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Glossary

Below is a glossary of Middle Ages History terms.

askar

a soldier

bailey

forecourt; court of the outer works or yard of a fortified position

ballista

a large crossbow mounted on a wooden frame.

barbican

exterior defence protecting an entrance

barbote

a ship used in sieges with protective shields to cover archers

battering ram

a large tree trunk usually capped with iron used to make an opening in a castle gate or wall

battlement

An alternately high and low parapet at the top of a wall, for the defence of a building.

carrack

a large medieval ship

castellan

keeper of the castle

chevachees

plundering raids.

Cinque Ports

Five ports of southern England: Dover, Hastings, Hythe, Romney, and Sandwich.

constable

a senior member of a royal or noble household usually in charge of military organization

Domesday Book

A record of all the properties of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1085.

fief

land held by a knight

fleurs-de-lis

a pattern of heraldy representing a stylized flower

Frank

Originally a member of the German tribes in the Rhine area; became used to represent a Frenchman after they conquered Gaul around 300 a.d.

Greek Fire

a generic name for various liquid incendiary weapons

Hashishiyyin (Assassins)

Islamic military order known in the West as the Assassins who targeted important persons for killings.

indulgence

forgiving a sin, typically in return for a payment issued to the Christian church

Jihad

Holy war or struggle. More than referring to military warfare, it means the total effort of the Muslim community to reach a religiously sanctified objective.

Knights Hospitallers

Christian military order; called Knights of Rhodes after 1309 and Knights of Malta after 1522 after the fall of Rhodes.

Knights Templar

Christian military order that fought in the Crusades.

machicolation

overhanging structure on a fortified wall; allowed soldiers on the wall to shoot down on the enemy

Magna Carta

The charter of English political and personal rights obtained from King John in 1215.

Mameluke

Military caste originating with Turkish slaves who ruled Egypt from about 1250 to 1510.

man-at-arms

a cavalry man supplied with heavy arms

mangana

large throwing machine

mangonel

smaller version of the mangana

mantlet

protective screen used to protect a soldier or worker from enemy fire

March

border or frontier region in England and France

mine

used in siege warefare, a tunnel used to approach or go under a castle wall

motte and bailey

early form of castle; a tower on a mound of earth surrounded by an outer court encasedin a wooden stockade

Papal States

The band of territory running about 200 miles north and south of Rome held by the popes.

portcullis

iron grid that is lowered behind the wooden gates of a castle or fortified town

quarrel

a short arrow used with a crossbow

quiver

a container for arrows usually carried on the back

simony

the buying or selling of ecclesiastical privileges, such as pardons or benefices.

squire

a servant to a knight; could be an inspiring knight

trebuchet

large stone-throwing siege engine

Troubadour

A poet or singer.

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