Seven curious facts about the Middle Ages that not everyone thinks about highlight how castles were not just military strongholds but vibrant centers of daily life. Dr. Karen Dempsey, a specialist in medieval castles, uncovers fascinating aspects of these architectural marvels. Through her meticulous analysis of everyday items and insights into the roles of castle staff, she provides a deeper understanding of how these structures functioned as homes and symbols of power. Whether hosting royal affairs or safeguarding against sieges, each castle's story is unique, much like finding the perfect Stay casino no deposit code for a modern-day treasure hunt. Discover more about the dual nature of these grand residences and their significance in medieval society.
The castle was not lived in all year round
Yes, the castle was a home, or even, if you like, a family nest, but ... it was not a permanent residence. The castle owner, his family, and almost the entire staff of servants moved from castle to castle on a regular basis. They took everything with them: beds, linen, crockery, tapestries, candelabras, chests, and even plants in pots and tubs.
It is hard to imagine what a wagon must have been like to be able to accommodate the interior decoration of all the rooms of the castle. And as a matter of fact, the carts were not that big. This fact makes us wonder: were all the rooms in the castle inhabited? The answer is self-evident - no. The castles used exactly as many rooms as were necessary to ensure a comfortable life of the castle inhabitants according to medieval notions. All other rooms stood empty and served only to maintain the external entourage.
The train travelling from castle to castle numbered from 30 to 150 people. Everyone travelled together: the head of the family with his wife and numerous children. They were followed by the kitchen staff, groomsmen, nursemaids, personal assistants, the household chaplain and, of course, the guards.
The number of people living in castles varied dramatically according to seasonality. In addition, castles were filled with numerous guests on religious holidays. Thus, having arrived at Easter, guests could stay for a little while, for three - five - six months.... What do you think?
And what happened to the castle that was abandoned for a while? Oh! It's very prosaic. During the months of staying in the castle, it was so dirty (please forgive me for using a rude word) that for the next few months, the servants who stayed in the castle cleaned it and ventilated it. In general, preparing it for a new invasion of the castle's inhabitants.
The toilets were not as dirty and smelly as is commonly believed
The toilets of the castle, called cloakrooms, were wooden or stone balconies with a hole in the floor through which waste was discharged.
The process of defecation in a painting by a medieval artist (Pieter Bruegel, mid-16th century). Open spring
These latrines were usually located on the colder northern walls of the ground floors or on the leeward side of the castle. They were most often placed close to the corner of the building, as far away from the main entrance as possible, although... this was not always possible. Only in very rare cases did the cloakrooms overlook the courtyard, but that was the exception to the rule.
Although medieval people did not practise the same level of hygiene as they do today, they were nevertheless relatively clean in their own way. At different times there were different ways of cleaning the aphedron after defecation, but certainly no one left the wardrobe dirty. This is indicated by the fact that near the cloakrooms there were usually places for dustbins (as we would call them today).
Sometimes, if the castle was constantly occupied by a large number of people, for example, when the castle served not only as a dwelling but also as a defence and a garrison was permanently stationed there, then... this problem had to be solved in a special way. A separate defensive structure was built far away from the main castle, connected to the castle by a covered gallery. This isolated tower served as a latrine for the majority of the inhabitants.
For obvious reasons, the dansker, as this public toilet was called, was usually built over a river or a cliff. If the terrain did not allow it, specially trained men with shovels were regularly on duty under it. I wonder. were they provided with overalls?
By the way, the dunker towers, besides being used as latrines, were a perfect defensive element, because everyone understood that it was not rational to spend huge amounts of money and effort to build a simple toilet....
And so that nobody got lost and on the way there was no embarrassment, the way to the dansker was indicated by such signs:
Old man - signpost for the road to the toilet in Malbork Castle. Open source
Medieval women didn't sit all day at the window
Of course, feminism as we know it today did not exist in the Middle Ages. However, the individual actions of women make us notice that their behaviour went beyond the standard limits set by patriarchal society.
Medieval women conducted their ‘subversion’ of male domination in a variety of ways. Today it may seem naive to us, but back then, it was the only way for the fair sex to declare that a woman was not a shadow of a man, but an independent person.
Thus, it is no secret that women could not participate in the life of the church on an equal footing with men. For example, they were not allowed to touch the altar. Then they, mind you, under a perfectly plausible pretext, were called to make with their own hands a cover for the altar, thus, through their work their hands touched a relic sacred to every Christian. And what of the men? They attributed all this to the piety, obedience and meekness of their wives. And they were proud of them, not realising the fires of protest raging in their hearts.
Of course we can't claim that this was a classic example of feminist tendencies, but it was certainly a way of cleverly circumventing the prohibition against touching.
Another, more obvious way of asserting themselves was that many women who had once been married and widowed preferred to remain in that status and no longer remarry. Widows held a special place in society. They acquired rights in matters of property and wealth that were not much inferior to those of men. Moreover, the widow was considered the head of the family.
But even if all was well with the favoured spouse and he simply went... say, on a crusade, it was the wife who ran things. During this period, everyone would suffer temporary mental confusion and amnesia. People around them forgot that a woman was a weak creature, unable to think and make decisions. People came to her with requests and complaints, she signed documents, she was expected to manage the castle and the estates, and sometimes, if necessary, to defend the castle from attack.
Castles were not always bleak and cold
Castles are generally depicted as dark and gloomy. Looking at these drawings, we are presented with images of half-frozen castle dwellers wrapped in three coats. It may very well be that some of the castles were indeed such, but .... not all of them.
More often than not, in the great hall of a castle whose owner had the means, an open hearth burned constantly hot during the cold season. It was the main source of heat and light. But it was so only until the XII century. And later fireplaces appeared, which equipped all the living rooms of the castle. Tapestries on the walls of the castle played not only an aesthetic role, but also served to preserve heat. In the private chambers, in addition to the fireplace, beds with canopies helped to keep warm.
If you find yourself in a medieval castle and look closely at the walls, you can see a lot of small square notches. In ancient times, candles and lamps were placed in them to provide illumination and extra warmth. The higher the castle owner stood on the social ladder, the brighter the candles burned and the stronger the aroma of beeswax. In poorer castles there was a heavy odour of animal fat.
Bedrooms were not private spaces
Medieval ideas about privacy were very different from modern ones. So, if you have a few people in your bedroom with you, you can't complain. It's not like there are fifty people already gathered in the main hall waiting for dinner!
In lords' bedrooms, the bed always had a canopy. It was decorated with coats of arms and other heraldic symbols or biblical scenes. However, the bed was not just for sleeping. It often served as a place of rest, or... a study. Although it was not fashionable to receive visitors in bed until later, even in the Middle Ages a lord or liege could afford to sign a decree or two without getting out of bed.
The oldest surviving beds in England date back to the 15th century. The higher up the social ladder the owner of the castle, the more exquisite the bed. Poor people slept without beds at all. It was good to have a bale of straw.