Castles

Castles remind us of a time that was full of adventure

and romance. Castles remind us of a time in history in which

there was a lack of government and order. Although there

was not mass confusion and anarchy, there was less order.

Castles were the basis of feudalism. Castles can be seen as a

manifestation of feudal society. Feudalism started with the

rise of castles and ended with their end. The castle set the

tone as the only homestead that nobility would live in during

this time. Castles were influenced by and influenced many

medieval cathedrals in Europe. Although castles served

many purposes, their primary purpose was military. At that

time, people were not protected by merely shutting and

locking a regular wooden door. They needed the protection

of castles and their knights. The lords and constables of

castles needed serfs to work the land to make revenue in

order to pay rent to the more important nobles. Given the

following evidence, it is relatively obvious why castles and

castle building played an instrumental role in the development

of Western Europe. Castles are unique to a time in history

known as medieval times. The word medieval in our times is

an insult to anything as is the word feudal. Through the haze

and ruins, one can imagine dungeons, chivalrous knights, and

mighty Lords who ruled the land and protected the common

peasant from barbarians and other invaders. The rise of

castles marked the rise of feudalism. This was all started by

the crusades. The majority of the knights and nobles went to

liberate the holy land from the Muslims. The Crusades

influenced castle builders back in Europe. Ideas were

gathered from Muslim and Byzantine fortifications. Because

of the lack of protection in Europe, a castle's strength

needed to be increased because of the ever-present threat of

a Muslim invasion. The end of Feudalism also marked the

end of the middle ages and hence the end of the great castle

era. Castles integrated the combination of residence and

fortress. The first castle dates back to King Sargon II of

Khorsabad in ancient Egypt. He erected a grand palace for

himself to protect him and his subjects. The first recorded

references to castles was the Edict of Pistes by Charles the

Bald, king of the West Franks. "We will and expressly

command that whoever at this time has made castles and

fortifications and enclosures without our out permission shall

have them demolished by the First of August" (Brown

Architecture of Castles 13). Other castle laws were the

Norman Institutions handed down by William the Conqueror

after he took over England. One law says that no one shall