Life Inside a Medieval Castle!
Summary
TLDRJoin a virtual tour of a medieval castle in Ireland, dating back to 1140, renowned for its size and preservation. Discover the castle's defenses, including the portcullis, murder holes, and a small 'wicket' door. Learn about the castle's history in films like 'Braveheart', and explore its Great Hall, Lord's chambers, and spiral staircases. Engage with quiz questions about medieval castle life, from the portcullis' origin to the castle's unique toilet system and the impact of cannonballs on thick walls.
Takeaways
- 🏰 The Kare-Kare Castle dates back to 1140 and is one of the largest and best-preserved medieval castles in Ireland.
- 🚪 The small door, known as a 'wicket gate', was designed to make intruders vulnerable and served as a late entry for castle residents.
- 🔍 Above the arched door, a 'murder hole' was present, where substances like boiling water or hot sand could be poured onto enemies.
- 🎥 The castle's main gate, or 'portcullis', is one of the oldest functional castle gates in Ireland and has been featured in films, including 'Braveheart'.
- 🌀 The spiral staircases in medieval castles typically turned clockwise, disadvantaging right-handed attackers and making them nearly defenseless.
- 💩 In medieval times, before the invention of the flush toilet, castles used a 'garderobe' which channeled waste down into the moat.
- 🏹 Archers in the battlements could fire up to twelve arrows per minute, defending the castle from attackers.
- 🍽️ The Great Hall was a place for feasting, with seating and food allocation based on social status, including the exclusive use of salt for royalty.
- 🗝️ The word 'portcullis' comes from the French 'porte colee', meaning 'sliding door', referring to the heavy gate mechanism.
- 🎯 Evidence of a cannonball strike from the 1300s remains in the castle wall, demonstrating the castle's resilience to such attacks.
- 🌿 The castle's preservation is remarkable, with many original features intact, offering a glimpse into medieval life.
Q & A
What is the name of the castle featured in the video?
-The castle is referred to as 'Kare-Kare Castle'.
What year was the Kare-Kare Castle built?
-The construction of Kare-Kare Castle dates back to the year 1140.
What is the purpose of the small door in the castle, also known as a 'wicket'?
-The small door, or 'wicket', forced those who entered to be in a more vulnerable position, making it easier to attack if deemed an enemy. It also served as an entrance for castle residents arriving late after the main gate had been closed.
What substance was commonly poured from the 'murder hole' above the small door?
-Contrary to popular belief, boiling oil was rarely used due to its expense. Boiling hot water or red-hot sand was more common, as they were readily available and could penetrate enemy armor.
Which famous film was filmed at the castle, featuring a Scottish warrior?
-The famous film is 'Braveheart', starring Mel Gibson.
Why do medieval castles have spiral staircases that turn in a clockwise direction?
-Building a spiral staircase in the clockwise direction made it difficult for right-handed people to use their dominant sword hand, rendering them nearly defenseless.
What is the origin of the word 'portcullis'?
-The word 'portcullis' originates from the French language, where it translates to 'sliding door'.
How were castles equipped for waste disposal before the invention of the flush toilet?
-Castles were built with a 'garderobe', which is essentially a combination of a closet and a restroom, with waste exiting the castle interior down into the moat below.
What evidence of medieval warfare can be seen on the castle walls?
-There is an actual cannonball lodged in the side of the castle from the 1300s, showing the impact of medieval warfare.
Which spice was considered a luxury and reserved for those of royal status in the Middle Ages?
-Salt was considered a luxury and was only offered to those of royal status and guests of great importance.
How many arrows per minute could a well-trained archer fire during the medieval period?
-A well-trained archer could fire as many as twelve arrows per minute, which is one every five seconds.
Outlines
🏰 Exploring Kare-Kare Castle's Medieval Secrets
Join the tour of Kare-Kare Castle in Ireland, dating back to 1146. This well-preserved medieval marvel offers insights into castle defenses, including the purpose of a small door, security mechanisms, and the portcullis. Discover the castle's history, including its use in films like 'Braveheart', and explore the Great Hall and Lord's chambers. Learn about the architectural choices, such as the clockwise spiral staircase, and the castle's preservation over centuries. Quiz questions engage viewers on topics like the language of 'portcullis', the castle's response to a cannonball strike, and the location of medieval toilets.
🍽️ Dining and Defense in Medieval Times
Delve into the social hierarchy of medieval castles, where dining practices reflected one's status, with Royals enjoying the finest meats and servants receiving leftovers. The importance of spices, particularly salt, is highlighted, being a luxury reserved for the royals. The architectural strength of battlement towers and jail cells are discussed, along with the role of archers in defending the castle. The video concludes with a review of quiz answers, revealing the purpose of the 'wicket gate', the common substances poured from murder holes, the origin of the term 'portcullis', the invention timeline of the flush toilet, and the impact of a cannonball on castle walls. Additionally, the speed of a well-trained archer is revealed, firing up to twelve arrows per minute.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Medieval Castle
💡Portcullis
💡Murder Hole
💡Spiral Staircase
💡Great Hall
💡Cannon
💡Battlements
💡Jail Cells
💡Archer
💡Cannonball
💡Spice
Highlights
The tour is in Ireland, exploring one of the largest and best-preserved medieval castles dating back to 1147.
Random quiz questions about medieval castles are asked during the tour to engage viewers.
The purpose of the small door, or 'wicket', is to force vulnerability upon entry and serve as a late entrance for residents.
A murder hole above the door was used to pour substances onto enemies, with hot water or sand being more common than boiling oil.
The castle's main gate, or portcullis, is one of the oldest functional gates in Ireland and has been featured in films.
The film 'Braveheart', starring Mel Gibson, was filmed at the castle despite being about a Scottish warrior.
The castle's spiral staircases turn clockwise, making it difficult for right-handed sword users to defend themselves.
The castle's portcullis operates via a simple winch and pulley system, allowing easy raising and lowering of the gate.
In medieval times, the castle's toilet, or 'garderobe', was a closet-restroom combination with waste dropping into the moat.
The castle's round lookout towers provided a 360-degree view for guards and were essential for defense.
Cannons, introduced in the 13th century, could devastate castle walls, but the castle shows a cannonball lodged from the 1300s.
The Great Hall was a place for feasting, with seating and food allocation based on social status.
Salt was a luxury spice in the Middle Ages, reserved only for those of royal status and important guests.
A well-trained archer could fire up to twelve arrows per minute during medieval times.
The castle's battlements, or notched walls, were crucial for archers defending the castle.
The castle's stonework and construction techniques highlight the longevity and resilience of medieval architecture.
The tour concludes with a review of quiz answers, providing educational insights into medieval castle life and defenses.
Transcripts
alright guys here we are in Ireland
we're gonna be taking a walk through
tour of this medieval castle let's check
it out
pronounced kare-kare castle dates back
to the year 11:42 and is one of the
largest and best-preserved castles in
ireland as we're doing our walkthrough
tour I'll be asking random quiz
questions to test your knowledge of
medieval castles please feel free to
comment below with your answers as we
make our way through the front gate does
anyone know what the purpose of this
small door was I'll be revealing the
answer to these questions at the end of
the video so here we are in the outer
courtyard
you'll notice that every door we pass
through has some level of security if
you look just above the arched door
we're headed to now you'll see a slot
there just above it can you guess what
substance would be poured down this
opening onto the encroaching enemy
now we're about to pass through the main
gate or portcullis as it's called this
is one of the oldest functional castle
gates in ireland for that reason it has
been used in many films one of those
films is a famous story about a Scottish
warrior though it was filmed here in
Ireland who led his army to defeat the
British and win Scotland their
independence can anyone guess the name
of that film
here we are now in the main courtyard
the gardens ahead of us is the Great
Hall a place where the residents would
gather to feast and on the Left here are
the Lords chambers let's start in there
we visited many medieval sites and
castles on this trip but I must say this
was one of my favorites as you were free
to stray from the tour and explore on
your own as we enter here you'll notice
the spiral staircase turns in a
clockwise direction this was common in
medieval castles does anybody know the
reason why
who these stairs are quite steep so here
we are on the first floor wow this place
is so amazing just take a look around
we're headed to that small door just up
ahead there in the back that will lead
us to the gatekeepers chamber there
we'll be able to view how the portcullis
operates
notice how small all of the doors and
hallways are everything is so well
preserved the castle itself seems almost
untouched for hundreds of years here we
can see the pulley mechanism for the
portcullis down below does anybody know
what language the word portcullis comes
from
this simple winch and pulley system made
it easy to raise and lower the heavy
gate as needed
you
who back up the spiral staircase
all right we've now made our way up to
the second floor as I'm exploring this
castle I realize I haven't seen any
bathrooms yet does anybody know where
the toilet was located in a medieval
castle
up ahead from the window we'll get a
great view of the town of kare-kare is a
small quaint town with a population of
just over 3,500 residents
here we make our way up into one of the
lookout towers
the round towers enabled guards to have
a 360 degree view surrounding the castle
in early medieval times battles were
fought with bow and arrow and catapults
which often launched dead diseased
animals over the castle wall in the 13th
century came the invention of the cannon
which was a much more devastating weapon
though the castle walls were built thick
do you know what would happen if a
cannonball hit the side of a castle did
it a bounce off B embed itself into the
castle wall or C smash a hole through
the wall again I'll be answering these
questions at the end of the video it
just so happens that there's evidence of
a cannonball strike from the 14th
century right in the side of the castle
we'll take a look at that later
now let's make our way back down to
ground level where we can visit the
Great Hall as seen from this upstairs
window the Great Hall is where the
castle residents would gather to feast
everybody would dine in the same room
however at which table you sat and what
food you were served depended greatly on
your status the finest cuts of meats
were saved for the Royals while the
servants were fed the scraps how the
food was seasoned was also dependent on
status can you guess which spice was
saved only for those of royal status
and now we're gonna be making our way up
to one of the Battlement hours these
towers were built to sustain great force
their foundation could be as many as
three meters deep and filled with stones
for added strength and support as we
make our way up we'll come by a couple
of jail cells prisoners were kept here
away from the main residence and close
to the castle guards the term Battlement
describes the notched hath wall that
surrounds the top of the castle it is
from here
the medieval archers would defend the
castle can you guess how many arrows per
minute a well-trained Archer could fire
so now we've made our way full circle
back out to the front of the castle just
look at all the amazing stonework
medieval castles were definitely built
to last
remember construction on this castle
dates back to the Year 1140 - so what do
you guys think could you live here I
know I could as long as I could have my
own modern toilet that would be my only
complaint anyway let's review the answer
to the quiz questions and see how well
you know your medieval castle facts this
small door also known as a wicked gate
or wicked was meant to force those who
enter to be in a more vulnerable
position people could only enter one at
a time and must bow their head leaving
them open to an attack if deemed an
enemy it also served as an entrance for
the castle residents who arrived late
after the main gate had been closed the
opening above this door was often
referred to as a murder hole from which
different substances would be poured
onto the enemy contrary to popular
belief boiling oil was rarely used as
oil was an expensive commodity boiling
hot water or red-hot sand was much more
common due to the fact that both of
these were readily available and free
both water and sand could penetrate the
enemy's armor or chainmail forcing them
to disrobe from their protective gear
although many movies have been filmed on
location here the most famous would be
Braveheart starring Mel Gibson have you
heard of it did you know roughly 90% of
humans are right-handed building a
spiral staircase in the clockwise
direction made it difficult for a
right-handed person to use their
dominant sword hand rendering them
nearly defenseless the iconic front
gates of medieval castles were called
the portcullis which originates from the
french-language
portcullis aunt which translates to
sliding door
the flush toilet was invented in 1596
but didn't become widespread until 1851
instead castles were built with what is
referred to as a guard rope which is
essentially a combination of a closet
and a restroom all in one the waste
would exit the castle interior down into
the moat below it was also believed that
the smell would keep the bugs from
destroying the clothes that were stored
inside suddenly the Middle Ages aren't
sounding so romantic
are they so what do you think could
these castle walls would stand the
impact of a cannonball the answer is yes
just in the center of this photo you
will see an actual cannonball still
lodged in the side of the castle from
the 1300s how cool is that
spices were a very important commodity
in the Middle Ages however none more
than salt only those of royal status and
guests of great importance were offered
such a luxury the mere peasants and
servants were forced to go without a
well-trained Archer could fire as many
as twelve arrows per minute that's one
every five seconds
[Music]
you
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