[Regia-NA] Women's knives--what to do with them?

[PADRUIGTHEUNCLE at aol.com]

Historically, one of the few social norms shared by the Anglo-Saxons and the 
Vikings was that a slave was not permitted to own any kind of weapon, even a 
belt knife.  If you had two women standing together both wearing linen and 
wadmal, both with their hair covered, and both working in the fields; it would be 
easy to see the freewoman by the small knife she wore on her belt.  Even 
though slaves might used axes, bill hooks, flails, and mauls, these were not 
considered "weapons" but a small knife with a five inch blade would be considered a 
weapon.  Also, the farm implements were the property of the slave's owner.  A 
slave or thrall might carve meat at dinner but the knife was not their 
property since they were also considered property.
The early Western concept of slavery began to die out after the 11th century 
since the Church did not like fellow Christians enslaving each other.  Of 
course, enslaving Saracens and heathens was completely different in the eyes of 
Mother Church.  The Saracens are much more enlightened about slavery and it is 
not considered odd that many military leaders and governors began life as a 
mamluk (slave) but after training were armed and manumitted by their owners.

Pagan fils Raymond de Caesarea
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