Dark Towers

Dark Towers

The towers of the inner ward were used for other purposes than just defense, unlike the towers of the outer ward and the town wall. There were sometimes only four inner ward towers, and they were also much larger. There were four main floors in each tower with a fifth floor (the lookout tower) at the top. The first three floors were enclosed inside the tower. The ground floor was usually used as storage room and was called the basement. The second and third floors could be used as living space, or an office for the different servants in the castle, such as a steward. There was usually a fireplace in one or both of these floors. Smoke traveled up through a hole in the wall to the top of the tower. The fourth floor was really just an open platform on the roof. It was capped on all sides with merlons. The fifth floor was the top of the lookout tower. It was also capped with merlons. All the floors could be reached by a spiral staircases built into the wall. The floors themselves were usually made of wood. Like the floors in most houses, they were covered with reeds and sweet smelling herbs. The first two floors had no windows except for arrow holes usually. The third floor and occasionally the second floor had windows. There was no glass because that was very expensive. In the opening, a iron grate was laid to keep out attackers if they managed to climb up the tower to that height. Shudders were used to keep out wind.

One of the towers in the inner ward was usually reserved as a chapel. It was different from the other towers in that it had one room that was two stories high. There was still a basement and two floors exposed to the element above the two storied room. In the two storied room was the chapel. It often had stained glass windows, albeit not overly large ones. The purpose of the tower was still defense. These windows also had metal panes to protect from intruders. The altar was next to the windows. On the second floor level was a place for the lord and his family to sit. Other church goers would stand on the wooden floor above the basement. Mass was said by the castle chaplain.

Towers could also be used as prisons. Below the basement, a hole could be dug or cut into rock. It was reached through a trap door from above. These holes in the ground were very dark and were used to keep prisoners for ransom, usually. Criminals were usually not held in a castle. These holes were called dungeons, or oubliettes.

A tower might be used for many other things too. They were often used for servant's quarters. In many larger castles, the steward had his own tower where his bedroom and office was located. Other town and castle officials often lived in towers. A tower could be used as a guesthouse, also.

The Castle at Arundel

The Ghosts of Arundel

There is reference to seven ghosts at Arundel: Earl Rodger de Montgomery, a broken hearted young woman, the Blue Man, a Cavalier, the kitchen boy, a small white bird, and a ghost seen in the servant quarters.

It has been nearly 1,000 years since Rodger de Montgomery, kinsman to William the Conqueror, built Arundel. It is believed that it is his ghost that haunts the castle's keep; the first Earl of Arundel has never left, perhaps keeping a watchful eye over his beloved castle.

Built on the top of a ridge high above the river Arun, the castle dominates the town below. Legend tells of a young woman becoming so stricken with grief she could not bear it any longer and climbed to the top of one of the towers and jumped to her death, following the painful end of a tragic love affair. This heartbroken young woman still wanders the top of the tower searching for her love; she can be seen on moonlit nights dressed in white. I have found conflicting stories about her. Some state she jumped from a tower in the castle, others state she had jumped from Hiorne Tower.  Hiorne Tower was built for the Duke of Norfolk in the late 18th century, located in Arundel Park behind the castle. The architect was Frances Hiorne.

The Blue Man has been seen since 1630. He has been seen many times floating around the library as he browses through the books.

There is mention of a Cavalier, but it is unclear just who this ghost is. One wonders if the Cavalier could be the Blue Man who is also referred to as being from the time of King Charles II's reign (c.1660-1685). The kitchen boy is defiantly not the Cavalier or the ghost seen in the servant's quarters

The story of the serving lad is quite sad and disturbing. He lived at the castle over 200 years ago, and, as the story goes, he was treated very badly, so badly that one day he was beaten to death. He haunts the kitchen and can been seen still scrubbing pots and pans.

Another ghost is of a small white bird. Legend tells that its appearance is a warning that someone closely connected to the castle is going to die. There is a reference to white American Owls: "Before restoration of the keep, which was left in ruin for its picturesque beauty, the Dukes used to keep a colony of owls. A tradition exists at the castle where, when a family member is about to die, a white owl is seen fluttering at one of the windows."

The last ghost was seen by a footman in training in 1958. One of his duties was to turn off the drawbridge lights at 11 p.m. Walking down the ground floor corridor towards the main switch box at the end of the servant's quarters "I was halfway along...when I was physically aware of something in front of me, about 15 feet away, going in the same direction. As I got nearer I could see the head and shoulders of a man wearing a light grey tunic with loose sleeves. He had long hair and was, I think about 24 years old, but how could one tell? I was behind him. The image was like that of an old photo, with the outline blurred. Because of poor light I could see nothing below waist level. As I walked on the strong impression seemed to fade and he had gone. He was there only for about half a minute I should think. I'm afraid I ran back along the corridor and I think I failed to switch off all the lights." The young man had never been interested in ghost stories and had never heard any of the castle's ghost stories, he stated "this was no kitchen scullion".

Fairy Tales May Come True

Fairy Tales May Come True, They Can Happen To You..

On the battlements, blessèd battlements,
Standing on the battlements of immortality;
O the countless multitudes soon our eyes shall see!
Standing on the battlements of immortality.

Battlements (or crenellation) are the parapets of towers or walls with indentations or openings (embrasures or crenelles) alternating with solid projections. Merlons are the saw-tooth effect or the "teeth" of the battlements.

The Castle Lion

The Castle Lion

Lions have been represented figuratively since the Stone Age. Ice age hunters depicted the lion this way in the cultural stage of the Aurignacian more than 30,000 years ago by showing the lionesses of a pride hunting in the same manner as contemporary lions. After that it frequently was the lioness who was represented as the protector and chief warrior of a culture. An early Naqada tomb painting that predates Egyptian culture in northern Africa shows two rampant lions flanking a figure that may be interpreted as a deity.
Sphinx of Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut - with unusual rounded ears and ruff that extend strong leonine features to the head of the statue, 1503-1482 BC

Lions also play a role in numerous later ancient cultures. In Ancient Egypt the pharaoh sometimes was represented as the sphinx, a lioness with a human head. The best known representation of this type is the Great Sphinx of Giza. From the earliest written human records, the lioness was recognized as the fierce hunter of the formidable species in Ancient Egyptian and African cultures and was dominant in the pantheons of these ancient cultures as representing warriors and protectors of the country. Egyptian mythology featured images of lionesses such as Bast and Sekhmet from their pantheon. Male rulers might be associated with the son of the goddess, such as Maahes. While the Egyptians ruled over Nubia they documented the worship of Dedun as a god of wealth and prosperity, who was said to be the son of the Nubian lioness deity, although they did not incorporate that deity into their own pantheon. The ancient Egyptians also created naturalistic portrayals of lions as symbols of protection and royal power in addition to the images of mythical sphinxes.

In the near east a long line of cultures used the motif of Lions as both a symbol of primal and royal power. The earliest examples come from Sumer in Mesopotamia. This usage continued throughout the later cultures of the Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians and early Islamic cultures like the Umayyads and Abbassids.

In antiquity, lions were common along the southern coast of the Mediterranean, as well as in Greece and the Middle East. In Greek mythology a lion appears in a variety of functions. The Lion Gate of Mycenae features two rampant lionesses who flank a central column representing the major deity of this early Greek culture that dates to the second millennium BC. In later classical Greek mythology, the Nemean Lion was portrayed as a people-eating beast; killing it was one of the twelve tasks assigned to Heracles. In the story of Androcles, one of Aesop's fables, the hero, a runaway slave, pulls a thorn from a lion's paw; when he is later thrown to the lions as punishment for escaping, the lion recognizes him once again and refuses to kill the man. According to the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible, the Israelite Tribe of Judah had the Lion of Judah as its symbol.

The characteristic of the lion as the "king of the jungle" goes back to the influence of The Physiologus, an early Christian book about animal symbolism which spread into many cultures and generally had great influence in Western culture. First written in Greek in the second century AD, the book was translated into Latin in about 400 AD, next into Ethiopic and Syriac, then into many European and Middle-Eastern languages. Many illuminated manuscript copies such as the Bern Physiologus survive. It retained its influence over ideas of the "meaning" of animals in Europe for over a thousand years. It was a predecessor of bestiaries (books of beasts). Medieval poetical literature is full of allusions that can be traced to the Physiologus tradition; the text also exerted great influence on the symbolism of medieval ecclesiastical art.
The winged lion of Mark the Evangelist is the national emblem and landmark of Venice

The royal symbolism of the lion was taken up repeatedly in later history, in order to claim power, for example by Henry the Lion. The ongoing fascination is apparent today by the diversity of coats of arms on which lions are shown in various colours and forms.

Many images from ancient times depict lionesses as the fierce warrior protecting their culture. Since in certain views lionesses seem to have a ruff, often the only clue to this difference between the genders is the lack of a massive mane. When no mane is apparent, the image often is described as a panther or leopard among cultures without familiarity with the nature of lion social organization and hunting strategies for prides. In literary and historical references, note of a figure or an image as depicting a lion may relate to either gender without being specific, and be easily misunderstood, thereby then being drawn with a mane since it is so distinctive.

Images of lions appears on many flags, coats of arms, and emblems. For example, it symbolises the Sinhalese people (Sinhalese Singha = Lion). Local folklore tells of Prince Vijaya, the first of the Sinhalese kings, as being the son of Sinhabahu, who was fathered by a lion. See history of Sri Lanka. Lions are recurring symbols in the coat of arms of royalty and chivalry, particularly in the UK, where the lion is also a national symbol of the British people, and in Ethiopia, where it is a symbol of the Monarchy.

Bridge to Arundel

Bridge to Arundel

There are several theories about the meaning of the name 'Arundel'. One is that the upper reaches of the Arun, away from the sea, was once known as the Arnus, from the Brythonic word Arno, meaning run or go. So Arundel would mean Arno-dell or the dell of the flowing river. Another theory is that due to the preponderance of hoarhound on the slopes of the Arun near the town, Arundel would mean hoarhound-dell. A third explanation is that the town takes its name from the French word for swallow, hirondelle, a bird which is on the town's crest. The name was spelled Arundell until 1733, when the final l was dropped. A new theory (Theo Vennemann) relates the 'Arun' part to Basque aran 'valley' (substratic reduplication or tautology), like the placename Arendal in Norway and Sweden. However, it seems rather more likely that the Scandinavian placenames derive from Old Norse arnardalr 'eagle dell' or arindalr 'dwelling dell'. Similarly, the name of Arundel could just as well derive from Old English earndæl or ærndæl, meaning 'eagle dell' and 'dwelling dell' respectively

Arundel Castle

Arundel Castle

Arundel Castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England is a restored medieval castle. It was founded by Roger de Montgomery on Christmas Day 1067. Roger became the first to hold the earldom of Arundel by the graces of William the Conqueror. The castle was damaged in the English Civil War and then restored in the 18th and 19th centuries. From the 11th century onward, the castle has served as a hereditary stately home and has been in the family of the Duke of Norfolk for over 400 years. It is still the principal seat of the Norfolk family.

Arundel Seen Through A Country Glade

Arundel Seen Through A Country Glade

Apart from the occasional reversion to the Crown, Arundel Castle has descended directly from 1138 to the present day, carried by female heiresses from the d'Albinis to the Fitzalans in the 13th century and then from the Fitzalans to the Howards in the 16th century and it has been the seat of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for over 850 years. From the 15th to the 17th centuries the Howards were at the forefront of English history, from the Wars of the Roses, through the Tudor period to the Civil War. Among the famous members of the Howard family are the 2nd Duke of Norfolk (1443-1524), the victor of Flodden, Lord Howard of Effingham, who with Sir Francis Drake repelled the Armada in 1588, the Earl of Surrey, the Tudor poet and courtier, and the 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1473-1554), uncle of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, both of whom became wives of King Henry VIII (1491-1547).

In the Village at Arundel

In the Village at Arundel

Arundel is a market town and civil parish in the South Downs of West Sussex in the south of England. It lies 49 miles (79 km) south southwest of London, 18 miles (29 km) west of Brighton, and 10 miles (16 km) east of the county town of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Worthing east southeast, Littlehampton to the south and Bognor Regis to the southwest. The River Arun runs through the western side of the town.

Arundel was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Reform Act 1835. In 1974 it became part of the Arun district, and now is a civil parish with a town council.
Arundel is home to Arundel Cathedral, seat of the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton. The town also has its own cricket ground at the castle, often cited as being one of the country's most picturesque. It hosts Sussex County Cricket Club for a number of games each season and is also the venue for the traditional season curtain-raiser between Lavinia Duchess of Norfolk's XI and the champion county. Every summer it hosts the touring country.

On 6 July 2004, Arundel was granted Fairtrade Town status.

People born in Arundel are known locally as Mullets, due to the presence of Mullet in the River Arun.

Arundel is home to one of the oldest Scout Groups in the world. 1st Arundel (Earl of Arundel's Own) Scout Group was formed in 1908 only a few weeks after Scouting began. Based in its current HQ in Green Lane Close, it has active sections of Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts and Scouts.

Midnight Watch on the Keep

Midnight Watch on the Keep

A keep was a self-sufficient structure that castle defenders could retreat to as a last resort during a battle. The keep was originally called a donjon or great tower. In medieval documents the great tower is referred to as "magna turris", and the word "keep" didn't come along in the English literature until the later half of the 16th century. Sometimes the basement of the keep served as a prison, so the word dungeon soon developed as slang for the keep.

There were two basic shapes of a keep, square and round. Almost all early keeps were square or rectangular, and were the easiest and fastest to erect. Square keeps had one major drawback. They could easily be damaged at the corners by undermining or bombardment.

Then came the development of the round keep. They were very difficult to successfully undermine. Arrows and rocks glanced off the rounded walls. Even in later times, after the invention of cannon, the cannon balls also glanced off the keep walls. The earliest round keep in Great Britain was at New Buckingham Castle, built in 1150.

Even after the military importance of castles changed, keeps were still being built. The role of the keep changed from a last resort stronghold to only a lord's private residence or chamber.

Another type of keep was the hall-keep. These were longer than they were high, and had very thick walls. They combined the castle keep, hall, solar and other chambers. One of the first stone keeps to be built in Great Britain, during the medieval period, was at Chepstow Castle. This was a hall-keep erected in about 1070.

A shell keep was a masonry building completely surrounding the summit of a motte. They were round or polygonal and originated as a replacement of a wooden palisade crowning the motte. These types of keeps were hollow because mottes were not strong enough to bear the weight of a solid tower. The walls varied in height from 20-25ft, and were from 8-10ft thick, strengthened by a buttress and, sometimes, wall-towers.

The interior was usually an open court with surrounding buildings backing onto the walls, and the domestic buildings of the lord were usually placed within the circular enclosure of the shell keep. By the 13th century, these types of keeps had generally replaced the wooden tower on the motte, and often an additional stone gatehouse and towers were inserted into the shell keep. Examples of shell keeps are at: Arundel, Berkhamsted, Brecon, Wiston, Cardiff, Restormel, and other castles.

Yet another type of keep developed, this being the keep-gatehouse. Complete control for the entrance of the castle was gained by combining the gatehouse and keep into one structure. The inner gates were open and closed from within the gate passage, and not from the castle courtyards, providing isolation from the rest of the castle. The living quarters were in the upper floors. Some of the castles having a keep-gatehouse are Richmond, Ludlow, and Newark.

The House Keep, or strong house, became common in the 14th and 15th centuries. It was a high rectangular structure, and often had towers on each corner. The pele tower and Scottish tower houses are simular in looks. The stables, or barn, would be located on the bottom floor, or basement. The living quarters would be on the upper floors, and could only be accessed by a removable wooden ladder. The upper floors would also have very small and narrow windows so that no one could enter via a window.

Castle keeps varied in size. The round keep at Pembroke Castle is four stories, over 53 feet in diameter, 80 feet in height, and has walls 16 feet thick. It is one of the greatest keeps ever built. Here are some other heights and thickness of keeps:

    * Castle Rising Castle: 50 feet high with walls 7 feet thick.
    * Dover Castle: 83 feet high with walls 12 feet thick.
    * Newcastle Castle: 75 feet high with walls 18 feet thick.
    * Norham Castle: 90 feet high with walls 15 feet thick.
    * Kenilworth Castle: 80 feet high with walls 14 feet thick.

The earliest known stone keep built in Great Britain is at Chepstow Castle, built in 1068.

Arundel Castle Seen Over the Village Rooftops

Arundel Castle Seen Over the Village Rooftops

Tradition has it that the town was named after the giant Bevis's horse "Hirondelle" (the swallow). A swallow is still depicted on the town's coat of arms." Little is known about Arundel before the Conquest. There is "evidence of Roman occupation and the town is mentioned in 901 in the will of Alfred the Great. It is known Alfred fortified the area against sea raiders, the town had Saxon royal connections up until the reign of Harold II." There are references of a castle and the port at Arundel in the Doomsday Book.

Arundel is the second largest castle in England. Arundel Castle has been the seat of the Dukes of Norfolk for over 500 years. "The Duke of Norfolk is England's Premier Duke, the title having been conferred on Sir John Howard in 1483 by his friend King Richard III. The Dukedom also carries with it the hereditary office of Earl Marshal of England" (since 1672).

The Montgomerys are a Lowland clan of Anglo-Norman origin." The son of Rodger de Montgomery "The Great", Rodger de Montgomery (b.1030), was joint Regent of Normandy when William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066. He contributed 60 of his ships to William to aid the invasion. Rodger de Montgomery was not only the cousin of the new King, they were also best of friends since childhood. "Rodger was given the Earldoms of Sherwsbury and Arundel, the "rape" of Chichester (which made him the Lord of 84 manors). After the conquest King William divided Sussex into six "rapes" (the origin of rape maybe derived from "hrapa" Icelandic measure, or rapiner Norman meaning to plunder), Chichester, Arundel, Bramber, Lewis, Pevensey, and Hastings.

Earl Rodger de Montgomery founded the first castle at Arundel on Christmas day 1067. He returned with William from Normandy in 1067 and he was summoned to attend Chismas (sic) at Gloucester with the king where he was awarded his honours as one of William's most trusted men.

In 1083 he founded the Abby at Shrewsbury, "which he is reputed to have entered 3 days before his death." (This is the man whose ghost is said to haunt the castle's keep) Rodger de Montgomery died in 1094 and was succeeded by his son, Robert, known as Robert de Belleme.

Of the ...sieges that occurred in the castle's history, two were caused by direct rebellion of the castle's owners against the monarchy.

Robert de Belleme was a hardened and cruel man, who had made many enemies. Extremely knowledgable in military architecture, he strengthen Arundel's fortifications. He sided with the Duke of Normandy against King Henry I in 1102. While Robert was away, the castle was besieged for three months before surrendering. Belleme was banished for life; his lands and possessions confiscated, they now belonged to the Crown.

Robert had started building the stone keep. Henry I continued the work, and it was probably completed by Henry II whose keep at Windsor Castle is very similar to Arundel's.

It can be said that, apart from the occasional reversion to the Crown, Arundel Castle has descended directly from 1138 to the present day, carried by female heiresses from the d'Albinis to the Fitzalans in the 13th century and then from the Fitzalans to the Howards in the 16th century and it has been the seat of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for over 850 years.