Some Questions about the medieval ages and stories,(castles, kings, etc.)?

Please answer as many as you can, Thanx



Why did people of the middle ages feel the need to build castles?



What materials were used to construct castles?



What defense system s were built into the castles to make it difficult to scale the castle walls.?



Is there really any historical basis for believing that King Arthur and his Court ever really existed, If so where were they Located?



Why were many of the characters in medieval legends supernatural beasts, such as dragons, or humans with magical powers?



What role did Christianity and the Church play in the growth of chivalry and such legends?



Some Questions about the medieval ages and stories,(castles, kings, etc.)?
It often started out as fortifications, they wanted to create strongholds where they could keep people safe from attacks while showing off their power. As they grew more powerful and richer more and more fortifications turned into castles. You can often see that castle "such-and-such" were never capture by enemies, or was lost to "this-or-that" enemy on that date. The reason it's remembered is because it was such an important thing for the people and the army.



Most castles were built with stone, it's sturdy and non flammable. Brick and mortar was used too. There are wooden castles too but I think they are of a later date when castles could be a statement of riches.



There were castles with holes where they could pour hot water or oils down on the attackers.



There are those who think that they have found the Arthur that the stories were based on, but, the Arthur as we know him today is a work of fiction. There are places that claims to be the "real" places where he lived and so on, but that's just tourist talk in my opinion.



I've never really thought about "why" there are strange beats and magic. One part is of course that people really did believe in those things and thought of them as real. (... now I'll be pondering this one for weeks.)