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Riddle: Do you know your history?

Construction of a stronger and more massive bell tower for the monastery to replace the one destroyed during the last civil strife with a neighboring lord was well underway when the old Monk visited the site. The Abbot showed the Monk the drawings and model for the three-bell tower. The Monk was impressed until he stood where the bell chamber would be and saw the spiral staircase in this medieval bell tower running the wrong direction (counterclockwise).

"The staircase direction must be changed," said the Old Monk. The Abbot looked at the staircase and agreed. Why did the staircase need to be changed?

Update:

Answer:

Spiral staircases in medieval castles, towers and Keeps were run clockwise. This is because all knights were right-handed. When the intruding army would climb the stairs they would not be able to use their right hand (which was holding the sword) because of the difficulties of climbing the stairs, giving clear advantage to the defenders. Many of the orders of clergy had military training in order to defend monasteries and Abbeys during the middle ages.

Left-handed knights would have had no troubles, except left-handed people could never become knights because it was assumed that they were descendants of the devil.

5 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    i know this.

    its got something to do with swordfighting

    if the stairs went the wrong way a right handed swords man would be at an advantage. or vice versa.

  • 1 decade ago

    because the drawing showed anticlockwise

  • 1 decade ago

    you got me, but i had to answer something to keep track of this question. I want to know what it is now lol

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    i dont know but i wanna no

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  • 1 decade ago

    i dunno!!

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