The idea of bandits and other nefarious people robbing travelers and then going back to their bandit camps or bandit towns is a staple in the fantasy genre. Is there any basis for this in the "medieval" eras?

by Spam4119

I say "medieval" because I am not quite knowledgeable on the proper terms. I know we are talking a span of hundreds of years that people call colloquially "medieval." But is there basis in Western history for the stereotypical group of bandits that have their own fortress or camp that just survive on crime?

Searocksandtrees

hi! hopefully others will contribute more on this, particularly on the point of bandit camps, but fyi, there have been a few posts on medieval bandits. Check out this long post, which includes links to a few more

the posts have been archived, so if you have follow-up questions, ask them here & notify the relevant user by mentioning their username