A Castle in the Air? The Building, Arms, Action and Incident on the Eleventh-Century 'Castle' Capital from Westminster Hall. (2nd July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Impey, Edward
• Is Part Of: Arms & armour. Volume 13:Number 2(2016)
• Page Start: 75
• Page End: 97
• Publication Date: 2016-07-02
• Subjects: castle -- motte -- tower -- false ashlar -- Westminster Hall -- spear -- axe -- shield -- fictive masonry; Armor -- History -- Periodicals; Weapons -- History -- Periodicals; 623.405
• DOI: 10.1080/17416124.2016.1242225
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1741-6124

Abstract

Abstract : The restoration of Westminster Hall in the 1830s revealed a number of eleventh-century carved capitals, one depicting, as then described, 'an armed man assailing a castle'. Aided by archaeological evidence from Abinger (Surrey), the 'castle' can be convincingly interpreted as a motte-top tower, carried by earth-fast posts, open-sided below and faced above with boards painted to resemble masonry. It is the only known depiction in elevation of a type of tower that is likely, given its simplicity, to have been widely used in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The assailant, armed with an axe, carrying a round shield and wearing a helmet with nasal, is shown climbing the tower's external stair at the moment of being despatched or wounded by the defender's spear. The incident, an individual action rather than a 'siege' as such, has many oddities, and may represent a topical event or scene from history or mythology. The story of the Trojan War is suggested as a possible source.