Murder Holes - Has Your Company Installed Any Lately?

June 28th, 2008 · 3 Comments

Barriers to entry just as important today as they were over 500 years ago

Glimmenehus
Glimmingehus Skane Sweden

I drove by Glimmingehus the other day and decided to stop in briefly. It’s not very spectacular as far as castles go but it has a few other characteristics which make it very unique. Other than being one of the best preserved 15th Century medieval manors in Northern Europe, it also probably has the most death traps per square foot.

Built by Danish Knight Jens Holgersen ‘Ulfstand’ (Wolf’s tooth), who managed that part of Southern Sweden on behalf of the Danish King (think Sheriff of Nottingham), it was built to protect him against all his enemies including farmers and Swedish Knights. Jens was also a privateer attacking Swedish ships trading with Germany.

Jens had a very good life and made a VERY profitable living. When farmer rebellions and Swedish Knights burned all other Danish interests in the area, Glimmingehus stood untouched. It was considered too strong for all but a full out attack by a royal army.

If an army could make it past the surrounding wetlands, there was still the moat to pass. Additionally archers, cross bowmen, and later blunderbuss and cannon were positioned in all directions on the top floor. The castle was built directly upon the water well so that defenders would have uninterrupted water supply during any possible siege.

Should anyone reach the reinforced barricaded door, molten lead and other nasties would be dropped from the murder hole above while cross bowmen and archers continued to shoot down. Should anyone be unfortunate enough to penetrate the door and enter the hallway of the first floor, Glimmingehus was designed to actually trap the invaders on the first floor by closing off the exit with an iron drop gate. All those who had entered would then be shot down through the various kill holes on the sides of the walls, through the stairway, and from murder holes above. If needed the defenders could retreat to the second floor, third floor, fourth floor, etc. repeating the slaughter in the kill zones.

While thankfully business strategy need not be as bloody as military strategy, I think Jens can probably teach us a few things. I’m sure he would have been a fierce business competitor should he have lived today.

Competitive intelligence is naturally very important for most businesses but I’m wondering how many businesses also employ defensive countermeasures similar to Jens. Protecting and increasing the barriers of entry into our markets is something which, while difficult in this online age, needs to be considered by anyone who is as successful as Jens and wishes to withstand competitor attacks.

-Tom

Images:

Some Defensive Barriers/
Death Trap Schematics