Names and terms of a medieval CASTLE's parts

Summary

In this informative video, Shad explores the terminology and components of castles, providing a detailed overview of their parts and functions. From the main defensive building known as the keep to the outer walls and the bailey, Shad clarifies common misconceptions about what constitutes a castle. He delves into defensive features like moats, drawbridges, and gatehouses, and explains the purpose of battlements, hoardings, and murder holes. The video promises future content on castle design and the internal layout, showcasing Shad's passion for medieval architecture.

Takeaways

• 🏰 The script introduces a detailed exploration of castle components and terminology, presented by Shad, who has a passion for castles.
• 🎁 Shad presents a 3D model named 'Honor Guard' as a visual aid for the video, which is a work in progress but sufficiently complete for educational purposes.
• 🕰 The definition of a castle is discussed, emphasizing that it is a fortified medieval structure of a certain size with specific defensive features.
• 🛡️ The script clarifies the distinction between a 'keep' and a 'castle', explaining that a keep is essentially a castle without an enclosing wall.
• 🕋 The 'Bailey' or 'Ward' is identified as the open walking area within the castle walls, which can have multiple sections if there are internal walls.
• 🏹 The strategic advantages of building castles on hills are highlighted, with moats serving as the second-best defensive option for flat ground.
• 🚶‍♂️ The importance of the castle's entrance and its defenses, including the drawbridge and portcullis, is underscored to prevent unauthorized access.
• 🏰 The 'Gatehouse' and 'Barbican' are explained as fortified entry points, with the Barbican being the most fortified and outermost gatehouse.
• 💂‍♂️ The 'Battlements' are described as the iconic defensive features of a castle, including the walls, towers, ramparts, and crenellations.
• 🔍 The function of 'Arrow Loops' or 'Slits' is detailed as small openings in the merlons for archers to shoot arrows at attackers with full protection.
• 🕳️ 'Murder Holes' are revealed as openings in ceilings or walls to drop or shoot projectiles onto enemies from above, distinct from machicolations.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video by Shad?

The main focus of the video is to educate viewers on the names and terminology of the components and parts of castles.

What is the term used to describe the main habitable place within a castle's walls?

The main habitable place within a castle's walls is referred to as the 'keep' when it is separate from the walls.

What is the common term used to describe the open area inside the castle walls?

The common term used to describe the open area inside the castle walls is 'Bailey', although 'Ward' is also used.

Why are castles often built on hills?

Castles are often built on hills to provide a defensive advantage and a greater field of view to spot potential attackers.

What is a moat and how does it contribute to a castle's defense?

A moat is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle, which can be dry or filled with water. It contributes to the castle's defense by making it more difficult for attackers to approach and restricts the movement of siege equipment.

What is the purpose of a drawbridge in a castle?

The purpose of a drawbridge is to serve as a bridge that can be raised and lowered in front of the castle's entrance, providing control over access to the castle.

What is the difference between a windlass drawbridge and a counterweight drawbridge?

A windlass drawbridge is raised by turning a winch, while a counterweight drawbridge uses a counterbalance system with beams and weights to make raising and lowering the bridge easier and quicker.

What is the term used to describe the walkable areas of castle walls?

The walkable areas of castle walls are referred to as the 'rampart' or 'ramparts'.

What are the two components that make up the crenellations on a castle wall?

The two components that make up the crenellations are the 'Merlin', which provides full cover, and the 'Crenel', which is the lower part in between the Merlins.

What is the purpose of a 'murder hole' in a castle?

A 'murder hole' is an opening in the ceiling above an area designed to trap an enemy, allowing defenders to rain down projectiles or other harmful substances onto the attackers.

What is the term 'donjon' and how does it relate to castle design?

The term 'donjon' originally referred to the highest usable room in a castle tower, often associated with prestige. Over time, the term became associated with the place where captives were held, leading to the modern term 'dungeon'.

What is the purpose of a postern in a castle?

A postern serves as a back door or a secondary entry and escape point in a castle, designed to be small and easily defensible.

What is the significance of the 3D model 'Honor Guard' in the video?

The 3D model 'Honor Guard' is a passion project of Shad and serves as a visual aid in the video to demonstrate the specifics of each castle component.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 Introduction to Castle Components

Shad introduces the video, expressing his passion for castles and presenting a 3D model of 'Honor Guard' as a visual aid. He clarifies the definition of a castle as a fortified medieval structure with specific defensive features. Shad distinguishes between a keep and a castle, explaining that a castle can be identified by its walls and main defensive building, while a keep is a standalone fortified structure. He also introduces the terms 'Bailey' and 'Ward' for the open area within castle walls, noting the potential for multiple Baileys in larger castles.

05:01

🏹 Castle Design and Defenses

The video discusses the ideal location for a castle, which is on a hill for a natural defensive advantage. If a hill is not available, a moat serves as the second best option. Shad explains the importance of the castle's entrance, including the use of drawbridges and portcullises to secure it. He also describes the gatehouse and its role as a weak point in the castle's defenses, which necessitates its fortification. The Barbican, a more fortified gatehouse, is introduced as a term for the outermost or most fortified entrance.

10:03

🛡️ Battlements and Castle Walls

Shad delves into the components of castle walls, known as battlements, which include the walls themselves, towers, and walkable areas called ramparts. He describes the crenellations that provide cover for archers, consisting of merlons for full cover and crenels for half cover. Additionally, he explains the evolution of hoardings into machicolations, which are openings in the battlements for dropping projectiles onto attackers. The role of corbels in supporting these features is also highlighted.

15:05

🕳️ Murder Holes and Castle Towers

The script explains the function of murder holes, which are openings in ceilings designed to trap and attack enemies below. Shad differentiates murder holes from machicolations, which are on walls. He also discusses castle towers, their battlements, and the various types of towers, such as flanking towers and watchtowers. The term 'donjon' is introduced, referring to the highest usable room in a castle, which could be a prestigious living space or a prison, depending on its use.

20:06

🗝️ Postern Gates and Tower Terminology

Shad introduces the postern, a secondary, smaller gate used as an emergency exit or entry point in a castle. He notes the practicality of the postern due to its size and ease of defense. The paragraph also touches on the various names for different types of towers in a castle, such as flanking towers and the watchtower, and how these names are applied based on their function and location within the castle.

25:06

📜 Conclusion and Future Content

In conclusion, Shad summarizes the key components and terminology related to castles covered in the video. He expresses his enthusiasm for creating more content on castles and outlines future videos on proper castle design, internal layout, and the creation of the 3D model used in the video. Shad also mentions plans to share high-resolution images on his deviantART page and invites viewers to request more topics on castles.

Keywords

💡Castle

A castle is defined as a fortified medieval structure of a particular size with specific defensive features. It is the central theme of the video, which aims to educate viewers on the various components and terminology associated with castle architecture. For example, the script mentions that a castle can be identified by its fortified stone structure and does not necessarily need a wall to be classified as one.

💡Keep

The term 'keep' refers to the main defensive building within a castle complex, separate from the surrounding walls. It is a key concept in the video, which clarifies that a keep becomes a castle when a wall is added around it. The script uses the term to differentiate between a standalone defensive structure and a fully fortified castle with walls.

💡Bailey

A 'Bailey' is the open area inside the castle walls that is not occupied by the keep. It is an important part of the castle's layout and is mentioned in the script as a common term for the walking area within the castle's defenses. The Bailey could also be referred to as a 'ward,' indicating an area that might be separated by internal walls into upper and lower Baileys.

💡Moat

A 'moat' is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle, serving as an additional defensive barrier. The script explains that while a moat is not as advantageous as a castle built on a hill, it is the next best option for improving a castle's defensive capabilities, especially when a hill is not available.

💡Drawbridge

A 'drawbridge' is a bridge that can be raised and lowered in front of a castle's entry point. The video script describes two types of drawbridges: windlass drawbridges, which use a winch system, and counterweight drawbridges, which are easier to operate but require more space for the counterbalancing mechanism.

💡Portcullis

A 'portcullis' is a heavy gate made of wood or metal, capable of being raised and lowered in front of the main castle entrance or any entry point. It is a crucial defensive feature, as mentioned in the script, often found in conjunction with a drawbridge to further secure the castle's entrance.

💡Gatehouse

The 'gatehouse' is an integral part of a castle's defenses, particularly important as it is one of the castle's weak points. The script explains that a castle can have more than one gatehouse, with the most fortified one often referred to as a 'Barbican.' The gatehouse is designed to fortify the entrance and control access to the castle.

💡Battlements

In the context of the video, 'battlements' refer to the defensive wall features of a castle, including the walls, towers, and the crenellations that provide cover for archers. The script emphasizes their importance as iconic features that define a castle, offering both protection and vantage points for defense.

💡Crenellations

Crenellations are the alternating high and low parts of a battlement wall that provide cover for defenders. The script describes them as essential defensive features, with the high part called the 'merlon' and the low part the 'crenel.' They offer protection to archers and the ability to retaliate against attackers.

💡Murder Hole

A 'murder hole' is an opening in the ceiling of a castle designed to allow defenders to attack enemies directly below. The script uses this term to illustrate a specific defensive mechanism where attackers can be trapped and subjected to a deadly rain of projectiles or liquids from above.

💡Donjon

The 'donjon' originally referred to the highest usable room in a castle, often associated with prestige and protection due to its difficulty to access. The script explains the evolution of the term from indicating the highest point to the lowest point in a castle, eventually leading to the modern term 'dungeon,' where prisoners were held.

💡Postern

A 'postern' is a secondary, often hidden, entrance or exit to a castle, serving as a backup access point. The script describes it as a small and easily defensible feature, crucial for escape or reinforcement during a siege, illustrating its strategic importance in castle design.

Highlights

Introduction to a video on the names and terminology of castle components.

The presenter's passion for castles and the reveal of their 'Honor Guard' project.

Defining a castle as a fortified medieval structure with specific defensive features.

The distinction between a keep and a castle, and the evolution of the term 'castle'.

The importance of the term 'Bailey' for the open area within castle walls.

Differentiation between a ward and a Bailey, and the possibility of multiple Baileys.

The significance of castle location, with hills providing a natural defensive advantage.

The role of moats as a secondary defensive feature when hills are not available.

The function of drawbridges and the types: windlass and counterweight drawbridges.

The purpose of portcullises as a security measure at castle entrances.

The gatehouse's importance in castle defense and its potential to be a Barbican.

Explaining the battlements, including walls, towers, and their defensive roles.

The function and design of crenellations in castle battlements.

The role of arrow loops or slits in providing defensive advantages.

The explanation of hoardings and their evolution into machicolations.

The purpose of murder holes in castle defense and their strategic placement.

The various types of castle towers and their specific functions.

The historical shift of the term 'donjon' from the highest to the lowest part of a castle.

The function of postern gates as secret or alternative entry/exit points in castles.

Future content plans including videos on castle design, internal layout, and 3D model creation.

Transcripts

greetings I'm shad and welcome to my

video on the names and terminology of

the components and parts of castles now

I love castles so I've a lot to share

with you and I hope you're going to

enjoy and ready goes I have a present

for you

tada this is honor guard and this has

been a passion project of mine for quite

a while now and it's not done yet but

the outside is finished enough for the

purposes of this video it has been a

very big project and I've been doing it

all for you guys not really been doing

it for me because I have castle so even

if I wasn't doing this video it would

have made this model anyway because it's

awesome castles are awesome but the

YouTube videos that I have been

intending to make on castles have

certainly been a motivator in me getting

this model done and of course I'll be

showing you some real-world examples of

each individual castle part that I will

be defining for you it's just that

having this 3d model helps me out

immensely because I can really show you

the specifics of each of the other

castles components okay to kick us off

what is a castle now addressing that

question could be a whole video in and

of itself so let's summarize and

understand it that it is a fortified

medieval structure alright but more than

just fortified it needs to be of a

particular size for it to be classed at

a castle and it also needs to have very

specific defensive features but once you

have those defensive features you could

rightly say that you have a castle and

that's all the term you really need to

define or identify this structure let's

go to the castle or get in the castle

because there's only one main structure

it's fully fortified okay it's all made

of stone really sold and everything like

that when you say get to the castle

people know what you're talking about

and that's the term you need to identify

this one structure and this is kind of

the beginning part of a castle now

there's been some confusion as to what

defines

like this Civic definition of a castle

is it a fortified stone structure

or does it have to have a wall around it

for it then to be a castle because

generally this fortified stone structure

people would say no this is a keep it's

not a castle it's only a castle when you

put a wall around it I actually kind of

disagree with that the term castle has

evolved if it ever was that specific

it's evolved and we identify any

fortified medieval stone structure to be

a castle specifically if it has those

identifying defensive features that

castles have and so yes I would very

much call a defensive structure that has

all these features even without a wall a

castle but when you add a wall to that

structure well when you refer to the

castle you're referring to that single

structure and the wall around it as well

you're referring to the whole thing and

so when you say get to the castle you're

just really saying get behind the walls

now you're not saying get inside the

main defensive building or of the whole

castle and so you need a new term to

define the main defensive building the

main habitable place where people

sleeping everything separate to the

walls and so when that happens you would

now call this main building part they

keep separate to the walls and so out of

necessity you need a different term so

now you could say get inside they keep

pointing to a castle that has a wall and

someone would know specifically what

you're saying when you're referring to

the castle if you say get inside the

cars we just mean get behind the walls

so a castle is essentially a keep but

you only need to define it as a keep

separate to a castle when it has a wall

around it and so this is the first term

that you need to understand in regards

to the names and terminology of the

components and parts of a castle but

there's a couple of other parts of the

castle that need terms to identify what

they are for instance the area within

the walls that is not they keep okay

this is the walking area the open area

inside the walls this is called the

Bailey it has also been called the ward

but Bailey is the more common term but

if you hear Ward or Bailey Bailey's

award an award is a Bailey there are

people who try and be a bit more

specific that no no no there's something

it defines a difference between a ward

and a Bailey they really

the same you see because you can

actually have more than one Bailey if a

castle has internal walls separating

parts of the castle from another then

you would have say are the East Bailey

or the West Bailey if there is a full

secondary wall out so their Castle has

two walls and the one there is a full

secondary ring and generally this the

furthest out wall will be lower than the

internal one the walking area that is

between the two walls the external and

the internal wall that would generally

be called the Lower Bailey and the open

area inside the internal walls will be

called the upper Bailey or inner Bailey

and really it's just a simple

descriptive term and several ones have

been used a quick thing to also point

out is that castles also had other

structures within themselves separate to

what you would consider the castle for

instance they would sometimes have a

separate blacksmith within the Bailey

and this blacksmith could actually be a

stone structure that's built as a

connection officer to the walls or the

keep and stuff like that they would have

a stables and barracks as just a whole

number of other kind of buildings that

can be included in the castle and really

the more of these buildings that you

have the more fully functional a castle

you would be out and maintained I'm not

really going to define what those are

because those are optional they weren't

always included like for instance a

chapel there's another one what this

video is mainly going to do is defining

the terms of the more common castle

components because remember a castle

doesn't have to have a wall it can just

be a defensive structure by itself and

in that sense it won't have a stables or

a chapel or a blacksmith or any of those

things now the best place for a castle

is always on a hill okay the higher

upper castle the better defensive

advantage it has and it also grants a

much greater field of view to be able to

look for possible attackers or invaders

that are marching in on your lands now

if a nice big hill wasn't available and

you need to make the castle on flat

ground the next best thing that you can

add to a castle to improve its defensive

capability is a moat a moat is not

better than

Hill okay it's the second best option

you would always pick a hill over a moat

but if you can't get a hill that's when

you need a moat and you don't

necessarily need it but a moat really

helps and the moat is of course a deep

broad ditch that is dug around the

castle and it doesn't have to be filled

with water but it can be so it can

either be dry or filled but it is

specifically defined as a deep broad

ditch dug around the castle this of

course made it extremely more difficult

for attackers to approach the castle and

of course restricted the ability to move

siege equipment all the way up to the

walls of a castle now regardless if a

castle was built on a hill or it had a

moat

dug around it you always want to make it

extremely difficult for attackers to get

through the weak point in the castle and

one of the weakest points of the castle

is the door because you need people to

get going be able to go in and out of a

castle so of course it's going to have

an entrance point and that is always

going to be the weak point of the castle

so you want to make it that part most

difficult to get to and this is where

the drawbridge comes in the drawbridge

was a bridge that could be raised and

lowered in front of the entry of a

castle now there are two more common

types of draw bridges that were made as

a part of castles the first is a

windless drawbridge and this is a

drawbridge that has a rope or a chain

connected to a windlass which is

basically a fixed winch and you bait and

you raise the drawbridge by turning the

windlass the other common type of

drawbridge is a counterweight drawbridge

now a counterweight drawbridge was a

drawbridge which had its ends connected

to beams that extended out of the castle

and the other end of the beam acted as a

counterbalance and indeed weights could

be added to the other end of the beam to

increase the counter balancing effect

and this made raising and lowering the

drawbridge much easier and that's

actually the feature and advantage of a

counterweight drawbridge over a windless

drawbridge is that they can be raised

and lowered at a much quicker rate the

problem with them is that you need rooms

for those beams to be out of tilt in and

out if you don't have enough room for

them while a windlass

takes up less room you just need a place

to be able to put the winch basically

after the drawbridge what you will often

find in front of the main castle entry

point is either a wood or steel kind of

grater more often wood but heavy wood

sometimes brace with steel and there is

the occasion that they'll made out of

metal and it would be more like iron in

that case but there would be March every

if I made out of steel but anyway this

grate is called the portcullis able to

be raised and lowered in front of the

main castle entrance or really any part

any entry point of the castle okay one

of the other big kind of structures that

you will generally see on castles it's a

very one of them what main common ones

and really any castle that has a wall it

needs this structure and that is the

gatehouse the gatehouse is a very

important part of a castle because it is

essentially one of the weak points of a

castle okay because it's much easier to

get through the entrance of a castle

than to knock down a wall and people

need to get in and out of castles so

there has to be an opening somewhere so

fortifying the gatehouse becomes very

very important first of all a castle can

have more than one gatehouse and if it

has more than one gatehouse generally

the more fortified gatehouse will be

called the Barbican now Barbican is an

interesting term in regards to castles

because it can also refer to something

that isn't a gatehouse okay if there is

an extended defensive kind of part on

the key or if the castle doesn't have a

wall okay and it has an extension kind

of fortified area where the entrances

that would also be called the Barbican

so it is an elaborate more fortified

section to a a castles entrance whether

that is the entrance to the keep or the

entrance to the whole castle itself if

it has a wall around it and that would

be at where the gatehouse is so a

gatehouse can be a Barbican and it

cannot be but the terms are kind of

interchangeable and so you don't need to

get too specific between the differences

but if you did want even a little bit of

clarity well there's more precedent to

call a gatehouse a Barbican if there's

more than one gatehouse and you would

call the outer most or more fortified

gatehouse the Barbican now

GateHouse's were often complemented by

inbuilt towers and so you wouldn't call

the tower parts of a gate house

separately because when you're through

to the gate house you're also referring

to everything that's built in onto the

gate house but if the tower seems more

separate and you needed to call

something different you call that a

tower separate to the gate house but

you'll define it more on a case-by-case

basis all right now let's look at the

walls first of all every single thing

that is part of or connected to the

walls which includes the towers

everything that the walls themselves and

the towers these are all called the

battlements okay so when you say get to

the battlements you could be referring

to just get on top of the wall or get to

a tower these are all the battlements

and the battlements really are the most

iconic features of a castle you could

really say it is the battlements that

make a castle a castle because you can

also have battlements on a keep you

don't have to have walls to have

battlements and if you just had a castle

without a wall and you say get to the

battlements you'll be saying get to the

top of the castles or any area that is

on the castle in which you can fire

arrows and defend it from but it is

those features that really define a

castle to be a castle so the battlements

are very very important so let's define

what they are now yes you have the walls

the walls are part of the battlements so

we're going to look at the walls

specifically and one of the main parts

of the walls is the areas which you can

walk to and fro on okay these what the

walkable areas of walls it is the

rampart or the ramparts and that's

fairly straightforward but let's look at

the one of the coolest and most sexy

parts of the battlements and this is the

crenellations that run along the wall

that face the outside and yes that's

what they call they're called the

crenellations crenellations are awesome

defensive features okay it provides

cover for people who are shooting arrows

from the castle and also a place where

you can lean out and then shoot down and

so that's the big feature of

crenellations if it offers full

protection or half protection and so it

even offers half protection when you're

attacking back thanks to their design

now the crenellations are made up of two

two objects that are placed one next to

the other in a repeating pattern

okay the larger part the larger stone

that provides full cover when you stand

behind it is called the Merlin Merlin

Merlin again sorry for my accent and the

lower part in between the Merlin's is

called the Crennel so I'll just repeat

that okay so the tooth of the

crenellations the part that Iike gives

you full cover that is the Merlin and

the app section that dips down that is

the Crennel and this makes up the

crenellations that are a part of the a

castles battlements now sometimes there

can be a vertical kind of opening in a

Merlin and this is called an arrow loop

or arrow slit and as you might be able

to guess its to shoot arrows through but

our own loops or arrow slits I just put

on Merlin's okay they can be put on any

area on a castle and in fact the more

generally the better but you put them

where they're needed and these create

the ability to shoot arrows upon the

enemy while giving basically complete

protection on the soldier that is trying

to defend the castle or some stuff now

the next thing that is a part of that a

castles battlements is something called

the hoarding or the hoardings okay now

the hoardings were a wooden structure

most often temporary that protruded out

from walls and towers to allow

projectiles to be dropped or shot down

on attackers while offering full cover

in front of the soldiers that are

defending the castle so full cover in

front of them and above them now if this

wooden structure was built atop a tower

it would be called a horde or the Horde

and if this wooden structure was built

to run atop the length of a castle wall

it would be called the hoardings now

hoardings could be left on castles

permanently though it seems that they

were more often only added during or

before sieges and oftentimes castles

will be built with provision for

hoardings to be added now this is a

really interesting thing because the

offensive features of hoarding was okay

so the things that hoardings provided

remember be extending further out from

the

also he could shoot down on enemies

attacking the castle okay

these features were eventually

architectural II combined with the

design of castle walls and towers and

when this was done these offensive

features weren't called hoardings

anymore they were called Michiko lations

and yeah it's a really weird word but

that's it a Michiko Latian or Michiko

lessons and so a Michiko Latian was an

opening due to an extension of the upper

part of the wall which allowed the

soldiers that defenders of the castle to

shoot through and down upon enemies

attacking it now to get a magician first

you need what are called core balls now

a core ball was is basically a stone

support that extends out from the wall

of a castle or the flat of a castle wall

to support the crenellations above it

and so what happened to castle walls the

crenellations were then extended further

out from the top of the wall to allow an

opening between the crenellations and

the ramparts and those were the Michiko

lations now it's funny because this is a

very very specific offensive feature but

it ends up creating such a beautiful

architectural style that has become one

of the main design features and styles

of castles in general but they weren't

ever added just to look cool they were

added for a very functional offensive

purpose and it just ended up looking

awesome as well and so when castles

included the offensive features at

hoardings provided there was no need for

the hoardings themselves anymore except

for having cover from above and the way

to fix that is just to add a roof on top

of the castle walls and so when that

happened hoardings became obsolete they

were no longer needed but there is still

precedence to call the upper parts of

castle towers and walls that have the

crenellations extended out to provide

Michiko lations and having Roose atop of

them there is a precedent to call that

type of design element of castles even

when they're permanently built out of

stone there's a precedence to still call

them the hoardings or the Horde if it's

a top

and so all these things that I've been

talking about can be applied to castle

walls and castle towers as well so you

have the ramparts the creme elations

which are comprised of Merlin's and

Crenn ELLs and then you have hoardings

which defensive features were eventually

combined into castle walls and towers as

matriculation z' which was supported by

corbels sorry if I'm butchering the

pronunciation but this is why I'm

demonstrating the words as I say them so

you can read them and try and figure it

out for yourself how they're pronounced

matriculation should not be confused

with murder holes murder holes are

actually something completely different

so then what is a murder hole it is an

opening above an area which would trap

an enemy within so if an enemy is trying

to get into a castle wherever a3 and you

know generally it'll be through whatever

entry point is in the castle so this

would be on the gatehouse

but murder halls can also be found

within the main castle body itself like

the keep or a really any structure any

point which causes the enemy to stop at

an area that's where you want to murder

a hole and a murder hole is an opening

in the ceiling above whatever area this

happens to be that will stop or make an

enemy pause and then their name really

describes themself because you can just

rain down death upon the enemy if they

get funneled into one of these areas and

so that can be with boiling hot oil with

massive big rocks or just arrows you

just rain down death upon those enemies

hence murder whole sorry in most castle

entry points like even into the keep

itself or to any important area the

first room you enter into would usually

be a stop-gap of some kind meaning you

just finally burst through the front

door to the key and then you enter into

a room that really has nothing in it

apart from another door and this could

be called the entry hall or many other

things and one of the common things in

these rooms are murder holes right above

now this of course wasn't the case with

every Castle but it is most certainly a

very effective defensive feature to have

so the example that I have here on honor

guard is at

main gate house which is the Barbican

because once they are able to force

lower the drawbridge and then get open

that portcullis they run in and then

guess what there's another portcullis

that they have to deal with and they're

track they're stuck okay so while

they're trying to deal with that second

portcullis guess what's above them

murder holes so that's what a murder

hole is not a mature collation they kind

of fill the same purpose but it's in

location that defines the difference a

matriculation is an opening thanks to an

extension of the castles crenellations

which allows things to be dropped down

from the castle wall directly upon

enemies assaulting the walls where a

murder hole is not on walls it is in

ceilings now another big feature of

castles is of course the castle towers

and we've really covered all the

features of castle towers in regards to

the battlements that are put on them

because they're the same as the type of

battlements that are put on walls

now towers should not be confused with

turrets a turret is a much smaller

structure and a turret is again another

way to protrude a platform further out

from the castle wall or tower or keep

where a soldier can stand and defend

firing things down upon attackers

another name for turrets is AB artisan

now in regards to towers there are a lot

of different kind of names to define the

different types of towers on a castle

and you would use the names depending on

the type of Castle so again these terms

would be applied on a more case-by-case

basis there isn't blanket terms that

this is always this type of Castle it's

more and where this caliph sits in

regards to how close it is to the

gatehouse or they keep on this specific

type of castle for instance they're two

nearest towers to the gatehouse can

sometimes be called the flanking towers

the watchtower would generally be the

tallest tower and indeed another term

for a very tall tower is the donjon that

can be confusing because the donjon is

not actually that the whole tower itself

it is actually more referring to the

highest room in the tower but if the

donjon happens to be within

a tower that tower sometimes been

referred to as the donjon holy as well

the thing about the donjon it doesn't

have to be in a tower the donjon is a

name that refers to the highest useable

a livable room of the castle so the

donjon could be in in the keep if the

highest most livable room of the castle

happens to be in the keeper not the

towers then the donjon would be in the

keep but if the tower is higher or then

the donjon would be in the tower because

the donjon is specifically the highest

room of the castle and because the

highest room of the castle has the best

view it is generally been considered to

have a bit more prestige it is one of

the nicer rooms of a castle but at the

same token it is also one of the most

protected rooms of a castle because it

is the hardest room to get to you need

to go through all the other levels of

the castle to get to the donjon and at

the same token it is therefore the

hardest room to escape from so what

happened often is that either the Lords

of the castle would take the donjon for

themselves whatever they could that

asleep in it or it could be one of their

fancy sitting rooms or the Salar or

whatever because of the nice view you

was a really nice room but then if they

didn't want to have the hassle of

climbing all the stairs to get to the

donjon or not they would pick a more

convenient room for them to live in and

they'll use the donjon for something

else and what that would generally be is

as a prison they would throw captives in

the dungeon because it was the hardest

room to escape from and this is where

the word dungeon comes from because the

term donjon started to be associated

with the place where you throw captives

and then as castle design started to

evolve a bit and they started to get

deeper under Crofts then it became even

more practical to throw the prisoners in

the deep dark parts of the castle

because they became just as difficult to

escape from as the dungeon edit changed

from being the highest point in the

castle to the deepest lowest point in

the castle and that's where dungeon

comes from and finally we have the

postin now the postern is basically the

back door you always wanted kind

back up you know entry and escape point

to a castle because if one area was

completely blocked off and you know

besieged there was always good to have a

backup now these posters were usually

very very small and because I was smart

so small they are much easier to defend

you could put in a really thick metal

grate or whatever to lock it in place

and stuff like that and so the postern

could be as difficult to breach as the

gatehouse itself and even if it was

breached it would be incredibly easy to

defend because it was just a single door

passageway more generally and so you

could just have one guy defend it quite

effectively

because you'll only have to defend er it

against one attacker because only one

person could fit through at a time and

there you go this is the terminology the

names for the components and part of

castles now I actually haven't covered

everything because you could go into

extreme specific detail to every kind of

minut thing in regards to the external

features in a castle but these are the

main ones or at least I hope I've

covered the main features if you feel

I've missed something please please let

me know in the comments I really hope

you've enjoyed and if you have enjoyed

this video well guess what I'll be

making more because I love castles what

you can look forward to in the future is

a video on proper castle design okay

what design features make a castle a

better castle and that's going to be a

lot of fun I'll also be doing a video on

the names and terminology of the

internal layout of a castle so the

internal rooms and other things like

that and this will also kind of combine

a bit into proper castle design because

the layer internal layout of a castle is

also important to consider in regards to

just designing it properly I'll also be

making a video on on the making of the

3d model that I have had the joy of

using throughout this video because it's

been a really long process making this

thing and I think you would find it

really interesting the thought processes

that I needed to go through in putting

this design together because this is

100% my design every single thing

ok I'll also be putting up some high

resolution images of this castle on my

deviantART page so please keep an eye on

my deviantART page to see those images

when they come up I already have some

castle images up from a previous castle

that I have modded

and this castle is called Keystone so

there's some good fun castle stuff there

if you're interested to check it out and

of course if there's any other things

about castles that you would like me to

talk about please request them in the

comments because I love castles and I

have no objection making more videos on

castles because I love castles as much

as swords and you can really see how

much I love swords based on the videos

about swords that I've already made so

so yeah castles just love them thank you

very much for watching I truly

appreciate your attention I wish you all

the best and until next time farewell