Middle Ages

Medieval Castles

                        

Castles: A Nobles power depended on his ability to defend his land. Walls were good, Castles were better. The first castles were made of mud and wood. But wood burns so around 1100 CE people switched to building them out of stone. With thick stone walls surrounding the manor house and village the people felt safe. Most peasants did not live in the castle, but when trouble came they would hurry inside the castle and close the gates.
Location: Castles were built to be the highest point around so if there was a hill the castle went on top. This meant you could see trouble a long way off. You could also throw things down at any attacker. Some castles were surrounded by a moat which was a deep ditch filled with water. A small bridge was built to lower and raise as needed over the moat. This was the drawbridge.
Interior: The interior of a castle contained The Keep, a storage space for food in case of siege, also the last line of defense in the Castle; Barracks which were the homes of the Knights and soldiers of the Noble; The Great Hall, a place to feast and meet the noble during formal occasions; The Chapel, a place to hold religious services and Gatehouses which were secure places that guarded the gates.

In medieval times, most of the people were peasants, farmers who worked all the time just to grow food. They were protected by the Nobles. But who made up the nobility? The Nobility included the landowners, the King, Lords and Ladies, and Knights of the kingdom.


Life of the Nobility
Kings, Lords, Ladies, Knights


The King: The King was the highest noble of the land. In theory, the king owned all the land. The King gave out fiefs to his followers, which put them in charge of a portion of the land. The fief holder had to pay the king rent, taxes, and provide soldiers whenever the king needed them.
A Lord: A Lord was given a fief by the king. The lord was expected to pay taxes to the king and provide soldiers when needed. To do that, the lord was given absolute power over his fief. Within it, a lord's word was the law. Whatever the lord said, the people had to do.
A Lady: A Lord also needed a wife who was called a Lady. Her job was to take care of the manor, run the house, and most importantly to have children. Women in medieval times had no rights. They were property. They belonged to their father, husband or even eldest son. This is not to say some women didn't take charge, but the law said they were property.
Children: A boy learned how to be a Knight starting at about seven years old. Sometimes they were even taught how to read and write. Girls were not. They were instead expected to learn from their mother all the skills of being a good wife.