Did Castles Ever Contain Booby Traps?
I'm working on a special project right now, and I just wanted to know whether castles contained traps of some sort. They didn't have to be booby traps, just any unseen mechanism that could be used to harm an oblivious person.
Any feedback would be helpful...
Comments
A few drawbridges were booby trapped; releasing a trapdoor to pitch unwanted visitors into the pit. Gatehouses often contained secret doors. A secret door would then shut leaving many attackers trapped inside. The walls of the gatehouse had many small holes in the entry from which defenders could easily kill any attacker with a spear without suffering any damage themselves.
The use of separate portcullises, strategically placed murder holes, arrow-slits and machiolations through which to pour boiling oil or pitch.
Inside a castle itself, traps were not as common mainly because they could be dangerous for the inhabitants themselves.
Murder Hole - an opening in the gatehouse porch ceiling and/or wall that allowed attackers, trying to force the gate or portcullis to be attacked with a means of retaliation. Boiling water, oil or pitch could be dumped on the attackers heads. Rocks and other missiles could be dropped onto them, arrows etc.
Some castles contained a postern gate usually only known to a few which was a means of escape and was hidden. It of course could also be used as a means of access. Others had tunnels that took inhabitants outside the walls again used for the the reasons above.
most definately. Take note of the entryway (forget the name) just behind the portcullis. Portcullis is the see-through gate that drops down. From there, boiling oil, murder holes to shoot arrows from. Pits filled with spikes, you name it
no yet a caught my neighbor in one and a bucket of rocks fell onto her... one guy became caught in my booby catch and nicely it wasn't particularly, shall we merely say maximum of my booby catch suggestions got here from the vietcong
difficult problem. search on to a search engine. that could help!