Lord High Munchkin
Mongoose
Not sure if this helps but here are some historical points:
Bear in mind that nearly everyone carried a knife (even children)... it was the primary tool of everyday life, and ultimately pretty useful for eating. That said, the real division is between urban/rural.
In urban areas there tended to be a divide between actual "citizens" and "non-citizens" (who might well have been born in the urban centre and were full-time residents). Citizens were the people with generally most to loose, so they were the ones who tended to join the urban militia and all the armed fraternal societies (and medieval townsmen loved joining clubs!). "Non-citizens" would be "discouraged" from carrying anything too militaristic.
Rurally, although occasionally the bearing of arms (beyond the usual knife or necessary tool) by someone without their lord’s explicit permission was punished by outlawdom, such restrictions were rare. People tended to know everyone about in their community and acted accordingly.
More typically "arms" were banned at certain locales or whilst attending specific events. An example being Louis VI of France’s prohibition on the bearing of arms in markets or towns, and 14th and 15th century Bavarian Landfrieden legislation that forbade subjects from carrying weapons on ceremonial occasions.
The chief reason for this being that weapons were useful, and although many had them, only soldiers and the rare manorial watchmen generally carried them. Indeed ownership of weapons was accepted, the need to raise militia units making this a necessity. Honour-feuding by populations (more common in rural populations without easy access to senior courts) also often meant arms were carried, this being seen as an extra-legal method of pursuing justice, and although frowned upon was not often stopped.
Knife-fights were pretty common, although in real-life they often don't last very much longer than initial blows... which is still typically the case today. Also drink was drunk by nearly everyone, but social and religious pressure also acted to keep tensions "sort-of" under control... generally.
It was the big festivals and fairs where people got excited and drank more than usual, that were the real problems (hence the rules about carrying arms at them).
Bear in mind that nearly everyone carried a knife (even children)... it was the primary tool of everyday life, and ultimately pretty useful for eating. That said, the real division is between urban/rural.
In urban areas there tended to be a divide between actual "citizens" and "non-citizens" (who might well have been born in the urban centre and were full-time residents). Citizens were the people with generally most to loose, so they were the ones who tended to join the urban militia and all the armed fraternal societies (and medieval townsmen loved joining clubs!). "Non-citizens" would be "discouraged" from carrying anything too militaristic.
Rurally, although occasionally the bearing of arms (beyond the usual knife or necessary tool) by someone without their lord’s explicit permission was punished by outlawdom, such restrictions were rare. People tended to know everyone about in their community and acted accordingly.
More typically "arms" were banned at certain locales or whilst attending specific events. An example being Louis VI of France’s prohibition on the bearing of arms in markets or towns, and 14th and 15th century Bavarian Landfrieden legislation that forbade subjects from carrying weapons on ceremonial occasions.
The chief reason for this being that weapons were useful, and although many had them, only soldiers and the rare manorial watchmen generally carried them. Indeed ownership of weapons was accepted, the need to raise militia units making this a necessity. Honour-feuding by populations (more common in rural populations without easy access to senior courts) also often meant arms were carried, this being seen as an extra-legal method of pursuing justice, and although frowned upon was not often stopped.
Knife-fights were pretty common, although in real-life they often don't last very much longer than initial blows... which is still typically the case today. Also drink was drunk by nearly everyone, but social and religious pressure also acted to keep tensions "sort-of" under control... generally.
It was the big festivals and fairs where people got excited and drank more than usual, that were the real problems (hence the rules about carrying arms at them).
