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The Great Hall in Edinburgh Castle [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-07-19
Welcome to the Street Prophets Coffee Hour cleverly hidden at the intersection of religion, art, science, food, and politics. This is an open thread where we can share our thoughts and comments about the day. Let’s start by looking at the Great Hall in Edinburgh Castle.
The Great Hall in Edinburgh Castle was commissioned by King James IV and completed in 1512. It was an awe-inspiring stage for state banquets and ceremonies. It was designed to show the King as a man of power and good taste. It was a place for high politics, international diplomacy and feasting.
The ceiling timbers shown above and the carved stones are more than 500 years old. The timbers came from oak (with one pine) that were felled in Norway in 1505-1509. At this time, it was difficult to find suitable Scottish timber. The roof is constructed like the hull of a ship—a hammer-beam roof—and is self-supporting.
The painting shown above shows the Laird’s Lug—a small, barred window set high in the wall to the right of the fireplace. From here the King could unobtrusively watch his guests. This is a feature found in many castles.
Shown above is the fireplace. Notice the Laird’s Lug high and to the right.
Weapons
The walls of this great hall are covered with swords, armour, and other weapons. According to one sign:
“Almost 400 years of warfare produced the weapons and armour displayed around the Great Hall.” “The Great Hall has been decorated with suits or armour, swords, guns and polearms since the 1880s. most were obsolete British Army service weapons but some were trophies from foreign wars.” “Much of the armour was captured during the English siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, France, in 1627.”
Open Thread
This is an open thread—all topics are welcome.
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