Transcript Slide 1

The Moat
410-1492
in a
Spanish Castle
To begin your journey into the Middle Ages,
try to picture a world with far fewer people,
where no one moved away from their
hometown, and life moved at a slower pace.
There was no electricity, no water from
faucets, no television, and no cars. Imagine
such a world to begin your journey into a
land that was filled with real knights,
castles, lords, and ladies and enter the
Middle Ages…
Early Middle Ages
The years 500 to 1000 AD are known as the tough times or the Dark Ages.
During this time Vikings were invading much of Europe. Tribal disputes
were causing constant war. Pagan worshipping was common place. Only
the monks in the monasteries kept learning alive. During the Early Middle
Ages Charlemagne also conquered most of France.
High Middle Ages
The years 1050 to 1300, evoked for many people romantic images of knights in shining armor,
magnificent castles, and glorious cathedrals. And to many people, the word medieval (Latin medium
aevum; “middle age”) wrongly suggests a cultural intermission between the classical period of the
Greek and Roman civilizations and the Renaissance. On the contrary, the High Middle Ages was a
dynamic period that shaped European identity and development, stimulated in part by Europe’s
interactions with other cultures in Eurasia and the Mediterranean. Many of the basic social and
political patterns and institutions later associated with European history were formed during this
era. Clear political boundaries and cultural identities emerged in the British Isles, France, Germany,
Italy, eastern Europe, Iberia, and Scandinavia. Between 1000 and 1300, a chain reaction of
developments in economy, society, and political life contributed to new trends in religion,
scholarship, literature, and other arts—trends that shaped European culture to the present day.
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages lasted from 1300 to 1400 AD. This was
time of tragedy and hope. The 100 Years' War between England
and France and the bubonic plague known as the Black Death
took many lives. The church was fighting. Hope began when the
working people began to rise. New ideas grew. Overseas
exploration lead to a modern time.
The Muslims and the
Christian Reconquest
The Alhambra in Granada
A breathtaking palace-city that has a sophisticated blend of
medieval Islamic, Renaissance Christian and modern architectural
styles.
In 711 Spain was invaded by Muslims from Africa. For centuries the Muslim
conquerors would control much of the Iberian Peninsula. The high point of Islamic
culture in Spain occurred in the 10th century. Muslim rulers introduced new crops
and efficient irrigation systems, trading and commerce thrived, and mathematics,
medicine, and philosophy flourished.
Muslim power declined after 1000 as Christian kingdoms in northern Spain,
supplemented by migrants from Europe, gradually moved southward to take control
of the peninsula. That process was completed in 1492 with the Christian conquest of
Granada, the last Muslim kingdom in Spain.
Iberia/Spain
The kingdom of "Castilla" (its name means, "Land of Castles") occupied the
eastern half of the actual region of Castilla y León, and the neighboring regions of
Cantabria, La Rioja, Madrid and part of Castilla-la Mancha. It is the land of origin of
the Spanish language (Castellano)
The origin of Castile is at the lands od the Eastern frontier of León, in northern
Spain. Those lands were inhabited by people of a mixed origin (Cantabric, Basque,
Celtiberian), who possessed their own language (the Castilian-spanish) and body
of laws, which differed from the Visigothic-inspired laws of the Leonese court. The
Castilian legal system was based on old customs and traditional laws, as
interpreted and applied by popularly appointed judges. Castile became
independent in practice under Count Fernán González (X century). The "legal"
independence came under Fernando I , son of the King Sancho III "the Great" of
Navarre, last Count and first king of Castile (he was also king of León owner of La
Mota or Moat Castle).
After the disintegration of the Moorish Caliphat, it expanded to central Spain: "New
Castile", becoming the leader of the "Reconquista". An important act of this was the
conquest of Toledo (1085), by the king Alfonso VI, that united the muslim kingdom
of Toledo with Castile.
It conserved a close relation with León (unions with the kings Fernando I, Sancho
II, Alfonso VI or Alfonso VII), until their definitive union, during the year 1230, with
the king Fernando III "The Saint", son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of
Castile. This king reconquered Southern Spain: Murcia & Andalucia (except of
Granada)
The two kingdoms remained independent until the union of Spain, with the
marriage of Isabel I (Queen of Castile & León) and Fernando II (King of Aragón and
Count of Barcelone).
Queen Isabella I
Her father died when she was three and her older brother
became King Henry IV. The Spanish nobles had become very
powerful during the reign of John II. They did not wish to
have Henry as their king. They felt that he was not very
smart and would not be a good leader. They hoped to make
Isabella's other brother, Alfonso, their king, but he died on July
5, 1468. Some people thought that he might have been
poisoned to prevent him from being made king.
But soon Isabella would be at odds with her brother over her
impending arranged marriage and faced imprisonment in the
dungeon for her defiance. King Henry had wished his sister to
marry Don Carlos, the Prince of Viana, who was the eldest son
of John II. He was also heir to the Kingdom of Navarre. The
King of Aragon, wished to marry Isabella to his son,
Ferdinand. Before the final arrangements could be made, Don
Carlos died. Henry tried to arrange marriages with several
other people including King Alfonso V of Portugal, but Isabella
had already decided that she wished to marry
Ferdinand. Isabella made plans to marry Ferndinand. The
only problem was that she had to find him. She sent out
noblemen to search for him and he was finally found in Sicily
(the island at the bottom of Italy) where he had become
King. He has also now become heir to the throne of Aragon.
He braved a trip back to Spain and married Isabella in 1469 in
the palace of Juan de Vivero.
The Catholic King and Queen
Ferdinand II
King of Aragón &
Count of Barcelone
1452-1516
Isabel I
Queen of Castile &
León of Spain
1451-1504
Map of the Spanish Kingdoms
1360
On this map, the areas outlined in brown
are under Muslim control. Yellow is Navarre,
pink is Castile and Leon, purple is France,
blue is Portugal and green is Aragon.
The Capitulation of Granada 1492
by F. Padilla: Boabdil before Ferdinand and Isabella
La Mota or Castle of the Moat
Valladolid - Castilla y León
Medina del Campo was a very important city in Spain. In Medina, we visited the Castillo de la Mota,
or Castle of the Moat which at one time belonged to King Juan II, Isabel’s father. This castle was
built before the rein of the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabel. Isabel died there. Its main
purpose was to protect its inhabitants from invaders. The monarchs did live in this castle for a short
time. Later, it became a state prison.
Archery served as
defense, but
longbows were
more effective on
open battlefields.
As such, the
crossbow
became very
popular for both
the attacking and
defending armies.
Capturing a medieval castle was a lofty goal for many
commanders in the Middle Ages and battles were often
centered around these fortresses. Since medieval castles
occupied such strategic points along trade routes, ports
and rivers, they had the highest military value. Prime
locations for castle construction include high, rocky
ground…mountain passes…isolated peninsulas…and lake
islands.
Sword and Shield
Assorted
daggers
Sword and Shield
Mace
Mace
War
hammers
Arming
Sword
Bow and
Arrow
Pollaxe
dirk, misericorde,
poniard, rondel,
scramasax
People of the Castle
Many different people lived in and around a castle. The lord and lady,
of course, were there, but one could also find everybody from knights
to cooks in and around the castle grounds.
The most important
people, were the Lord,
the lady and the
Bishop
Who Are They?
Knight
A professional soldier
Chaplain
Provided
spiritual
welfare for
laborers and
the castle
garrison.
Cook
Roasted,
broiled, and
baked food
in the
fireplaces
and ovens
Messengers
Servants of
the lord who
carried
receipts,
letters, and
commodities.
Castilian
Butler
Atilliator
Cared for the Skilled castles Resident
owner or
cellar and
worker who
person in
was in charge
made
charge
of a
of wine and
crossbows.
castle.
beer
Parts of a castle
Castles were not just buildings, they were fortresses made to
protect people during military conflict. As a result, most castles
shared some basic parts that helped them serve their purpose.







The first thing that distinguished a castle was the moat or ditch. Most were filled with deep water to prevent
enemies from coming in, but even those without water stopped intruders because the deep, steep walls
prevented the enemy from entering.
The only way to cross a moat was on the drawbridge. These wooden structures could be raised or lowered
depending on whether or not the people in the castles wanted you to come in. Ropes or chains were attached to
the end of the bridge and then rigged to a pulley so that guards were able to quickly raise it.
Upon crossing the drawbridge, you would reach the curtain, or wall. This wall surrounding the castle was strong
enough to survive a battering ram, a common weapon, and could be anywhere between 8 and 20 feet thick.
(That's as wide as the height of a 2-story building!)
A gatehouse was built into the curtain. At first it was just a simple door by which to go in and out of the castle,
but over time that changed. Because enemy armies often came to this area, an iron grate was added that could
be put down to block entrance, in addition to heavy wooden doors. Small holes, called murder holes, were added
to the ceiling above the main entrance to pour boiling liquid down on entering enemies.
Towers were also a part of the curtain. They allowed people to look about and keep watch outside the castles
walls. In addition, at times they kept prisoners. For example, the Tower of London in England was well known for
the important political prisoner kept within its walls.
The Keep of the castle was the highest point and the center of defense. The strongest and most secure place in
a castle.
Inside the castles walls were many things. There was a kitchen where the cooks made meals. The great hall
was where everybody ate and the servants slept. Court jesters often sang, juggled, and told stories here to
amuse the lord and his family. Stables were used to house livestock of all sorts and each castle had a chapel
that could be located in a tower or gatehouse. The chapel sometimes served as a private church for the lord and
his family even when there was another church in a nearby town. Castles also had one or more houses built in
for people to stay. Often there was a lord's house and then one or two others, depending on how many people
were living at that particular castle.
Inside a Castle
Castles looked cool on the outside, but really they were
cold, damp, and poorly lit. The only heating was provided
by fireplaces in each room and castles had to be lit by
torches because they were very dark inside.
People tended to spend much time outdoors to get away
from the dampness of the castle. Tapestries were hung on
the wall to help brighten up the halls and keep in heat.
The main furniture in the great hall were wooden benches and large tables
made by laying wood planks across other benches. At night, the table was taken
down to make room for the servants who slept on the floor. The floors were
covered year-round with reeds, bones, and scraps of food. When the room
began to smell, the servants added more reeds and sprinkled spices to help get
rid of the odor. Once a year, the servants replaced the soiled reeds with new
ones, and the whole process started again. The king and his family often shared
a single room where their sleeping quarters were separated only by curtains.
King’s Kitchen and Bath
The king's kitchen staff decorated most of the food
before they served it. Sometimes when meat was
served, the servants put the fur or feathers back on
the meat to make it look alive! On the other hand,
because there was no refrigeration, the food spoiled
quickly. Sometimes when food was spoiled, they just
dumped extra gravy on it and served it anyway. One
of the only ways to preserve and season food was to
salt all the meat.
In fact, since salt was so important at the medieval
table, it began to be a sort of status symbol. Most
great halls only had one large salt container, and
where you sat in relation to it told people how
important you were. The more important people sat
"above the salt," and those who were less important
sat "below the salt." During the evening meals, the
lord and his family sat upon a raised platform and
watched court jesters who sang, juggled, and told
stories.
Castles had no modern plumbing, but the garbage
disposal presented no problem. The servants dumped
it in the moat. Bathrooms in castles often emptied
right into the moat as well. Since people in the Middle
Ages believed that washing too much could make you
sick, bathing became a once-a-month affair. Most
didn't even bother with soap because the soaps were
so strong that they could eat holes through cloth. The
royal family preferred dirt to holes, so wash days
were few and far between
The Dungeon
The word "dungeon" is a corruption of the French term, "donjon."
Interestingly, a castle's donjon did not function as the prison. Rather,
the donjon was the great tower, later called the keep. Normally, the
great keep was a self-sufficient tower housing the lord and his family,
which, at times, became a sturdy refuge capable of withstanding at
least a brief siege. Over the centuries, the keep devolved from the
castle's most formidable tower, to a storage tower, and then to a
prison tower. Hence, the mutation of the French term.
Frequently, the castle's prison was located near or inside the main
gatehouse to prevent the enemy from gaining access to the interior.
Then, the guards could also keep a close watch over their captives.
The oubliette must have been an incredibly brutal prison, with or
without the physical tortures that may have accompanied
imprisonment. Known throughout Europe and even in the Middle East,
these early castle prisons were usually shaped like slender cylinders.
The only entrance into the windowless chambers was through a trap
door in the ceiling, which opened into the floor of the guardroom
above and was usually too high for the prisoners to grasp in an
escape attempt. The doomed prisoners were tied to a rope and then
lowered into the oubliette. They received food the same way. As
indicated above, sometimes the oubliette sat below ground level. On
occasion, the pit filled with water that seeped up from the earthen
floor, making survival almost impossible.
The Inquisition
1200 - 1500
Christian Inquisition tries Heretics
The Roman Catholic Church establishes and
maintains a religious tribunal to try heretics,
individuals whose beliefs differ from official
church doctrine, or orthodoxy. The Inquisition is
most virulent in 15th-century Spain, embattled
by invading Islamic Moors of Northern Africa.
During the course of the Inquisition, thousands
of people, some innocent are tortured and
executed in castle dungeons.
No this is not
magic !
Conducting
such an
experiment
could have
made you a
heretic during
the days of the
Inquisition
Optical Illusion 55:
Crazy Spinning Circles
This is a static image,
it contains NO animation.
Who do you think still
haunts the castle?
In the castle walls,
wail echoes of the past.
Each century new,
yet olden curses often last.
In each corridor,
Stains are cast.
Misfortune woes,
aching shadows a vast.
Adios!
!
W
h •When did the middle ages begin in Spain?
e •When was the High Middle Ages?
n
•When did they end approximately?
•The word “medieval” in Latin literally means what?
•Name at least three things the were important contributions to
society during the High Middle Ages in Europe?
•Who invaded Spain in the year 711?
•What new things were introduced to Spanish culture by the invaders?
•In what year was the beginning of the invaders decline?
•What year was Granada recaptured by Spain?
•What are the names of the Catholic King and Queen of Spain?
•What parts of Spain did they rule before their union?
•What does the word “castilla” mean in Spanish?
•What part of Spain did the Spanish language originate?
•Who is Count Fernán González?
•Who is Fernando I?
•Who is King Sancho “The Great” of Navarre?
•Who is Alfonso VI?
•Who is Fernando III "The Saint”?
•Why was Medina del Campo and important city in Spain?
•What landmark is in Medina del Campo and what important people lived in it?
•What did the landmark later become?
•Name at least five Medieval weapons.
•Who are the most important people that live in a castle
•Name the seven types of people and their jobs that are important in
maintaining a castle/fortress.
•What is the purpose of a moat, drawbridge and gatehouse?
•Explain what is the function of the keep.
•What are castles like on the inside?
•What was the most important food additive that determined a person’s status
and why?
•What is a castle’s “donjon” and what is its function?
•What is the oubliette?
•What are the dates of the Inquisition?
•What does the word “Heretic” mean?
•Why was this practice started and what was involved?