Castles

Remember our class discussions and do some reading here about castles. Explore the site and become one of our Castle experts.

Some terms and principles to take away from your studies:

Height (remember the Greeks?)
Stone
Bailey or Ward
Concentric Ring
The Keep
Arrow Loops
Crenelations
Machicoulis or Murder Holes
Gate House
Circular Staircase going up clockwise
Moat

Go to the app store and get the tumblr app.  Use your iCloud email to create a tumblr account.

Go to this link here and follow the our Social Studies tumblr account.  Now leave a comment by creating a post on ten of the castles. Comments are done by clicking on the double arrows, typing in the comment box and pressing Post.  In your ten comments, you must use, at least once, each of the 11 words above.

Example
 If commenting on the castle above, one could say-The castle has a dry moat, which at one time was probably full of water. There is a Gate House at the entrance and probably murder holes within the Gate House. I see what looks like Arrow Slits in the towers and Machicoulis along the walls. I bet during festive occasions they flew flags above the towers, maybe they still do!

Update: James Scott, Duke of Monmouth was the victim of a botched beheading and who legend has it his portrait for the National Gallery was done after his head was stitched back on. Below is an eyewitness account of the beheading and the painting that launched the legend.

The first blow inflicted only a slight wound. The Duke struggled, rose from the block, and looked reproachfully at the executioner. The head sank down once more. The stroke was repeated again and again; but still the neck was not severed, and the body continued to move. Yells of rage and horror rose from the crowd. Ketch flung down the axe with a curse. ‘I cannot do it,’ he said; ‘my heart fails me.’ ‘Take up the axe, man,’ cried the sheriff. ‘Fling him over the rails,’ roared the mob. At length the axe was taken up. Two more blows extinguished the last remains of life; but a knife was used to separate the head from the shoulders. The crowd was wrought up to such an ecstasy of rage that the executioner was in danger of being torn in pieces, and was conveyed away under a strong guard.

In the meantime many handkerchiefs were dipped in the Duke’s blood; for, by a large part of the multitude he was regarded as a martyr who had died for the Protestant religion.