4 ms·
What does "Motte and bailey" mean in this context? I looked it up[1] and it's about defensive architecture in 10th-century castles. How does that fit in a "men
by unwind 9y ago
What does "Motte and bailey" mean in this context?
I looked it up[1] and it's about defensive architecture in 10th-century castles. How does that fit in a "mental toolkit across almost every subject"?
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motte-and-bailey_castle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motte-and-bailey_castle
- vinceguidry 9y agohttp://slatestarcodex.com/2014/11/03/all-in-all-another-brick-in-the-motte/ http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/11/03/all-in-all-another-bric... Once you start recognizing it, you see it everywhere.
- unwind 9y agoThanks. That article strangely failed to explain (at least to me) the meanings of the words in the medieval castle sense, but it explained the way its used elsewhere.
- michaelt 9y agoThe simplest way to understand the castle is with an image: https://www.google.com/search?q=motte-and-bailey&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=motte-and-bailey&tbm=isch You'll notice they have two defended areas - an easy-to-defend keep on raised earthwork, and a harder-to-defend courtyard ('bailey') covering a much broader area.
- ninkendo 9y agoSeems very similar to moving the goalpost, basically.
- Anderkent 9y agoYep, but you're moving it both ways - to the motte when challenged, back to the bailey when the challenge is pasf