Medieval Castles! Youtube documentary

[Roma_Victrix]

The narrator's nearly baritone Halloween-like radio-style voice is what does it for me.

From Warwick to Bunratty to Carcassone, this documentary covers a pretty wide range of Medieval castles and how they were defended. I actually learned a thing or two while watching this, and was more than mildly entertained by the reenactments. From what I can tell, everything presented in the video is fairly strict in observing historical facts. Tell me otherwise!

Also, the narrator's voice in this one sounds totally super cool:



...like Tony the Tiger!



However, this documentary is full of anachronisms and plain old falsehoods, especially the first map they show supposedly representing Rome's conquests by 197 BC. It wasn't even until the reign of Augustus that the whole of Iberia was under firm Roman control, let alone the whole of mainland Greece (which was not the case until 146 BC with the stomping of Corinth).

[ArmoredCore]

Other than the fact that fortified structures with local lords and chiefs started way before the Normans arriving in England it is a good video.
You got the so called cathar castles in France which were built in stone prior to the Norman invasion. Similar structures are found in Eastern Europe.
Same goes for Spain with early Islamic and Christian castles. Then of course you got the castle like fortresses of the Armenians, Persians and Romans before that. Not to mention the ancient Assyrian, Babylonian and Egyptian ones.

The Norman invasion took place in 1066. At that time the Aljaferia of Zaragoza Spain was being built based on precursors in Cordoba and Iraq (Al Ukhaidir fortress) with its fabulous arches and tracery a forerunner of many decorative elements found in later gothic architecture.

I like that second warfare series but I often find it odd how the Western histories of the 'middle ages' often omit the Byzantines and the Persians in their timelines. Without the Persians there was no Greek Empire (as the Persians spurred the Greeks through invasion). The Byzantines were the bridge of East and West, taking Eastern traditions and embracing them. And the Persians, Sassanians and Parthians, were the great enemies of the Byzantines and notable for their almost constant warfare with Byzantium in the East. And as a result this was the crucible that gave rise to the Cataphract the basis of the western Knight. Not to mention that Christianity was first adopted as the state Religion of Rome just as Constantine moved the Capital to the East. Whereas these themes are central to any histories seen in Eastern Europe.

[Roma_Victrix]

Very true about earlier castles, agreed. As far as I know, the ancient fortress of Buhen, built around 1860 BC during the reign of Senusret III of the 12th dynasty of Egypt, is the oldest concentric curtain-walled castle in the world. Much like Carcassonne and the walls of Constantinople, it had a moat plus curtain walls, the second wall higher than the one in front, so that if the first wall was taken, the defenders could still rain down missile fire from the taller wall onto the besiegers. These photographs were taken prior to 1964 and during that year, when Buhen was flooded by the new man-made Nasser Lake (due to the construction of the Aswan Dam):





It would have originally looked like this:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Also, about that second video focusing on the Roman Empire and Han China: this website actually says it was narrated by Walter Cronkite in 1997! It also forms part of a series of videos looking at various civilizations.

[Condottiere 40K]

It's an introduction, something you show ten year olds in primary four, but a lot viewers don't have a wider perspective.

[Roma_Victrix]

It's an introduction, something you show ten year olds in primary four, but a lot viewers don't have a wider perspective.

Very true, and they tend to get a lot of things wrong (thus skewing things for viewers ignorant of historical stuff), but for some reason I still enjoy videos like these. I can't help it. It's an addiction.

[ArmoredCore]

The reenactments in that warrior series are very nice. I really liked that they used actual Mongolians for the Mongols.

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

I found another documentary on History Channel called Battle Castle. I'll look around on YouTube.

[Condottiere 40K]

I wanted to say that castles, or even fortresses, are only strategically relevant if they tactically dominate their immediate environment and (a) major LoC(s) passes nearby, and then I remembered the Hornburg.

[Roma_Victrix]

I wanted to say that castles, or even fortresses, are only strategically relevant if they tactically dominate their immediate environment and (a) major LoC(s) passes nearby, and then I remembered the Hornburg.

Why? What made it different? Aside from tactically dominating the immediate environment, they obviously served as a last refuge and holdout against an invasion that might otherwise sweep around the castle and conquer everything else within a twenty mile radius. A castle that hadn't surrendered yet in this regard acts as a constant nuisance and thorn in the side of any offensive campaign that will try to subjugate everything quickly. With the hope of a relief force, the troops within the castle could then ride out and reverse the territorial losses easily.

[Roma_Victrix]

Here's another video like the OP, narrated by the same guy! Only this time, it's CASTLES OF FEAR!

[René Artois]

I'm pretty lucky in that this is a few miles up the road from me.

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

For a second there I was like "holy crap how does he have a Welsh castle nearby?" but then I saw your location

[Roma_Victrix]

That castle is both gorgeous and badass.

[Condottiere 40K]

Sneak through the backdoor.

[Rinan]

Other than the fact that fortified structures with local lords and chiefs started way before the Normans arriving in England it is a good video.
You got the so called cathar castles in France which were built in stone prior to the Norman invasion. Similar structures are found in Eastern Europe.
Same goes for Spain with early Islamic and Christian castles. Then of course you got the castle like fortresses of the Armenians, Persians and Romans before that. Not to mention the ancient Assyrian, Babylonian and Egyptian ones.

Robert Bartlett in chapter 3 of 'The Making of Europe' explains the difference between later medieval castles and earlier fortifications. Earlier Anglo-Saxon fortifications, and those of Scandinavians, Eastern-Europeans, Romans, etc. had a rather great surface area - A great circumference of walls in order to be able to protect a large amount of people in times of crisis (And even cattle). From the 11th centuries things start to change in Western Europe; castles are a lot smaller in terms of square meters covered by defensive structures. Instead, we are dealing with small, tall structures that are not meant to defend entire populations. Instead, they're built to give a military edge to a small amount of people; the local feudal lord and his retinue, from which he can control his territory. The author has a beautiful graph comparing the size of different forts to make his point, I can upload it later this week if there's any interest.
That Egyptian 'fortress' looks amazing, by the way! Shame it's gone.

By the way, is the documentary any good?

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

^Yes please do, I would very much like to see it.

[René Artois]

That castle is both gorgeous and badass.

On Guy Fawkes night they set off a huge load of fireworks from inside the castle. It's freakin' awesome.

[Roma_Victrix]

Pure eye candy, René Artois, I want to pack up all my stuff and move to your town.

[Knight of Heaven]

Why? What made it different? Aside from tactically dominating the immediate environment, they obviously served as a last refuge and holdout against an invasion that might otherwise sweep around the castle and conquer everything else within a twenty mile radius. A castle that hadn't surrendered yet in this regard acts as a constant nuisance and thorn in the side of any offensive campaign that will try to subjugate everything quickly. With the hope of a relief force, the troops within the castle could then ride out and reverse the territorial losses easily.

Thats what castles were for, now imagine a network of them, while your force might be besieging an castle, that gave time for troops in other areas and castles to regroup and join an defensive army capable or relieving the besieged caste. In Medieval times the last thing you wanted was to have your forces surrounded while besieging an enemy castle. It was a very interesting defensive system.

From all castles i visited ( limited but still) The ones that stroke me in awe were the Alhambra in Granada, The templar headquarters in Tomar Portugal (Convent of Christ)
Alhambra

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Convent of christ

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

A note for the Wawel castle in Krakow wich i visited not long a ago, i would mention the Neuschwanstein Castle as well, but its from another era alltogether...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I cannot pass the chance to mention the castle of the Moors, in Sintra because its where i basicaly grew up as a teenager. We used to go there and hang out with some friends, with bottles of booze and beer and other stuff , Sintra is a very beautifull place, this medieval castle among them.
( there is plenty of other stuff arround, world heritage of UNESCO Pena Palace, Quinta da regaleira as well ect) Its a very interesting place, with mystical undertones due to the Sintra Mountains and its gardens, hiden palaces, and keeps, and monasteries etc, if i recall correctly the romans called these mountains the mountains of the Moon, or something like that)

This is the castle were we used to hang out at times, when was free to enter, now it is still free for people who have their Municipal ID Cards, we even were able to do Abseiling in one of its towers, it is still comon to see people doing that, in the castle, not only in its towers but on cliffs and small moutains in it and arround it. Its one of its perks to be mingled with the natural mountainous geography.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Roma_Victrix]

The grounds of that Tomar Castle are really spectacular and well kept.