What does it mean to greet a guest with an unsheathed sword?

Question

In *A Game of Thrones*, Chapter 24, when Tyrion Lannister visits Winterfell on the way back from the Wall: > “Any man of the Night’s Watch is welcome here at Winterfell for as > long as he wishes to stay,” Robb was saying with the voice of Robb the > Lord. His sword was across his knees, the steel bare for all the world > to see. Even Bran knew what it meant to greet a guest with an > unsheathed sword. What did it mean to do so? Is this a point of medieval Western tradition of hospitality that's being referenced here, or something internal to the Seven Kingdoms that's as yet unexplained?

Answer 1

Typically, an unsheathed sword is a tacit threat; it can be used readily. Since the functions of a feudal lord are fundamentally to conduct war and to execute (pun intended) justice, having the bared sword readily available indicates that formal judgment, possibly leading to conflict, is imminent.

It's analogous to US military personnel at the Pentagon being directed to wear combat uniforms in the wake of 9/11, rather than the office-type uniforms they had previously worn. Symbolic readiness for conflict.