Ducange defines mota as "Collis, seu tumulus, cui inædificatum est castellum. Olim castella numquam nisi in eminentissimis locis extruebantur. In Flandria vero, humili ac planissima regione, congestis undequaque terrarum molibus, fieri solebant motse, quibus arces imponerentur"; and adds that mota is the same work known in Dauphigny as "poypia," and in Auvergne as "mote seigneuriale." From Lambertus Ardensis he quotes: "Motam altissimam, sive dunjonem eminentem in munitionis signum firmavit, et in aggerem coacervavit." And Orderic tells that, in 1098, Pain de Mont-Doubleau delivered up to William Rufus, "Fortissimam, quam apud Balaonem possidebat, motam, per quam totum oppidum adversariis subactum paruit." And in 1119, Fulk of Anjou, with 500 knights laid siege, "ad motam Galterii," which the king had fortified. Also near Ponte-Corvo was "Motam magnam, quam faciebat facere Dominus Canis cum mulfossis et tajatis ad claudendum Paduanos," like the great mound at Rochester, just outside the city wall. In the Roman de Rou:—
"Hubert de Rie est à sa porte
Entre le mostier et sa mote."
"Mostier" being the church. Also in "La Bataille des Sept Arts":—
"Qui fu fier cum chastel sur mote."
Also the Consuetudines Trecensis speak of "Le principal chastel ou maison-fort, mote, ou place de maison seigneuriale": and in Colletus, "Il y a des masures qui ont des droits très considérables; nous avons des simple poypes [ce sont des terres élevées et fossoyées] qui ont les plus beaux droits." The History of Dauphigny has, in 1290, "Item castrum seu Poypiam de Montlyopart; item castrum seu fortalicium de Pusigniano." Ducange is copious on this subject.
The use of the mound as the site of the "maison seigneuriale" was general in England, and several such—as Barwick-in-Elmet and Laughton-en-le-Morthen—are still pointed out as the seats of early English nobles and kings; and of others thrown up primarily for defence, as Tamworth and Leicester, and afterwards occupied as royal and other residences, the date is on record.
After the Conquest, the English term "burh" seems to have given place to the Latin "mota," at least in public records. It is true that in a charter by the Conqueror, given by Rymer, occurs "Et in burgis, et muro-vallatis, et in castellis," but "burgis" may be held to mean borough towns. In the charter of Matilda, 1141, bestowing the earldom of Hereford
