So today's word is part of our "Castle" series, where we look at different parts of the castle and break them down a bit. There will be several parts broken down in today's word, as it is a unique part of a castle that stands out among others...
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals to allow for the launch of arrows or other projectiles from within the defenses. These gaps are termed "crenels" (also known as carnels, or embrasures), and a wall or building with them is called crenellated; alternative (older) terms are castellated and embattled. The act of adding crenels to a previously unbroken parapet is termed crenellation.
The above paragraph comes from Wikipedia, and I don't always like their definitions of things, as I like to keep them a bit simpler, a line or two. But battlement and its parts are an integral of any castle and really are all part of one piece. In the image below, you see the parts discussed above (plus a few more we will cover another day): the parapet and crenels. Can you name the other parts?
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