, was forced to strengthen his home as much as possible and build a castle.
Wikipedia offers to distinguish between a castle and a fortress. Fortress - walled area land with houses and other buildings. The castle is smaller. This is a single structure, which includes walls, towers, bridges and other structures.
The castle was the private fortress of a noble lord and his family. In addition to the direct function of protection, it was an indicator of power and wealth. But not all knights could afford it. The owner could be a whole knightly order - a community of warriors.
How and from what materials were medieval castles built?
Construction of a real castle was a laborious and costly process. All work was carried out by hand and sometimes lasted for decades.
Before construction began, a suitable site had to be selected. Most impregnable castles erected on the cliffs of steep cliffs. However, more often they chose a hill with an open view and a river nearby. The water artery was necessary to fill the ditches, and was also used as a way to transport goods.
A deep ditch was dug on the ground and a mound was formed. Then, with the help of scaffolding, walls were erected.
challenging task was the construction of a well. I had to dig deep down or gouge the rock.
The choice of material for construction depended on many factors. Of decisive importance were:
- terrain;
- human resources;
- budget.
If there was a quarry nearby, the structure was built of stone, otherwise wood, sand, limestone or bricks were used. For the outside, we used facing materials, for example, processed stone. The elements of the walls were connected with lime mortar.
Although glass was known in those days, it was not used in castles. Narrow windows were covered with mica, leather or parchment. Inside the living quarters of the owners of the castle, the walls were often covered with frescoes and hung with tapestries. In the rest of the rooms, they limited themselves to a layer of lime or left untouched masonry.
What elements did castles consist of?
Precise lock configuration depended on local traditions, landscape, wealth of the owner. Over time, new engineering solutions appeared. Previously built structures were often completed and rebuilt. Among all Medieval fortifications, several traditional elements can be distinguished.
Moat, bridge and gate
The castle was surrounded by a moat. If there was a river nearby, it was flooded. Wolf pits were arranged at the bottom - depressions with stakes or sharp rods.
It was possible to get inside through the moat only with the help of a bridge. Huge logs served as supports. Part of the bridge rose and closed the passage inside. The mechanism of the drawbridge was designed in such a way that 2 guards could handle it. In some castles, the bridge had a swing mechanism.
The gate was double-leaf and closed transverse beam that slides into the wall. Although they were knocked together from several layers of durable boards and upholstered with iron, the gate remained the most vulnerable part of the structure. They were protected by a gate tower with a guard room. The entrance to the castle turned into a long narrow passage with holes in the ceiling and walls. If the enemy was inside, a stream of boiling water or resin poured on him.
In addition to wooden gates, there was often a lattice, which was closed with a winch and ropes. IN emergency, the ropes were chopped off, the barrier fell sharply.
An additional element of the protection of the gate was the barbican - the walls coming from the gate. Opponents had to squeeze in into the passage between them under a hail of arrows.
Walls and towers
The height of the walls of the medieval fortification reached 25 meters. They had a powerful base and withstood the blows of battering rams. deep foundation was intended to protect against undermining. The thickness of the walls to the top decreased, they became sloping. At the top, behind the battlements, was a platform. Being on it, the defenders fired at the enemies through slot-like holes, threw down stones or poured resin.
Double walls were often built . Overcoming the first hurdle, opponents fell into a narrow space in front of the second wall, where they became easy prey for archers.
At the corners of the perimeter were watchtowers, which protruded forward in relation to the wall. Inside, they were divided into floors, each of which was a separate room. In large castles, the towers had a vertical partition for strengthening.
All the stairs in the towers were spiral and very steep. If the enemy penetrated interior territory, the defender had an advantage and could throw the aggressor down. Initially, the towers had a rectangular shape. But this interfered with the review during the defense. Replaced by round buildings.
Behind the main gate was a narrow courtyard, which was well shot through.
The rest of the interior space the castle was occupied by buildings. Among them:
In large knightly castles, there was a garden inside, and sometimes a whole garden.
The central and most fortified structure of any castle is the donjon tower. In the lower part there was a storehouse with food supplies and an arsenal with weapons and equipment. Above was the guard room, the kitchen. The upper part was occupied by the dwelling of the owner and his family. A throwing weapon or catapult was installed on the roof. The outer walls of the donjon had small ledges. There were restrooms. Holes opened outward, waste fell down. From the donjon, underground passages could lead to a shelter or neighboring buildings.
Mandatory elements of a castle in the Middle Ages was a church or chapel. It could be located in the central tower or be a separate building.
The castle could not do without a well. In the absence of a source of water, the inhabitants would not have held out for several days during the siege. The well was protected by a separate building.
Living conditions in the castle
The castle provided the need for security. However, other benefits of its inhabitants often had to be neglected.
Little light penetrated inside the premises, since the windows were replaced by narrow loopholes, which were covered with dense materials. living rooms they were heated with fireplaces, but this did not save them from dank dampness and cold. harsh winter the walls froze through. Using the latrines during the cold season was especially uncomfortable.
Residents often had to neglect hygiene. Most of the water from the well went to maintain life functions and care for animals.
Over time, the structure of castles became more complex, new elements appeared. However, the development of gunpowder guns deprived the castles of the main advantage - impregnability. They were replaced by fortresses with more complex engineering solutions.
Gradually, the castles of the Middle Ages, many of which have survived to this day, turned into architectural monuments and remind of the era of chivalry.
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There are few things in the world more interesting than knight's castles Medieval: these majestic fortresses breathe evidence of distant eras with grandiose battles, they saw both the most perfect nobility and the meanest betrayal. And not only historians and military experts are trying to unravel the secrets of ancient fortifications. The knight's castle is interesting for everyone - a writer and a layman, an avid tourist and a simple housewife. This is, so to speak, a mass artistic image.
How the idea was born
A very turbulent time - in addition to big wars, the feudal lords constantly fought with each other. In a neighborly way, so as not to be bored. Aristocrats fortified their dwellings from invasion: at first they would only dig a moat in front of the entrance and put up a wooden palisade. With the acquisition of siege experience, the fortifications became more and more powerful - so that the ram could withstand and not be afraid of stone cores. In antiquity, this is how the Romans surrounded the army with a palisade on vacation. Stone structures began to be built by the Normans, and only in the 12th century did classical European knightly castles of the Middle Ages appear.
Transformation into a fortress
Gradually, the castle turned into a fortress, it was surrounded by a stone wall, into which tall towers. The main goal is to make the knight's castle inaccessible to attackers. At the same time to be able to monitor the entire district. The castle must have its own source drinking water- suddenly a long siege is ahead.
The towers were built in such a way as to hold any number of enemies for as long as possible, even alone. For example, they are narrow and so steep that a warrior walking second cannot help the first in any way - neither with a sword nor with a spear. And it was necessary to climb them counterclockwise, so as not to hide behind the shield.
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Imagine mountain slope on which a knight's castle was erected. Photo attached. Such structures were always built at a height, and if there was no suitable natural landscape, they made an artificial hill.
The knight's castle in the Middle Ages is not only knights and feudal lords. Near and around the castle there were always small settlements, where all kinds of artisans settled and, of course, warriors guarding the perimeter.
Those who walk along the road always turn their right side to the fortress, the one that cannot be covered by a shield. There is no high vegetation - no hiding. The first obstacle is the moat. It can be around the castle or across between the castle wall and the plateau, even crescent-shaped if the terrain allows.
There are dividing ditches even within the castle: if suddenly the enemy managed to break through, movement will be very difficult. If the soil rocks are rocky - a moat is not needed, digging under the wall is impossible. The earthen rampart right in front of the moat was often with a palisade.
The bridge to the outer wall is made in such a way that the defense of the knight's castle in the Middle Ages could last for years. He's uplifting. Either the whole or its extreme segment. In the raised position - vertically - this is an additional protection for the gate. If a part of the bridge was raised, the other part automatically fell into the moat, where a "wolf pit" was arranged - a surprise for the most hasty attackers. The knight's castle in the Middle Ages was not hospitable to everyone.
Gate and gate tower
Knight's castles of the Middle Ages were most vulnerable just in the gate area. Latecomers could enter the castle through the side gate on the lifting ladder, if the bridge was already raised. The gates themselves were most often not built into the wall, but were arranged in gate towers. Usually double-leaf, from several layers of boards, sheathed with iron to protect against arson.
Locks, bolts, transverse beams sliding across the opposite wall - all this helped to hold out in the siege for quite a long time. Behind the gate, in addition, a powerful iron or wooden grate usually fell. This is how the knightly castles of the Middle Ages were equipped!
The gate tower was arranged so that the guards guarding it could find out from the guests the purpose of the visit and, if necessary, treat them with an arrow from a vertical loophole. For a real siege, holes for boiling resin were also built in.
Defense of a knight's castle in the Middle Ages
The most important defensive element. It should be high, thick and better if on a plinth at an angle. The foundation under it is as deep as possible - in case of a digging.
Sometimes there is a double wall. Next to the first high - the inner one is small, but impregnable without devices (ladders and poles that were left outside). The space between the walls - the so-called zwinger - is shot through.
The outer wall at the top is equipped for the defenders of the fortress, sometimes even with a canopy from the weather. The teeth on it existed not only for beauty - it was convenient to hide behind them to their full height in order to reload, for example, a crossbow.
The loopholes in the wall were adapted for both archers and crossbowmen: narrow and long - for a bow, with an extension - for a crossbow. Ball loopholes - a fixed but rotating ball with a slot for shooting. Balconies were built mainly decorative, but if the wall is narrow, then they were used, retreating and letting the others pass.
Medieval knight towers were almost always built with domed towers at the corners. They came out to shoot along the walls in both directions. The inner side was open so that the enemy who penetrated the walls would not gain a foothold inside the tower.
What's inside?
In addition to zwingers, other surprises could be expected outside the gates of uninvited guests. For example, a small enclosed courtyard with loopholes in the walls. Sometimes castles were built from several autonomous sections with strong internal walls.
There was definitely a courtyard with a household inside the castle - a well, a bakery, a bathhouse, a kitchen and a donjon - central tower. Much depended on the location of the well: not only the health, but also the life of the besieged. It happened that (remember that the castle, if not just on a hill, then on the rocks) was more expensive than all the other buildings of the castle. The Thuringian castle Kuffhäuser, for example, has a well over one hundred and forty meters deep. In rock!
central tower
Donjon - the most tall building castle. From there, the surroundings were monitored. And it is the central tower - the last refuge of the besieged. The most reliable! The walls are very thick. The entrance is extremely narrow and located at a great height. The stairs leading to the door could be pulled in or destroyed. Then the knight's castle can keep the siege for quite a long time.
At the base of the donjon there was a cellar, a kitchen, a pantry. Next came the floors with stone or wooden ceilings. The stairs were wooden, with stone ceilings they could be burned to stop the enemy on the way.
The main hall was located on the whole floor. Heated by a fireplace. Above were usually the rooms of the family of the owner of the castle. There were small stoves decorated with tiles.
At the very top of the tower, most often open, there is a platform for a catapult and, most importantly, a banner! Medieval knightly castles were distinguished not only by chivalry. There were cases when the knight and his family did not use the donjon for housing, having built a stone palace (palace) not far from it. Then the donjon served as a warehouse, even a prison.
And, of course, every knight's castle necessarily had a temple. The obligatory inhabitant of the castle is the chaplain. Often he is both a clerk and a teacher, in addition to his main job. In rich castles, temples were two-story, so that the gentlemen would not pray next to the mob. The family tomb of the owner was also equipped within the temple.
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INTRODUCTION
Topic selection « Medieval castle: secrets of fortification» was not random.
The Middle Ages is a majestic mystery, largely unsolved by medieval scholars. One of the components of the Mystery is medieval castles: magnificent monuments of architecture and fortification art.
These citadels, which arose as a refuge for the feudal lord, his family and at the same time indicators of the wealth and strength of the owner, which became widespread from the first half of the era, gradually turned into fortresses during numerous wars. for the most part were destroyed.
We really wanted to learn more about these impregnable structures than what is written in textbooks, and answer the question: what allowed the defenders of castles to withstand a long siege and what secrets of castle architecture helped them in this.
Relevance: from Today, medieval castles and their fortification architecture are becoming objects of close attention not only for scientists and tourists, but also for authors of computer games, strategies, books and films in the fantasy style, where events take place in ancient fortified palaces-fortresses. This develops our interest and curiosity, the desire to find out more than what is written in the educational literature about the castles of the Middle Ages surrounded by mystery.
At the same time, the castle becomes for us not only a place of exciting adventures and battles along with the heroes of Warhammer Fantasy Battles, Warmachine, Kings of War, Confrontation, Game of Thrones, Robin Hood, Lord of the Rings and other fantasy novels, films and wargames, but also calling card Middle Ages, which helps to comprehend its content, opening one of the most interesting pages of history.
This judgment is justified, since the Middle Ages went down in history as a period of endless wars, not only interstate, but also internecine, feudal. Under these conditions, a knight's (feudal) castle became a reliable fortification, and the features of its fortification structure helped the owner and the garrison to withstand a long siege by the enemy.
As you can see, from the point of view of relevance, the study acquires a special meaning. And if before, researchers and project authors talked mainly about the castle - a masterpiece of medieval architecture, today - about the secrets of architecture for a special, military purpose, turning a dwelling, the center of civilization of a single feudal estate into a citadel.
Object of study
Medieval castle as a dwelling, refuge and palace of a feudal lord.
Subject of study
Elements of castle fortification architecture and the secrets embedded in them.
Purpose of the study
Find out the structure of the most important parts of a medieval castle-fortress and their special purpose in defense against the enemy.
To achieve this goal, the following tasks:
To study the literature containing information about medieval castles, the history of their construction, purpose.
Find out the features of the fortification purpose of the elements of the knight's castle.
Training (problem) question
1. What fortification secrets allowed the defenders of castles to withstand a long siege?
Research methods: collection and study of information; generalization and description of the fortification features of a medieval castle.
Research products
1. Model of a medieval castle.
2. Book - manual "Medieval castle: the secrets of fortification."
3. Medieval castle (crossword "vice versa").
The work consists of an Introduction, three sections, a Conclusion, a list of references and an Appendix.
In the Introduction, the relevance of the study is substantiated, the goal, objectives, object and subject of the study are defined.
Section 1 "The Knight's Castle of the Middle Ages: a bit of history" considers a general idea of the time and the need for the appearance of knight's castles in Europe, general principles location and facilities.
Section 2 "The most important elements of the castle and "traps" for the enemy" considers fortification details, tricks and their purpose.
Section 3 "Approbation of research materials and conclusions" presents diagrams illustrating the indicators of students' knowledge before and after acquaintance with the research materials prepared by us (Manual book "Medieval Castle: Secrets of Fortification").
The “Conclusion” summed up the general results of the work, outlined the conclusions, substantiated the practical application and significance of the work.
The "References" reflects the sources that we used in our research.
The "Appendix" contains testing materials, separately - a manual "Medieval Castle: Secrets of Fortification", diagrams reflecting the level of knowledge of students BEFORE and AFTER acquaintance with our work, as well as a "crossword puzzle in reverse" as a material for reflection.
SECTION 1. Medieval knight's castle: the secrets of fortification
Medieval castle: a bit of history
Our history teacher often repeats that the causes of phenomena and events must be sought not only in the era contemporary with the event, but in what preceded it, even if such a connection is hidden behind the curtain of many years ...
Indeed, slavery and Antiquity were born out of primitiveness, which outgrew itself, and the distant Middle Ages - from Greco-Roman civilization, when it had exhausted its possibilities ...
But it would seem that it is either impossible or very difficult to find similarities between Roman times and the European Middle Ages in particulars, details. What if you take a closer look?
And if you look closely, the theme of our work "The medieval castle and its fortification features" in the main detail - "the purpose of the castle" - returns us to the structure of the Roman camp, the direct purpose of which is the protection of its inhabitants.
Judge for yourself, the parking lot of Roman legionnaires is a fenced area, inside which - camping. A medieval fortification is a complicated version of such a shelter.
Based on experience defensive structures of the past, realizing the danger of the Norman invasion, a man of the beginning of the XII century begins to build shelters that can protect him from external invasion. At first, he encloses a fortress house on a hill with a palisade, digs a moat around it and brings water to it, and then, realizing that wood and limestone are unreliable materials, he begins to build a stone fortress and enclose it not just with a fence - with a wall, the height and thickness of which now measured in meters.
With each new castle on the map of Europe, a new design of its structure appears, the main purpose of which is not only to prevent enemy plans, but also to stop the enemy, to defeat, if not on the outskirts of the citadel, then inside it, using the tricks of fortification architecture.
Today, playing computer games, empathizing with the heroes of fantasy films, collecting puzzles, we partially delve into the meaning of building huge defensive structures, analyze the internal structure and system of fortifications, often asking ourselves: what is there, behind the stone barrier that stands in the way of the conquerors, why did the knights build not just beautiful and solid houses, but shelters, fortresses?
The conclusion suggests itself: they were motivated by the wars! With whom? With everyone! In particular, and among themselves for land, peasants, wealth, prestige, honor ...
The 12th century came to Europe as a time of disasters and great bloodshed and made you think about whether a rival superior in strength, who would like your home, forest, river, fields, would come down?
And then, like mushrooms after a good warm rain, such castles appear that even today inspire awe, respect, and sometimes serious fear: will a ghost in armor emerge from the wall with a rusty sword in his hands? ..
The owner of the citadel clearly knew what he wanted: the castle should be inaccessible to the enemy, provide observation of the area (including the nearest villages belonging to the owner of the castle), have its own source of water (in case of a siege) and show the power and wealth of the feudal lord.
The place was chosen based on these requirements: a mountain, high rock, in extreme cases, a hillock, it would be nice not far from the water. The construction of the main dwelling - the donjon began. It's hard work, slow, carefully planned. While the builders erected walls and dug a well (a source of water, and therefore life!), the local people (from the master's artisans, warriors, peasants) guarded the approaches to the future fortification and paved roads to it. The road necessarily contained numerous obstacles, which could only be overcome by knowledgeable person(disguised pits, false crossings over rivers and large streams, ambushes with cleared sectors for shelling the enemy ...). A prerequisite is that the road should twist so that the horseman or foot warrior will certainly turn out to be right, unprotected, sideways to the citadel.
Having completed the construction of the donjon, they began to build defensive walls. The richer owners built several obstacle walls, the poorer ones managed one, but always powerful, high, with towers and loopholes, strong gates, a barbican protruding forward, a drawbridge across a moat filled with water.
It also happened vice versa: they started with a moat and walls, and ended with a donjon. But, most importantly, the outcome was always the same: another fortress appeared, an impregnable citadel, striking in power, beauty or architectural fiction. Take a look at these European castles.
Amazing, isn't it?
SECTION 2. "The most important elements of the castle and" traps "for the enemy"
Loopholes, their types and purpose
The castle of the Middle Ages with its fortifications, which have a certain defensive purpose, is not today's rich "antique" house. A medieval castle is a formidable, often gloomy fortress with towers and sentries warily looking around from their eye sockets.
The towers were built hollow, inside they were divided into floors by ceilings made of wooden boards with a hole in the center or side. A rope passed through them to raise shells to the upper platform in case of defending the castle.
The stairs were hidden behind partitions in the wall. Take a look: each floor is a separate room in which the soldiers were located. For heating, a fireplace was often arranged in the thickness of the wall, in which, by the way, it was possible to cook game on a spit ...
The only openings in the tower that connected with the outside world were loopholes for archery. Long and narrow openings, they expanded into the room. Usually the height of such loopholes is 1 meter, and the width is 30 cm outside and 1 meter and 30 centimeters inside. This design prevented enemy arrows from getting inside, and the defenders were able to shoot in different directions.
For archers, loopholes were long narrow slots in the wall, and for the crossbowman, short loopholes were intended, expanding to the sides. They were often called keyholes.
There were also loopholes of a special form - spherical. They were wall-mounted, freely rotating slotted wooden balls. They provided the shooter with maximum protection.
The number of loopholes was supposed to frighten the enemy, who understood that the more loopholes, the more defenders, the stronger the defense, of course.
As contemporaries of the events of the Middle Ages, historians and even tourists write, the presence of loopholes became especially relevant during a war or siege, since it was not visible in a narrow vertical hole whether the shooter was behind it or not. The height of some loopholes was even calculated taking into account this circumstance.
What is interesting for us is the fact that loopholes in the walls were not common in Europe until the 13th century, since it was believed that they could weaken their strength. But, regardless of their purpose, loopholes have become an obligatory attribute of medieval castles since the 13th century.
Secrets of the spiral staircase. Knight's swords*.
Secrets of the spiral staircase.
The time of appearance, and then the heyday of the technique of constructing a spiral staircase is considered to be the Middle Ages. Trying in every possible way to complicate the life of their enemies, the knights adapted spiral staircases to all structures, and the screw always twisted clockwise.
The attackers, when advancing to the top of the tower along such a ladder, were waiting for a large number of troubles: steps turning around its axis, a narrow passage, no place to swing a sword, an open space for an attack from above, repeated at every bend. Under such conditions, even a very modest garrison is able to hold their positions without loss, which would be impossible on an ordinary staircase. You can’t shoot a bow from a crossbow, you can’t break through a ladder with a spear, a sword, and the holes in the steps made it possible to assess the situation, watch the besieging enemies making their way upstairs, and finally break their legs.
However, there is a castle in Europe in which the stairs are twisted counterclockwise. This is the ancestral home of Count Wallenstein in Bohemia. The fact is that this ancient and warlike family became famous not only for resounding victories and generals, but also for its left-handed warriors...
In the Middle Ages, only privileged guilds of craftsmen had the right to build a spiral staircase. Drawings, sketches of stairs and even indirect indications of who and where built the "cunning" structure were kept by artisans in the strictest confidence.
*Knight's swords (for the most inquisitive). From the 12th century girdling with a sword and blessing this weapon became an obligatory part of the knighting rite. Like a king, a knight was charged with protecting the world from foreign invaders, protecting the church from pagans and enemies of the Christian faith. It is no coincidence that sacred inscriptions and religious symbols appeared on the blades of medieval swords, reminiscent of the high service of a Christian warrior, his duty to God and civilians, and the sword hilt often became an ark for relics and relics. Throughout almost the entire Middle Ages, the general shape of the sword changed little: it invariably resembled one of the main symbols of Christianity - the cross. Very important in its essence was the question of the geometry, profile of the blade and its balancing: swords are adapted for stabbing or chopping combat techniques. The cross-sectional shape of the blade also depended on the use of this sword in battle.
Donjon. Secret passages and chambers in medieval castles
Donjon. Despite the external diversity, all the castles were built according to the same plan. Most often they are encircled by a strong wall with massive square towers at each corner. Well, inside there is a tower - donjon. Initially, these towers had a quadrangular shape, but over time, polygonal or round structures began to appear in order to increase their stability. After all, one of the few ways to take impregnable fortress there was a digging followed by undermining the foundation at the corner of the building. Some towers had a dividing wall in the middle.
An additional level of protection was bars, powerful doors and strong locks. The donjons were very carefully thought out.
These towers were built of stone. Wooden fortresses could no longer provide adequate protection from fire, throwing and siege weapons. Besides, stone structure the nobility was much better suited: it became possible to make large and safe rooms that were well protected from the weather and the enemy.
Architects have always taken into account the terrain during construction and chose the most advantageous places for defense for future castles. The donjons, in turn, rose high even above the level of the fortress, which not only improved visibility and gave archers an advantage, but made them practically inaccessible to siege ladders.
There was only one entrance to the tower. It was raised above ground level and arranged with a ladder or even a ditch with a drawbridge so that attackers could not use a ram. The room immediately after entering was sometimes used to disarm visitors. This is where the guards were stationed. Food was stored in the basement of the tower, and it was also one of the most safe places to store the treasures of the nobility.
On the second floor there was a room for meetings and feasts.
There could have been more floors, but this always depended on the wealth of the owner of the castle and on the possibility of separating one floor from another in such a way as to make it long and by no means safe for unwanted guests to move up. In addition, some owners of the citadel ordered the construction of entire underground passages leading far beyond the castle ... And then the formidable and impregnable structures were overgrown with new creepy stories that chilled the blood ...
Secret passages in medieval castles. Medieval castles were ingeniously designed fortifications that used many ingenious and creative ways to protect the inhabitants of the castle from attack by enemies. Literally everything - from the outer walls to the shape and location of the stairs - was very carefully planned to provide maximum protection to the inhabitants of the castle.
Almost every castle had secret passages that only the owners knew about. Some of them were made so that the inhabitants of the castle could flee in case of defeat, and some so that during the siege the defenders would not be cut off from food supplies. Secret passages also led to secret chambers where people could hide or food was stored, and an additional well was dug for water.
One of clear examples castle with many secret rooms and passages is Benrath Castle in Germany. As many as seven invisible passages are hidden in the walls of the building!
Yes, a medieval castle was much more than just a large, glamorous palace with massive stone walls around it. It was a structure designed down to the smallest detail to protect the inhabitants. And each castle was full of its own little secrets.
Ditch and zwinger
Ditch. The first barrier guarding the castle is a deep moat. It was often connected to a river to be filled with water. The moat made it difficult to access the fortress walls and siege weapons. It could be transverse (separate the castle wall from the plateau) or sickle-shaped (curved forward). Could encircle the entire castle in a circle. Very rarely, ditches were dug inside the castle to make it difficult for the enemy to move through its territory. If the soil under the castle was rocky, then the ditch was not made at all. The only way to cross the moat was to use a drawbridge that hung on iron chains.
Zwinger. Often the castle was surrounded by double walls - a high outer and a small inner one. Between them there was an empty space, which received German title zwinger. The attackers, overcoming the outer wall, could not take additional assault devices with them. And, once in the zwinger, they became an easy target for shooters (there were small loopholes for archers in the walls of the zwinger). In the walls of the zwinger, which was also the inner wall of the moat, semicircular towers or bastions were often built to facilitate the observation of the moat.
The main defensive wall of the castle
... In the previous blessed times, when neighbors at the same table peacefully drank wine, hunted and competed in strength and dexterity, everything was simpler: a small house surrounded by a palisade. Then a bigger house and a wall of clay and lime blocks. And then, when the war of everyone against everyone knocked on our door, the houses turned into fortresses, and the fences into stone walls!
Both the castle and the wall were now built in such a way as to withstand a long siege, save them from captivity and shame, and stop the enemy! And each element played its important role. This also applied main wall fortresses.
It should be of such height that the attackers could not climb it by ladders or with the help of siege towers, and, of course, very wide, thick. Then you can stop trying to quickly make a hole in it - the time will not be spent in vain, but a lot without an obvious result. Powerful trebuchet can, of course, bring down the roof of the towers or break the battlements. Most likely, the enemy uses soldiers with pickaxes, but then the castle defenders will be helped by loopholes, in which the arrows hid, and machicols, from which boiling water and red-hot resin will pour on the enemy ...
On top of the wall laid combat move. All possible weapons will be used here by the defenders of the fortress, hiding behind the battlements of the wall, in order to prevent the enemy from setting up assault ladders, making a dig, and breaking through a niche for an explosion.
The builders strongly recommended that protruding forwards be inserted into the wall towers with loopholes and walkways. The towers also served to strengthen the corners - the weakest point of the wall, since it is in the corners of the fortress that the most enemy forces and the least defense forces can be concentrated.
Barbican and wolf pits
Barbican. No matter how strong the castle gates were, they still remained a weak link. Therefore, the builders of the glorious Middle Ages figured out how to protect the entrance to the citadel. And this building, guarding the gate, was the barbican - the outer fortification of the city or fortress.
What is the secret of the barbican? The fact that it cannot be bypassed, if you are going to break open the gates of the citadel, you must go through it!
And here was the trick of the barbican - the gate tower: this most powerful stone structure had a platform at the top, on which throwing guns were placed. Moreover, the barbican had two floors. On the first - a through passage with a width of a little more sizes wagons. A small detachment, having got here, turned out to be cut off from the main one by an iron grate falling from above, from the outside, and by strong gates, locked with a powerful bolt, from the inside!
The guards serving on the second floor, having opened the hatches in the floor, could pour (and poured!) Hot tar or boiling water on the enemies rushing to the main gate.
In fact, the barbican was the only way to the castle and, of course, perfectly guarded.
Wolf holes. Another terrible obstacle on the way to the castle was the wolf pits - cunning and cruel structures that were invented by the ancient Romans. The pit was arranged in such a way that, firstly, it had inclined (inwards) walls. Therefore, getting out of it was not so easy. Secondly, short pointed stakes were driven into its bottom in several rows. Having fallen into this disguised trap, a person almost always lost the opportunity to stay alive, and his soul flew off to God after severe torment of the body.
Enemy infantry was doomed if they fell into the locations of the wolf pits. And they were waiting for the victim on the approaches to the castle, and at its walls, and at the gates of the barbican and the fortress itself, and even on the approaches to the donjon.
Medieval castle - main gate
Gates - the most vulnerable part of the castle, were installed in the gate towers. Most often, the gates were double-leaf, and the wings were knocked together from two layers of boards. In order to prevent them from being set on fire from the outside, they were upholstered with iron. In one of the doors of the gate there was a small narrow door, which could only be entered by bending over. An additional reinforcement of the gate was a transverse beam, which wound into hook-shaped slots on the walls.
Behind the gate was a drop-down portcullis. Most often it was wooden, with iron-bound lower ends. But there were also iron gratings made of steel tetrahedral rods.
The grate hung on ropes or chains, which, in case of danger, could be cut off so that it quickly fell down, blocking the way for the invaders. From the point of view of defense and protection of the castle, the gate was of great importance. Therefore, the medieval castle was built for a long time, painstakingly, taking into account all the features of the hostilities of the enemy.
Drawbridge
The drawbridge, thrown over the moat, rose in case of danger and, like a door, closed the entrance, disconnecting the castle from the outside world. The bridge was driven by mechanisms hidden in the building. From the bridge to the lifting machines, ropes or chains wound around the gate went into the wall openings. The ropes were sometimes supplied with heavy counterweights, which took part of the weight of this structure. Another way to raise the bridge is with a lever. Both designs facilitated the rapid lifting of the bridge.
Especially skillful were the craftsmen who built the bridge, which worked on the principle of a swing. One lay on the ground under the gate, and the other stretched across the moat. When the inner part rose, closing the entrance to the castle, the outer part (to which the attackers sometimes managed to run) fell down into the moat, into the “wolf pit”, invisible from the side while the bridge was lowered.
In the middle of the century, the defensive value of drawbridges was very high, but later lost its importance due to the advent of new siege weapons.
In order to understand the role played by the material collected, processed and prepared by us in the form of an illustrated manual book on the topic of the study, we invited all those who participated in our survey at the end of 2017 to get acquainted with it and solve the “Medieval Castle” crossword puzzle , compiled taking into account the need for knowledge of terms and concepts on the topic. The obtained positive results are presented in diagrams (indicators are indicated as a percentage) in the Appendix and give a clear idea of the role and significance of our research in the learning process.
2.2. conclusions
As a result of the processing and analysis of the results obtained, we obtained evidence of the effectiveness of using the materials of our study in the educational process.
The level of knowledge and understanding of the educational material by the students of grade 6B "ANO" SCHOOL "PRESIDENT" who participated in the testing of the research materials has increased significantly, as can be seen from the comparison of the diagrams. (See also Appendix).
CONCLUSION
The work we did was very interesting. We were able to answer all the questions that interested us and tried to consider in detail not so much the history of the emergence of knightly castles as the fortification secrets laid down by the architects during their construction.
To touch the Middle Ages, a model of the castle was made. It can be used in the lessons of the world around, history. But the most important result of our work was, of course, the illustrated book "Medieval Castle: Secrets of Fortification", for which we collected and systematized material for six months using available literature and the possibilities of the Internet.
Solving the mystery of fortification medieval castles, we reasonably assumed that the research product can be used in the lessons of the history of the Middle Ages, the Moscow Art Theater and in extracurricular activities. Consequently, the book written by us will contribute to the development of students' cognitive activity, the formation of their life position, and the development of interest in History.
Thus, we believe that the goals and objectives set before us in the study have been realized, the hypothesis has been confirmed, and the answer to the educational (problem) question has been received.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ionina N.I. "100 Great Castles", Veche, Moscow, 2004.
Lavisse E. and Rambo A. "The Age of the Crusades", Polygon, St. Petersburg 2003.
Razin E.A. "History of military art", Polygon, St. Petersburg 1999.
Taylor Barbara "Knights", Series "Learn and Make!", Publisher: Moscow OLMA Media Group 2014, 64 p.
Philip Simon, Marie Laure Bue, "Knights and Castles" Series "Your First Encyclopedia", Publisher: Moscow "Makhaon" 2013, 128 p.
Funken L. and Funken F. "Encyclopedia of weapons and military costume MIDDLE AGES", Astrel, Moscow 2002.
Shpakovsky Vyacheslav Olegovich, "Knights" Series "Know the World", Publisher: LLC "Baltic Book" 2014, 96 p.
Internet materials
Castle architecture. goo.gl/RQiawf
- How castles were built in the Middle Ages. goo.gl/Auno84
- Basic elements of a medieval castle. goo.gl/cMLuwn
Knightly traditions. Who are the knights. goo.gl/FXvDFn
Medieval castle: device and siege. goo.gl/5F57rS
Medieval castle. goo.gl/LSPsrU
