Despite all the grandeur of these constructions, everyday life was not very pleasant, no. “In addition to not having conveniences such as running water or central heating, the daily lives of the residents were noisy and uncomfortable”, says the British historian Lise Hull, author of the book Scotland and the Castles of Glamorgan (“Scotland and the Castles of Glamorgan”). The first castles appeared in Western Europe in the 9th century, built with earth, wood and layers of stones to reinforce the structure against attacks.
The best-known model, that of fortifications protected by walls and surrounded by flooded moats, appeared in France in the 10th century. The architecture of castles was unique: no two were alike, but most of them shared common characteristics, such as the existence of a hall, exclusive rooms for the lord of the castle, a chapel and a tower for the guards.
For most residents, a typical day began at sunrise. Some chambermaids slept on the floor of the lord and lady’s bedroom, whose privacy was assured only by a frame of fabrics around the bed. After getting dressed, the man and his family would go to the salon to have breakfast with bread and cheese, and then go to the daily mass in the chapel. Lunch, served between 10 am and noon, included three or four main courses and might be accompanied by juggling performances.
During the day, while the lord took care of the manor’s administration, justice and tax collection, his wife took care of the children’s education and supervised chambermaids and cooks. In the evening, just a light meal – usually soup. Fed, the lords returned to their rooms, while the servants spread out on the hall floor or in chambers inside the tower.
feudal mess
1. LIVE LUNCH
Usually situated upstairs, the salon was a dark, smoky, damp room with small, unglazed windows. During the day, the place became a dining room, occasionally accompanied by shows by artists or troubadours, which the servants could also watch. At night, the place was transformed into a servants’ dormitory.
2. RUSTIC KITCHEN
The kitchen was set back from the main rooms to prevent fires. In the central oven with an open fire, food was cooked in cauldrons and meat was roasted on iron skewers. Outside, there were cages with birds and other animals for slaughter. The gentlemen’s menu was rich in good quality bread, meat and alcoholic beverages, especially wine and beer.
3. FULL STOCK
In some castles, a room built on the ground floor served as a storehouse for provisions, such as wheat (used to make bread) and malt (beer). The food stock also included meats preserved by salting, cheeses and bags of pods, beans, broad beans and ground grains, such as flour.
4. DAILY PRAYER
Located near the main hall, the chapel could be divided into two floors: on the upper floor was the family of the lord of the castle, while the servants prayed in the lower part. Sometimes smaller chapels were built underground in the castle. Masses took place every morning
5. REAL SLEEP
The main piece of furniture in the lord and lady’s bedroom was a large wooden bed, with a braided leather strap that supported the feather mattress. Clothes were stored in chests or hung from pegs on the wall. At the beginning of the day, the room was swept by the maids, while the gentlemen washed their faces in basins of water.
6. PRECIOUS LIQUID
It was essential that the castle was close to an underground source of water to guarantee the supply of the entire construction. In addition to the central well, located inside the walls, reservoirs collected rainwater that fell on the castle roof. Afterwards, the liquid went to the lower floors through lead pipes.
7. DISGUSTING PRIVILEGE
As the only two annual baths took place in portable tubs taken to the lord’s room, the bathroom had only one toilet, exclusive to the nobles – the others needed to relieve themselves outside the walls or in chamber pots. But the “little pot” was not at all hygienic: the waste followed in a stone channel to the castle wall, from where the dirt flowed into a moat.
8. SAFE VISION
Most fortifications had a tower, initially made of wood and later of stone, with several floors and rectangular shape. The place, which served as a post for the sentries who watched the neighborhoods, was also used as accommodation for servants and soldiers, in addition to being the last refuge in case the castle was invaded.
Dive into this:
At the bookshop:
The Medieval Mentality, Evandro Faustino, Editora Moderna, 2001
On the Internet:
https://usuarios.cultura.com.br/walterb/bibcastelo.htm
https://www.castlewales.com/csg_link.html
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