Exploring the World of Heroic Fantasy Literature through Castle and Fortress Imagery
When we come across a fantasy castle in a story, it sparks our imaginations. We imagine the stonework, the parapets, the swallowtail flags flapping in the breeze, and the soldiers lined up along the walls. And some of the battle scenes involving fantasy castles are quite simply mind-blowing.
So often, we think of a medieval fantasy castle. They’re unmistakable — great, stone structures that dominate landscapes and which dominate so many of our favorite fantasy stories. Or that looming fantasy fortress with its great walls rising high up into the clouds.
But how do we come up with ideas for such castles and keeps? How do we find inspiration for that beautiful fantasy castle that lives long in our memories?
And how do we describe a castle in a story that blows readers away?
The Fantasy Castle
When we think back to some of our favorite fantasy books, there will undoubtedly be some that feature a castle or two.
For me, the one that springs to mind is Legend by David Gemmell. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, it’s basically about the greatest army of all time besieging the greatest fantasy castle ever built. Well worth checking out, especially given Gemmell’s symbology — he wrote the tale when he was suffering from cancer. The army represents the cancerous cells within him, and the fortress is him, resisting.
Another famous fantasy castle can be found in Lord of the Rings and a lot of best Heroic Fantasy Novels. In fact, two decisive battles in the books are sieges — Helms Deep and Minas Tirith.
Fantasy castles can be as grand and elaborate as you can think of. But many of them take inspiration from history, particularly the fortifications and fortresses that featured heavily in the medieval period. Let’s take a look at this in more depth.
Medieval Castles In Fantasy
Fantasy is full of dramatic moments involving castles, keeps, and fortified cities. David Gemmell’s Legend tells the story of the siege of a city with the greatest defensive fortifications by the most powerful army in the land. Two of the most iconic battles in The Lord of the Rings series came in The Two Towers with Helms Deep and at Minas Tirith in The Return of the King. Fans of Game of Thrones will recall the Battle of Blackwater Bay and Daenerys’s conquest across the Narrow Sea.
It’s the author’s knowledge of these defensive structures and how they affect the course of battle which makes these moments so memorable. What challenges do the besiegers face? What steps must be taken to overcome those challenges? And what must the defenders do to resist, if anything at all? We’ll learn the answers to this when we consider real castles.
How Do You Build A Medieval Fantasy Castle?
To overcome such challenges, it can help to do some research.
In exploring our past and learning about the foundations of the time periods fantasy draws upon, we can empower our writing with detail readers love. So below, we’ll take a look at medieval castles in fantasy and how they translate into the genre, a range of different fortifications from the middle ages, how they were overcome, and what life was like in a keep.
We’ll also take a look at some fantasy castle art before taking a look at how you can draw your own impressive fortification. There’s also a section on coming up with ideas for your own castle creations.
The subject matter is quite large, so this post will be the first in a short series.
A Brief History Of Medieval Castles
The Middles Ages lasted about a thousand years, kicking off in or around the 5th century and lasting until the 15th. It can be split into two periods: the ‘Dark Ages,’ which ran from the 5th to 10th century, and the High Middle Ages, from the 10th to 15th. (I understand the phrase Dark Ages is no longer accepted by some, but for ease, it’ll serve here).
Castles didn’t exist in the Dark Ages. What did exist were the remains of Roman fortifications, but only in Western Europe. Everywhere else structures were made from wood.
Then the High Middle Ages came about, and so too “The Age of Castles.” You couldn’t move for a castle in Europe. There were so many that no historian has been able to comprehensively document them all. Castles were status symbols, a means for the nobility to challenge their king, and incredibly, many continue to exist today.
But as the use of castles grew, so too did methods to try and take them down. With the advancement in weapons like catapults, trebuchets, and cannons, castle walls were abandoned, and open-field warfare was once more adopted.
One thing that didn’t change over time, however, was the lives of people who lived within those solid, windowless structures. They were often cold and damp, with tapestries hung on walls to keep the chill at bay. And with only arrow loops for windows in many castles, they were very dark. That meant lots of fires burning which wasn’t good for respiratory health.
What Was Life Like In A Medieval Castle?
The medieval castle was built for protection and safety, but also for comfort and luxury. The stone walls, the turrets, the moat, and the drawbridge are all there to protect the people inside from invaders.
But they’re also designed to be dense and warm, as well as a visible statement of power and wealth.
Knights and lords lived in these castles as well as their servants and families. These aristocrats would have been trained at a young age to fight wars on behalf of their king. Such training would have involved being taught how to ride horses, use weapons, hunt animals, and manage their estate.
The lord and his family spent most of their time in the Great Hall, which is the largest room of the castle. The rest of the people who lived in the castle, like servants, would have had smaller rooms.
Knowing this structure and what day-to-day life was like here can help you come up with ideas when designing your own fantasy castle. For example, you could create a unique space for your servants to live, maybe one that’s brutal and foul.
What Type Of Servants Did They Have In A Castle?
As we’ve just seen, it wasn’t just lords living in a castle. Depending on the size of the household, there could have been hundreds of support staff working there too. When it comes to writing stories, knowing about these different roles can help you find inspiration for characters, as well as make your worldbuilding more immersive.
So what types of servants did they have in a castle?
Medieval castles had a variety of servants, including butlers, cooks, chambermaids, valets, stable hands, and grooms. There were also guards, sentries, and soldiers who protected the castle and its inhabitants. Many of these servants were lower-class individuals who lived and worked within the castle walls. Some were also skilled craftsmen such as blacksmiths, carpenters, and masons.
The number of household staff depended on the castle and its purpose. Some castles were residences so had a large number of domestic staff, such as cooks, chambermaids, and valets. Others had a larger number of guards and soldiers, particularly if their purpose was for defense.
In general, the larger and more important the castle, the more staff it would have had. Larger castles also often had more specialized roles, such as a castellan who was in charge of the castle’s day-to-day operations, or a seneschal who oversaw the household and its staff.
These servants played an essential role in the daily life of the castle and its inhabitants, and they often had their own quarters and responsibilities within the castle.
Conclusion
Fantasy castles and fortresses have a long and storied history in literature, and they continue to capture the imaginations of readers and writers alike. By drawing inspiration from real medieval castles, understanding the different roles of castle servants, and considering the daily life of those who inhabited these structures, writers can create rich and immersive fantasy worlds that resonate with readers.
In future posts in this series, we will delve deeper into the various types of medieval castles and fortifications, explore the strategies and tactics used in castle sieges, and provide tips for writers looking to create their own unique fantasy castles. Stay tuned for more adventures in the world of heroic fantasy literature and castle imagery!
