2007-01-04 05:34:04 · 14 answers · asked by ENITA S 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
The first castles were motte and bailey castles, which were made of wood, during the reign of William the Conqueror.
These M&B castles consisted of 2 areas, a motte, which was a raised area of land with steep sides (makes it harder to attack) with a flat area of land on the top. On this piece of land, a wooden keep was built, which is where the lord of the castles lived.
The second section was adjoined to the motte by a wooden bridge and had a wooden fence around it. This area of land was usually on ground level, but had a moat or ditch around, also to make it hader to attack. In this section lived the villagers and their cattle.
The idea behind the castle was to be a fortified residence to keep the lord safe against attack from local, rival Saxons, and also the villagers. The castle itself acted as a sign that England had a new King, and they were an imposing sight on the landscape. The lord acted as a local law enforcer, so it was also a symbol of justice, to prevent local wrong doing against the new Norman rulers and the people the lord controlled.
2007-01-05 23:57:29 · answer #1 · answered by Lauren T 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you wish to control an area you have to have a base, if you have a base it must be able to withstand atack , to do that castles were invented and became more elaberate as time went on . After the invention of gunpowder there went out of use because cannons soon destroyed the strongest fortivications no matter how thick and strong they were
2007-01-04 05:57:57 · answer #2 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
To keep people safe. They started as places for the laird or lord of the area and expanded to include essential industries that needed to be protected from invaders. The keep of the castle was the area for the lord and the outer area for the peasants. The walls and moat protected the whole area. The lord could control who enetered and left the castle by manning the drawbridge with soldiers. Firearms and gunpowder made castle obsolete.
2007-01-04 05:45:06 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
They were fortresses. The ones in the UK generally date from the reign of William the Conqueror, as it was the Normans who introduced stone architecture. The Saxons used wooden structures and William destroyed these as a matter of propaganda, replacing them with new, stone buildings designed to impress the conquered people and get across the message that the new regime was here to stay.
2007-01-07 06:08:10 · answer #4 · answered by Specsy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Castles were built not only as a defensive measure and offensive weapon, but also as a home. Castles were made by their owners for specific purposes, or evolved new purposes over time
2007-01-04 05:41:30 · answer #5 · answered by anton m 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
To provide a lavish lifestyle to those who could afford to live in them.
2007-01-04 06:01:24 · answer #6 · answered by breedgemh_101 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I assume for the same reason mansions were invented.
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2007-01-04 05:44:07 · answer #7 · answered by §eeker 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
So that the Bishops wouldn't get lonely.
2007-01-04 06:08:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Defence to KEEP invaders out
2007-01-04 05:43:28 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
so that enemies attacking had a harder job and so that the fort could be easier defending
2007-01-04 07:11:56 · answer #10 · answered by STRANGE REDHEAD <3 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋