[W]ould a swordsman wear a weapon when going to a tavern? When walking down the street? If staying in an inn, would weapons/valuables be left in a rented room or carried with the swordsman? If the swordsman is wearing his sword, would he set it aside if he wanted to dance with someone?
I'm trying to define the rules for my fantasy universe and am looking for real world examples. Thanks in advance!
Hey, TheIT -
It would depend greatly on what time period and location you wanted to base your fantasy world on. I'm not familiar with the Samurai traditions, but if I were to make a SWAG, I would say they would not set their blades aside for much.
In Europe, you could find examples to fit both extremes: some swordsmen would only remove their weapons to go to bed or church, and some would carry them only when they anticipated a need.
A couple of general things to keep in mind:
In the age of knights and castles, swords were big and heavy, so many knights would carry them only when they needed them for combat, competition, or ceremony. This means they would carry only a dagger and/or shortsword with their daily wear. But ceremony in this case might extend even to religious ceremonies, as knights (especially knights Templar) would often pray over their cross-hilted swords as if they were crucifixes.
As armor grew thicker and heavier in response to advancing weapons, swords grew bigger for a time to aid in penetrating armor. As that became less feasible, they became thinner, lighter, and more agile, the aim being to find the weak spots and joints rather than plow through the plate itself. Swords became smaller and lighter, which made it feasible to carry one as part of one's daily wear. At the same time, the rise of the middle class meant more people could afford to own swords, so wearing one became as much a statement of status as a matter of self-defense. During this period, gentlemen would probably wear their swords for just about any activity except for church.
To address your specific examples:
Going to a tavern: depends on the tavern, but I would expect him to keep it on. Remember swords have always been expensive; if you went to a bar, you would not put your iPod on a shelf by the door for anyone to take home.
Walking down the street: almost certainly, unless he had a good reason to leave it behind.
Staying at an inn: depends on the inn's reputation. If the swordsman thinks somebody might steal his stuff, he'll take it with him.
Dancing: if it's a big fantasy sword, I'd say he would set it aside. You would not want to knock a young lady's legs out from under her with an ill-conceived spin--bad omen for the rest of the evening. If it's a rapier, he might keep it on. Like I said, it's a status symbol; keep it on to impress her. And avoid spinning.
For what it's worth.
HN
