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name: Netserf's Hypertext Medieval Glossary |
Example
from this
excellent glossary: "Crusades: Military expeditions, traditionally eight in number, undertaken between 1095 and 1271 to win or hold the Holy Land against Muslim rulers; term extended to other military expeditions undertaken to defend or spread Christianity. The word "Crusade" was derived from the cross (crux) which Crusaders sewed on their clothing. Cite, 361" |
Welcome!!! "As part of our continued commitment to bringing the Middle Ages to the Internet, we are proud to present the largest general medieval glossary on the Internet!! While there are a number of excellent and specialized glossaries available, NetSERF's Hypertext Medieval Glossary is unique. Not only are there over 1,400 terms defined, covering all aspects of medieval life and spanning the medieval world, many terms are linked together so that one can get the best understanding possible. We have also provided a convenient navigator on the left of your screen, ... (more)" Read the full glossary |
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name: Castle Terminology |
Definition
of A Castle
as compiled for the Castles of Wales by Jerome Morris Oxford English Dictionary: "Old Northern French: castel variant of chastel (modern: château) from Latin: castellun diminutive of castrum - a fortified place." |
Castle
Terminology "On this site you will find short definitions for many of the terms associated with medieval castles. The list is by no means complete, and certain minor terms have been omitted. Some of the definitions are additionally hyperlinked to pages that show examples of the item being discussed. (more)" Read the full glossary |
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name: The Armory |
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Trébuchet,
a Medieval Siege Engine "Medieval warfare consisted of other things too besides knights dashing about and peasants getting killed in general. One important feature was holding cities besieged. Some of the sieges lasted pretty damn long, until the besieged city capitulated or the besiegers got bored or were chased away. Sieges featured siege engines on both sides, as an attack and a defensive weapon. |
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First on the scene were
catapults. These were in effect large bows whose energy was derived
from twisted ropes or sinews. As a consequence, their effectiveness
was modest at best, as many castles such as Acre sported walls up to
6 metres thick. The biggest catapults were able to hurl projectiles
of 16 - 27 kilograms to distances of some 180 metres. Stone projectiles
did little harm to the fortresses, but they did succeed well enough
against unshielded humans. Enter the trébuchet (Eng.: trebucket). This contraption was
fully able to hurl projectiles weighing a thousand kilograms. That kind
of shots surely caused great havoc even in the sturdiest of structures.
The trebuchet is effectively a gigantic sling that uses the potential
energy of a raised counterweight to power its projectiles. A pivoted
arm has the counterweight at one end and the payload (if you could call
it that) at the other, connected to a rope hammock. When the trebuchet
was fired, the weight fell and the arm hurled the payload on a trajectory
which most often ended on some poor person's neck.Trebuchets reached
the Mediterranean from China in the late sixth century and became one
of the favourite weapons of the Arabs in their conquests. (more)"
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Read
the full article
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name: Knighthood, Chivalry & Tournament Glossary of Terms |
Knighthood,
Chivalry & Tournament Glossary of Terms The glossary is meant as a growing resource for students, re-enactors, and anyone interested in knighthood, chivalry, or the medieval tournament. The current page is but a brief listing of what we would like to have on the page; if you would be interested in helping with a given area, such as in heraldry, transcribing tournament accounts, translations, or research, drop the author an email at brion@chronique.com. Additionally, we would like to expand many of the definitions here; if you want to try one or more of them send your submissions to the email address above -- we can use the help! |
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