gargoyle a grotesque sculpture adorning the upper walls of some castles and often used to discharge dirty water.
gatehouse a tower protecting the drawbridge.
Greek fire a mixture of naphtha, sulfur, and quicklime, which ignited by moistening and burned fiercely, hurled as a firebomb over castle walls.
half timber in many medieval castles, a construction method in which wood frame walls are filled with wattle (a mat of woven sticks) and daub (mud or clay).
hedgehog the equivalent of modern barbed wire, thorn bushes and stakes erected to protect an outer wall from the enemy. Also known as a herrison or zareba.
hoarding a makeshift balconylike structure hung from the tops of walls to provide a platform for archers and other warriors during a battle; hoardings were made of wood and were usually only temporary.
inner ward in the center of a castle, an open yard. jester a court fool or comic.
jousting sport in which a knight on horseback tries to knock off another knight on horseback with the use of lance and shield.
keep the donjon or strongest building in a castle.
list the open area immediately in front of a castle's defenses, kept clear to avoid giving cover to the enemy.
lord in feudal law, the owner of a manor or castle.
machicolation a slit or opening between corbels, allowing projectiles or boiling liquids to be dropped down on an enemy.
maiden tower the keep or main tower.
mangon a catapult with a spoon-shaped end in which large stones, timbers, and firebombs were launched; because of its violent kicking after each throw, the Romans called these siege engines "wild asses;" the 12th-century Normans called them "nags."
merlons the solid sections between a wall's crenels or notches.
mining tunneling under a castle during a siege to bring about the collapse of its walls or foundation.
moat a deep, wide trench, usually filled with water around a castle to keep an enemy from penetrating.
motte a mound of hard-packed earth used as a base for early castles.
motte-and-bailey castle an early type of castle perched on a mound of hard-packed earth and surrounded by an open courtyard or bailey and a palisade.
mouse an iron gouge or bore used to pry away bits of stone on a castle wall during a siege.
murder holes arrow loops and other holes or openings in an upper floor, through which defenders could fire down upon an intruding enemy.
oubliette a secret pit with a trapdoor within the floor of a dungeon through which prisoners could be dropped and left to rot.
outer ward an open yard outside of an inner curtain wall.
palisade a barrier or stockade made of strong timbers, often surrounding early castles.
pantler a castle staff member in charge of the pantry.
parapet a low wall along the edge of a roof to protect soldiers from falling off or from being attacked by enemies.
pas-de-souris steps leading from a moat to the entrance.
pepperbox turret a circular turret with a conical roof. Same as a pinnacle.
pikeman a warrior adept at killing with a pike.
portcullis a large, grated door made of oak and iron that could be wound up or down by a windlass and sometimes acted as a counterweight to a drawbridge.
porter a castle official who made sure no one entered or left a castle without the proper authority.
postern a minor gateway set inside a wall, usually at the rear of a castle.
privy latrine.
quintain a wooden dummy that spun on a post, used for lancing practice in a castle's courtyards by knights.
ram a battering ram, usually a large tree trunk fitted with an iron snout.
rampart a surrounding mound or embankment on which a parapet was frequently raised.
rushlights twisted strands of rush dipped in grease or tallow, ignited, and held in wall brackets for lighting.
sapper during a siege, a warrior specifically assigned to batter down the stonework of a castle wall.
scaling ladder a ladder used in scaling castle walls.
scarp a steep slope to slow the advance of an enemy in front of a castle. Also known as an escarpment.
screw stair a winding staircase.
seneschal a steward or majordomo in charge of such domestic affairs as buying provisions, managing servants, planning feasts, or keeping accounts.
shell keep an early castle consisting of a stonewalled motte.
siege the surrounding and attacking of a fortification to gain possession.
siege engine any one of several catapult or battering devises used in a siege against a castle.
solar a sunny room adjacent to the upper end of a hall, used by a lord, his family, and honored guests.
stable marshal an officer in charge of a castle's stables and horses.
stair turret any turret completely filled by a winding staircase.
tiltyard a list or open courtyard where knights practiced their riding and lancing skills.
tortoise a portable shelter made of hides or metal in which attackers could be protected from the arrows and bombs of castle defenders; sometimes used to get safely across a moat.
trebuchet a large siege engine employing counterweights to thrust rocks, firebombs, and the decayed carcasses of dead horses as far as a quarter mile; also known as a tripgate.
turret a small tower set above a larger structure. usher a castle doorman.
ward the open ground or bailey between encircling walls.
wattle and daub woven sticks and grass sealed with mud or clay (daub), common construction material of medieval times.
Medieval Villages
(Also see castles and medieval buildings)
assize of bread and ale laws that fix the prices and standards of goods.
bailiff an official who manages business (looking after crops, stocking supplies, etc.) and enforces the laws of a lord's manor.
beadle a manorial assistant to a reeve; in charge of preserving and sowing seeds from the previous year's crops.
cellarer a monastery official responsible for food stores.
censuarius a tenant who pays rent in lieu of labor. charter an official document, such as a deed. cotter a tenant of a cottage. croft the garden area of a village house. curia a courtyard.
demesne the portion of a manor cultivated for the lord's personal use.
distraint an arrest or summons.
eyre royal circuit court.
farm lease.
feudalism the political and social system of medieval days.
fief a grant of land made by a lord in exchange for services. Also known as a fee.
frankpledge the responsibility of each division of a community to carry out police duties and to see to it that the law is upheld.
glebe land cultivated to help support a parish church.
hue and cry a law requiring that all citizens within earshot give chase to a fleeing criminal.