CHARLES L. H. COULSON
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208242
- eISBN:
- 9780191716676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208242.003.0013
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
This book has focused on the human and social aspects of castle-building in England, France, and Ireland during the medieval period, to reconcile the civilized with the violent aspects of medieval ...
More
This book has focused on the human and social aspects of castle-building in England, France, and Ireland during the medieval period, to reconcile the civilized with the violent aspects of medieval society, as they are perceived today. Writing about the glories of late-medieval architecture, Wim Swaan saw the problem as summed up by Johan Huizinga's remark that medieval life ‘bore the mixed smell of blood and roses’. Perhaps the main contribution to knowledge to be made by studying castles and fortresses in proper breadth is to shed some light on the aspirations and adversities of noblemen and ladies, ecclesiastics, townspeople, and of the great rural majority, and on their civilized achievements, institutional as well as architectural, in the western European middle ages.Less
This book has focused on the human and social aspects of castle-building in England, France, and Ireland during the medieval period, to reconcile the civilized with the violent aspects of medieval society, as they are perceived today. Writing about the glories of late-medieval architecture, Wim Swaan saw the problem as summed up by Johan Huizinga's remark that medieval life ‘bore the mixed smell of blood and roses’. Perhaps the main contribution to knowledge to be made by studying castles and fortresses in proper breadth is to shed some light on the aspirations and adversities of noblemen and ladies, ecclesiastics, townspeople, and of the great rural majority, and on their civilized achievements, institutional as well as architectural, in the western European middle ages.
CHARLES L. H. COULSON
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208242
- eISBN:
- 9780191716676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208242.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
What ensured the continual relationship of castles to colonization was not so much the resistance it sometimes had to contend with, but rather the stamp of new lordship that fortresses set upon the ...
More
What ensured the continual relationship of castles to colonization was not so much the resistance it sometimes had to contend with, but rather the stamp of new lordship that fortresses set upon the whole transformation. In the British Isles, next to Wales, the largest-scale working out of such changes, apart from the Norman Conquest itself, occurred in Ireland from the late 12th century. This chapter provides some comparative illustrations, chiefly drawn from French records. Because castles with dependent townships are so common, entire fortress-town complexes being called the castle, or the walled-town itself having the title castrum or castellum, the plantation of new towns is an essential part of the picture and is accordingly dealt with in the present chapter. The term bastide, although naturalized to some extent in English, characterizes town-colonization in south-western France so effectively that it has been retained as a French borrowing from the late Latin bastida or building.Less
What ensured the continual relationship of castles to colonization was not so much the resistance it sometimes had to contend with, but rather the stamp of new lordship that fortresses set upon the whole transformation. In the British Isles, next to Wales, the largest-scale working out of such changes, apart from the Norman Conquest itself, occurred in Ireland from the late 12th century. This chapter provides some comparative illustrations, chiefly drawn from French records. Because castles with dependent townships are so common, entire fortress-town complexes being called the castle, or the walled-town itself having the title castrum or castellum, the plantation of new towns is an essential part of the picture and is accordingly dealt with in the present chapter. The term bastide, although naturalized to some extent in English, characterizes town-colonization in south-western France so effectively that it has been retained as a French borrowing from the late Latin bastida or building.
V. DINCHEV
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264027
- eISBN:
- 9780191734908
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264027.003.0019
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
During the early Byzantine period (395–610), a large number of non-urban sites, recorded in ancient sources, are known to have existed in the dioceses of Thrace and Dacia. Contemporary sources ...
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During the early Byzantine period (395–610), a large number of non-urban sites, recorded in ancient sources, are known to have existed in the dioceses of Thrace and Dacia. Contemporary sources suggest that they all possessed fortifications. Amongst the fortified settlements of the early Byzantine period, there were two main groups which can be identified. The first group includes the quasi-urban centres with an intramural area of more than one hectare and the second includes fortified villages, with an intramural area of less than one hectare. This chapter describes the different kinds of fortresses which existed in the dioceses of Thrace and Dacia from AD 395 to 610. It examines the character of the fortresses and internal structures and identifies different types. Finally, it addresses the functions of these sites, especially their role in the defensive system which protected the eastern Balkans during the early Byzantine period.Less
During the early Byzantine period (395–610), a large number of non-urban sites, recorded in ancient sources, are known to have existed in the dioceses of Thrace and Dacia. Contemporary sources suggest that they all possessed fortifications. Amongst the fortified settlements of the early Byzantine period, there were two main groups which can be identified. The first group includes the quasi-urban centres with an intramural area of more than one hectare and the second includes fortified villages, with an intramural area of less than one hectare. This chapter describes the different kinds of fortresses which existed in the dioceses of Thrace and Dacia from AD 395 to 610. It examines the character of the fortresses and internal structures and identifies different types. Finally, it addresses the functions of these sites, especially their role in the defensive system which protected the eastern Balkans during the early Byzantine period.
NEIL CHRISTIE
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264027
- eISBN:
- 9780191734908
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264027.003.0020
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
Pannonia and Noricum were crucial for the protection of Italy and defensive bonds are identifiable as early as the 160s AD. The fourth- and fifth-century reconfiguration of settlement patterns and ...
More
Pannonia and Noricum were crucial for the protection of Italy and defensive bonds are identifiable as early as the 160s AD. The fourth- and fifth-century reconfiguration of settlement patterns and politico-military organization across the northern provinces of the Roman Empire meant that defence and military response were not limited to the frontiers but extended deep into the interior. For the middle Danube sector, defence in reality was drawn from across the river, far south across the Alps, and as far as the river Po. Thus, a series of ‘inner fortresses’ exists in Pannonia such as Ságvár and Fenékpuszta. By the same date, a defensive emphasis emerges for both urban and rural sites. For Italy, the fourth-century installation of the Claustra Alpium Iuliarum denotes a significant militarization of space, which is accelerated behind the Alps in the fifth century. This chapter describes key aspects of late Roman defensive responses in northern Italy and Pannonia and examines the policy and strategy being played out in these.Less
Pannonia and Noricum were crucial for the protection of Italy and defensive bonds are identifiable as early as the 160s AD. The fourth- and fifth-century reconfiguration of settlement patterns and politico-military organization across the northern provinces of the Roman Empire meant that defence and military response were not limited to the frontiers but extended deep into the interior. For the middle Danube sector, defence in reality was drawn from across the river, far south across the Alps, and as far as the river Po. Thus, a series of ‘inner fortresses’ exists in Pannonia such as Ságvár and Fenékpuszta. By the same date, a defensive emphasis emerges for both urban and rural sites. For Italy, the fourth-century installation of the Claustra Alpium Iuliarum denotes a significant militarization of space, which is accelerated behind the Alps in the fifth century. This chapter describes key aspects of late Roman defensive responses in northern Italy and Pannonia and examines the policy and strategy being played out in these.
ANTONIO INVERNIZZI
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263846
- eISBN:
- 9780191734113
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263846.003.0008
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter examines the culture of the Parthian fortress of Old Nisa. It suggests that the very existence of a monumental complex such as that at Old Nisa, built by royal command, is indicative of ...
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This chapter examines the culture of the Parthian fortress of Old Nisa. It suggests that the very existence of a monumental complex such as that at Old Nisa, built by royal command, is indicative of a profound process of change in the new ruling class. The chapter explores the actual foundation and location of Nisa and explains that the recent excavations increasingly support the hypothesis that the complex of Old Nisa probably functioned as a sanctuary for Arsacid kings.Less
This chapter examines the culture of the Parthian fortress of Old Nisa. It suggests that the very existence of a monumental complex such as that at Old Nisa, built by royal command, is indicative of a profound process of change in the new ruling class. The chapter explores the actual foundation and location of Nisa and explains that the recent excavations increasingly support the hypothesis that the complex of Old Nisa probably functioned as a sanctuary for Arsacid kings.
G. A. KOSHELENKO
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263846
- eISBN:
- 9780191734113
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263846.003.0013
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter discusses the result of research on the Gobekly-depe fortifications at the north-western edge of the Merv Oasis conducted by the South Turkmenistan Archaeological Multi-Disciplinary ...
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This chapter discusses the result of research on the Gobekly-depe fortifications at the north-western edge of the Merv Oasis conducted by the South Turkmenistan Archaeological Multi-Disciplinary Expedition (YuTAKE) in the late 1940s. The findings suggest that the fortress served as a residence for the state dignitary in charge of the fortress and as a warehouse to which specific commodities were sent from Merv and from which they were then distributed further. The plan of the fortifications involved towers in all four corners and an entrance in the middle of the south wall, and the walls were built with alternate layers of mud bricks and pakhsa.Less
This chapter discusses the result of research on the Gobekly-depe fortifications at the north-western edge of the Merv Oasis conducted by the South Turkmenistan Archaeological Multi-Disciplinary Expedition (YuTAKE) in the late 1940s. The findings suggest that the fortress served as a residence for the state dignitary in charge of the fortress and as a warehouse to which specific commodities were sent from Merv and from which they were then distributed further. The plan of the fortifications involved towers in all four corners and an entrance in the middle of the south wall, and the walls were built with alternate layers of mud bricks and pakhsa.
Charles L. H. Coulson
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208242
- eISBN:
- 9780191716676
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208242.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
This book overturns many of the traditional assumptions about the nature and purpose of castle-building in the middle ages. It demolishes the traditional belief that castles were overwhelmingly ...
More
This book overturns many of the traditional assumptions about the nature and purpose of castle-building in the middle ages. It demolishes the traditional belief that castles were overwhelmingly military in their function, showing how this was simply one aspect of a more complicated whole, and sets out to recreate the medieval understanding of castles as symbolically fortified places of all kinds. It places castles in the context of medieval culture and society, as ancient walled post-Roman towns and prestigious religious enclaves to transitory campaign forts. Going back to the original sources, the book proposes a new and subtler understanding of the function and symbolism of castles as well as insights into the lives of the people who inhabited them. Fortresses were only occasionally caught up in war, but constantly were central to the ordinary life of all classes: of the nobility and gentry, of widows and heiresses, of prelates and clergy, of peasantry and townspeople alike. The book presents and explores this broad social panorama.Less
This book overturns many of the traditional assumptions about the nature and purpose of castle-building in the middle ages. It demolishes the traditional belief that castles were overwhelmingly military in their function, showing how this was simply one aspect of a more complicated whole, and sets out to recreate the medieval understanding of castles as symbolically fortified places of all kinds. It places castles in the context of medieval culture and society, as ancient walled post-Roman towns and prestigious religious enclaves to transitory campaign forts. Going back to the original sources, the book proposes a new and subtler understanding of the function and symbolism of castles as well as insights into the lives of the people who inhabited them. Fortresses were only occasionally caught up in war, but constantly were central to the ordinary life of all classes: of the nobility and gentry, of widows and heiresses, of prelates and clergy, of peasantry and townspeople alike. The book presents and explores this broad social panorama.
CHARLES L. H. COULSON
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208242
- eISBN:
- 9780191716676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208242.003.0010
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
During the medieval period, peasants were affected by fortresses in some ways more than any other class. For the 14th and 15th centuries mainly, the chapter illustrates how fortresses operated to ...
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During the medieval period, peasants were affected by fortresses in some ways more than any other class. For the 14th and 15th centuries mainly, the chapter illustrates how fortresses operated to protect refugees and their moveables. The duties laid upon the inhabitants of castellaries by the perquisites of their lords and by necessity can also be described, but largely because those obligations and profits entered the aristocratic written record. Protecting subjects was a matter of the ruler's pride. The local integration of peasant and fortress during hostilities and rumours of war was especially intimate, in England after Edward II was defeated by the Scots (1314), in France much more so after the first phase of the Hundred Years War had relapsed into intermittent regional strife, particularly after the calamity of Poitiers (1356). This chapter examines the refuge-system in England and the Channel Islands, the refuge-system of castellaries in France, and castle-works and services in England and Wales.Less
During the medieval period, peasants were affected by fortresses in some ways more than any other class. For the 14th and 15th centuries mainly, the chapter illustrates how fortresses operated to protect refugees and their moveables. The duties laid upon the inhabitants of castellaries by the perquisites of their lords and by necessity can also be described, but largely because those obligations and profits entered the aristocratic written record. Protecting subjects was a matter of the ruler's pride. The local integration of peasant and fortress during hostilities and rumours of war was especially intimate, in England after Edward II was defeated by the Scots (1314), in France much more so after the first phase of the Hundred Years War had relapsed into intermittent regional strife, particularly after the calamity of Poitiers (1356). This chapter examines the refuge-system in England and the Channel Islands, the refuge-system of castellaries in France, and castle-works and services in England and Wales.
CHARLES L. H. COULSON
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208242
- eISBN:
- 9780191716676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208242.003.0011
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
The difficulties inherent in the female tenure of a fortress in England and France during the medieval period might appear greater than with an ordinary fief. Castles were female preserves as ...
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The difficulties inherent in the female tenure of a fortress in England and France during the medieval period might appear greater than with an ordinary fief. Castles were female preserves as long-stay residences and as administrative commitments. In nearly all respects, and in all but exceptional circumstances, they were indistinguishable from manor-houses not dignified with ostentatious fortification nor styled castle. Given their interests, great women undoubtedly influenced, where they did not determine and commission, all types of building in fortresses. More central to present concerns are the elements introduced into castle relations by female castellans — who assumed their position as heiresses or dowagers. The ability of the female castellan to efficiently supervise the keeping of a castle in her lord's interest depended on her own activity, personality, age, residence, and experience — qualities all required for the normal running of the estate, rarely on the condition of the peace in the locality.Less
The difficulties inherent in the female tenure of a fortress in England and France during the medieval period might appear greater than with an ordinary fief. Castles were female preserves as long-stay residences and as administrative commitments. In nearly all respects, and in all but exceptional circumstances, they were indistinguishable from manor-houses not dignified with ostentatious fortification nor styled castle. Given their interests, great women undoubtedly influenced, where they did not determine and commission, all types of building in fortresses. More central to present concerns are the elements introduced into castle relations by female castellans — who assumed their position as heiresses or dowagers. The ability of the female castellan to efficiently supervise the keeping of a castle in her lord's interest depended on her own activity, personality, age, residence, and experience — qualities all required for the normal running of the estate, rarely on the condition of the peace in the locality.
CHARLES L. H. COULSON
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208242
- eISBN:
- 9780191716676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208242.003.0012
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
Women and children should not be regarded so much as an underclass in a male-dominated society during the medieval period, but rather, as a legally protected majority, as fully vested with property ...
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Women and children should not be regarded so much as an underclass in a male-dominated society during the medieval period, but rather, as a legally protected majority, as fully vested with property and fortresses alike as was possible in their condition. Castles in medieval England, Ireland, Scotland, and France were the women's home territory. Minors, who assumed administrative duties mainly through inheritance, also deserve attention in this regard. Boys and elderly women valiantly upheld their positions and defended their fortresses. They fitted entirely naturally into a system not at all confined to the vigorous adult man. The involvement of women, widows, and children with that peculiar kind of residential property constituted by fortresses was no less conspicuous in regions and episodes of danger than it habitually was at other times and in other places.Less
Women and children should not be regarded so much as an underclass in a male-dominated society during the medieval period, but rather, as a legally protected majority, as fully vested with property and fortresses alike as was possible in their condition. Castles in medieval England, Ireland, Scotland, and France were the women's home territory. Minors, who assumed administrative duties mainly through inheritance, also deserve attention in this regard. Boys and elderly women valiantly upheld their positions and defended their fortresses. They fitted entirely naturally into a system not at all confined to the vigorous adult man. The involvement of women, widows, and children with that peculiar kind of residential property constituted by fortresses was no less conspicuous in regions and episodes of danger than it habitually was at other times and in other places.
CHARLES L. H. COULSON
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208242
- eISBN:
- 9780191716676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208242.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
Of all the monuments of medieval European civilization, castles are probably the most familiar, rivalled only by the parish churches and great cathedrals. They may well be the most popular form of ...
More
Of all the monuments of medieval European civilization, castles are probably the most familiar, rivalled only by the parish churches and great cathedrals. They may well be the most popular form of amateur history. How they are perceived has coloured ideas of medieval society, aristocratic culture, faith, and strife, permeating them all with images of dungeons, battering-rams, and boiling oil. Fortresses were only occasionally caught up in war, but constantly were central to the ordinary life of all classes: of the nobility and gentry, of widows and heiresses, of prelates and clergy, of peasantry and townspeople alike. The present book explores the social history of castles during the central middle ages. It offers new insights for England and Ireland derived, in no small part, from associating Britain with the provinces of France with which links were so intimate during that central medieval period that runs from the later 11th to the late 14th century.Less
Of all the monuments of medieval European civilization, castles are probably the most familiar, rivalled only by the parish churches and great cathedrals. They may well be the most popular form of amateur history. How they are perceived has coloured ideas of medieval society, aristocratic culture, faith, and strife, permeating them all with images of dungeons, battering-rams, and boiling oil. Fortresses were only occasionally caught up in war, but constantly were central to the ordinary life of all classes: of the nobility and gentry, of widows and heiresses, of prelates and clergy, of peasantry and townspeople alike. The present book explores the social history of castles during the central middle ages. It offers new insights for England and Ireland derived, in no small part, from associating Britain with the provinces of France with which links were so intimate during that central medieval period that runs from the later 11th to the late 14th century.
CHARLES L. H. COULSON
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208242
- eISBN:
- 9780191716676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208242.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
To speak of ‘fortresses and society’ is, indeed, a truism. As soon as wealth for survival was accumulated, notably harvested grain and domesticated animals, demarcation and defence were required. For ...
More
To speak of ‘fortresses and society’ is, indeed, a truism. As soon as wealth for survival was accumulated, notably harvested grain and domesticated animals, demarcation and defence were required. For appreciating how natural fortresses were to normal ancient and medieval societies (and how various) a long perspective is essential. This chapter offers a revised perspective on castles during the medieval period by looking at the aesthetic, artistic, symbolic, and demonstrative elements in the design of fortresses rather than their presumed purpose as forms of local defence. It discusses fortresses in transition in medieval England and France; the response of the Carolingian Empire to the impact of internal disintegration and external attacks by the Norsemen penetrating far up the fine navigable river systems (particularly the Somme, Seine, and Loire); and the emergence of fortresses as a form of social reconstruction.Less
To speak of ‘fortresses and society’ is, indeed, a truism. As soon as wealth for survival was accumulated, notably harvested grain and domesticated animals, demarcation and defence were required. For appreciating how natural fortresses were to normal ancient and medieval societies (and how various) a long perspective is essential. This chapter offers a revised perspective on castles during the medieval period by looking at the aesthetic, artistic, symbolic, and demonstrative elements in the design of fortresses rather than their presumed purpose as forms of local defence. It discusses fortresses in transition in medieval England and France; the response of the Carolingian Empire to the impact of internal disintegration and external attacks by the Norsemen penetrating far up the fine navigable river systems (particularly the Somme, Seine, and Loire); and the emergence of fortresses as a form of social reconstruction.
CHARLES L. H. COULSON
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208242
- eISBN:
- 9780191716676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208242.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
Until the conflict between the diffuse reality and the narrow perception is resolved, the centrality of castles (in all their manifestations) to society as a whole will remain obscured. The ...
More
Until the conflict between the diffuse reality and the narrow perception is resolved, the centrality of castles (in all their manifestations) to society as a whole will remain obscured. The ‘military’ straitjacket falsifies them. Viewing them as adjuncts to the chivalric lifestyle is better, but still insufficient. Without question, the castellated and fortified style of building was aristocratic, and undoubtedly it spread early and fully as widely as the noble ethos itself. Nearly all the forms, from the Gallo-Roman cathedral city of the 5th century to the gun-forts, built to the order of Henry VIII at the end of his reign (1538-1547) along the south and south-east coast of England, were known to contemporaries as castra or castella. This chapter addresses the problems of nomenclature related to castles and fortresses in England and France during the medieval period.Less
Until the conflict between the diffuse reality and the narrow perception is resolved, the centrality of castles (in all their manifestations) to society as a whole will remain obscured. The ‘military’ straitjacket falsifies them. Viewing them as adjuncts to the chivalric lifestyle is better, but still insufficient. Without question, the castellated and fortified style of building was aristocratic, and undoubtedly it spread early and fully as widely as the noble ethos itself. Nearly all the forms, from the Gallo-Roman cathedral city of the 5th century to the gun-forts, built to the order of Henry VIII at the end of his reign (1538-1547) along the south and south-east coast of England, were known to contemporaries as castra or castella. This chapter addresses the problems of nomenclature related to castles and fortresses in England and France during the medieval period.
CHARLES L. H. COULSON
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208242
- eISBN:
- 9780191716676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208242.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
It is because a far broader and looser sense of the castle operated in the medieval sphere, whether the period be early, middle, or late, that the social interactions of fortresses were so diffuse ...
More
It is because a far broader and looser sense of the castle operated in the medieval sphere, whether the period be early, middle, or late, that the social interactions of fortresses were so diffuse and pervasive. These elusive connotations, corrections, and resonances are explored in the present chapter. Although as a tool of analysis, even as a hypothesis, the modern construct of the castle carries with it too many false associations to continue to be useful, its dominance of the modern popular mind is not likely to change. Taking their tone from ecclesiastical denunciations of castles used against the Church, historians have supposed that the dukes of Normandy, and the kings of England, restrictively licensed castle-building on a systematic basis. The sometimes obsessive preoccupation of England and north-west France with earthworks as castles par excellence is not due to a different original ‘military’ culture, but to historical accident.Less
It is because a far broader and looser sense of the castle operated in the medieval sphere, whether the period be early, middle, or late, that the social interactions of fortresses were so diffuse and pervasive. These elusive connotations, corrections, and resonances are explored in the present chapter. Although as a tool of analysis, even as a hypothesis, the modern construct of the castle carries with it too many false associations to continue to be useful, its dominance of the modern popular mind is not likely to change. Taking their tone from ecclesiastical denunciations of castles used against the Church, historians have supposed that the dukes of Normandy, and the kings of England, restrictively licensed castle-building on a systematic basis. The sometimes obsessive preoccupation of England and north-west France with earthworks as castles par excellence is not due to a different original ‘military’ culture, but to historical accident.
CHARLES L. H. COULSON
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208242
- eISBN:
- 9780191716676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208242.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
That fortresses were a basic ingredient of the medieval period, rather than an instrument of civil war waged by an anti-social minority, appears more fully by considering the medieval ‘arms ban’. ...
More
That fortresses were a basic ingredient of the medieval period, rather than an instrument of civil war waged by an anti-social minority, appears more fully by considering the medieval ‘arms ban’. Militant architecture and weaponry of all kinds have much in common as icons of rank and power. But whereas fortifying itself was rarely an act of force and did not ordinarily endanger the peace or jeopardize the public interest, the unrestrained use of weapons might well do both. New castles were peacefully sanctioned by local seignorial authority, with or without royal involvement in France, most often with it in England but preventing the associated noble liberty of arms-bearing from wreaking the havoc occasionally caused by large-scale state-sponsored violence called for constant vigilance. For good and for ill, castles were an integral feature of the noble and larger society which produced them, participating as much in its economic and cultural life as, albeit marginally overall, in its military activities.Less
That fortresses were a basic ingredient of the medieval period, rather than an instrument of civil war waged by an anti-social minority, appears more fully by considering the medieval ‘arms ban’. Militant architecture and weaponry of all kinds have much in common as icons of rank and power. But whereas fortifying itself was rarely an act of force and did not ordinarily endanger the peace or jeopardize the public interest, the unrestrained use of weapons might well do both. New castles were peacefully sanctioned by local seignorial authority, with or without royal involvement in France, most often with it in England but preventing the associated noble liberty of arms-bearing from wreaking the havoc occasionally caused by large-scale state-sponsored violence called for constant vigilance. For good and for ill, castles were an integral feature of the noble and larger society which produced them, participating as much in its economic and cultural life as, albeit marginally overall, in its military activities.
CHARLES L. H. COULSON
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208242
- eISBN:
- 9780191716676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208242.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
However coloured by medieval (chiefly ecclesiastical) polemic, and by constitutionalists of a statist cast of mind misapplying the concepts of the modern nation, fortresses (castles in the original ...
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However coloured by medieval (chiefly ecclesiastical) polemic, and by constitutionalists of a statist cast of mind misapplying the concepts of the modern nation, fortresses (castles in the original comprehensive usage) were not so much private force embodied in stone (or earthwork and timber, latterly brick) as, rather, the most conspicuous contemporary and still surviving manifestation of the socially diffusive medieval ruling class. This art, along with the ‘religious’ architecture to which it is so closely related as to be indistinguishable, was among the most noble achievements of medieval culture. Since fortifying, like the ‘arms-ban’, operated as a noble perquisite, the restraining hand of the ‘public interest’ must be pursued also in other directions than ‘military activities’. Political as well as social motives were involved. This chapter looks at castles, fortresses, and fortifications as means of peacekeeping and pacification in England and France during the medieval period.Less
However coloured by medieval (chiefly ecclesiastical) polemic, and by constitutionalists of a statist cast of mind misapplying the concepts of the modern nation, fortresses (castles in the original comprehensive usage) were not so much private force embodied in stone (or earthwork and timber, latterly brick) as, rather, the most conspicuous contemporary and still surviving manifestation of the socially diffusive medieval ruling class. This art, along with the ‘religious’ architecture to which it is so closely related as to be indistinguishable, was among the most noble achievements of medieval culture. Since fortifying, like the ‘arms-ban’, operated as a noble perquisite, the restraining hand of the ‘public interest’ must be pursued also in other directions than ‘military activities’. Political as well as social motives were involved. This chapter looks at castles, fortresses, and fortifications as means of peacekeeping and pacification in England and France during the medieval period.
CHARLES L. H. COULSON
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208242
- eISBN:
- 9780191716676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208242.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
Considering that they were personal and family residences, the degree of subordination of castles to public priorities in England and France during the medieval period is remarkable. Fortresses were ...
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Considering that they were personal and family residences, the degree of subordination of castles to public priorities in England and France during the medieval period is remarkable. Fortresses were not above the law, and more importantly they were not outside it. This chapter examines some sharper consequences of fortresses' dual personality — in what circumstances it was acceptable for them to be seized or even demolished (though still not erased from the map). If being attacked was normally unlikely, interference in the public interest represented by the castellan's superior (senyor, seigneur, or lord) was a contingent liability of the fortress. The chapter looks at some notable instances of urban hostility and class conflict involving ‘private’ castles. Rendability, in all the guises of conditional fortress-tenure, epitomized the public utility of private castles; while conversely the class antagonisms, which have been illustrated in south-west France, focused on fortification and displayed the practical limits of social consensus.Less
Considering that they were personal and family residences, the degree of subordination of castles to public priorities in England and France during the medieval period is remarkable. Fortresses were not above the law, and more importantly they were not outside it. This chapter examines some sharper consequences of fortresses' dual personality — in what circumstances it was acceptable for them to be seized or even demolished (though still not erased from the map). If being attacked was normally unlikely, interference in the public interest represented by the castellan's superior (senyor, seigneur, or lord) was a contingent liability of the fortress. The chapter looks at some notable instances of urban hostility and class conflict involving ‘private’ castles. Rendability, in all the guises of conditional fortress-tenure, epitomized the public utility of private castles; while conversely the class antagonisms, which have been illustrated in south-west France, focused on fortification and displayed the practical limits of social consensus.
CHARLES L. H. COULSON
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208242
- eISBN:
- 9780191716676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208242.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
Because the lords of castles were public figures involved in local and even ‘national’ government during the medieval period, none of them can be regarded as what today would be a ‘private citizen’. ...
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Because the lords of castles were public figures involved in local and even ‘national’ government during the medieval period, none of them can be regarded as what today would be a ‘private citizen’. This chapter discusses the more personal aspects of noble architectural ambition in medieval England and France so as to show more of the practical implications and individual vicissitudes, and examines how closely jurisdictional powers were associated with castle-status. It also presents a range of case-studies involving relationships between greater lords in which fortresses were crucial. Some 13th- and 14th-century examples are presented showing that in England, the social, tenurial, and economic eminence of the castle conferred power, but also imposed responsibilities. The chapter also explores castellation and jurisdiction as insignia of nobility.Less
Because the lords of castles were public figures involved in local and even ‘national’ government during the medieval period, none of them can be regarded as what today would be a ‘private citizen’. This chapter discusses the more personal aspects of noble architectural ambition in medieval England and France so as to show more of the practical implications and individual vicissitudes, and examines how closely jurisdictional powers were associated with castle-status. It also presents a range of case-studies involving relationships between greater lords in which fortresses were crucial. Some 13th- and 14th-century examples are presented showing that in England, the social, tenurial, and economic eminence of the castle conferred power, but also imposed responsibilities. The chapter also explores castellation and jurisdiction as insignia of nobility.
Robert Z. Lawrence
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199235889
- eISBN:
- 9780191717109
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199235889.003.0006
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, South and East Asia
This chapter examines the implications of China's emergence for the global trading system. It asks whether China's bilateral and regional initiatives might undermine the multilateral trading order ...
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This chapter examines the implications of China's emergence for the global trading system. It asks whether China's bilateral and regional initiatives might undermine the multilateral trading order and whether China is seeking to establish an East Asian trading bloc that discriminates against nonparticipating countries. It is argued that concerns about a Fortress East Asia are misplaced. Both directly and through the induced reaction of other countries, China's bilateral agreements with regional partners could provide a powerful impetus to the process of competitive liberalization. Moreover, countries implementing agreements with China should find it relatively easy to open their markets to other developing countries.Less
This chapter examines the implications of China's emergence for the global trading system. It asks whether China's bilateral and regional initiatives might undermine the multilateral trading order and whether China is seeking to establish an East Asian trading bloc that discriminates against nonparticipating countries. It is argued that concerns about a Fortress East Asia are misplaced. Both directly and through the induced reaction of other countries, China's bilateral agreements with regional partners could provide a powerful impetus to the process of competitive liberalization. Moreover, countries implementing agreements with China should find it relatively easy to open their markets to other developing countries.
Kevin C. O'Connor
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9781501747687
- eISBN:
- 9781501747700
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9781501747687.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Russian and Former Soviet Union History
Founded as an ecclesiastical center, trading hub, and intended capital of a feudal state, Riga was Old Livonia's greatest city and its indispensable port. Because the city was situated in what was ...
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Founded as an ecclesiastical center, trading hub, and intended capital of a feudal state, Riga was Old Livonia's greatest city and its indispensable port. Because the city was situated in what was initially remote and inhospitable territory, surrounded by pagans and coveted by regional powers like Poland, Sweden, and Muscovy, it was also a fortress encased by a wall. This book begins in the twelfth century with the arrival to the eastern Baltic of German priests, traders, and knights, who conquered and converted the indigenous tribes and assumed mastery over their lands. It ends in 1710 with an account of the greatest war Livonia had ever seen, one that was accompanied by mass starvation, a terrible epidemic, and a flood of nearly Biblical proportions that devastated the city and left its survivors in misery. Readers will learn about Riga's people—merchants and clerics, craftsmen and builders, porters and day laborers—about its structures and spaces, its internal conflicts and its unrelenting struggle to maintain its independence against outside threats. The book is an indispensable guide to a quintessentially European city located in one of the continent's more remote corners.Less
Founded as an ecclesiastical center, trading hub, and intended capital of a feudal state, Riga was Old Livonia's greatest city and its indispensable port. Because the city was situated in what was initially remote and inhospitable territory, surrounded by pagans and coveted by regional powers like Poland, Sweden, and Muscovy, it was also a fortress encased by a wall. This book begins in the twelfth century with the arrival to the eastern Baltic of German priests, traders, and knights, who conquered and converted the indigenous tribes and assumed mastery over their lands. It ends in 1710 with an account of the greatest war Livonia had ever seen, one that was accompanied by mass starvation, a terrible epidemic, and a flood of nearly Biblical proportions that devastated the city and left its survivors in misery. Readers will learn about Riga's people—merchants and clerics, craftsmen and builders, porters and day laborers—about its structures and spaces, its internal conflicts and its unrelenting struggle to maintain its independence against outside threats. The book is an indispensable guide to a quintessentially European city located in one of the continent's more remote corners.
