The castral motts are one of the earliest historical forms of castle; they originated after the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century and quickly spread throughout Europe. The main feature of this type of castle is the presence of a fort built on the top of a small hill or mound of earth (the motta) and a lower, fenced and circular courtyard (the bailey). Once you understand what the basic shape is, you simply need to find the right materials and assemble them to build one yourself!
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Making a Model of a Motta Castrale
Making the Scenario
Step 1. Find a wide, flat base
Historically, castral motts were built near a small hill, or the latter was artificially created. For our model we will use the "artificial" strategy. Start by taking a flat, square piece of material, at least 30cm wide on each side. Ideally, it would be advisable to use a material that the glue adheres well to. It should also be green to mimic a turf. Here are some suggestions:
- Green cardboard;
- Painted or green colored butcher paper;
- Green felt;
- Green fabric;
- Styrofoam squares (for example the lid of a portable thermal container) painted or colored green;
- Green tinted plywood.
Step 2. Draw two overlapping circles on the base
The construction plan of a castrale motta almost always foresees the presence of two rather wide circles; one for the outer courtyard wall and one for the raised mound on which the fort is built. The two circles should slightly overlap in the center, like drawing a snowman. The circle of the mound should be smaller than that of the courtyard.
- A good way to proceed is to get two bowls of different sizes, place them one at a time on the base keeping them facing down and draw a circle around each of them with a pencil or marker. If possible, use a paper bowl to outline the smaller circle, so that you can later use it to build the motte itself.
- Try to leave a margin of about 2.5 cm around the edges of the circle, so that you have more room to add details beyond the wall later.
Step 3. Secure the bowl you will use for the motte using glue or tape
Take the bowl you used to outline the outline of the motte (the smaller one) and pin it inside the circle you traced on the base.
- If you don't have a suitable bowl to make the motta, you can use any rounded or cone-shaped object of the right size. Here are some suggestions:
- Road / safety cones (by cutting the top for two thirds of the length);
- Paper or plastic cups (by cutting the top one third of the length);
- Rounded styrofoam pieces;
- Flower pots;
- Papier-mâché (you will have to shape it in such a way as to give the shape of a hill and let it dry before treating it);
Step 4. If the bowl isn't already green or brown, color it
Historically, motte were built by accumulating land that would later be covered with grass and plants. If you want to build a realistic castle, then, you will need to make the motte in one of these colors. You can use several tools for this process; choose the one you find most comfortable (bearing in mind that paint, ink etc. are permanent):
- Paint;
- Markers;
- Painted newspapers;
- Cardboard;
- Cellophane;
- Felt / fabric.
Building the Structures
Step 1. Make the palisade with popsicle sticks
Most of the castral motte had a circular wall made of sturdy logs, called a palisade. The simplest way to replicate it is to glue rows of small wooden sticks (such as those of the popsicles, the stirrers that are used to mix the coffee in certain bars, or even the twigs collected in the meadows). Glue or tape each piece of wall together. Once finished, the fence should extend along the edges of the larger circle to skirt the sides of the motte and the back of its top, so that no invader can easily enter it.
- You can buy popsicle sticks inexpensively at stores that stock DIY items. The advantage of using real pieces of wood, just like this type of stick, is that you don't have to color them - they already look just right. If you really want to overdo it, you can always try dyeing the wood to make it even more realistic.
- Another useful detail to add realism is to apply a single horizontal row of sticks along the entire inside length of the wall. Real palisades were often reinforced in this way. Here you can find a good picture to build on.
Step 2. Make the fort and place it on top of the motte
One of the main characteristics of a castrale motta is precisely the fort, that is the small defensive structure (similar to a miniature castle) that was located on its top and which served as a bastion for the defenders. In reality, the fort was made of wood or stone, so you will have several possibilities to make your model. Here are some ideas that might help you:
- Models;
- Toy constructions (e.g. Legos, etc.);
- Small cardboard boxes;
- Milk cartons;
- Sticks of icicles (as for the palisade);
- Whichever method you choose, it is advisable to add a realistic touch by drawing or cutting small thin windows on the sides of the fort. You can also make a zigzag decoration on its top, to give it a "castle" look.
Step 3. Add several buildings inside the courtyard
The fort was generally not the only building present in a castrale motte. Inside the lower bailey, in fact, there were almost always other buildings to support the soldiers who had to defend the castle; barracks to stay in, stables for horses, warehouses to keep equipment, places to eat and so on. You can use any of the methods listed above to make these buildings, but if you want to aim for a realistic effect, keep the following points in mind:
- Typically, these buildings were not as robust as the fort, as they were not intended to house soldiers during an enemy attack. They were often made of wood or wood and mortar.
- These constructions, very often, were nothing more than simple square buildings with a pointed roof; they had to be practical, not elegant.
- A good way to reproduce them would be to glue sticks together to build a square shape, then using white paper to make the walls.
Add More Details
Step 1. Add some greenery
Now that you have the basics of your castrale motta model in place, it's time to make your castle truly unique! There is no "right way" to do this, but we still recommend some details you might add (and some tips on how to proceed in parentheses). Plants are an easy decoration to make to the castle; below you will find some suggestions.
- Bushes (painted or dyed cotton balls, mosses, lichens, etc.);
- Trees (toys / models, painted cotton swabs, twigs with leaves, etc.);
- Climbing vines on walls and buildings (directly painted, green threads, plant stems, etc.);
- Gardens (brown paint for the earth; small pieces of green paper for crops).
Step 2. Add people and animals
By inserting living beings into the model you will make it truly alive and realistic. The easiest way to add people and animals to your castle is to use miniature toys (such as Lego figurines, Warhammer models, toy soldiers, etc.).
- Soldiers in defense; Read here to learn more about Norman weapons and equipment.
- Invaders; Read here to learn more about the Vikings' ways of fighting (they were among the most frequent invaders at the time of the castral motts).
- Horses / livestock; war horses, mules, cattle, pigs, chickens and so on will do just fine.
- The lord or lady of the castle with their family; read here to learn more about the medieval clothing of the nobles (keep in mind that castral motts were widespread in the 11th and 12th centuries).
Step 3. Add minor details to buildings
Give your structures a special touch with these decorative finishes:
- Flags / banners (spikes or toothpicks for the pole, strips of cloth for the flag; Norman flags typically were red with a yellow cross or lion).
- Wells (small circles made with the points of wooden sticks, blue paint for the water).
- Chimneys (small square pieces of popsicle sticks).
- Plastered walls (white paint or paper for the walls, with brown support beams made from wooden sticks).
- Paths leading to the buildings or fort (paint).
Step 4. Add more defensive details
Make your castral motte strike fear into the heart of any invader with these fearsome defensive fortifications:
- A walled path or flight of stairs leading to the castle hill (wooden sticks for the walls, paint for the path).
- Small defensive posts along the walls;
- Defensive channels (the easiest way to make them is to place the entire model on top of a square piece of Styrofoam, then carve a thin path following a circular path along the outside of the bailey, as well as on the bottom of the motte. the engraved part is brown (or blue if you prefer to have a moat).
- Pointed poles along the outer ditch (toothpick);
- Gate and drawbridge on the front side of the courtyard (wooden sticks, rope for chains).
Method 2 of 2: Prepare an Edible Motta Castrale
Making the Panorama
Step 1. Make a semi-spherical cake to make the hill
To start making your edible caste motte, you will need to come up with something that is roughly the shape of a mound and that is edible. There is no "more suitable" food than another, even if a really simple and delicious way to proceed is to make a small semi-spherical cake. If you don't have a suitable cookie cutter that's not a problem, as you can use almost any type of metal bowl for this project. You can check out a good guide on how to make a hemispherical cake here.
- If you opt for realism, try making a chocolate cake to mimic the brown of the earth. Your hill will eventually get covered in icing though, so it doesn't really matter what kind of cake you decide to cook.
- Make sure to sprinkle the inside of the bowl or mold you will be using with butter and flour. This will make it easier to remove the finished product once it has cooled down; you certainly don't want a hill that is losing pieces, do you?
Step 2. Alternatively, you can also make the hill using green jelly
Another simple way to make your own hill is to make a jelly mold using a rounded bowl. Carefully turn the bowl over once the jelly has set completely, so that your hill is positioned. If you have difficulty extracting the jelly, try tapping the top of the bowl while holding it upside down.
To learn how to make jelly, see the instructions on the back of the preparation package or read one of our guides
Step 3. Place the hill on a serving tray
To make room for the bailey (the courtyard at the bottom of the castle), place the hill you just created on the side of a large, clean serving tray. Also in this case there is no particularly "suitable" tray for the occasion; if you have a flat, rectangular one and think it's okay, go ahead and use it. If you don't have anything suitable, you can improvise one with the following materials:
- Cardboard;
- Plastic serving tray;
- Kitchen plate of metal;
- Whichever tray you choose to use, it is advisable to first place some cellophane or parchment paper on its surface to keep the edible ingredients clean.
Step 4. Use icing or sugar paste to create the grass and soil
Now that you have a hill and an area to work on, try to make a grassy landscape for your castle. An easy way to proceed is to cover the hill and surrounding area with green icing. You can buy it in-store or make it yourself (just add some green food coloring to the classic icing recipe). You can also use brown icing for paths, ditches, and so on.
- Check out this article for several recipes you can use to make the icing you'll need in this project. Sugar paste is a little more difficult to make and has a different flavor, but is still suitable for use. Also in this case you can consult this article to find out how to prepare it.
- If you're working with a jelly hill, make a simple, flat, rectangular mold out of the same green jelly you used earlier; then place the hill on top of the newly prepared base, in order to create your scenario. The alternative, which is to glaze the jelly, is disgusting.
Making the Structures
Step 1. Use a cupcake to make the fort
The most important structure in a castrale motta is the fort (the miniature castle on top of the hill). An easy way to depict this is to place a cupcake (bought or homemade) on top of the edible "hill". You can leave the cupcake as it is or decorate it to make it look more like a fort - it's up to you to decide.
An easy way to make the cupcake representing the fort a little more realistic is to not remove the cupcake at the base and paint it carefully using brown or gray icing to give it a finish that resembles wood or stone
Step 2. Make the fort using an ice cream cone
You can also try to make the fort by sticking a cup-shaped ice cream cone on top of the hill. For this project you will have to use a cup cone expressly, i.e. the low and rounded ones, not the long and pointed ones made of rolled wafer. If you prefer you can also enrich the surface with brown or gray icing or, alternatively, decorate it with food markers.
Step 3. Make a stone fort out of sugar cubes
You can build a fort by combining sugar cubes with each other. This way your structure will take on a very boxy look, perfect for a stone fort. Again, you can use icing or food markers to decorate the outside walls.
Attaching sugar cubes to each other can be tricky. A great trick is to use a substance called "super glue", which is made with powdered sugar and egg white or meringue powder; you can find a great recipe here
Step 4. Make a palisade out of wafers
To make the wall, stick some wafers into a long circular path that extends along the courtyard and up the hillside, then closes at the back of the fort. To hold the wafers in place you can stick them into the icing / sugar paste scenario making sure they are firm, use toothpicks, or secure them with the sugar glue mentioned earlier. Any wafer flavor will do, but for making particularly realistic walls chocolate ones are preferable due to their brown color.
Other good options are ice cream waffles, ladyfingers, or other elongated treats such as Kit-Kat
Step 5. Make buildings to place inside the walls with gingerbread or Digestive biscuits
There are so many different ways to make edible versions of barracks, armories and other structures in the bailey. For example, small gingerbread houses would be very suitable. If you don't feel like making gingerbread yourself, you can use Digestive biscuits in much the same way.
Check out our guides for more information on how to make gingerbread houses or Digestives
Step 6. Use candy to create plants and greenery
Adding edible trees and bushes will be very easy if you have the right kind of candy on hand. For the trees you can use small lollipops (possibly green), painting the stems of each brown using icing or, if you prefer, a food marker. You can also make some cool bushes with a few small wisps of green cotton candy.
You can make additional creative additions with other types of candy. For example, try disseminating Smarties, pretending they are stones or pebbles
Step 7. Carefully add inedible pieces
Some parts of the castle model described in the previous section, such as toy soldiers, weapons, animals, and so on, are difficult to make with edible ingredients. If you want to populate your castle with this type of decoration, consider using non-edible elements (such as Lego figurines, etc.). If you are going to serve your castle to be eaten, make sure these pieces are clearly visible to prevent them from being swallowed by mistake. It is also advisable to keep a bowl or other container handy, so that the people who will eat the castle can store the inedible decorations in it.
If you intend to serve your edible castle in a place where small children will be found, do not add any inedible components
Advice
- In reality, castral motts were built so that archers placed on their top could hit any point inside or outside the courtyard. For this reason it is better not to make a bailey too big compared to the motta: as a good general rule it would be advisable to make it about twice as big.
- Add the fence last - this will make it much easier to place houses, trees, etc., without ruining everything.
- For more ideas, try reading some articles on the history of castral riots on sites like ancientfortresses.org.
