Why do castles have dungeons

Medieval castles did have an area called the don-jon — a term which comes from French. But back in Medieval times, the don-jon was the name for the Great Keep, or the main tower of the castle. Originally, the Great Keep was the most secure part of the castle — and, in Early Medieval times, nobles tended to live in the Keep, as it reflected their importance.

However, as time progressed, the nobles began to live in more comfortable and luxurious areas of the castle — in bedrooms designed for warmth and luxury. However, the Great Keep remained as the most secure place at the heart of the castle.

Valuable items — such as jewels, money and also important prisoners — began to be stored in this secured tower. In later Medieval times, the concept of taking political prisoners became much more common.

When Edward I was trying to subdue the frequent rebellions in North Wales , he saw the value of capturing and imprisoning the biggest trouble-makers. Therefore, his new castles of the late s — including Caernarfon , for example — contained new prisons to keep the rebellious Welsh at bay. Initially, these prisons were in towers — these were considered to be the strongest parts of the castle, and the areas which could be best-defended if a prisoner wanted to escape. During the later Medieval period, castles became grander and more ornate — designed more for entertaining, and as luxurious residences of nobles.

Not all prisoners were treated well. They might be chained up and forced to wear a heavy iron collar and cuffs around the hands and ankles. This iron collar, from Loches, France, weighs about 35lb 16kg! Some prisoners were tortured as well. Toggle text. Castles have dungeons because they served as cells for prisoners.

However, extensive research revealed that dungeons were not originally built as torturous chambers specially designed for unfortunate prisoners but as the primary and safest place in a castle. More interestingly, history reveals that dungeons had other fascinating uses in castles, which is why many medieval courts have them.

This article is a brief guide on the uses of dungeons in castles, especially in the medieval era. Expect to learn the whys , hows , and the history of castles and dungeons from ancient medieval times until date.

The word dungeon originates from the old French word — Donjon, which means a fortified main tower of a castle if translated to everyday English. In other words, the safest and most secure, and impenetrable part of a castle.

Today, they could be conveniently called a Keep. Dungeons could be underground or surrounded by towers or tall walls. Instead, they had Keeps attached. Due to their security, nobles lived in the Keep whilst their soldiers repelled any possible attack from the outside. However, the Keeps were usually unfashionable and made of ordinary stone and walls.

As time progressed, nobles favoured fancy homes over the great Keep and moved to rooms designed for warmth and luxury. During this transition, dungeons slowly moved from serving as a security fortress for nobles into storerooms for valuables and, eventually, prisons. Appearance and Design of Castle Dungeons These dungeon cells could be in the castle tower itself but were more usually situated at the base of the structure, either on the ground floor or below it in the cellars.

In Bedrock Edition, dungeons can generate as underground structures above sea level. For each attempt, a location and size an open area with a width and length of 7, 9, or 11 and a height of 6 is chosen. Pevensey Castle, South East England, was a state prison in the 15th Century and later became a private one for the more upmarket detainee. There are two dungeons, one of which is a typical oubliette only accessible via a trap door, and the other is reached via a spiral staircase. For a dungeon to really spawn, the floors must be solid.

The ceiling also must be solid, but blocks like sand and gravel are still possible. Then the walls must have at least 1 opening or more. If all those conditions are met, there is a chance for the dungeon to spawn in the area.