Table of Contents
What were prisoners fed in medieval times?
Gruel is basically a thin porridge, made with oat, wheat, or rye flour and boiled in water or milk. Prisoners most likely ate gruel that was entirely unseasoned. It was not meant to be enjoyed, after all — gruel was served to simply keep the prisoners alive.
Did prisoners used to eat lobster?
It was not until the mid-19th century that lobster trapping, also first practiced in Maine, became a more popular way to collect the sea creatures. Dirt-cheap because they were so copious, lobsters were routinely fed to prisoners, apprentices, slaves and children during the colonial era and beyond.
Did medieval castles have dungeons?
Most castles built during the early Medieval period didn’t truly 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.
What were the dungeons like in medieval castles?
A dungeon was usually reserved to investigate the prisoner and therefore housed the torture devices. Some of the torture devices used in the medieval castle dungeons included Branding Irons, Collar, Torture Rack, and others. Other forms of torture include whipping, boiling in water, and starvation etc.
What was in medieval dungeons?
How did dungeons become associated with castles?
As castles became more luxurious, their dungeons became associated with prison cells and often they were located underground. Technically speaking when people talk about a dungeon what they often mean is an Oubliette. This comes from the French for “to forget”.
What was the plumbing like in a medieval castle?
The plumbing system of Medieval castles was designed so that waste products would flow straight into the moat that surrounded the castle. These “Garderobes” extended outside of the walls of the castle and had a opening at the bottom that would empty into the moat.
How were children treated in medieval castles?
Often, one baron would kidnap the children of another baron, and hold the poor kids hostage at his home or his castle. However, the unfortunate children would be free to roam the castle – but wouldn’t be able to leave it. Medieval castles did have an area called the don-jon – a term which comes from French.
What was the medieval period like for prisoners?
The Medieval period was violent and blood thirsty. In these barbarous times the cruel and pitiless feeling which induced legislators to increase the horrors of tortures and punishment which contributed to the aggravation of the fate of prisoners. Torture chambers and dungeons were included in many castles of the era.