Landscape of Medieval Bohemia

Story & Setting
#10

As @EBU_DIGRIZ mentioned. Medieval forest/wood was very different from our recent forest.

  1. Composition was different. Dont know exact composition but much less of pinophytes like spruce (Picea abies). And a lot of for example hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), hazel (Corylus avelana), which corresponds with the management namely “coppicing”. Wood was used for heating and making of wood coal (so I am going to expect some charcoal/wood piles/milíř/Kohlenmeiler). Also you dont need high and thick trees for that. But smaller woods and quick growing trees.
  2. There were fever forest, like I have said due to the wood consuption. In lover parts were crops with lower yield compared to todays crop yields. Slopes were used as pastures and grasslands to supply with hay on winter. Todays Czech Republic is actually awfully overgrown with spruce.
  3. Also it is very interesting that grazin was forbidden by Mary Theresa in 18th century. And what is more funny, that the ban is still active even it is currently useless. Forest grazing has big influence on forest recovery it slows it down, and it was something very usual in middle ages.
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#11

After quick search I have found that in urbary of Rosenberg manor from 1373 there should be a record of state of its forest. This record should include its size, the types (species?) composition of fauna and its assumed usage.

Here is my source, it in czech and it does not say much: http://www.czso.cz/csu/2014edicniplan.nsf/t/6E0031FC52/$File/32011840614.pdf

UPDATE: I have also found that there is book called “Rožumberský urbář” (Urbary of Rosembrg), it is academic book. Now I am trying to learn more.

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#12

Well Warhorse are czechs, so yeah, they know what theyr doing.

Some points to adress - If you talking about shape of the fields and types of the buildings (for example) it looks exactly as in some older czech villages. Exactly spot on !

For the fields - All of czech republic and slovakia is rocky as hell. There isnt much flat space here now, and there wasnt basically any then. So you see fields go up and down the hill constantly. And in most areas there simply isnt nothing else but forrest, rocks, bad soil where you cant grow anything. And as a result of that you will see them in various shapes and sizes (where you have nowhere to grow, you arent picky). And there are other as well, like rain rain. Hell its rainy here. It rains constantly. And because the water runnig down the hill damaging your crops and flooding your seeds , taking them away. You simply cant have wast fields without any protection from that. You rather make some blocade against the water (plant trees, dig a canals and trenches) on a smaller scale.

The fields you saw in the trailers arent the typicall fields which fed the nobles, and the whole nation( as it was the farmers duty). Those were much larger, but rather the personall fields of the farmers that worked them in their free time (so they could eat or sell them). Or they had a cows, sheeps, pigs, chickens in those areas, (those with the mudd). It was just a private area of the family, or the village a secondary income if you will.

#13

Yes, it’s corss-section of the building. There is source, where you can fing also ground plan (basicly what remain) http://silva-nortica.blog.cz/1307/pfaffneschlag-zanikla-stredoveka-ves-u-slavonic

They never let fire die out in medieval so oven wasn’t only heater, it keeps fire for people who use it in many tasks. Now, fire is also nice subject to talk about. They did not use torches as much as we think. They splinters were most common or candles (which stink as were made of fat - vax were expensive).

That short chimney is called “dýmník” (in Czech). It leads smoke to attic and then out trough covered holes on both ends of the roof (notice it on the first picture). Eventually it become long chimney, but wooden with clay spread on inner sides (https://scontent-b-fra.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t31/1425397_679527875412800_1180456997_o.jpg). Those wooden one were common untill Marie Terezie ban them as they obviously cause many accidents with fire involved.

PS: Nice document, really.

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#14

I’ve got a question about the map design:
will there be areas like swamplands or little lakes with reeds at water’s edge?
I don’t know the landscape of bohemia, so I just ask: If there is no swamp, then there shall be none.
In my opinion it’s just great to travel such areas in computer games. Perhaps a swamp fits in one of the acts, although i don’t know important bricks and clay were in this time period.
I’m sure the game will be awesome, with or without swamps and muddy feet. :wink:

cheers

#15

We have something like swamps in Czech republic, but not in this area.

#16

CZ is, or was in some cases full of swamps, lakes, rivers, mountains, forrests, hills and lowlands. And yes I think they mentioned that.

#17

Not really, swamps were quite rare but since the first act is taking place near by the river and several streams, there could be at least some small swamps. There is the probalbe map of the act 1 - mostly forests, rivers and streams.

#18

Good stuff guys! Lot’s of interesting info :slight_smile:

#19

Yes I agree! Spruces were not main part of the forests in 15th century. Warhorse studio should calculate with this fact and redisgn their enviroment. I find this map:
It shows where should grow spruces if there wasn´t any reforestation by human. Grenn locations represent high concentration of spruces, yellow low concentration and brown are totaly without spruces. Location of this game is situated southeast of Prague in yellow location. So I think in game should be more oaks, beeches and other deciduous trees.

2 Likes
#20

What a great community. People come armed with images and everything. This thread has been very educational and I think will be of real value to the developers (the best that can come of this forum). Please keep it up.

That’s all I wanted to add.

8 Likes
#21

I’d like to second MJJ - I’m finding these threads about historical minutiae fascinating! I’m in no sense a medieval historian, so I appreciate experts and enthusiasts offering their knowledge. Thanks to everyone for contributing to my learning!

#22

I think the usual English translation would be “A three-field system of agriculture” or “Three field crop rotation”, so the direct literal translation is ‘good’.

#23

A ta mapa ukazuje zastoupení smrku dnes?

#24

Ta mapa právě ukzaje zastoupení smrku tak, jak by to vypadalo dnes, ale kdyby neproběhlo umělé zalesňování smrkem. Jinak aktuální stav je takový, že ta mapka je skoro celá zelená, protože smrk je prostě všude. Více na tomto odkazu www.vesmir.cz/files/file/fid/4895/aid/7514 je to dvoustránkové pdf, kde je vše krátce popsáno. Nejsem žádný odborník přes lesnictví, jen mě příroda zajímá a často mě štvou monokulturní lesy. Jinak mě moc těší, že jste si příspěvku všiml a držim Kingdome Come palce. Já sám studuji animovaný film, tak si alespoň částěčně umím představit, jak náročné to celé je. Přeji pěkný den a těšim se na hru!

3 Likes
#25

I don’t have anything helpful to contribute, but I would like to say that this may be the single most informative thing that I have ever seen in the forums for a game in development.

With resources like this, how can this game be anything BUT amazing?

#26

Yeah… Its not going to be just game, its gona be simulation of time travel to old Bohemia.

1 Like
#27

…“a wood without pigs is like a ballroom without women”

#28

As far as I can make out and simple logic, it seems to me its the sleeping quarter. Its made with clay or stone walls, so better isolated for temp changes, and higher of the ground so the lower level can be used for various uses as storage, oven, workshop, etc. The living area is the lower part where people were during the day and ate etc. (not facts, just what I think it is.)

#29

Hello, as I have read in some materials about medieval housing. What i mostly see is was that they had workshops/shops on ground floor, than storage areas (this is visible in Florence) that living quarters and on top floor servant quarters (as they had no elevators nobility didn’t want to walk too much stairs). In villages it depends but most houses had living room, anteroom where was open fire place (black kitchen) and storage room. Stock, Hay and Grain was kept behind houses in separate structures (later added as extension to house). As for the material it depends on area but villages had houses mostly made of wood, in towns stone or wood, clay.
For better comfort they were using wooden room casing in stone castles, mostly for women.

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