Dungeon
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- This is about European castles. For other uses see Dungeon (disambiguation)
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are kept, especially underground.
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[edit] Etymology
The word dungeon is based on Old French donjon, which is derived from Latin dom(i)niōn- "property" (and ultimately dominus "lord"). However, in French the term donjon refers to a "keep" (a type of tower), and the term oubliette or cachot (a type of prison) is a more appropriate translation of English "dungeon". Donjon is therefore a false friend (though not a false cognate).
[edit] History
In its original medieval usage, the donjon meant the keep, the main tower of a castle which formed the final defensive position the garrison could retreat to when outer fortifications were overcome. It was also a safe, if not comfortable, place to keep prisoners. Once more luxurious housing for the lord of the castle was constructed, the dungeon was used mainly for this purpose[citation needed]. Its meaning has evolved over time to also mean an underground prison or burial vault, typically built underneath a castle.
In 1613, Anton Praetorius described the terrible situation of the prisoners in the dungeons in his book Gründlicher Bericht über Zauberei und Zauberer (Thorough Report about Wizardry and Wizards).
[edit] Features
Although many real dungeons are simply a single plain 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.
[edit] Modern criminal individuals who have built dungeons
- Marc Dutroux, Belgium
- John Esposito, USA[1]
- Josef Fritzl, Austria[2]
- Kenneth Glenn Hinson, USA
- John Jamelske, USA
- Viktor Mokhov, Russia[3]
- Wolfgang Priklopil, Austria
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ McQuiston, John (1994-07-27). "Man Sentenced to Prison In Kidnapping of L.I. Girl". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE2D6113EF934A15754C0A962958260. Retrieved on 2008-08-22.
- ^ "Josef Fritzl: Incest dungeon father could face up to 3,000 counts of rape". The Telegraph. 2008-08-03. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/joseffritzl/2619085/Josef-Fritzl-Incest-dungeon-father-could-face-up-to-3000-counts-of-rape.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-22.
- ^ "Russian girls rescued after 3 years in rape dungeon". Sydney Morning Herald. 2004-05-07. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/06/1083635279844.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-22.
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