What is a machicolation used for?
A machicolation (French: mâchicoulis) is a floor opening between the supporting corbels of a battlement, through which stones or other material, such as boiling water, hot sand, quicklime or boiling cooking oil, could be dropped on attackers at the base of a defensive wall.
How do you pronounce Machicolation?
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /məˌtʃɪkəˈleɪʃ(ə)n/
- Audio (RP) 0:02. (file)
- (General American) IPA: /məˌt͡ʃɪkəˈleɪʃən/
- Hyphenation: ma‧chi‧col‧a‧tion.
What was a machicolations used for in medieval times?
In medieval fortifications, machicolations (derivation French: machicoulis) are openings in the upper sections of castles or other fortifications through which missiles, boiling oil and other objects could be thrown down onto attackers. The openings could be in either the vertical plane or in the floor.
What is a Balistraria?
Definition of balistraria
: a narrow often cruciform opening in a wall (such as a tower or fortress) for discharging arrows (as from a crossbow)
What does a machicolation look like?
A machicolation is a little like a balcony with holes in the floor, built high on the side of a castle. Those defending a castle could throw objects through this hole at attackers below. In fact, the word machicolation probably comes from the old French words for ‘crush’ (machier) and ‘neck’ (col).
What is a machicolation in a castle?
A machicolation is an opening in a medieval castle for dropping rocks or boiling water on an enemy. It’s like a sneaky window in a castle that lets people drop stuff on their enemies to keep them from coming in.
What are the slits in castle walls called?
An arrowslit (often also referred to as an arrow loop, loophole or loop hole, and sometimes a balistraria) is a narrow vertical aperture in a fortification through which an archer can launch arrows or a crossbowman can launch bolts.
How do you pronounce Balistraria?
noun, plural bal·is·tra·ri·ae [bal-uh-strair-ee-ee].
What is a Machicolation in a castle?
What are the holes at the top of a castle called?
An embrasure is the opening in a battlement between the two raised solid portions, referred to as crenel or crenelle in a space hollowed out throughout the thickness of a wall by the establishment of a bay.
What does a Machicolation look like?
What is the door of a castle called?
A portcullis (from Old French porte coleice, “sliding gate”) is a heavy vertically-closing gate typically found in medieval fortifications, consisting of a latticed grille made of wood, metal, or a combination of the two, which slides down grooves inset within each jamb of the gateway.
What are the small windows in a castle called?
Why do castle gates open inwards?
This type of opening was flared inward, that is the doorway was very narrow on the outside, but wide on the inside, so that the archers had free space of movement and aiming, and that the attackers have as much difficulty as possible to reach them. There are embrasures especially in fortified castles and bunkers.
What is the front door of a castle called?
What is a meeting room called in a castle?
A great hall is the main room of a royal palace, castle or a large manor house or hall house in the Middle Ages, and continued to be built in the country houses of the 16th and early 17th centuries, although by then the family used the great chamber for eating and relaxing.
What are the bumps on a castle wall called?
These gaps are termed “crenels” (also known as carnels, or embrasures), and a wall or building with them is called crenellated; alternative (older) terms are castellated and embattled. The act of adding crenels to a previously unbroken parapet is termed crenellation.
What are the holes in a castle wall called?
What is the small door in a castle gate called?
wicket gate
A wicket gate (sometimes referred to as a wicket door) is quite simply, a small door or gate within a larger door or gate that people are able to pass through.
What was a bedroom called in medieval times?
Bed chambers are now known as bedrooms. Latrines have become lavatories and bathrooms. Halls have morphed into entrance halls and dining rooms have taken over one of their main functions. Solars, Cabinets and Boudoirs have become sitting rooms, libraries and dressing rooms.
What is the top of a castle wall called?
parapet
The short, topmost part of the wall was called the parapet. It included the crenels, gaps in the wall spaced at regular intervals. Sometimes the crenels are also called embrasures.
What is the main door of a castle called?
What is a Bailey in a castle?
A bailey is the sturdy wall around a castle that keeps invaders out. The bailey of a medieval castle was usually built of stone. You might see a bailey — or the remains of one — if you tour a castle in England or France.
Did medieval beds have sheets?
Beds in the middle ages
For those further down the social scale, they would own wooden bedsteads with headboards, to which were added feather mattresses, sheets, blankets, coverlets and pillows, Peasants slept on mattresses stuffed with straw or wool, while the poorest slept on straw or hay.
Why were medieval beds so high?
If you were lucky enough to be wealthy, your bed was an opportunity to show off your status. Typically made of ornately carved wood and encrusted with jewels or gold, the beds of the wealthy were raised high off the floor, sometimes so high that a stepping stool was required to reach them.