INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

Weapons are controversial. Collectors and connoisseurs es-teem them. As part of official equipment or as hobby gear theyare approved of. But most people in Middle and NorthernEurope aren't involved with weapons. Weapons have little ifany part in their daily lives, and are only thought about whenthere are headlines about a family tragedy or a mass shootingat a school.

The collection of the Austrian Museum of Folk Life and FolkArt does not include automatic firearms with a high rate of fire.Here you will find front loaders that are complicated to reload,and also edged weapons from our metals collection.

These bring up images of knights errant, King Arthur and hisround table, and recent movies such as Lord of the Rings.The actual relicts that can be found in the museum are sur-rounded by associations of these fantasy worlds.

What is the reality, past and present? Swordplay still exists incompetition fencing or in some students' associations. Milita-rily blades are of minor importance today, but until firearmsbecame common they determined the difference betweenvictory or defeat. Besides swords and daggers there werepikes, battleaxes, maces, and many other types of weapons.Knights provided their own equipment. That alone wasenough to make them an elite group.

Distance weaponry remain popular today. There are 22 archeryand gun clubs in Vienna alone. The members train at their shoo-ting ranges and take part in competitions.

Paintball and video war games enjoy lasting popularity.Psychological studies continue to warn of the dangers of lowe-ring the inhibition threshold to using violence. Shooting ballsof dye is thought to raise the willingness to use violence just asmuch as taking part in virtual warfare. However, the popularity

10