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Question 79

Why were the openings in a castle wall known as arrow slits made so narrow?

  1. To let daylight into the rooms behind without weakening the wall
  2. So that boiling liquids could be poured straight down on attackers below
  3. To pass messages out to a relieving force
  4. So defenders could shoot out while being very hard to hitCorrect answer

Explanation

The narrow outer opening widened inward, so an archer had room to move and aim while presenting almost nothing for a shot from outside to strike. Treating them as windows fails because light was not worth the loss of protection on a fighting wall, and openings meant for dropping things on an enemy were set in the ceiling above a passage, not in the face of a wall.

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Question 79: Why were the openings in a castle wall known as arrow slits… · Medieval Europe · Questena