Castles of feudal lords still attract admiring glances. It is hard to believe that life flowed in these sometimes fabulous constructions: people organized life, raised children, took care of subjects. Many castles of feudal lords of the Middle Ages are protected by the states in which they are located, because their arrangement and architecture are unique. However, all these structures have a number of common features, because their functions were the same and proceeded from the lifestyle and state essence of the feudal lord.
The feudal lords: who they are
Before talking about what the feudal castle looked like, let us consider what kind of class it was in medieval society. European states were then monarchies, but the king, standing at the top of power, did little to decide. Power was concentrated in the hands of the so-called lords - they were the feudal lords. Moreover, within this system, there was also a hierarchy, the so-called feudal ladder. Knights stood on its lower tier. The feudal lords, who are one step higher, were called vassals, and the vassal-senor relations were preserved exclusively for the nearby levels of the stairs.
Each seigneur had his own territory, on which the feudal lord’s castle was located, a description of which we will definitely give below. Also here lived subordinates (vassals) and peasants. Thus, it was a kind of state in the state. That is why in medieval Europe there was a situation called feudal fragmentation, which greatly weakened the country.
Relations between the feudal lords were not always good neighborly, there were frequent cases of hostility between them, attempts to conquer territories. The possession of the feudal lord was to be well fortified and protected from attack. Actually its functions we will consider in the next part.
The main functions of the castle
The very definition of “castle” means an architectural structure that combines economic and defensive tasks.
Based on this, the feudal castle in the Middle Ages performed the following functions:
1. Military. The construction was not just supposed to protect the inhabitants (the owner himself and his family), but also the servants, colleagues, vassals. In addition, it was here that the headquarters of military operations was stationed.
2. Administrative. The castles of the feudal lords were a kind of centers from which the land was governed.
3. Political. State issues were also resolved in the lordship's possession, hence instructions were given to local managers.
4. Cultural. The atmosphere prevailing in the castle allowed the subjects to get an idea of the latest fashion trends - be it clothing, trends in art or music. In this matter, the vassals have always focused on their lord.
5. Household. The castle was a center for peasants and artisans. This concerned both administrative matters and trade.
The feudal castle, described in this article, and the fortress will be wrong. There are fundamental differences between them. Fortresses were called upon to protect not only the owner of the territory, but also all residents without exception, while the castle was a fortification exclusively for the feudal lord living in it, his family and the closest vassals.
A fortress is a fortification of a certain piece of land, and a castle is a defensive structure with a developed infrastructure, where each element performs a specific function.
Prototypes of feudal castles
The first structures of this kind appeared in Assyria, then Ancient Rome adopted this tradition. Well, after the feudal lords of Europe - mainly Great Britain, France and Spain - they began building their castles. Often one could see such buildings in Palestine, because then, in the XII century, the Crusades were in full swing, respectively, the conquered lands had to be held and protected by the construction of special structures.
The trend of castle building disappears along with feudal fragmentation when European states become centralized. Indeed, now it was possible not to be afraid of the attacks of a neighbor encroaching on someone else's.
Special, protective, functionality is gradually giving way to an aesthetic component.
External description
Before disassembling the structural elements, imagine how the feudal lord castle looked in general in the Middle Ages. The first thing that caught my eye was a moat encircling the entire territory on which the monumental structure stood. Next was a wall with small turrets to repel the enemy.
Only one entrance led to the castle - a drawbridge, then an iron grate. Above all other buildings towered the main tower, or dungeon. The necessary infrastructure was also located in the courtyard outside the gates: workshops, a forge and a mill.
It should be said that the place for the building was carefully chosen, it had to be a hill, a hill or a mountain. Well, if it was possible to choose the territory to which at least on one side there was a natural body of water - a river or a lake. Many note how raptors' nests and castles look like (photo for an example below) - both of them were famous for their impregnability.
Castle Hill
We will understand the structural elements of the structure in more detail. The hill for the castle was a hill of the correct form. As a rule, the surface was square. The height of the hill was on average from five to ten meters, there were structures and above this mark.
Particular attention was paid to the breed from which the bridgehead for the castle was made. As a rule, clay was used; peat and limestone rocks were also used. They took material from the ditch, which was dug around the hill for greater protection.
Flooring on hillsides made of brushwood or planks was also popular. There was also a staircase.
Moat
In order to slow down the attack of a potential enemy for some time, as well as to make it difficult to transport siege weapons, a deep moat with water was needed that encircled the hill on which the castles were located. The photo shows how this system functioned.
It was necessary to fill the moat with water - this guaranteed that the enemy would not undermine the castle. Water was most often supplied from a natural reservoir located nearby. The moat had to be cleaned regularly of garbage, otherwise it was shallow and could not fully perform its protective functions.
Also, there were cases when logs or stakes were mounted in the bottom, which prevented the crossing. For the owner of the castle, his family, subjects and guests, a drawbridge was provided, which led directly to the gate.
Goal
In addition to its direct function, the gate performed a number of others. The castles of the feudal lords had a very secure entrance, which during the siege was not so easy to capture.
The gates were equipped with a special heavy-weight grille, having the form of a wooden frame with thick iron bars. If necessary, she descended to delay the enemy.
In addition to the guards standing at the entrance, on both sides of the gate there were two towers on the fortress wall for a better view (the entrance area was the so-called “blind zone.” There were not only sentries, but also archers on duty.
Perhaps the most vulnerable part of the gate was the gate - an urgent need for its protection arose at night, because the entrance to the castle was closed at night. Thus, it was possible to track everyone who visits the territory at "inopportune" time.
Courtyard
Having passed the control of the guards at the entrance, the visitor got into the courtyard, where one could observe real life in the castle of the feudal lord. Here were all the main outbuildings and work was in full swing: warriors trained, the blacksmiths forged weapons, artisans made the necessary household items, servants performed their duties. There was also a well with drinking water.
The area of the courtyard was not large, which made it possible to monitor everything that was happening on the territory of the seigneur's possession.
Donjon
The element that always catches your eye when you look at the castle is the dungeon. This is the highest tower, the heart of any dwelling of the feudal lord. It was located in the most inaccessible place, and the thickness of its walls was such that it was very difficult to destroy this structure. This tower provided the opportunity to observe the surroundings and served as the last refuge. When the enemies broke through all the lines of defense, the castle’s population took refuge in the dungeon and withstood a long siege. At the same time, the dungeon was not only a defensive structure: the feudal lord and his family lived here at the highest level. Below are servants and warriors. Often inside this building was a well.
The lowest floor is a huge hall where magnificent feasts took place. At the oak table, which was bursting with all kinds of dishes, the feudal lord and he were seated.
The internal architecture is interesting: spiral staircases were hidden between the walls, along which it was possible to move between levels.
Moreover, each of the floors was independent of the previous and subsequent. This provided additional security.
The donjon kept stocks of weapons, food and drink in case of siege. The products were kept on the highest floor so that the feudal lord's family was provided and did not starve.
Now consider another question: how comfortable were the feudal lords? Unfortunately, this quality suffered. Analyzing the story of the feudal lord’s castle, heard from the mouth of an eyewitness (a traveler who visited one of these sights), we can conclude that it was very cold there. No matter how the servants tried to flood the premises, nothing worked, the halls were too huge. It was also noted the lack of a cozy home and the uniformity of the “chopped” rooms.
Wall
Almost the most important part of the castle, which was owned by a medieval feudal lord, was the fortress wall. She surrounded the hill on which stood the main building. Special requirements were put forward against the walls: impressive height (so that the stairs were not enough for a siege) and strength, because not only human resources, but also special devices were often used for the assault. The average parameters of such structures: 12 m in height and 3 m in thickness. Impressive, isn't it?
The observation towers crowned the wall in each of its corners, in which sentries and archers were on duty. In the area of the castle bridge there were also special places on the wall so that the besieged could effectively repel the attack of the attackers.
In addition, along the entire perimeter of the wall, along its very top, there was a gallery for defense soldiers.
Life in the castle
How did life proceed in a medieval castle? The second person after the feudal lord was the manager, who kept records of the peasants and artisans subordinate to the owner who worked on the estate. This person took into account how much production was produced and brought, how much the vassals paid for using the land. Often the manager worked in tandem with the clerk. Sometimes a separate room was provided for them in the castle.
The staff of the servants included immediate servants helping the owner and the hostess, there was also a cook with assistant cooks, a stoker - a person responsible for heating the room, a blacksmith and a saddler. The number of servants was directly proportional to the size of the castle and the status of the feudal lord.
The large room was hard enough to heat. The stone walls cooled significantly at night, in addition, they absorbed moisture greatly. Therefore, the rooms were always damp and cold. Of course, the stokers tried their best to keep warm, but this was not always possible. Particularly wealthy feudal lords could afford the decoration of the walls with wood or carpets, tapestries. To save as much heat as possible, the windows were made small.
For heating, limestone stoves were used, which were located in the kitchen, from where the heat spread to nearby rooms. With the invention of pipes, it became possible to heat other rooms of the castle. Tiled stoves created special comfort for the feudal lords. A special material (burnt clay) made it possible to heat large areas and retained heat better.
What did they eat in the castle
An interesting diet is the inhabitants of the castle. Here, social inequality is best traced. Most of the menu was meat dishes. And it was perfect beef and pork.
No less important place on the feudal table was occupied by agricultural products: bread, wine, beer, porridge. The tendency was as follows: the more noble the feudal lord - the brighter the bread on his table. It's no secret that this depends on the quality of the flour. The percentage of grain products was maximum, and meat, fish, fruits, berries and vegetables were only a pleasant addition.
A special feature of cooking in the Middle Ages was the abundant use of seasonings. And here, more than the peasantry could afford to know. For example, African or Far Eastern spices, which at a cost (for a small capacity) were not inferior to cattle.