- published: 29 May 2016
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A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period. An oubliette is a form of dungeon which was accessible only from a hatch in a high ceiling.
The word dungeon comes from Old French donjon (also spelt dongon), which in its earliest usage, meant "a keep, the main tower of a castle which formed the final defensive position to which the garrison could retreat when outer fortifications were overcome". The first recorded instance of the word in English near the beginning of the 14th century also meant "an underground prison cell beneath the castle keep". While some sources cite Medieval Latin dom(i)niōn- "property" (and ultimately dominus "lord") as the original source, it is more likely that the word derives from the Frankish *dungjo, *dungjon- ("dungeon, vault, bower"), from Proto-Germanic *dungjōn, *dungō ("a cover, enclosed space, treasury, vault"), from Proto-Indo-European *dhengh- ("to cover, hide, conceal"), related to Old High German tung ("a cellar, underground living quarter"), Old English dung ("a dungeon, prison"), and Old Norse dyngja ("a lady's bower"). In English, a dungeon now usually only signifies the sense of underground prison or oubliette, typically in a basement of a castle, whereas the alternate spelling donjon is generally reserved for the original meaning.
Now the pain's getting weaker
The pressure's growing less
Soon the dusk hails the dark with a caress
When the shadows' getting longer
The hunter stalks his prey
By the light of the moon's silvery rays
When the night is falling
I can hear them calling
I can hear them calling me.
In the darkness I see paradise
In the night I find my way
In the darkness I see paradise
I don't want to face the day.
Since the dawning of mankind
People tried to hide
From the secrets and wonders of the night.
Please, believe me when I tell you
You should come to know
How it feels just to touch the magic glow