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Biography
redirect|Oublietteabout|places of imprisonment in European castlesWiktionary|dungeon|oublietteA dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoner s are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castle s, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period. An oubliette is a form of dungeon which was accessible only from a hatch in a high ceiling.
Etymology
The word dungeon comes from Old French donjon (also spelt dongon ), which in its earliest usage, meant "a keep , the main tower of a castle which formed the final defensive position to which the garrison could retreat when outer fortification s were overcome". The first recorded instance of the word in Middle English|English near the beginning of the 14th century also meant "an underground prison cell beneath the castle keep". While some sources cite Medieval Latin dom(i)nion- "property" (and ultimately dominus "lord") as the original source, it is more likely that the word derives from the Old Frankish|Frankish * dungjo, *dungjon- ("dungeon, vault, bower"), from Proto-Germanic * dungjon, *dungo ("a cover, enclosed space, treasury, vault"), from Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European * dhengh- ("to cover, hide, conceal"),"Webster's New World College Dictionary, "dungeon." related to Old High German tung ("a cellar, underground living quarter"), Old English dung ("a dungeon, prison"), and Old Norse dyngja ("a lady's bower"). In English, a dungeon now usually only signifies the sense of underground prison or oubliette, typically in a basement of a castle , whereas the alternate spelling donjon is generally reserved for the original meaning.
In French the term donjon still refers to a "keep", and the term oubliette is a more appropriate translation of English "dungeon". Donjon is therefore a false friend to "dungeon" (for instance, the game " Dungeons and Dragons " is titled "Donjons et Dragons" in its French editions).
An oubliette (from the French oubliette , literally "forgotten place") was a form of dungeon which was accessible only from a hatch in a high ceiling. The word comes from the same root as the French language|French oublier , "to forget", as it was used for those prisoners the captors wished to forget.
The earliest use of oubliette in French dates back to 1374, but its earliest adoption in English is Walter Scott 's Ivanhoe in 1819: 'The place was utterly dark—the oubliette, as I suppose, of their accursed convent.'Oxford English Dictionary There is no reason to suspect that this particular place of incarceration was more than a flight of romantic elaboration on existing unpleasant places of confinement described during the Gothic Revival period.
History
Few Norman architecture|Norman keeps in English castles originally contained prisons, though they were more common in Scotland. Imprisonment was not a usual punishment in the Middle Ages , so most prisoners were kept pending trial or awaiting the penalty, or for political reasons. Noble prisoners would not generally be held in dungeons, but would live in some comfort in castle apartments. The Tower of London is famous as prison for political detainees, and Pontefract Castle at various times held Thomas of Lancaster (1322), Richard II of England|Richard II (1400), Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers|Earl Rivers (1483), Richard le Scrope|Scrope , Archbishop of York (1405), James I of Scotland (1405& ndash;1424) and Charles, Duke of Orléans (1417& ndash;1430). Purpose-built prison chambers in castles became more common after the 12th century, when they were built into gatehouse s or mural towers. Some castles had larger provision for prisoners, such as the prison tower at Caernarvon Castle . Alnwick Castle and Cockermouth Castle , both in the Borders region between England and Scotland had prisons in the gatehouse with oubliettes beneath them.Bottomley, Frank, ''The Castle Explorer's Guide , Kaye & Ward, London, 1979 ISBN 0-7182-1216-9 pp 143& ndash;145
Features
Although many real dungeons are simply a single plain room (architecture)|room with a heavy door or with access only from a hatchway or trapdoor in the floor of the room above, the use of dungeons for torture , along with their association to common human fears of being trapped underground, have made dungeons a powerful metaphor in a variety of contexts. Dungeons, in the plural, have come to be associated with underground complexes of cells and torture chambers. As a result, the number of true dungeons in castles is often exaggerated to interest tourists. Many chambers described as dungeons or oubliettes were in fact storerooms, water-cisterns or even Garderobe|latrines .Bottomley, Frank, ''The Castle Explorer's Guide , Kaye & Ward, London, 1979 ISBN 0-7182-1216-9 p 145
An example of what might be popularly termed an "oubliette" is the particularly claustrophobic cell in the dungeon of Warwick Castle 's Caesar's Tower, in central England. The access hatch consists of an iron grille. Even turning around (or moving at all) would be nearly impossible in this tiny chamber.Citation needed|date=September 2009
In literature
Oubliettes and dungeons were a favourite topic of nineteenth century gothic novel s or historical novel s, where they appeared as symbols of hidden cruelty and tyrannical power, the very antithesis of Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment values such as justice and freedom. Usually found under medieval castles or abbeys, they were used by villainous characters, often Catholic monks and Spanish Inquisition|inquisitors , to persecute blameless characters. In Alexandre Dumas 's La Reine Margot (novel)|La Reine Margot , Catherine de Medici is portrayed gloating over a victim in the oubliettes of the Louvre . Alexandre Dumas , La Reine Margot , XIII Oreste et Pylade
Modern criminals' dungeons
The term "dungeon" is still used to describe an underground prison, such as the hidden cells built by certain notorious criminals:
Marc Dutroux , Belgium
Katie Beers kidnapping|John Esposito ,cite news |url= http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html? res=9C0DE2D6113EF934A15754C0A962958260 |title=Man Sentenced to Prison In Kidnapping of L.I. Girl |work=New York Times |last=McQuiston |date=1994-07-27 |first=John |accessdate=2008-08-22 United States
Josef Fritzl ,cite news |url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/joseffritzl/2619085/Josef-Fritzl-Incest-dungeon-father-could-face-up-to-3000-counts-of-rape.html |title=Josef Fritzl: Incest dungeon father could face up to 3,000 counts of rape |date=2008-08-03 |accessdate=2008-08-22 |work=The Telegraph | location=LondonDead link|date=August 2010|bot=RjwilmsiBot Austria
John Jamelske , United States
Viktor Mokhov ,cite news |url= http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/06/1083635279844.html |title=Russian girls rescued after 3 years in rape dungeon |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=2004-05-07 |accessdate=2008-08-22 Russia
Li Hao (??), Peoples Republic of China http://www.chinahush.com/2011/09/24/government-employee-kept-6-sex-slaves-in-self-built-dungeon-2-killed/ Government employee kept 6 sex slaves in self-built dungeon, 2 killed http://news.southcn.com/c/2011-09/22/content_30283547.htm ?????????6??????? ??????/? http://news.ifeng.com/society/1/detail_2011_09/23/9425719_0.shtml ?????4???????? ?????????
References
Reflist
See also
Immurement
Category:Castles Category:Rooms Category:Imprisonment and detention
