Criminalidad, amparo y licencias de armas en la Castilla de finales del Medievo

Abstract

This paper analyses the granting of arms licenses by the Castilian monarchy in the last years of the fifteenth century. It refers to issues such as motivations given by the applicants, conditions considered for obtaining them, their relations with development of armed groups and the role of the judicial system. 345 weapons licenses granted by the Royal Council stu- died allow us to approach problem of violence and use of weapons, regulation mechanisms of social conflict and limits of the royal justice in the Castilian Middle Ages. Documents for walking with helmets, broaches, daggers or swords put us in an exciting social setting, where coexisted desperation to survive with neighbourhood pressures –honour in the exer- cise of revenge– and desire for wealth –that led to forgive a death in exchange for a good bag of money–.