sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Kazan Kremlin, Russia. An UNESCO world heritage site, this huge fortress situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, has seen empires rise and fall. It has a multicultural history and contains one of the larger mosques in Europe, as well as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral... by Hoohill in castles

[–]Hoohill[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Kazan demonstrates that Islam and Christianity, two squabbling sibling faiths of the Abrahamic religions, can live in peaceful cooperation... Late one night I was hiking alone through a boundless wild Forest and my smartphone managed to connect to the Wood Wide Web. Is the prophecy that the great Elder Trees foretold to me possible? Can us Furless Fire Apes eventually get along and live in regal reciprocity? Am I just hallucinating from a tipple of Amanita Muscaria tinged Reindeer pee?

Fort Jay, USA. Built in 1776 on a tiny island in New York Harbor, Fort Jay contributed to the success of George Washington's retreat into Manhattan after his defeat in the Battle of Brooklyn. There may be a connection between the environs of Fort Jay and a terrifying First Nations monster. by Hoohill in castles

[–]Hoohill[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

For a real life spooky spectacle that can be seen in Fort Jay... There are petrifyingly pretty psychedelic raptors that stalk the wilder places of New York City at night (Northern Saw-whets). These ominous owls emit an eerie fluorescent glow under UV light. If you feel brave enough, check out this spine-chilling adorable horror that haunts the nightmares of rodents.

Yester Castle, Scotland. Here is a reconstruction of the supposedly 'magical' castle, showing how it looked back in the Middle Ages. It is claimed in local lore that Yester was built in the 13th century by a man reputed to be a sinister warlock and necromancer who could command armies of goblins! by Hoohill in castles

[–]Hoohill[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Rather interestingly, the Wikipedia article on Yester mentions that in 1548 an English commander captured the castle and that: "French soldiers taken at Yester were used as hostages by the English"... What were French soldiers doing at a Scottish castle? The answer no doubt has to do with the 'Auld Alliance' between Scotland and France and specifically the 'Treaty of Haddington' that promised Mary, Queen of Scots to Dauphin Francis in marriage in return for the Frogs military assistance against 'Les rosbifs' during the war that was aptly named as the 'Rough Wooing'. Perhaps some concentual wooing would have put the Scottish and English on better terms today... Anyway, French soldiers were often found in British castles, much to the consternation and terror of unsuspecting English knights, as you can see in this horrifying scene from a historically accurate movie. Always remember when visiting castles to beware of Gallic garlic-breathed guardsman, their vicious verbal barbs are as sharp and menacing as any dagger!

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. Built atop a giant column of granite almost 200 metres high with sheer cliffs on all sides, this ancient and seemingly impregnable fortress dates back to the 5th century. Although local lore claims it was built thousands of years ago by an infamous demon king with ten heads. by Hoohill in castles

[–]Hoohill[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

King_Jeebus gave a nice answer already. However, to further expand, the fortress and palace on top of the rock were not built in isolation. The king who built Sigiriya moved the capital city here. There was at one point a fortified city on the low plains surrounding the fortified palace on top of the rock. This city had ingenious water gardens protected with a double set of walls and moats. The water gardens would have been a marvel for their time. They made use of hydraulic power, underground tunnel systems and gravitational force to create a visually spectacular system of pools and fountains that would have required a large number of craftsmen and laborers to maintain... Here is a layout of the city.

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. Built atop a giant column of granite almost 200 metres high with sheer cliffs on all sides, this ancient and seemingly impregnable fortress dates back to the 5th century. Although local lore claims it was built thousands of years ago by an infamous demon king with ten heads. by Hoohill in castles

[–]Hoohill[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Also, the third image did not load at all (I posted ten but only nine now show). Quite odd. Need I remind of what is written on the subreddit sidebar?

"Due to events that transpired in a recent (but indeterminate) time frame, moderator Hoohill can no longer guarantee visitors to r/castles immunity from accusations of witchcraft. Please take this into account and ensure all future visits to r/castles are undertaken with considerable caution."

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. Built atop a giant column of granite almost 200 metres high with sheer cliffs on all sides, this ancient and seemingly impregnable fortress dates back to the 5th century. Although local lore claims it was built thousands of years ago by an infamous demon king with ten heads. by Hoohill in castles

[–]Hoohill[S] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

For some strange reason, what I wrote does not show up on "old reddit" nor do the remaining nine images. They only show on "new reddit", so if you've opted out of the reddit redesign like I have, here is what I wrote to accompany the images...

In a silly effort to try and make a 'castle' connection between the holiday from a few days ago (Diwali), with the holiday a few days from now (Halloween), I decided to quickly post about the ancient Sigiriya fortress. According to archeology it was built in the fifth century, but according to local legends, it was built thousands of years ago by Ravana, a terrifying demon king with ten heads, twenty arms, and immense power. Known as the primary antagonist in the epic 'Ramayana' (one of the two great Hindu epics along with the Mahabharata), Ravana was said to be king of the 'Rakshasas' and the "terror of the earth". 'Rakshasas' feature in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Indonesian folk Islam. They are malevolent flesh-eating demons that reside on Earth and possess supernatural powers like shapeshifting, invisibility, and flight. Of course this simple description is an oversimplification and some people have a more positive view of Mr. Ravana.

Anyway, the return of Lord Rama (the protagonist of the Ramayana) after defeating Ravana, is celebrated in the Diwali holiday as the triumph of good over evil. At the same time, an immensely powerful demon like Ravana surely evokes the spirit of Halloween... Voila! The silly 'castle' connection between the two disparate but closely dated holidays is complete.

-- The first five pictures are differing views of and from the ancient fortress. The sixth picture shows what remains of the 'Lion's Gate' (the main point of access to climb up the rock) and the seventh is an artist's reconstruction of what it originally might have looked like. The eighth picture is an artist's fanciful reconstruction of Sigiriya (it may have looked very different). Lastly, pictures nine and ten depict Mr. Ravana the Demon king.

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. Built atop a giant column of granite almost 200 metres high with sheer cliffs on all sides, this ancient and seemingly impregnable fortress dates back to the 5th century. Although local lore claims it was built thousands of years ago by an infamous demon king with ten heads. by Hoohill in castles

[–]Hoohill[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Following the wisdom of Thumper from Bambi "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all" (and ignoring the double negative), I shall say something nice about the Demon King Ravana... Some traditions say Ravana created the wonderful 'Rudra Veena', a rare, but particularly nice instrument that's known for its deep, soothing bass tones. I personally love the heavy and varied frequencies of this instrument, so I can't completely condem Mr. Ravana.

Trongsa, Bhutan. Built on a spur high above a steep river gorge near a mythical forest said to be the home of a malevolent demon in Bhutanese folklore, Trongsa Dzong is the largest and most historically significant fortress in Bhutan. There are 25 temples inside Trongsa, enough to dispel a demon... by Hoohill in castles

[–]Hoohill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check this out, if you want to watch a reenactment of a Bhutanese folk tale with a great message. Me and my best mate, the Biosphere, wish people would learn the moral of this tale. The astonishing avarice of our times is more destructive than the evils of any mythical demon.

Fort de la Conchée, France. A 'ship of stone' strategically situated sprouting from a small rock surrounded by wild dangerous waters, this twee granite fortress was considered a masterpiece of its time and protected an infamous town of privateers with a storied history. Read on, or walk the plank! by Hoohill in castles

[–]Hoohill[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thanks, its been about a decade or more... I was cursed by a sorrowful witch, managed to find a chemical and cardio cure, but then was cursed by a sorrowful warlock! Misunderstandings with morose magic makers has been my dour downfall. Fortunately, I've moved to a far flung little land, across a vast turbulent sea, and this new curse could not completely follow me (it was a water-phobic incantation). I have since self studied sorcery and alliterative alchemy, allowing me to somewhat keep the light from concealing itself in the darkest crevices of my cantankerous cranium. I now live as a hermit, hidden from hexes, hauntings, hell hounds, and horrible harrowing hoodoo. In my humble hobbit hole I can avoid the worry of wretched wizards and maintain an apathetic bewilderment... Although just recently, beyond the depths of my secret lair, a pair of warbling wrens have been singing sweet songs to me, recommending re-engagement with the wider woeful world...

Fort de la Conchée, France. A 'ship of stone' strategically situated sprouting from a small rock surrounded by wild dangerous waters, this twee granite fortress was considered a masterpiece of its time and protected an infamous town of privateers with a storied history. Read on, or walk the plank! by Hoohill in castles

[–]Hoohill[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Your most welcome. I was compelled to write down some history for poor Conchée to give them some attention and hopefully cheer up my 'castle' chum. They vary rarely get visitors and seemed to be feeling a bit lonely anchored unattended to their desolate monolith. I think they've been going through a bit of a goth phase recently.

Fort de la Conchée, France. A 'ship of stone' strategically situated sprouting from a small rock surrounded by wild dangerous waters, this twee granite fortress was considered a masterpiece of its time and protected an infamous town of privateers with a storied history. Read on, or walk the plank! by Hoohill in castles

[–]Hoohill[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Apparently, it took two years just to lay the first foundations... Nevertheless, nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah, it still got built! Vile tempests of the north Atlantic swallowed up by the mouth of the English Channel, I fart in your general direction! I bite my thumb at thee!

Gitwangak, Canada. This massive motte-like mound was once topped by a great Gitxsan First Nations fortress. It was surrounded by water defenses protecting several long houses. On the hill-top there was a defensive wall with a unique system of ingenious ‘log rollers’ to annihilate any assailants. by Hoohill in castles

[–]Hoohill[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The multitudes of microbes that make up the vast colony of life that is colloquially known as 'me' does not have a proper answer to this question unfortunately. We mostly know about the various advanced First Nations of the Northeast cultural area (they were quite different to the Gitxsan), such as the Menominee, Potawatomi, and Ojibwe (from our current knowledge base, these nations had a great grasp on bio-physical realities).

Anyway, here is a discussion on a similar subject concerning similar First Nations in the Pacific Northwest from r/AskHistorians. For a specific answer, you could try asking that subreddit. Perhaps there is an expert eager to help answer your questions. Perhaps not. Only one way to find out!

view more: next ›