Most people think of a castle as a mere building. A building which is big, beautiful and strong, but it’s so much more. A castle is a home, a safe haven, a workplace, and something worth defending. Over the centuries, castles developed into a series of buildings, usually surrounded by a defensible outer wall or walls.

The first castles in the 9th and early 10th centuries were built out of wood. Their defense was a large ditch around the main structure that was filled with water. On the inside area of the ditch (motte or moat) was a large fence inside to protect the buildings. Using wood was a problem because the castle buildings and fences could easily be burned down either by accident or by attack. Later in the 10th century, people figured out that stone would be stronger, safer and better defensively. Castles were built in layers. In the inner area or keep was usually the area reserved for the lord and his people. This layering also protected the possessions in the great hall, or the main room of the castle. As time passed and attacks became more violent, castles became more layered to defend themselves better. By the end of the era of castles, they had come such a long way. There were slanted roofs to pour foul liquids down onto your enemies. Also, there were cannon slots which were only wide enough to shoot out of, but too small to allow attackers in. The battlements had other places for men to hide and shoot bows from.

There were many inhabitants in a castle. The most important person is the lord of the castle. He could be anyone from a king to a knight. A lord must control the entire castle. As the master of the castle, he would have to run the servants, the knights, the lady and her servants, as well as worry about and other things. When the lord was away fighting or for some other reason, the lady of the castle had to take on his duties plus those of her own. Her regular duties would consist of running the house and all the people that work in it. The people that work and live on the castle grounds were the servants.

Although we often think that castles were the home of a nobleman and his family, most castles were much more. They were like little towns. They had a blacksmith, a leather worker, farmers, cooks, maids, and people to help train the knights who defended the castle.

As for attire, castles were cold, damp and drafty most of the year. At night, people would get into multiple layers of dressing gowns and other garments to keep themselves warm. Although wearing layers to keep warm was done to be practical, fashion was also important–especially in French castles. During the day time, lords would wear elaborate and fluffy clothes. Often these outfits would be bright colors with some flowery gold design on it. He ladies wore clothes similar to those of the men, except that these were huge dresses which also were in bright colors with some sort of design on it. One of the most important accessories was the hat. Lords had large puffy hats. While the ladies had numerous styles of hats. Some were tall, stiff, and pointy. Then others were smaller and rounded to look almost like an interesting hairstyle. The peasants wore somewhat more ragged clothes. Such as crude pants or skirts and shirts, most of which were never washed and were filled with holes. During battle, knights wore heavy metal armor to protect themselves from harm.

After eating a meal, people would often be serenaded by minstrels and their upbeat tunes about life. They would skip and jump while playing lutes, drums, flutes, and other instruments. There was another kind of popular music in that time. Gregorian chants preformed by monks became increasingly popular. In fact, some are still popular to this day. While knights or kings traveled, they would sometimes bring their minstrels to keep them company on another long journey.

I can only imagine what life was like back then. Sadly, just as castles reached their height architecturally, they began to outlive their usefulness. Once peaceful terms were reached, people no longer needed the amount of defense castles provided. This caused them to move out into cities and other places. Though not used in the same way, some castles still stand and provide an educational experience for the young people of today.

Medieval Odds and Ends

Gregorian Chant Notation
The Online Medieval and Classical Library (DL SunSITE)
Medieval and Renaissance Art, History, Literature and Music
Labyrinth Home Page
the research centre for illuminated manuscripts
The Crusades

Last updated May, 1 2002