posted 05-31-2002 10:10 AM         

Though it is not easy. The keep is a different structure. And keeps were used as separate buildings. They were found outside of castles in other words. Earlier on before fiefs became larger. The less powerful lords wouldn't have large castles. they would simply have what was called a Donjon. It was a tower(usually round) that was their "castle" It would have a basement with a well and storage. A dining hall where the men-at-arms would have slept. a bedroom for the lord and his lady. Depending on the size it would have other rooms as well. Each room might be on a different level of the tower. The whole thing was built for defence and not comfort. they would have been cold and damp and not very nice places to live. But when all your neighbors are out to get you it probably was very good at stop surprise attacks.

Later if this lord was succesfull he would use this keep as the center for building his larger castle; expanding out from it.

As time went on and firearms became more prominent and thing started to settle down (a good example might be between Scotland and England) and these noble took less of a military role they started to move out of their keeps and into more comfortable homes.

So the keep is different than a castle, though in a sence it is the same thing.