Castle Flashcards
What is the time period referred to as medieval?
From AD 500 to around 1500.
What is the Bayeux Tapestry?
An embroidery telling the Norman conquest of England.
It is a primary visual source.
What is the feudal system?
A way the land was organized and controlled - King, nobles/lords/Bishops, Knights, and then Peasants.
What is a fief?
A piece of land given to a lord by the king or from a lord to a knight in exchange for loyalty.
What is a vassal?
A loyal subject to a King, lord, or Knight upon receipt of land, promising to protect him and the land.
Who is in charge in the feudal system?
The King, followed by lords, nobles, Bishops, Barons, Knights, and peasants.
What is a motte and bailey?
Early castles usually made of wood, consisting of a motte built on a hill with a tower or keep, and a bailey which is a courtyard lower down and enclosed.
What is the keep in a castle?
The part of the castle where the lord and lady lived.
What is a moat?
A trench filled with water that surrounds the castle for protection.
What is a drawbridge?
A raised bridge at the castle gate that can be let down to enter the castle.
What is a portcullis?
An iron grated gate of the castle used for protection.
What are turrets?
Towers built into the castle walls used as lookout points.
What is a curtain wall?
The outside wall of the castle.
What are battlements?
Raised parts of the castle walls used to assist those inside.
What is a siege?
Surrounding the castle.
What is a siege ladder
A weapon used for attacking castles, often with ladders to climb walls.
What types of bows are used in sieges?
Crossbows and longbows fire arrows.
What is a catapult?
A very large device used to throw rocks.
What is a battering ram?
A wooden device used to knock down gates.
What does undermining refer to in siege tactics?
Tunneling beneath walls.
Tithe
One tenth of earnings paid to priest
