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I think the point is that this theory was first proposed in the 20th century, and given the structures were designed and built something like 1000 years earlier

I think the point is that this theory was first proposed in the 20th century, and given the structures were designed and built something like 1000 years earlier, it is at this point speculation, and there is no evidence to support the assertion. It's useful to dig into beliefs and try and find their basis, and it appears that in this case it's not forthcoming. Of course, this doesn't rule out that in the future some academic finds a 12th century french scroll on how to defend staircases that talks about this!

toshk 5y ago
Your argument is the main point he makes in the intro and is the strongest argument against the theory. But the arguments the author lists himself are not very strong: 1. "The swordsman theory is predicated upon the belief that castles were intrinsically designed as military structures" => "just because most were; there are a lot of castle like fortress that were actively used as defense sitations. 2. If staircases were genuinely engineered for military purposes, then we should always find that they turn clockwise. => No, opposite, since not all were used military it might not have been a priority for all, and also not all builders might have been aware of this strategy. etc...
mrjangles 5y ago
The hypothesis is just common sense. If an academic wants to claim that common sense is wrong then it is up to him to provide evidence. I look forward to his next article where he debunks the myth that doors are for keeping people out. After all, not all doors have locks, and if the author can't find any texts from the 15th century that discuss keeping people out with doors then surely his hypothesis is proven, right?
- jgilias 5y ago
  The only common sense bit about stairs is that they were likely made to ascend to places and descend from them. Everything else is conjecture. It'd be the same if people were dead convinced that doors were made to open a certain way to keep the right hand free for attacking people behind the door. There may actually be some doors somewhere made that way for those reasons, but that would be a silly belief to hold for all doors, wouldn't it?
  - mrjangles 5y ago
    I think perhaps what is missing is an understanding of statistics. There are thousands of doors and stairways in castles. If the majority of stairways all go one way, or if the majority of doors all open one way in castles, then it is statistically impossible that this is by chance. There has to be an obvious reason. A reason obvious enough that most people building the castles saw it without too much thought.

toshk 5y ago

Your argument is the main point he makes in the intro and is the strongest argument against the theory. But the arguments the author lists himself are not very strong: 1. "The swordsman theory is predicated upon the belief that castles were intrinsically designed as military structures" => "just because most were; there are a lot of castle like fortress that were actively used as defense sitations. 2. If staircases were genuinely engineered for military purposes, then we should always find that they turn clockwise. => No, opposite, since not all were used military it might not have been a priority for all, and also not all builders might have been aware of this strategy. etc...

mrjangles 5y ago

The hypothesis is just common sense. If an academic wants to claim that common sense is wrong then it is up to him to provide evidence. I look forward to his next article where he debunks the myth that doors are for keeping people out. After all, not all doors have locks, and if the author can't find any texts from the 15th century that discuss keeping people out with doors then surely his hypothesis is proven, right?

jgilias 5y ago
The only common sense bit about stairs is that they were likely made to ascend to places and descend from them. Everything else is conjecture. It'd be the same if people were dead convinced that doors were made to open a certain way to keep the right hand free for attacking people behind the door. There may actually be some doors somewhere made that way for those reasons, but that would be a silly belief to hold for all doors, wouldn't it?
- mrjangles 5y ago
  I think perhaps what is missing is an understanding of statistics. There are thousands of doors and stairways in castles. If the majority of stairways all go one way, or if the majority of doors all open one way in castles, then it is statistically impossible that this is by chance. There has to be an obvious reason. A reason obvious enough that most people building the castles saw it without too much thought.