Aristophanes
The term Barbacane indicated during the Moyen-âge a advanced work of Fortification which protected a passage, a door or Poterne, and which made it possible the garrison of a Forteresse to meet on a point covering with cover, to make exits, to protect a retirement or the introduction from a body of help.
A city or a castle provided well was always furnished with weepholes, built simply out of wood, like the antemuralia, procastria of the Roman camps, or out of ground with ditch, stone or hardcore with flying bridge, broad ditch and former palisades. The form the most ordinary data with the weepholes was the circular or semicircular form, with one or more exits masked by the curve of the work.
The armies which camped had the care to raise in front of the entries of the camps of vast weepholes, which made it possible the troops to combine their movements of attack, retirement or defense. At the time of a seat, apart from the walls of the fortresses, one often raised weepholes, which were only temporary works, and in which one placed an addition of garrison. But, generally, the weepholes were works with residence around the well provided fortresses.
Among the temporary weepholes, one of most famous is that which the king holy Louis made do to protect the retirement from his army corps and to pass an arm of the the Nile, after the Bataille of Mansourah. The lord de Joinville speaks about this work in these terms:
“As the roy and its barons transfer that chouse, and that no one another remedy there avoit (the camp was in prey with the plague and the famine), all agreed, that the roy fist to pass its Ost (1) towards the ground of Babilonne, in the ost of the duke of Bourgoigne, which estoit on other behalf of the river, which alloit with Damiette. And for retraire its people easily, the roy fist to make a weephole in front of the poncel, about which I in front of spoke to you. And estoit made of manner, that one pouvoit to enter enough inside by two coustez very with horse. As that weephole was done and apprestée, all people of the ost armed themselves; and there ung there great attack of the Turks had, who transfer although we went from there oultre in the ost of the duke of Bourgoigne, which estoit of the other share. And like one entroit in icelle weephole, the Turks struck the tail of nostre ost: and as well made, as they prindrent lord Errart de Vallery. But tantoust was rescoux by lord Jehan his brother. Toutesfoiz the roy is not driven, all its race, jusques so that all the harnois and armeures were carry oultre. And then passed all after the roy, fors that lord Gaultier de Chastillon, which faisoit the back keeps in the weephole. As all the ost had passed oultre, ceulx which demourerent in the weephole, which estoit the back keeps, were with grant Malayan Turks, which estoient with horse. Because ilz tiroient to them of aiming forces trect, for what the weephole estoit not haulte. And the Turks with magpie gecttoient to them large hard stones and motes against the faces, and do not povoient themselves to defend ceulx back keeps. And perduz and destruitz had been all, if eust esté the tale of Anjou, brother of the roy, which since was roy of Sicily, which suited them asprement rescourre, and brought them to sauveté. ”
This weephole was obviously only one work in palisades, since the men with horse could see over. In the situation where the army of Louis saint was at this time, having lost most of its wood provisioning, camped on a ground in which earthworks of some importance could not be undertaken, it was all that one had been able to do to raise a Palissade being used as head of bridge, being able to stop the enemy army, and to allow the army corps in retirement to slip by in order with his material.
(1) Ost = armed
Source: Purple-the-Duke
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