what does muderhole mean?

Question

history quiery

Answer 1

Murderhole? A murder-hole is a hole in the ceiling of a gateway or passageway in a fortification through which the defenders can fire, throw or pour dangerous or noxious substances at attackers. As a result, the defenders would be able to rain rocks, arrows, boiling water, heated sand and other substances down on the attackers heads while being unable to attack the attackers effectively.

Answer 2

Meurtriere or Murder Hole - an opening in the roof of a passage, normally in the entrance or gateway.

A murder-hole is a hole in the ceiling of a gateway or passageway in a fortification through which the defenders can fire, throw or pour dangerous or noxious substances at attackers. As a result, the defenders would be able to rain rocks, arrows, boiling water, heated sand and other substances down on the attackers heads. There is little evidence for the widely held belief that boiling oil and molten lead was used for this purpose.

Similar holes, called machicolations, were often located in the curtain walls of castles and city walls. The parapet would project over corbels so that holes would be located over the exterior face of the wall, and arrows could be shot at, rocks dropped on, or boiling water poured over, any attackers near the wall.

Answer 3

Kevin C is correct. If attackers got across your drawbridge and broke down your castle gate with a battering ram, they would still have to go through the gatehouse in the curtain wall, which was 8-20 feet wide. In the ceiling above were the murder holes. And at the end of this passageway would be the portcullis, an iron grate which dropped down to trap you. There were often arrow holes in the sides of the walls for archers and crossbowman to eliminate the besieging army.



From www.castles.org

A gatehouse was built into the curtain. At first it was just a simple door by which to go in and out of the castle, but over time that changed. Because enemy armies often came to this area, an iron grate was added that could be put down to block entrance, in addition to heavy wooden doors. Small holes, called murder holes, were added to the ceiling above the main entrance to pour boiling liquid down on entering enemies.

Answer 4

You mean murder hole , many castles had them , when the enermy had broken passed the keep there was a wide hole above the entrance to the castles inner defences , there were men at arms above, with rocks and boiling oil also archers , to run through passed it was murderus

Answer 5

wow never realised it was a proper word!
we use it when playing computer games when an opponent is in a deep ditch with no hope of getting out and you can throw all sorts of weapons at him from up on top.

Answer 6

My ex's fanny