Inside the Great Chamber

Here is a close view of the inside of a 15th century tower house in Shannon, Ireland. The lord’s table is from the 15th century, and although this is later than my time period, you can get an idea of what furnishings were like. The table was simple in terms of architecture while the chairs had elaborate carvings. There was another major difference in tables I found during my research, and that is the height. Tables from the early medieval period were low and set upon the ground for guests to recline on pillows and eat.

The windows in the background were very narrow, as you can see, and I’m told in the winter they would cover them with either shutters or animal skins to try and seal out the cold. But another odd detail that I found fascinating was the color of the walls. They really were that white, from the whitewashing. There was evidence of the whitewashing still on the walls at Trim Castle, though.

This was a view of the family chapel at Trim Castle (12th century), and the white areas are part of the original white coating. I suppose I thought it would be more primitive, but the white walls probably helped keep the rooms well lit (aside from the soot of candles and fire). In this photograph, the original windows were sealed up with stone, but you can see the Gothic style. Most chapels were built facing the East, likely for both the spiritual reference (the sun rising - the son rising (ascension)) and for the practical reason of morning light for the Mass.