Note: This is a very long article. You can just skip to the Parts that interest you. Or, if you just want to see the pictures, each one has a title in brown font, and a description in purple. Or, you can read the whole thing, and wind up smarter than a fifth grader.
PART I ——- A Brief History of Castle Architecture
PART II —— General Overview
PART III —– Castle Life (it often sucked)
PART IV —– Defending The Castle
PART V —— Castle Pictures
=======================================
PART I —— A Brief History of Castle Architecture
You may read something here and say to yourself, “That’s not correct!”. Just keep two things in mind. First, as often is the case, much of what folks know about castles will come from television and movies …. and those TV castles will always show the late-period castles, even anachronistically, if necessary. (TV/movies are a terrible source of accurate information.) Secondly, you must keep in mind that very many changes were made to castles during the roughly 500 year Middle Ages period.
Let’s take a quick look:
10th Century: —– The earliest castle construction is known as “motte and bailey”; an earthen mound (motte) and a timber defensive wall of wooden stockade fences (bailey). Most of these castles were later rebuilt in stone. Motte comes from the French word for “mote”, and the meaning gradually moved a mound to the water-filled ditch that surrounded it. Most of these castles were later rebuilt in stone.
NOTE: The English were winning the Battle of Hastings (1066) but, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, they foolishly believe the Normans were retreating. They chase the Normans giving up their superior higher battle position and consequently lose the Battle of Hastings. The end result? The Battle of Hastings resulted in all lands of England being claimed by the Normans who introduce Feudalism to England.
(above) Shortly after William of Normandy defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings, a kinsman is granted estates in Kent to guard the crossing of the Medway at Tonbridge. A simple Motte and Bailey castle is raised. To dig the moat and erect the motte 50,000 tons of earth were moved. By around 1100, the wooden castle is replaced with a stone shell keep.
11th Century — marked the beginnings of stone castles. Social change was sweeping through Europe. Kings, Lords, and other Nobility were consolidating large kingdoms and gaining wealth … wealth that was needed to build stone castles, which required a substantial commitment of resources, money, and time. Next to getting wealth, the next most important thing to rich people is protecting it. So, new castles were built in stone, and many of the older wooden motte & bailey castles were rebuilt. However, the general structure and layout remained very similar and were often called “shell-keeps”.
12th Century — The massive stone keeps we normally consider to be medieval castles took shape during this century. The Greek and Turkish cultures were very proficient with stonework. Crusaders returning to Europe brought with them all kinds of newly found engineering and design, and architectural knowledge which enabled the building of large and elaborate stone fortresses throughout Europe. For example, the idea of “flanking” towers, rather than one central keep, came from the Byzantine Empire. Alnwick Castle was one of Britain’s first to utilize the new design – and these towers found fame in the 21st century, when the castle was cast as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.
Alnick Castle —- aka HOGWARTS!
13th Century — Castle building reaches a feverish climax. Estimates range anywhere from 500 – 700 massive and very intricate castles being built throughout Europe. Many new techniques were applied, such as, square towers gave way to round towers. The square shape was vulnerable to battering rams, had blind zones, and tunnels could be dug underneath them and then collapsed, bringing down the tower. Round towers were much stronger, less vulnerable, had no blind spots, and were much more difficult to topple.
A turning point in the history of the castle was the abandonment of Norman (aka Romanesque) architecture, and replacing it with Edwardian Concentric Castles — an inner wall surrounded by one or more outer walls providing successive lines of defense — or, a castle within a castle, with lots of buildings, walls, towers and gatehouses in one massive medieval castle complex. It is in this century whereby defensive additions were made to the castles such as the barbican, crenellations, murder holes and arrow loops in various sizes.
Caerphilly Castle — the first concentric castle in Britain
MASSIVE —- see the man standing in the middle tower?
(above) Caerphilly Castle is one of the great medieval castles of western Europe. It is Britain’s second largest castle, after Windsor. It is the first truly concentric castle in Britain. It also made large-scale use of water for defense. Upon its completion in the late 1200s it was a revolutionary masterpiece of military planning.
In fact, a chain of concentric castles were built to specifically conquer Wales, and then Scotland (by King Edward I). The Kings largely succeeded, but in the process effectively bankrupted England. But the kings (the House of Plantagenet ) who followed King Edward made good use of the castles. The Welsh had been conquered, and the troublesome Scots soon would be. Meanwhile, Medieval architects and builders discovered the amazing strength and stability of using pointed arches … and castle building took on the Gothic style.
14th – 15th Century — castle building starts to decline due to the development of gunpowder and artillery. It was impractical and futile to spend ten years or more to build a castle that could be totally destroyed by a few days of artillery fire. New castles were built as Gothic masterpieces … some of the most beautiful architecture ever produced by mankind, imho.
The term “Gothic” was first used during the Renaissance period, which followed the Middle Ages. The people of the Renaissance took the word “Gothic” from the Goths, the uncouth barbarians who had overrun the Roman Empire. As such, some believe “Gothic” was a pejorative term — probably first used in the 1530s by Giorgio Vasari — to describe a culture that was considered rude and barbaric. In terms of art and architecture, the term implied that compared to superior Renaissance classical buildings, the Gothic medieval castles and cathedrals were so crude that only a Goth could have produced them. (Personally, I think the Italians were just jealous.)
Bojnice Castle, Slovakia
In addition to visual beauty, Gothic architecture also provided several structural changes, and advantages. Some key elements of Gothic design follows;
- Pointed arch —- supported greater weight which allowed walls to be thinner and with wider window openings
- Gothic arch —- light was emphasized, bright colorful windows (especially in the chapel area) and airy interiors, all transformed castles into more pleasant and majestic environments.
- Flying buttresses — distributed the weight of roofs and walls right down to the ground which allowed architects to spread the weight to different points of the castle
- Solid walls and pillars – which could hold far greater weight which resulted in much bigger castles
- Towers …. central to Gothic architecture. There were more of them, and main towers were accompanied by many slender towers, and they were higher
- Decorative and ornate style —- designs Gothic architecture marked the first time that beauty and aesthetic values had been incorporated into building design. Architecture was no longer just functional – it began to have merit and meaning in its own right.
- Hammerbeam roofs — often referred to as “the most spectacular endeavor of Medieval carpentry”
- Gargoyles!!!
Dublin Castle, Ireland
(above) The tower in the background is from the original castle (1288). The Chapel Royal is a truly wonderful gothic revival building designed by Francis Johnston (1807). It is famous for its vaulting, its particularly fine plaster decoration and carved oaks and galleries.
16th Century and onward — Castle building didn’t vanish for another four centuries … it evolved. Castles became more and more lavish and luxurious, even as their military relevance as a defensive structure eventually disappeared altogether. These new castles were actually nothing more than Palaces. Archaeologists Oliver Creighton and Robert Higham called them Faux Castles, saying — “the great country houses of the sixteenth to twentieth centuries were, in a social sense, the castles of their day”.
Chateau de Chambord, France
A masterpiece of the French Renaissance, Chateau de Chambord was started in 1519 by King François I ………. so he could hunt in the nearby forests. Has 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces, and 84 staircases. It took 28 years to build and the King stayed there a TOTAL of about seven weeks. Fell into disrepair many times, only to be revived many times. Looks like a castle, but has zero defensive capabilities, so it’s not.
PART II —– General Overview
Etymology
Dictionaries give the meaning of a word … while etymology gives us the much more interesting “story” behind the meaning. “Castle” comes to us from two Latin roots: ‘castrum’ which means ‘fort, and “castellum’ which means village. By the 12th century the Old English word evolved to ‘castel’ … from the French word ‘chastel’, which specifically denoted “a fortified dwelling place”. BTW, the the Indo-European root is always “kes”, meaning “to cut” – from which we get the word “caste” and “castrate”. So, the saying, “An Englishman’s home is his castle” was first recorded in the 16th century (or, maybe an Englishman’s home is his nuts?)
Note: The first ever recorded use of the ‘home/castle” phrase was in 1581 by Richard Mulcaster, the headmaster of Merchant Taylors’ School in London in his treatise on education; “Positions, which are necessarie for the training up of children”; —-“He [the householder] is the appointer of his owne circumstance, and his house is his castle.“
Purpose
Therefore, castles were fortified homes of noblemen for the primary purpose of defense. This combination of both domestic AND military use set them apart from forts (which were not private residences) and palaces (which were not designed for defense). Moats, turrets, ramparts, murder holes (holes in the ceiling through which scalding liquids would be poured on the enemy) …… every design element of a castle was meant to keep enemies out.
Protection From Whom?
Well, from foreign armies, of course. But, not always. It’s not as if foreign armies were constantly invading every nook and cranny where these castles appeared. Castles were also built to protect the lord from his own vassals. Lords and Noblemen were like a Mafia Protection Racket … you give us money, in exchange we’ll protect you from other criminals just like us wanting your money.
Lords were itinerant in the early days, moving constantly from place to place. Traveling with them were their large retinues and they consumed the foodstuffs of the district, often at an alarming rate. If a lord and his entourage stayed at one place too long, he would bankrupt the joint. In fact, they would “eat them out of house and home” —- a phrase first uttered by Shakespeare in his work, Henry IV, in the 1500’s. Under such conditions loyalty to the lord was precarious, and strictly personal. The lord was caught between a rock and a hard place; he had to show his face to his vassals and underlings to keep them aware and happy, but not stay to long and starve them. When they failed and the people turned on them … not uncommon … their castles provided protection.
Only 1%ers Need Apply
The cost of building a castle varied according to factors such as their complexity, size, materials used, availability of material (were stones laying around or did they need to be quarried), transportation costs, labor costs, and myriad other variables. As such, It’s darn near impossible to convert Medieval castle-costs to today’s dollars. Also, isn’t your 2,000 square foot house a money pit? Mine is! Imagine maintaining a castle! It was a constant drain on resources. For example, despite all the stone you see, castles contained a lot of timber, usually unseasoned, and needed constant upkeep. The fact is, building and maintain a decent sized castle cost a LOT of money. Just read this account from Master James of Saint George (c. 1230 – 1309), the architect responsible for designing many of Edward I’s castles;
“In case you should wonder where so much money could go in a week, we would have you know that we have needed – and shall continue to need 400 masons, both cutters and layers, together with 2,000 less skilled workmen, 100 carts, 60 wagons and 30 boats bringing stone and sea coal; 200 quarrymen; 30 smiths; and carpenters for putting in the joists and floor boards and other necessary jobs. All this takes no account of the garrison … nor of purchases of material. Of which there will have to be a great quantity … The men’s pay has been and still is very much in arrears, and we are having the greatest difficulty in keeping them because they have simply nothing to live on.”
Dover Castle, England …. one of the most $$$$ ever
Dover Castle (aerial view)
England’s Dover Castle … OK, it’s one of Europe’s largest, 85 foot high tower and walls up to 21 feet thick … nevertheless, some estimate it cost King Henry II about one quarter of his fortune when it was built.
PART III —– Castle Life (it often sucked)
Completely Uncomfortable. Castles were built for defense, and creature comforts suffered, especially in the early years. Eventually Kings outfitted their homes with pretty rugs, stain-glassed windows, big furniture, and gold and silver they looted from other lands, or their own people. Like most rich people of any era, they eventually succumbed to showing off their wealth inside, as well as outside. Still, the extreme posh luxury of England’s Windsor Castle, Bavaria’s Neuschwanstein, and a few others are the exception. Castles lacked every conceivable convenience that we now take for granted. LaQuisha Fried Chicken’s hovel in the 30 Blocks Of Squalor is more comfortable than most castles could have hoped to be. For example, fireplaces weren’t built until the middle of the Medieval period. So, here is the bottom line: most castles were poorly lit, damp, constantly cold (as the thick stone could never be fully warmed by the sun), had terrible air circulation, was lacking in privacy, often quite cramped, and often smelled like shit.
Pooping and Peeing Was Phooey! Castles didn’t have toilets, at least not as we know them. Bathrooms, so common in the classical world disappeared in Medieval Europe – except in monasteries. Except in certain circumstances baths were not required for ordinary people – until Victorian times cleanliness, believe it or not, was fundamentally ungodly. Bathrooms were known as “garderobes”, basically a hole. Good aim was required. The bathrooms were often cold, damp, and breezy, which hampered the necessary project at hand. The waste traveled through shoots which wound up in the moats, which explains why Moat Fish tasted shitty. I don’t think toilet paper was invented yet, so let’s not even dwell on that aspect. And forget about washing hands … water was often a precious commodity and used sparingly … and the connection between hygiene, sewage, and disease wasn’t made until the 18th century.
For example, entire families would bathe in the SAME tub; men first, then women, then children, then by the time the water was really filthy dirty, the babies … which is the origin of the phrase … “Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater”. BTW, when the lord traveled, the tub accompanied him, along with a bathman who prepared the baths. Nice job!! Also, EVERYONE had lice ALL the time. Every castle had a full-time de-louser servant. But, wait, it gets worse. It was called “garderobe” because it was also a closet (in addition to a regular wardrobe). Yes, residents kept some clothing there under the belief that the odor would repel insects.
Incoming! Look out below!!
Eating For Entertainment. Castle life was boring in terms of indoor entertainment. Chess was a popular game. But, really, how much “fun” can a game for nerds be? Eating was the number one way to cure boredom, and have fun. Great Feasts were the order of the day; lots of food, booze, jesters, song, minstrels, and I’m sure …poontang . Fun fact: The oldest condoms in the world — made out of animal and fish intestines — were found at Dudley Castle and dated to around 1646 (how in the hell are condoms dated??).
CHRISTMAS FEAST & CELEBRATION
(above) Très Riches Heures, circa 1414, is the best surviving example of French Gothic manuscript illumination, consisting of a total of 206 leaves of very fine quality parchment and exquisite drawings. It is a “book of hours”, or a collection of prayers to be said at the canonical hours. The three painters and their sponsor died in 1416, possibly victims of plague.
Go to the following website for a rather interesting, quite informative, and easy-to-read account of Medieval baking.
http://recipewise.co.uk/medieval-flour-and-pastry-article
The most common bread eaten by the lower classes was made from a mixture of flour made from various grains, and known as Maslin Bread — from the French word ‘miscelin’ meaning mixture. You can find an authentic recipe here;
http://recipewise.co.uk/maslin-bread
The Great Hall. All this fun and games took place in The Great Hall … the nucleus of castle life. The floors were made of stone and were covered with straw rushes intermixed with herbs, such as mint, lavender and basil to overcome odors. Fireplaces were either in the center of the room or set in the walls. Tapestries covered the walls to act as decoration and to ward off the cold. Typically, there were large and had high ceilings. To accommodate large dining parties, there would be long wooden tables and benches. windows were typically set in recessed large alcoves and had rounded arches. Not only for partying, the great hall also accommodated weddings, other celebrations, and political functions.
The Great Hall at Kenilworth Castle
More than a few historians describe Kenilworth Castle as THE definitive English Castle. The first castle at Kenilworth was built just 50 years after the Norman conquest … and the building continued for the next couple hundred years. John of Gaunt, the third surviving son of King Edward III, spent lavish amounts of money improving the castle. (John’s wealth was ENORMOUS …. his wealth, estimated in today’s dollars, was about $110 billion.) John’s father rebuilt Windsor Castle a decade prior. The Great Hall (built between 1373 and 1380) at Kenilworth Castle is considered to have been one of the largest and finest ever built.
The Chapel. Religion was an important part of daily life … it’s how Kings & Nobles kept their people under control. As such, the chapel was every bit as important as The Great Hall … and often attached to it. Usually, no expense was spared in their attempt to glorify God (or, themselves?) Often decorated with detailed and ornate Biblical images to communicate religious stories, because the populace was mostly illiterate. Often built with an upper echelon occupied by royalty and nobles, while servants occupied the lower level … a not-so-subtle message to the peons that they should know, and keep, their place in society.
The Chapel at Frederiksborg Castle, Copenhagen
The oldest parts of Frederiksborg Castle in Copenhagen date back to the 1560 structure built by Frederick II, but most of it was constructed by Christian IV between 1602 and 1620. The impressive altarpiece is made from gold, silver and ebony and was created by the jeweller Jacob Mores from Hamburg in 1606. The historic Compenius Organ, built in 1610 by Isaiah Compenius, took five YEARS to build (it was 1,001 pipes).
Rules, Rules, Rules: Libertarian-minded people would hate castle life. They were literally rules for everything; rules about work, rules about leisure, rules about finance and taxes, rules about who could do what and on what day, and even rules about eating. It was an extremely regimented life, and those who didn’t comply would get the Ducking Stool. This was a big chair in which the offender was strapped in, and then dunked several times in succession into shitty moat water. It was always a public punishment, and the castle residents usually treated the spectacle as a form of entertainment.
“Oh, no! Not The Oubilette!” But there were worse things than the Ducking Stool. Really bad people were thrown in an oubliette. An oubliette is a vertical shaft with the only entrance and exit being in the ceiling far above where the prisoner stands. The prisoner would have been lowered into this shaft by a guardsman, and, once they reached the bottom, the rope would have been taken up and the trap-door above them would have been closed. Escape was impossible. The Irish added a nice touch …. at Leap Castle prisoners were thrown down the shaft, and what awaited them? Spikes!
The more cruel oubilettes were not large enough for the prisoner to crouch down, kneel, sit, or perhaps even to turn round. Think of it as a vertical coffin. The origin of the word is the French word oublier, meaning “to forget.”. And that was the prisoner’s fate … tossed in there and literally often forgotten; left to die of thirst, or starvation, or being eaten alive by rats … deep in the bowels of the castle, which was NOT the dungeon.
The Dungeon: Nothing about a castle structure is probably more misunderstood than ‘dungeon’. The word is derived from the French “donjon” which means ….. TOWER. In the earlier castles it made much more sense to keep prisoners in a high difficult-to-reach tower, rather than in the basement, although later castles certainly did have basement dungeons. Taking prisoners was not generally preferred in medieval times, especially during a siege, as they used up precious food and water. Better to kill them.
The “donjon” was also known as the Great Keep — or the main tower of the castle. The Great Keep was usually the most securely fortified part of the castle. In addition to prisoners, nobility also lived there and kept their gold there as well. As time progressed, the nobles began to live in more comfortable and luxurious areas of the castle – in bedrooms designed for warmth and luxury.
The Great Keep (donjon) of Château de Vincennes, France.
(above) The Great Keep (and the cathedral) are what remains of this once massive castle (slightly less than a mile around its perimeter). Originally constructed for Louis VII in about 1150 as a hunting lodge. As was often the case, subsequent Kings improved and enlarged the castle. The Great Keep was added by Philip VI of France, in 1337. The donjon served as a residence for several royal families; Louis X, Philippe V, and Charles IV all lived and died there. The donjon tower, at 52 meters high, is the tallest medieval fortified structure in Europe.
A model of Château de Vincennes in its full glory.
(above) One can see that The Great Keep is separately walled along with its own moat. The grand rectangular circuit of walls, was completed by Mad Charles in 1410.
Pontefract Castle, England —- a castle with a TERRIFYING basement dungeon
(above) The most terrifying and feared castle dungeon in Europe was undoubtedly that of Pontefract Castle with its blood-curdling reputation. The huge and oppressive network of dungeons were hollowed out of the bedrock 35 feet below the castle. Edward II beheaded his own cousin, Thomas Earl of Lancaster — along with beheading 20 other rebels. Richard III beheaded several Nobles. Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard, lost her head there, as did her lover. King Richard II was murdered there. Charles I was executed there. During the English Civil War, Pontefract Castle was besieged on three different occasions – and fell from Royalist hands to the Parliamentarians, and back again to the Royalists, and thousands of prisoners from both sides rotted and died in the dungeons. Oliver Cromwell hated Pontefract Castle, due all the trouble it had caused him during the civil war, and he had the place destroyed at the first opportunity, in 1648.
The castle was so notorious that it was depicted in Shakespeare’s play, Richard III; —– “O Pomfret, Pomfret! O thou bloody prison! / Fatal and ominous to noble peers! / Within the guilty closure of thy walls / Richard the Second here was hack’d to death.”
PART IV —- Defending The Castle
Achilles Heels —– Obviously, no castle was invincible. The first major weakness was the well. If the well ran dry, or wasn’t properly secured, or invaders poisoned it, or if it was left unattended … then all the other brilliant castle fortifications and plans turned to dust. Besides the well, inside or near the keep, there might be a cistern or reservoir on an upper level whose LEAD pipes carried water to the floors below, inflow and outflow controlled by valves with bronze or copper taps and spouts.
The other vulnerability was insufficient food supply. Many sieges ended by merely starving the castle inhabitants into submission.
Lastly, just like when American Gestapo SWAT teams batter down someone’s front door for illegally growing organic tomatoes, a castle’s major breech point was its entrance. Nevertheless a castle’s defenses were formidable.
The Moat …. the first line of defense. —— A moat is a deep, broad ditch that surrounds a building or town historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defense. In other words, water was optional! The earliest known moat is a twelve foot wide dry defensive ditch a few miles north Vienna, known today as Grossrusbach-Weinsteig, and radiocarbon dating estimates that the ditch was constructed around 4,500 BCE.
Defensively, a moat made access to the walls extremely difficult for siege weapons (siege towers and battering rams) which needed to be brought up against a wall to be effective. A water-filled moat made the practice of mining — digging tunnels under the castles in order to effect a collapse of the structure — very difficult as well. Few moated castles were actually attacked and fewer were taken. Attacking forces, even if they captured a moated castle, were guaranteed to lose many men in the process … so, moated castles provided a psychological advantage to the defenders as well.
But, moats were not without problems. Moats are high-maintenance items. In hot months, stagnant water can lead to high insect populations, deteriorating masonry, offensive odors, and diseases. In some castles moats evolved into more extensive water defenses, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices. One thing is certain, moated castles are simply spectacular.
Gravensteen Castle, Belgium
(above) Gravensteen is one Europe’s most impressive remaining examples of defensive architecture. Originally built to defend against Viking attacks in the ninth century. The castle as seen above is the work of Filip of Alsasse, the Count of Flanders from 1157 until 1191. He modeled it after crusader castles that he saw in Syria during his time at the Crusades.
Olavinlinna Fortress. Sweden …. (when a plain old moat just won’t do)
Olavinlinna Fortress. At the time the castle was built in 1475, Finland was a part of Sweden, along with Denmark and Norway. Sweden had been engaged in border battles with Russia for hundreds of years. By the 15th century, the Grand Duchy of Moscow had become increasingly more powerful and more of a threat to the Swedish Crown. Wyborg was the only Swedish border castle at the time, and it was decided that another one was necessary. Between 1495-1496 Russians attacked the castle three times, and failed each time. It wasn’t until 1714, during the Great Northern War, that Olavinlinna Fortress surrendered to the Russians following a long siege.
Mont St Michel, France
On this island, the Archangel Michael appeared in 708 to St. Aubert. (No, I’m not making that up.) A monastery was built shortly thereafter. The Great Halls, stores, housing, and fortifications were gradually added. By the time the Hundred Years War arrived (1337-1453), the island was fully fortified. Large British forces tried several time to capture the castle, but they were never able to defeat the small garrison of soldiers guarding the castle. Mont Saint-Michel’s resolute resistance inspired the French, especially Joan of Arc.
The Gatehouse. — It took castle builders about 100 years to start heavily fortifying the entrance via The Gatehouse. The buildings of the gatehouse became some of the grandest of the entire castle, and contained some of the most magnificent chambers for the most important guests. Increasingly complex fortifications and obstacles were built around the entrance to Medieval castles. Gatehouse features follow;
Turrets and Towers, the world’s earliest spy satellites. — In my humble opinion, a castle is not a castle unless it has pretty towers and turrets. Lol Of course, the main and important purpose of towers was to understand where an enemy army might have been marching from. Castle towers were designed to give an unobstructed panorama of the countryside around a fortress, so lookouts could spot oncoming attackers … an invaluable task necessary to prepare the castle, such as raiding the drawbridge, before the attackers descended upon the defenders.
Castle towers were originally built in a square shape, and so, by burrowing under one of the corners of the square foundations, it was easy to topple an entire tower – and devastate a castle. Late Medieval castles solved this by constructing circular towers, which had no corners which could be undermined by cunning marauders. But, if you were stuck with a cheap-ass square tower you could always prevent digging by constructing a nice stinky moat. It seems the Romanians liked castles with lots of towers and turrets.
Peles Castle, Romania, 1873
Bran Castle, Romania, 1377 (Dracula lived here)
Corvin Castle, Romania,1446
Built For Right-Handed People. A castle spiraling staircase always turned clockwise. The idea was that attacking soldiers would ascend the stairs, but would be at a huge disadvantage if they could not use their sword arm, since most people are right-handed, as well as exposing more of their body to the defenders. On the other hand, castle soldiers descending the stairs would be given the advantage of a staircase designed with their sword-arms in mind. (Theoretically, a left-handed army could have conquered all of England.)
Then you would have to deal with ‘murder holes’ – holes in the ceiling of the passage, and defenders of the castle could drop rocks or boiling water. It is generally myth that boiling oil was used … as oil was pretty hard to obtain.
Then you would have to deal with ‘arrow loops’ —- thin slits in the stone wall whereby archers could literally pick off intruders one by one, and with little chance of being picked off themselves.
Then you had to deal with the ‘portcullis’ -— those mighty iron gates lowered from the ceiling via winches and pulleys. Some greater castles would have two, or more! The defenders would sometimes let the intruders raise the first portcullis, and then before the attackers could enter the castle the defenders would lower the second portcullis, and before the attackers could turn and run the first portcullis would be quickly lowered. The end result being the attackers were trapped like rats, and the subsequent slaughter was quite gory and brutal. As castle building technology improved builders constructed “concentric castles” meaning, once you passed through the first wall the invader had the privilege of doing the same thing all over again.
The portcullis at King’s Gate in Caernarfon Castle, Wales
Kings Gate had TWO drawbridges, FIVE doors and SIX portcullises to pass through. Good luck with that!
Gunpowder. The Beginning of the End of Castle Building
Artillery powered by gunpowder was introduced to Europe in the 1320s. By the 1450s guns replaced the trebuchet as the preferred siege weapon. Older castles were incapable of using canons as their wall-walks were too narrow. A common solution was to build an earthen bank which could be piled behind a castle’s curtain wall to absorb some of the shock of impact, but it wasn’t very effective.
Cannons saw their first real use on the European battlefield during the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) However, during the early stages of the war these canons were still inferior to other great siege engines. Cannons were small but heavy (taking as many as two dozen horses to pull), took forever to reload, with very limited range …. and were probably as dangerous to their users as to the enemy.
But, technology changed drastically by 1464. Bamburgh Castle was formidable and thought to be impregnable. However, during the Wars of the Roses, it became the first castle in England to be defeated by artillery.
Bamburgh Castle, England — the first castle to fall to artillery
Bamburgh Castle encompasses nine acres on a rocky dolerite outcrop. In 1464 during the Wars of the Roses, it became the first castle in England to be defeated by artillery, at the end of a nine-month siege by Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick. Featured in the following films; Ivanhoe (1952), El Cid (1961), Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), and Elizabeth (1998).
The use of guns for defense gave rise to artillery castles, such as Walmer Castle, built during the reign of King Henry VIII. Artillery castles abandoned many traditional castle designs as the structure was built specifically to house heavy guns, usually forming concentric defenses with the guns on multiple tiers. The introduction of artillery to siege warfare in the Middle Ages made geometry the main element on castle design. The walls and towers of fortifications became lower and wider and square structures gave way to rounded ones as they deflected cannon balls easier.
Walmer Castle, England
they had really Big Balls back then
Walmer Castle: Over 200 cannon and gun ports were set within the walls, essentially a firing platform, with a shape that allowed many lines of fire and low curved bastions designed to deflect incoming cannon balls.
PART V —— Castle Pictures
FAIRY TALE CASTLES
Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany
Neuschwanstein …. the most beautiful view anywhere
Definitely not a Medieval Castle (took 23 years to build and completed in 1892) …. but, I just couldn’t leave this iconic castle off the list. Interestingly enough, though, in the Middle Ages, three castles overlooked the villages. One was called Schwanstein Castle.In 1832, Ludwig’s father King Maximilian II of Bavaria bought its ruins to replace them. Of course, this castle was the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle
It’s not even a “real” castle … it was designed as the romantic ideal of a knight’s castle. The palace was intended to serve Ludwig II as a kind of inhabitable theatrical setting.As a temple of friendship Ludwig dedicated it to the life and work of Richard Wagner. The castle (and others he was building) cost Ludwig his fortune. After running out of money he asked for received credit from the Bavarian Parliament. He couldn’t repay the debts (why didn’t he just raise the debt ceiling?) and the Bavarian government decided to depose the king, who was living at Neuschwanstein at the time (he only lived in the mostly completed castle for less than half a year). Ludwig was literally forced out of the castle …. and a few days later he died under mysterious circumstances in the shallow shore of a nearby lake.
Pena National Palace, Portugal
The palace’s history started in the Middle Ages (in 1493) when King John II made a vow (to the previous king) to build a monastery on this site, and dedicated to the Order of Saint Jerome. For centuries Pena was a small, quiet place for meditation, housing a maximum of eighteen monks. It was completely destroyed by the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755.The construction you see above took place between 1842–1854, commissioned by Ferdinand II, and designed by a German amateur architect.
Dunrobin Castle, Scotland
The oldest surviving portion of this castle dates back to 1401. With 189 rooms, it’s the largest castle in the Northern Highlands. The castle has changed ownership innumerable times, and improvements / enlargement has been continual, even into the 20th century.
Burg Kreuzenstein, Austria
The origins of Burg Kreuzenstein date back to the 12th century … originally built by the Counts of Formbach, the castle came into the possession of the Habsburgs in 1278. However, it was pretty well demolished during the Thirty Years’ War. What you see above was built by Count Wilczek in the 19th century. Now here’s where it gets interesting; Wilczek wanted an authentic as possible Medieval castle, so the “new” castle was constructed mostly out of sections of old medieval castles and other structures purchased throughout all of Europe. It’s like a real-life Frankencastle. Parts is parts!
CRUSADER CASTLES
Malbork Castle, Poland
The largest castle in the world by surface area, and the largest brick building in Europe. Completed in 1406 by the Teutonic Knights, a German Roman Catholic religious order. The largest fortified Gothic building in Europe …. 52 acres, or four times the acreage of the enclosed space of Windsor Castle. The castle has several subdivisions and numerous layers of defensive walls. It consists of three separate castles – the High, Middle and Lower Castles, separated by multiple dry moats and towers, and defensive walls. The castle once housed approximately 3,000 soldiers. Amazingly, in the summer of 1410, the castle was besieged following the Order’s defeat at the Battle of Grunwald.
Krak des Chevaliers, Syria
Considered by some to be the most important preserved medieval military landmark in the world. The castle is perched atop a 2,130 foot hill. The Knights Hospitaller. controlled a number of castles along the border of the County of Tripoli, a state founded after the First Crusade. Krak des Chevaliers was amongst the most important and acted as a centre of administration as well as a military base. The castle housed a garrison of around 2,000. Such a large garrison allowed the Hospitallers to extract tribute from a wide area. For over a hundred years the castle thrived even as other Crusader strongholds fell. Even Saladin couldn’t conquer the castle after a few attempts, the last one in 1188. In the 1250s, the fortunes of the Hospitallers at Krak des Chevaliers took a turn for the worse. A Muslim army estimated to number 10,000 men ravaged the countryside around the castle in 1252 after which the Order’s finances declined sharply. By 1270, Baibars, the Sultan of Egypt, successfully laid siege to the castle.
CLIFF CASTLES
Hohensalzburg Castle, Austria
Hohensalzburg Castle, Austria
Hohensalzburg Castle ( literally “High Salzburg Fortress”) is perched on a 1,778 foot hill. (You can take a tram to the top, or take the path – about an hour’s walk). Construction of the fortress began in 1077 – by an archbishop — and was mostly completed by 1462. The castle was never successfully besieged during the Middle Ages. (The castle did surrender to French troops in 1800 during the Napoleonic War … the Frenchies got lucky.) The most commonly shown views have Salzburg, the city, and its pretty scenery in the foreground, and the castle far in the background. This gives the illusion that it’s not such a big castle. However, it is 820 feet by 490 feet … making it one of the largest castles in Europe.
NOTE: I was born in Salzburg. I still find it pretty friggin hard to believe that my parents left Salzburg to immigrate to …….friggin Newark, NJ! WTH???
Lichtenstein Castle, Germany
Puilaurens Castle, France … built in 1162
Predjama Medieval Cave Castle, Slovenia, 1274
Dunnottar Castle, Scotland, 1395
3 Russian Castles and Palaces. Well, they are quite stunning. Presented without commentary … take a few minutes yourself to research them. Quick note: “Kremlin” is the Russian word for ‘fortress inside a city’. As such, there are many Kremlins. Also, it is rarely a single structure, but a fortified complex of several buildings.
Kremlin in Moscow
Kremlin in Moscow
Kremlin in Izmaylovo
Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia
Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia
Catherine Palace, “Amber Room” … that’s real gold
Amber Room, “8th Wonder of the World” – took 10 years to build
Stucky’s Castle
“Westover Castle”, Fort Wayne, IN
I lived in this house/palace for almost two years. It was our first “apartment” right after we got married. The owner built large apartment complexes, and he was out of state 75% of the time. He wanted someone (my ex-wife knew him) to just live there and kind of watch the place. We lived in the servants quarters above the 6-car garage … for $200/mo, all utilities included. We eventually left because we thought owning a home was a great idea. We were dumb. Real dumb. For those familiar with Ft. Wayne, IN it’s on the south side of town … the “Old Mill” area … on Westover Road. right along the back-9 of Foster Park Golf Club. The dining room in the main house was almost as big as our entire current ranch-home. So, I know what it’s like to live in a castle, so … if you have any questions just ask me.
Thanks for reading.
The End.
Administrator says:
Stuck
Fabulous work. I watched as you put this together for more than a week. I couldn’t wait for you to finish and send it to me for posting.
I hope it gets picked up by some more sites.
22nd August 2014 at 12:32 pm
Stucky says:
“I watched as you put this together for more than a week. ” ———— Admin
SPY!!!!! NSA!!!! You SPY bitch!!!
Thank yeew.
RE said he’d pick it up. Kind of long though … my word doc is over 30 pages. But, I used ZERO “fucks”, and that’s some kind of record. Yeah, I hope it drives some traffic to TBP. That would be an added bonus.
The first bonus is that I believe it will make folks here happy, and help them forget — even if for a couple hours — all the shit we live every day. I tell you what … I was actually dreaming about castles several times in the past week. Not kidding.
22nd August 2014 at 12:40 pm
Bostonbob says:
Stucky,
I can’t wait to get home and take the time to savor this one. It looks fantastic, thank you so much for your tremendous work.
Bob.
22nd August 2014 at 12:47 pm
Stucky says:
There are 49 pictures. Can you pick a favorite? It’s HARD to do. I could literally make a case for every picture. But, I have two.
The first is Pena Palace, Portugal (under the ‘Fairy Tale’ group). Those bright colors on a high green hill! Wonderful buildings. It looks like something out of a Lego Set. So whimsical and joyful looking.
The second is Dublin Castle (under the 14th -15th century Gothic heading). It’s the complete opposite of Pena Palace. Those brown colors, a brown castle against a brown sky. Brooding, ominous, and scary ….. but, that’s the Irish for ya!
Anyway, I will be gone until around 8PM tonight, maybe longer. Looking forward to your answers, or other comments when I get back.
“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.”
——- Jeebus, in John 14:2
22nd August 2014 at 1:00 pm
Billy says:
Pretty cool, Stuck…
I’ve been to a couple of these… Germany is chock full ‘o castles. Can’t swing a dead cat without hitting half a dozen of em…
Some of them were sacked. Looking at the defenses, you stand there and wonder “how the fuck did they DO that?”….
Well done..
22nd August 2014 at 1:01 pm
Stucky says:
Billy
Still have a few minutes before I gotta go.
In another thread over a week ago you asked me to check out and post something about a castle in Germany. Couldn’t find the thread … couldn’t remember the name of the town.
Do you?
22nd August 2014 at 1:10 pm
Peaceout says:
Very impressive Stucky, saved it to the hard drive to read later when I have time to take it end to end and fully appreciate your efforts.
I have visited some of the ‘summer homes’ in Vienna and outskirts but never a castle, have always been fascinated with Neuschwanstein Castle, the architecture, location and view are all spectacular. Maybe someday me and Mrs. Peaceout will be able to visit.
22nd August 2014 at 1:14 pm
IndenturedServant says:
Outstanding Stucky! Thank you.
Touring castles was one of my favorite things to do over the eight years I lived in Europe. It never got old! Our high school had a world travelers club called Trotamundos and I was introduced to the fabulous world of castle ruins. Most preserved castles have a few public areas but most areas were off limits to the public. Touring castle ruins was great because nothing was off limits and we usually had a personal guide for each one and usually they and their families had grown up in the shadow of these castles for 10 or more generations.
I’ll get back to read and post about my favorite castle later. If you want a sneak peek look up Turegano Castle in Spain. It’s not the most beautiful castle but has a fascinating history and still presents researchers with several mysteries. Our high school club had the keys to this place for a day once.
The never ending landscape and permaculture project never ends but it sure causes sound sleep! Temps are in the low sixties today! Perfect for hard labor!
22nd August 2014 at 1:34 pm
Thinker says:
Stucky, I think it was your thread on bridges: http://www.theburningplatform.com/2014/08/07/pictorial-essay-16-awesome-bridges-of-the-world/
Have to go back up and read the rest of this now. My mother traced her family back to an ancient castle near Bremen / Hanover. It’s in ruins now, of course. Will be interesting to see what you picked out for us.
22nd August 2014 at 1:35 pm
Olga says:
Very cool … thanks.
22nd August 2014 at 1:59 pm
Westcoaster says:
Great job, Stucky. I enjoyed it!
22nd August 2014 at 3:41 pm
TPC says:
Stucky, thanks for that. I love castles and old architecture. Like many plebians, the guys at work and I often joke about what it would be like to have a billion dollars.
While they are waxing poetic about all the pussy they’d be swimming in I always have the same response:
Arable land with natural springs on site, and a castle sitting at the center of the property.
I don’t get how all these socialites and entertainers can drop so much change on villas and vacation homes.
Get your first few big paychecks and build something that will last, don’t do the popular thing and buy 4 summer homes.
22nd August 2014 at 3:47 pm
Chicago999444 says:
Beautiful post, thanks!
22nd August 2014 at 3:50 pm
Thinker says:
Just got through the post… absolutely fascinating. Thank you for doing all the research for us.
Neuschwanstein has always been a favorite of mine, but I’d have to pick Olavinlinna Fortress and Bojnice Castle above as two of my most favorite ones here. Simply beautiful.
22nd August 2014 at 4:13 pm
T4C says:
One of the things I wondered about while awaiting this terrific, informative post was…….How many of the castles will have a rep of being haunted? Well….not all of them are purported to be; but, the following are known to have sightings, while others have all-around spookiness.
PONTEFRACT CASTLE
A Black Monk has often been seen walking from the kitchen towards the Queens Tower in the late afternoon. Another monk dressed in grey has also been sighted and by coincidence a ghostly woman also in grey is sometimes seen holding a lantern near the castle gates.
At the visitor centre, there is a mirror in which has been seen the reflection of a young girl with long brown hair and dressed in ragged clothes. Next door to the visitors centre is the ladies toilet in which has been heard the sound sometimes of a girl crying and at other times screaming!
Cavaliers have been seen coming up from the underground magazine and on top of the keep, the spectre of a man dressed in black has been seen reading a parchment.
*****
BRAN CASTLE
Castle Bran is renowned for its infamous claim to haunted fame. Tourists are welcomed to find out. The little chapel, or grotto, in the bottom right adds an extra creepy element. As requested in Queen Marie’s will, after her death, her heart was placed in a gold casket and buried in Balcic, later moved to this grotto by Bran Castle.
*****
PREDJAMA CASTLE
With at least 700 years of violent history, Pedjama Castle is said to be extremely haunted.
*****
DOVER CASTLE
At Dover castle you can see or hear strange sounds. The most important is a ghost of a woman dressed in a red dress taking the stairs that lead to the keep of the castle.
A sound made by a badly oiled door that opens and closes where there used to be a door , but does not exist anymore.
n the King’s bedroom, the lower half of a man walks through the doorway.
The ghost of a headless drummer boy in Napoleonic era costume, haunts the castle.
*****
CAERPHILLY CASTLE
A ghost of a green lady flies from turret to turret at Caerphilly Castle.
Ghost of soldiers patrol the battlements.
At the flag tower there is a smell of perfume at all times.
*****
CAERNARFON CASTLE
Caernarfon is haunted by the ghosts of English soldiers sent to guard the town against the native Welsh. With a long history of hangings, riots and rebellions, the castle and town have many hauntings.
*****
MONT ST. MICHEL
The castle of Mont St. Michel stands on an island off the coast of Normandy. The castle is actually a church, one supposedly built by the Archangel Michael himself, or so the story goes. A garrison was added to the abbey in the 15th century. Today, the massive structure is said to be haunted by the ghost of Louis d’Estouville, who commanded the garrison starting in 1434. A fierce Lord, Louis d’Estouville led the slaughter of two thousand Englishmen during the Hundred Years’ War. According to legend, the sand of the island was red with English blood. Louis is said to still roam Mont St. Michel, ever its protector.
*****
BAMBURGH CASTLE
A ‘Pink Lady’ haunts the castle. In life she was a Northumbrian Princess who wanted to marry her true love, but he was beneath her station. Her father sent her lover overseas and after a period of time, he told her that her lover had married someone else and that she should forget all about him. To cheer her up in her obvious melancholy, the King had a beautiful pink dress made for her. When it was completed, she put on the garment, then climbed on to the highest battlements and threw herself to her death on the rocks below. The princess returns to the Castle every seven years in her pink dress, wondering around then making her way down the rocky path to the beach, where she stands and watches, waiting for her lover to return.
A ghostly woman with a green cloak is sometimes seen falling from the top of the castle, but vanishes before she hits the ground.
A knight in armour is often heard stomping about the castle, sometimes rattling chains.
*****
KENILWORTH CASTLE
A man dressed in black who was killed in a sword fight at the castle gatehouse. It is now haunted by his ghost.
A phantom boy is reported in the castle stables, along with ghostly horses and chickens.
The castle gatehouse is haunted by an old woman who breaks the same candle over and over again.
The castle gatehouse is haunted by the ghost of a little girl who asks for her father.
________________________________________________
I had read that during this era perfume was used unsparingly to cover bodily stench. So a quick search showed this:
Perfume in the Middle Ages
“In the Middle Ages there wasn’t so much of what we would consider perfume, per se. They mainly used what was around them in nature, like flowers, spices and herbs in a variety of forms to make things and themselves smell better.
During the Middle Ages there was a very clear-cut difference between the nobles and the peasants. The nobles and the wealthy were able to obtain a wide assortment of “perfumes” that were not available to the peasants, yet the peasants still had their own perfumes and incense. Most of history leads us to believe that the middle ages were a time of “the Great Unwashed”. That everyone and everything smelled appalling, fortunately for them, this isn’t exactly true.
Medieval man had a deep understanding of and a great appreciation for the aromas of the natural world. They knew that there were amazing scents all around them in everyday life. Having scented items and incense was almost a necessity to the average peasant villager. The people lived in small one room huts and brought their animals in at night and all day in the winter. Such practices required a way to keep the offending odors at bay. Obviously the peasants could not even consider the luxury of a bathtub, but that does not mean they walked around not caring how they smelled as most towns had bathhouses – in fact, cleanliness and hygiene was very highly regarded – so much so that bathing was incorporated into various ceremonies such as those surrounding knighthood. Some people bathed daily, others less regularly – but most people bathed. Furthermore, they used hot water – they just had to heat it up themselves.
In the Middle Ages, in Europe, “perfume” was imperative in the higher circles since they did not bathe very often. Their wigs and clothing were infrequently washed and became remarkably malodorous after a while. Scented powders were sprinkled on wigs to make them smell better.”
http://www.top10fragrances.com/2013/02/10/perfume-in-the-middle-ages/
Perfume Use in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance: myths and truths
“It is not unusual to hear the Middle Ages considered as the age of the Great Unwashed or to think that Western Europe had by that time ceased to partake of the pleasures of perfume and aromatic components used for reasons of well-being, aesthetic advancement and spiritual therapy completely. Nothing is further from the truth….
Medieval people also made practical use of pleasurably scented herbs to discourage vermin and protect their clothes and linen.
Tome upon tome contained formulae for aromatizing clothes, linens and personal belongings as well as human skin.”
http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.com/2009/11/perfume-use-in-middle-ages-and.html
______________________________________________
Last thing……the pic of Mont St. Michel is not showing, on my computer anyways. So in case no one else is seeing it here it is:
22nd August 2014 at 4:34 pm
Desertrat says:
Right click on the blank area. Then click on Copy URL. Open a new browser. Then from Edit, paste URL, Enter, and see the picture.
22nd August 2014 at 5:43 pm
taxSlave says:
Stucky
You write in a folksy engaging way.
Nice pics, excellent words.
22nd August 2014 at 5:58 pm
archie says:
Stucky that was really enjoyable. I’m curious do you have a bibliography?
22nd August 2014 at 6:19 pm
Reverse Engineer says:
Great article!
I’ll cross post it this weekend.
RE
22nd August 2014 at 7:18 pm
Drowning in Parasitism says:
As a long-time lover (and self-taught landscaper which I see as an expression of the continuity of beautiful structures) of architecture (and our brilliant, Western men who created it), I thoroughly enjoyed this. Here’s a house in Kentucky someone else who had money indulged in their fantasy of “owning a castle.”
http://www.zillow.com/blog/versailles-castle-for-sale-in-kentucky-not-france-38311/
More castle indulgences from “Business Insider:”
http://www.businessinsider.com/castle-homes-for-sale-2013-1?op=1
Bran castle:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2625832/Fresh-blood-needed-Draculas-50m-castle-Property-said-inspiration-vampires-home-Bram-Stokers-book-market.html
Another wonderful website I subscribe to is a realtor’s love for the unusual, quirky and spectacular which I share:
http://unusuallife.com/
I submitted to her the duplicate “Munster’s Mansion” built in Texas link; she rejoiced since she’d never heard of it (and yes… on “Mockingbird Lane”)
http://www.munstermansion.com/house_tour.html
22nd August 2014 at 7:32 pm
llpoh says:
Why didn’t you include any castles built by Native Americans?
22nd August 2014 at 7:46 pm
Administrator says:
22nd August 2014 at 7:55 pm
llpoh dopple says:
Hey ya ya a ya HEY ah ya ya
22nd August 2014 at 8:06 pm
Stucky says:
“I’m curious do you have a bibliography?” ——archie
Ha. I went to literally a few hundred websites. These are some of the better ones, not necessarily in term of pictures, but hard info. Follow the various links on these sites and you will be sucked in deep into the rabbit hole …. you might never get out!
http://www.castlesandmanorhouses.com/castles.htm (also has a tab “Castles For Sale”)
http://medieval-castles.org/
http://www.castlewales.com/home.html
http://www.exploring-castles.com/index.html
http://medieval.stormthecastle.com/
http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/index.htm
http://www.ancientfortresses.org/
22nd August 2014 at 9:05 pm
SSS says:
Stucky
An amazing article. You constantly contribute to TBP’s reputation as a unique website.
Much admiration,
SSS
22nd August 2014 at 9:24 pm
Stucky says:
Thanks much SSS.
Hey … where’s that chilli recipe? I BEGGED!!! Or, were you just kidding?
22nd August 2014 at 9:30 pm
T4C says:
He posted it on the desert thread.
SSS’s Southwestern Chicken Chile
Super easy to make, really tasty, and good for you. I always make at least a DOUBLE BATCH PER THE RECIPE BELOW because this stuff is just as good, or better, leftover. You can cut down to 4 servings by cutting the below ingredients in half.
Ingredients
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cups chicken broth (I use Costco’s Kirkland brand)
8 oz can of chopped green chiles (recommend mild)
2 15 oz cans of white (cannellini) beans, undrained
Spice Blend (mix together)
2 tsp California Style Blend Garlic Powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano leaves
1 tsp cilantro leaves
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1. Heat oil over medium in 10-12 inch saucepan, add chicken and cook about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and keep warm in a seperate, covered bowl.
2. Add onion to saucepan and cook 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, green chiles, and spice blend. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes OR until the liquid is greatly reduced.
3. Stir in the chicken and beans and simmer 10-15 minutes.
The red pepper will add just a touch of heat. Remember that you can always ADD heat to a dish, such as medium or hot chile peppers, but you can never subtract it.
Garnish with Monterey Jack cheese and onions if desired. Makes 8 servings or, if my older son is visiting, 4 servings tops.
Try a spinach salad with citrus dressing with this dish. The flavors balance well. Here’s the dressing recipe.
2 tbsp. orange juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
fresh ground pepper
Whisk that stuff together and fire it over a 5-6 oz bag of spinach. Toss. Add some mandarin orange slices, a FEW thin red onion slices, crumbled feta cheese, and/or some crumbled walnuts.
Garlic bread never hurts, either. That’s up to you.
22nd August 2014 at 9:50 pm
Stucky says:
Oh. Well, it did fall off the list. Thanks, T4C.
And you too, SSS!! It looks really pretty Yummy! It’s already saved on my hard drive. I think you should have gotten 1st place.
22nd August 2014 at 10:00 pm
JT says:
Thank you. I enjoyed this.
22nd August 2014 at 10:13 pm
SSS says:
Caerphilly Castle is my favorite. Back when a castle was a castle.
22nd August 2014 at 11:31 pm
bb says:
Good job Stucky , they are all beautiful in their own way .I have never been to Europe or in a Castle. Years ago I did get to see BILTMORE ESTATES in Asheville NC.8000+ acres. The Vanderbilts still own it.It is the most beautiful house I have ever seen. I can only imagine what the castles in Europe look like on the inside. Look forward to your next post.
22nd August 2014 at 11:37 pm
Iska Waran says:
Glad to see Festung Hohensalzburg made the cut. Not the prettiest, but among the oldest. I studied in Salzburg, so it’s like my home castle. I believe it had a spot for dropping hot oil on any would- be invaders. Of course, it calls to mind this http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A8yjNbcKkNY
23rd August 2014 at 1:03 am
Iska Waran says:
23rd August 2014 at 1:04 am
SSS says:
One of America’s first “castles.”
Stratford Hall in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Built by Thomas Lee in the late 1720s. Georgian style. Thomas sired 2 signers of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Henry (“Light Horse Harry”) and Francis Lightfoot. Richard Henry had a son by the name of Robert E, who was born in Stratford Hall, which is only a few miles away from the birthplace of a fellow by the name of George Washington.
Small world. Especially back then.
23rd August 2014 at 1:41 am
Frenchie says:
there’s medieval cities that could be mentioned in your topic, such as Carcassonne above wich is more/less a templar castle with a town in its walls.
in term of pure defense purpose, there’s several thousand castles in france, some of them showing an early blockhaus architecture with miles of tunnel underground. Queribus below is a good example. they widely protected during hundreds of years the civilized world from the mooslims, this mean you…
I’ve visited a shitload of place, inclusing some of those shown by Stucky, but Mont saint Michel is the most breathtaking of all. by clear weather, you can see easily 60 miles around from the top. the slopes are vertical and defenses are multi-layered and cover each others. as for water, the sea level varies from 0 to +30 ft all around and several time a day, bad for invaders.
23rd August 2014 at 2:22 am
Stucky says:
I’ve checked out several youtube vids on Mont Saint Michel. I found for you the best one; it’s short (under 5 min), not narrated (just soothing music), has great pics of the village and church, and the views from the top. So click on it if it doesn’t show up here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=c7Zca0zOCg4
This vid shows two cars being drowned by the fast incoming tide …. in under 3 minutes.
23rd August 2014 at 5:13 am
Frenchie says:
as you pointed out in your topic, by talking about Chambord, the English term “castle” doesn’t translate exactly in French with “chateau”. “castle” means a defensive building, but “chateau” means both a defensive building and/or a palace and the depending properties.
as you said the defensive function of castles almost ended with the invention of firearms, but the world remained to indicate a costly building in France.
cars drowned at Mt st Michel are a classic as some people don’t understand the signification of the word tide. but what you showed is story from the past as the access road has been removed. there’s a way that can only be used at low tide. still, there’s some stupids that dare having a walk in the bay, and that call for help when the water fills the place at 15 mph…
23rd August 2014 at 8:18 am
Welshman says:
Stuck,
Fun read, especially the bathrooms, the ones I saw were very breezy LOL. In Germany we went to many castles and saw all of Ludwicg’s money pits. They stated that Ludwicg may have been killed for his over the top castle costs. Neuschwanstein was the most breath taking.
23rd August 2014 at 9:32 am
hardscrabble farmer says:
That was awesome, really. I just scrolled through that with my jaw hanging open thinking about the sheer human effort of it.
Thanks very much, deeply appreciated.
23rd August 2014 at 9:42 am
CSIFan says:
Brilliant! I read many, many blogs, and am never sufficiently motivated by someone’s work to comment. But this one is beyond compare.
23rd August 2014 at 9:53 am
Gayle says:
Hey Stucky
I will thoroughly read your castle textbook this weekend, and know already that it will be well worth the time, so thank you for all that work.
Medieval European culture has always fascinated me. Wouldn’t it be fun to go back in history to live for just be day in any one of these amazing places?
23rd August 2014 at 11:11 am
Gayle says:
just a day
23rd August 2014 at 11:13 am
Administrator says:
Stuck
I sent the link to a bunch of the sites that pick up my articles. Steve Quayle linked to it and it is getting a huge number of views.
23rd August 2014 at 11:32 am
Stucky says:
Just found this. I wish I would have included this castle. That was one of the HUGE challenges in putting this together …. choosing from literally thousands of castles, just in Europe.
“Built in the 15th century by the Archbishop of Seville, the incredible Castle of Coca or Castillo de Coca is considered to be one of the best castles in Spain. An excellent example of the Gothic and Mudéjar styles”
.
PS Admin …. that’s great!!!
23rd August 2014 at 12:22 pm
Cliff says:
Thank you for the excellent read. It was interesting, informative, and above all, well written. This is why I like the internet. Can’t wait for the next one.
23rd August 2014 at 12:36 pm
Stucky says:
Out of curiosity I researched which country has the most castles. No one knows … that’s what I found out.
“France and Germany may be known for castles, but there are more castles in Belgium per square mile than any other country in the World.”
“This is a little known fact; Wales has more castles than any other country in Europe! Wales’ history has left a landscape scattered with Iron Age hill forts, Roman ruins and castles from Medieval Welsh Princes and English Kings.”
“according to a recent list there would have been about 1700 examples in England and Wales, excluding some 270 tower-houses in the Border areas. Some 14000 castles (5500 earthworks remains) have been listed for the German-speaking areas of Europe, although no doubt an under estimate.” ————– ‘The Decline of the Castle’, Cambridge 1987
23rd August 2014 at 12:39 pm
Paul Gingras says:
Great Job! Enjoyed reading the article… I have been to many of the castles in Germany. You should do some work on the walled cities like Dinkelsbuhl and Rothenburg. I lived for some time in Wertheim. Your article brought back some wonderful memories. Thanks, Paul.
23rd August 2014 at 10:42 pm
Panda says:
Wow, this is the best article I have read in a long time. Love the work you put into it, and your commentary was great and entertaining. Thank you very much.
23rd August 2014 at 10:52 pm
TeresaE says:
Stucky, this is fabulous!
I read it yesterday, meant to hop on and comment, then life got in the way.
This is fabulous, you are fabulous, this site is fabulous!
Love it when more education comes with my daily doomporn dose.
Thank you Stuck, beautifully done.
24th August 2014 at 12:06 pm
Stucky says:
“You should do some work on the walled cities like Dinkelsbuhl and Rothenburg.” — Paul Gingras
GREAT CALL!!! Dinkelsbuhl …. fortified by the emperor Henry V in 1305. An ENTIRE undisturbed Medieval town in ONE place (it seems most of the buildings are from the 15th to 17th century.) Wow!!
24th August 2014 at 12:55 pm
Stucky says:
TeresaE
Thank You. Whenever I’m under a dark cloud … all I have to do is read one of your too kind posts to me … like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.
Just for you … like this …. (Hohenzollern Castle)
24th August 2014 at 1:00 pm
TeresaE says:
Aw, Stuck. Thank you. Thank you for the things you have taught me, thank you for your always kind words, and thank you for making me feel like I matter.
Tears again, sheisse.
Hugs Stuck.
24th August 2014 at 1:12 pm
Stucky says:
TE
+One Billion.
What a beautiful thread. After 3 days, 52 comments, and who knows how many views …. not one person got a thumbs down. (Yeah, that’s probably the “kiss of death”, but still ….)
24th August 2014 at 1:22 pm
Forward_Idiocracy says:
Great post, Stucky, I really enjoyed this.
Rothenburg is stunning. I’ve performed in the main square under their famous coo-coo clock. They have a gnarly medieval torture museum. Our changing rooms were in the “castle” in the center of the town. Throughout my stay in Germany we performed in many places such as this, and had many changing rooms in castles.
Check out the view of the castle in Heidelberg. It’s fantastic. It was shelled by the French at some point in time. During the summer, I believe on the weekends, when the sun goes down they illuminate the castle in red as a commemoration. The view from the opposite side of the river, especially the one with the old bridge in front of it, it amazing, especially during this event.
http://www.globeimages.net/data/media/180/heidelberg_castle_germany.jpg
24th August 2014 at 3:39 pm
Stucky says:
Forward_Idiocracy
That link doesn’t seem to be working for me.
But, I am familiar with Heidelberg. My best frenemy in high school — [my mom, “Stucky-lein, why can’t you be more like Wolfgang??!!” — aaaargh!!] ….. well, he lives in Heidelberg, and so I got the world-class tour.
It’s a red sandstone castle. According to Billy, there’s at least one other one in Germany, but he won’t tell me which one. Goodrich Castle in England, and Cawdor in Wales are others.
Fact is, castles were built with whatever materials were at hand. The cost of transporting stone was massive so castle builders used the closest stone available, Sometimes they would quarry stone at the castle site (digging the ditches at the same time). Long distance quarrying, as far as I know, didn’t exist. So, the bulk of a castle could be built from any type of stone; … including, believe it or not field stones, flint, sea pebbles and even chalk.
24th August 2014 at 4:03 pm
Forward_Idiocracy says:
Sorry for the busted link. Thanks for including snippets about the cost of these castles to the monarchs. Considering that most were absolute rulers, it is incredible to think that one castle could cost 1/4 of a fortune. These things were massive capital expenditures. What could/would Bill Gates build with 1/4 his fortune?
24th August 2014 at 4:11 pm
Mr Chen says:
Stuck and TE, get a room.
24th August 2014 at 4:21 pm
TeresaE says:
Dear Mr. Chen,
I’m going to tell you, the same thing I tell anyone that believes in censorship
If you don’t like it, don’t freaking read it.
Thank you very much,
TE
24th August 2014 at 5:02 pm
Stucky says:
“Stuck and TE, get a room.” ———— Mr. Chen
OK.
24th August 2014 at 8:02 pm
Anonymous says:
Chenonceau…
24th August 2014 at 9:05 pm
Anonymous says:
the Ussé castle, still in France, that inspired the fairytales “sleeping beauty” and “cinderella” to Charles Perrault in 1697…
24th August 2014 at 9:17 pm
Anonymous says:
24th August 2014 at 9:18 pm
Frenchie says:
24th August 2014 at 9:20 pm
Stucky says:
“Before the construction of Disneyland, Walt Disney and his wife Lillian took a European tour. A Disneyland representative confirms that the time he spent at Neuschwanstein Castle was indeed the inspiration behind the Sleeping Beauty Castle.”
—————- http://www.ocregister.com/articles/ludwig-358724-castle-disney.html
24th August 2014 at 9:29 pm
T4C says:
Sigh….#1
Voilà Anonymous
Sigh….#2
Voilà Frenchie
24th August 2014 at 9:49 pm
Ted says:
That picture you have of Olavinlinna Fortress is WRONG !
The picture is of a castle in Lithuania…Trakai Castle
http://www.europeword.com/images/lithuania/things_to_see_in_lithuania_trakai_castle.jpg
24th August 2014 at 10:23 pm
Kill Bill says:
Loyalty is for suckers. Friendship is forever.
25th August 2014 at 12:18 am
Stucky says:
“That picture you have of Olavinlinna Fortress is WRONG !” ——— Ted
Nice catch. Thank You.
At times I had 20-30 windows open at the same time. I’m surprised I didn’t make more mistakes.
25th August 2014 at 9:31 am
Frenchie says:
““Before the construction of Disneyland, Walt Disney and his wife Lillian took a European tour. A Disneyland representative confirms that the time he spent at Neuschwanstein Castle was indeed the inspiration behind the Sleeping Beauty Castle.”
maybe Stucky
but the castle that inspired the writing of the numerous stories (Perrault’s tales) that Dysney used free of right for his own glory (inclusing sleeping beauty and cinderella) is Ussé’s castle.
this is Perrault’s words, 22 years before the rewriting of the 2 main stories by the Grimm brothers in Germany. this are facts, like it or not.
25th August 2014 at 10:20 am
Frenchie says:
T4C, thanks. the site is well protected, but when it decides you won’t display pictures, you can’t do shit. Ted, my bad. I’ll check twice before now.
Montbazillac below. beside this, they have some of the finest white wine money can buy in this area.
25th August 2014 at 10:32 am
Stucky says:
Frenchie
I don’t doubt your facts which have been interesting and informative. Thanks for contributing.
But, when the “Looks Test” is applied, Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty castle, imho, looks a LOT more like Neuschwanstein than Ussé Castle (which is a GORGEOUS French castle.)
Maybe we’re both right?
25th August 2014 at 10:37 am
Frenchie says:
You are right that Neuschwanstein is Dysney’s vision of a fairy castle. and it is, indeed.
Ussé was Perrault’s vision and inspired the stories we all know.
25th August 2014 at 11:46 am
T4C says:
Frenchie @ 10:32
Hahaha!! Shweetheart…that’s what I call a close-up and personal pic!
Here…I even framed it for ya’
25th August 2014 at 11:55 am
Frenchie says:
good job!!
true that I fucked up once again with that one.
have a look at the following: there’s a catapult on display on the left. what a kickass weapon…
feel free to do the same here
http://lordikc.free.fr/images/castelnaud1.jpg
25th August 2014 at 12:27 pm
Chicago999444 says:
I keep coming back to this post, as I am an aficiando of fine old buildings, and continue to be stupefied by the craftsmanship, skill, sense of beauty, and sheer doughtiness of the people who designed and built these places… especially the stone workers who managed somehow to move huge stones up the side of mountains so steeply sloped, you can’t imagine anybody but a mountain goat being able to even scale them.
These days, we have every tool and technique at our disposal, yet almost nothing we build, even 150 story skyscrapers in Dubai, has anything like the beauty and resilience of these great old structures. You really have to think, like Kunstler does, that all our technological tools have degraded the craft of building, and the fossil fuel orgy of the past 200 years has made us so wasteful that we don’t bother to build well, figuring that, hell, when the structure begins to age, we’ll just kick it down and build something else, because we take it for granted that we’ll always have the plentitude of resources for that. The builders of these castles, conversely, lived in a climate of constant scarcity, and one in which everything had to be done by human labor. They knew that anything they built would have to last, hopefully for centuries.
These places will survive long after our skyscrapers have become salvage and all the faddy, cheap-jack drek we’ve built in this country has collapsed or been torn down as obsolete and unusable.
25th August 2014 at 1:06 pm
T4C says:
Done.
25th August 2014 at 1:06 pm
Avalon says:
Stuck, I love this article, thanks.
25th August 2014 at 1:18 pm
Stucky says:
Chicago999444
Just curious …. have you been to Europe and seen any of these castles “up close and personal”?
If so, you do know this; NONE of these pictures do the castles any justice whatsoever. They do a great job of titillating the imagination and wonderment. But seeing the real thing in person? It is a truly jaw-dropping moment, one that is never forgotten.
The first time I saw Hohensalzburg was in 1970. I can recall the entire thing, every room visited, and the awe I felt to this very day. The first time I saw Windsor Castle in 1985 … same thing. And so on. I never saw a castle I didn’t fall in love with, and remembered. If I had a Bucket List … and the money … I would visit every castle posted here, and more.
25th August 2014 at 1:21 pm
Frenchie says:
T4C, perfect as usual
Chicago999444, hat tip for what you wrote. in fact I planned to write something similar but you did it better than i could.
I’ll tell you something. 5 years ago I was working in the basements of a hotel in my town. the building was old, but not that much, I would say 18th century. I was asked to make the holes in the building’s foundation in order to allow the creation of a new cold chamber for the kitchen of the restaurant. even with the right equipment, it has been hell. It took 2 days in full
how the fuck people that had NO engine, NO machines have been able to cut hard stones 10 feet long, 4 feet high, 5 feet thick and then line them level 20 Ft below the ground surface is beyond comprehension. even today’s tools overheat when you cut that and I can’t imagine the weight of a single element.
all I can say is that the elders from the 1750’s were serious badass, and despite they were all around 5″6 high, their strength was several fold the one of today’s average human. their know-how has been lost, and we would be unable to rebuild the same things with the same tools.
our society is junk today, like the rest
25th August 2014 at 1:51 pm
Stucky says:
A while back I was thinking about doing a Pictorial Essay on Great Cathedrals.
But, it’s even harder to appreciate the awesomeness of a cathedral, than it is a castle. That’s because one major aspect of the STUNNING beauty of a cathedral is not just the outer structure, but the incredible detailed masonry work up close.
So, you have Milan Cathedral … the fifth largest in the world … started in 1386, and took another 500 friggin years to complete … and ya go Holy Shit!
But, one MUST see the detail to really appreciate it. So, ya get a close-up picture;
And, I think, “Nope. That just doesn’t capture it”. So, I said screw it.
Chicago999444, you like “fine old buildings” …. you will love this website featuring Gothic churches (it’s a real website, despite the potty web name) ——-
http://fuckyeahgothiccathedrals.tumblr.com/
25th August 2014 at 1:52 pm
indialantic says:
I traveled to England in 1988 on business and visited many castles during my stay. My favorites were Dover and Bodiam. (I hope this photo link works!) A photo of Bodiam Castle located in East Sussex:
25th August 2014 at 2:08 pm
Chicago999444 says:
Stucky, thank you for that link. No, I have not yet been to Europe, which place I’ve ached to go my entire life.
But I’m afraid that when I do, I’ll be so awestruck by the beauty of the ancient buildings, and the lovely, clean, charming, cozy cities, that I will never again want to even look at the United States with our horrid sprawl, our hideous suburbs, our ramshackle small towns that never thought of architecture, and our degraded cities.
This country just hasn’t been around long enough to have a heritage of great old buildings and it is never likely to have that, because we are a population of people forever chasing what is “new”, we build for one generation, and we have contempt for the aesthetic values and dedication to the future that inspired these buildings to begin with.
What is saddest of all is that the elite of Europe have lost their respect for their own heritage, and are destroying the appearance of their cities with buildings by “starchitechts” like Koolhaus and Gehry, who vie with each other to see who can build the ugliest, most non-functional structure, that degrades its local setting the most, and causes the most distress to the people who look at it. They will be very sorry they let this plastic and metal crap ever go up.
25th August 2014 at 2:18 pm
Frenchie says:
stucky,
you have a mission.
go for the Cathedrals!
25th August 2014 at 2:51 pm
Administrator says:
Stuck
15,000 views so far. It’s the fourth highest viewed post on TBP this year.
Cathedrals might do even better.
25th August 2014 at 2:58 pm
Stucky says:
Frenchie,
I’ll think about it. I’m guessing it took me 30+ hours to write the castle post ….. I wanted more than just pictures, I wanted to tell a story, and that’s what took so long.
I have no idea how much work a church story would entail, but I’m sure it won’t be insignificant. If I do it. Also, because of the religious aspect, it might not be popular. We have some die-hard atheists here. LOL
As usual, let me first conduct a poll.
If you all would like to see a “cathedral” post, please vote up. I’ll give it very serious consideration with 10 votes. I’ll do as a “fall special” … maybe around Halloween … gothic, and all that.
25th August 2014 at 3:03 pm
Chicago999444 says:
Stucky, I went to your link. What jaw-dropping beauty! And the scale of these places alone inspires awe.
I swear, the cathedrals of Europe is enough to trigger a lot of conversions to the old faith. Even the old Catholic Churches here are stunningly beautiful, and it greatly saddens me to see so many of them left to fall to ruin and eventual demolitions. There goes more of what little “heritage” we have here in the United States, usually to be replaced by a generic brick and prefab concrete structure with all the beauty and soul of a Jehovah’s Witness meeting hall.
I remember being taken on a tour of all the old (pre-1920) Catholic churches in St Louis, a very Catholic city, when I was a child of 8 or so. I was enchanted by their beauty. The tour included not only some of the insanely decorative churches built in the 19th century, one of which dated to 1847, but, of course, the St. Louis Cathedral (now St Louis Basilica), on Lindell, one of the Vatican’s last great building projects. It was under construction from 1915 to the 1980s, and many crafts went into building it that were lost by the time it was totally finished. There is a shade of red in the ceiling frescoes that no one knows how to make anymore. My apt on the 12th floor of an old high rise in the area commanded a wonderful view of this gorgeous building.
Yet, beautiful though it is, it is a pale echo of the fantastic cathedrals of Europe.
Thanks many times for posting.
25th August 2014 at 3:06 pm
Stucky says:
Admin
The “penis nicknames” thread is still first, right? lol
Maybe I could just keep it simple and do a “vagina nicknames” thread. I’ll bet YOU have a few doozies!
25th August 2014 at 3:06 pm
Stucky says:
Chicago999444
Thank yeeew. I love ya.
25th August 2014 at 3:07 pm
Stucky says:
“I swear, the cathedrals of Europe is enough to trigger a lot of conversions to the old faith.” ——-Chicago999444
Yes, indeed, that was the VERY PURPOSE of constructing these edifices … to inspire Awe&Glory and generate the feeling of being in the presence of God himself. And, yeah …. it works!!
Of course, that started a long time before Christianity. Solomon’s Temple. Roman Temples. The Greek Parthenon.
There’s a modern (completed in the last 50 years) Catholic Church close to downtown shit-hole Newark with the largest single-piece stained glass window in North America. I do rail against the Catholics (and with just cause), but I an honestly grateful for their contribution to architecture.
25th August 2014 at 3:21 pm
Administrator says:
Stuck
Best Penis Nicknames – 23,000 views.
I attract a diverse clientele of perverts.
25th August 2014 at 3:28 pm
Gayle says:
Sorry Admin my finger slipped off the “like” on my iPad for the last comment you made. So disregard the dislike.
25th August 2014 at 3:48 pm
Gayle says:
Stucky
From what I understand, many old churches in England, no longer needed as Christendom recedes, are being converted to mosques. I doubt this is yet happening to the old cathedrals, though.
Give me a glorious cathedral over a newfangled square, squat church full of the latest technological gadgets to entice the masses. And give me a Gregorian chant echoing off the stone.
25th August 2014 at 3:55 pm
Stucky says:
“And give me a Gregorian chant echoing off the stone. ” —— Gayle
You just gave me a great idea!
If I do the Cathedral post … and it appears I will …. I will include a Gregorian Chant youtube vid right at the beginning. That way people can “get in the mood” while they read it. (I hope I can remember to do that.)
“Dies Irae” (Day of Wrath)
25th August 2014 at 4:24 pm
Gayle says:
Stucky
I’ll remind you if you forget.
25th August 2014 at 6:30 pm
Mr Chen says:
Dear Mr. Chen,
I’m going to tell you, the same thing I tell anyone that believes in censorship
If you don’t like it, don’t freaking read it.
Who’s censoring? Stucky got my lame joke; it never gets old.
26th August 2014 at 12:34 am
yahsure says:
I don’t think much about castles. They were notorious for being miserably cold.
What i see on the news makes me want to make my place more secure, Harden entrances more.
26th August 2014 at 2:34 pm
Peter says:
Thank you for putting together such an interesting page. I have been to some of the castles you mention but certainly not all. Such structures are absolutely amazing in person because of their size, something hard to sense with photos.
I look forward to your cathedrals piece and you might also want to have one for monasteries.
27th August 2014 at 5:33 am
Rise Up says:
By happenstance, I am currently reading Michael Crichton’s “Timeline” about time travel back to 1327 A.D. in France, to this castle:
In 1354, at a time of perpetual war, two castles face each other across the Dordogne River in Southern France.
27th August 2014 at 10:00 am
Rise Up says:
More about Michael Crichton’s “Timeline”, from the author:
“Note From Michael
I like to work with existing genres, to see if I can do something different with them. I’d always wanted to write a time-travel story, mostly because I thought it would be a good way to talk about history, but also because I thought it would be an unusual adventure story. When I started work, I spent a year just reading. The first question I faced was what period to set the story in. Since I wanted to talk about history, it wouldn’t do to make all the details up, which meant the story couldn’t be set too far in the past. In Europe, if you go back much before 1300, there is relatively little good documentary evidence for the kinds of information I needed-clothing, food, speech mannerisms, the details of how people lived and behaved. What did people have for breakfast? Did they have breakfast at all? What time? Did everybody have breakfast, or only rich people? I need to be able to answer questions like those, or I can’t proceed.
I decided to set the story in a time when knights still fought, because I was interested in the reality behind our clichéd ideas of the Middle Ages-men in armor, women in pointy hats, everybody freezing in bare, chilly castles. That meant that I could not set the story much later than 1370, because after that time, knights became progressively less important as a military force. In fact, even in the 1350s the English were dismounting their knights to fight, and beating the French who still used knights as traditional mounted shock cavalry.
So I determined my time period to be about 1300-1360. I chose France, because that time was a period of confusing and perpetual warfare in that country-not only the Hundred Years War between France and England, but also numerous private wars between rival dukes, as well as attacks by marauding companies of rogue knights. I chose the region around the Dordogne River of Southwest France, because that river was the frontier, the border between France and England, where fighting was intense and continuous.
I eventually settled on the year 1357, right after the great English victory at Poitiers, where the French King John-bon vivant and bad tennis player-was captured and held for ransom. The capture of the king was a profoundly disturbing event for the French.
As for the plot of TIMELINE, I imagined it from the beginning as a survival story. All this seemed straightforward enough, and I was surprised when the novel proved very difficult to write. I eventually realized the book was going slowly because I was required to describe all the settings and costumes in detail, since they were being seen by contemporary observers.
And of course, when I began, I had no idea that King John was a bad tennis player. I hadn’t known there was a King John (or Jean, or Jean le Bon) of France at all. I started with no knowledge of my subject at all, and I had to build up a considerable amount of detailed information before I could write. I consider this fun, actually. I like to learn new things, and I think it’s one of the great advantages of my job.”
http://www.michaelcrichton.net/books-timeline.html
27th August 2014 at 10:04 am
Thinker says:
“Timeline” sounds interesting… I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for sharing!
27th August 2014 at 12:07 pm
farang says:
Great photos, thanks for taking the time to compile these essay. Remarkable beauty.
I just “have a hunch” that many of the locations, especially the mountaintop locations of some of these castles, were more ancient “locations of importance” and would be very curious to see what is buried below some of these castles.
Good stuff!
28th August 2014 at 3:03 am
Larry May says:
Irish castles:
http://irisharchaeology.ie/2014/08/irish-castles-and-forts-in-photos/
28th August 2014 at 4:28 am
Administrator says:
Stuck
Lew Rockwell posted your article. I sent him the link a few days ago.
28th August 2014 at 5:57 am
flash says:
My favorite read on LRC this morning…and may I add , as seen on TBP first…..+ 1000…
28th August 2014 at 6:27 am
James Solomon says:
Thanks for the excellent research and development of the castle article.
28th August 2014 at 3:17 pm
Jackson says:
I, too, saw your Castles post today on LewRockwell.com and read it through again – for the thrid time.
Stucky, I’m looking forward to your Cathedrals article. If it’s as compelling as Castles, Cathedrals will be most captivating.
28th August 2014 at 6:44 pm
Stucky says:
Thanks for the compliments.
Coming up with a cathedral storyline is a bit harder than castles. It’s starting to look like it will have a significant “spiritual” tone … which is not surprising, of course. Still in the early stages of research, but it looks promising. I shall prevail! An hour or two a day .. skipping a few days here and there … I’m guessing a late September finish date.
28th August 2014 at 7:45 pm
Administrator says:
Stuck
It’s up to 18,000 views after today being on Lew Rockwell.
28th August 2014 at 7:56 pm