Glossary of Arturian Expressions
Bailey : The area inside the walls of a motte-and-bailey castle. See ward
Balista : A siege weapon, like an enormous crossbow, for firing arrows or stones.
Barbican : A small fort outside the gate, used as a first defense of the gate itself.
Battering ram : A large beam used to try to knock down a wall.
Battlement : An indented parapet at the top of a wall.
Belfry : A wooden tower, built by the besiegers of a castle and intended to be moved up against the walls of a castle.
Bore : Like a battering ram, but smaller and lighter. Used to make a hole in the bottom of a wall as a starting point for further undermining.
Castle : In the Middle Ages, a fortified dwelling place of a noble or a king.
Catapult : A giant slingshot that could throw stones or other missiles against a castle.
Corbel : A projection from a wall to support the weight of battlement construction.
Courtyard : Same as ward or bailey.
Crenel : Same as embrasure.
Crenellated : Having battlements.
Curtain : Same as wall.
Donjon : A great tower, or keep. (French).
Drawbridge : A bridge over a moat, part of which could be raised from the castle side by chains or ropes.
Dungeon : A deep, dark cell - but comes originally from donjon which means tower rather than prison cell.
Embrasure : An opening in a parapet wall.
Escalade : To try to climb up and get over a castle wall by means of ladders.
Gatehouse : The strongly defended entrance, often with living quarters, of a castle.
Hall, or Great Hall : The principal building within a concentric castle. Like a medieval house set down inside a castle.
Keep : A great tower, or donjon, of a castle. Used later to apply to "rectangular" and "shell" keeps.
Machicolations : Openings between corbels of a parapet.
Merlons : The parts of parapet walls between embrasures.
Moat : A ditch around a castle, filled with water.
Motte : A mound of earth on which the keep of early castles were built.
Parapet : A low wall or barrier at the edge of the top of a wall or tower.
Penthouse : A shelter, of a lean-to-type, built to protect men mining or carrying on other operations against a castle, such as using a battering ram.
Portcullis : A wooden gate, shod with iron and suspended by chains, that could be raised and lowered as required.
Postern : A small gate ; a "back door" to a castle.
Trebuchet : A gigantic see-saw that could throw very heavy missiles at a castle.
Wall : The high structure around a castle courtyard. The main defense of a castle. The curtain of a castle.
Ward : The area inside the walls of a castle. Same as bailey and courtyard.
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