Illugi dictionary
Jul. 9th, 2006 09:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valarltdA Brief Glossary of Terms
The viking "th" is represented 2 ways: by a hard th, as in "breath" and also by a soft "th" as in
"breathe." The letter for the soft "th" I have spelled "the" as in "nithe."
argr--inclined to play the female part in sexual relations with another man.
Seitheskratti-- a man who practices woman's magic and is argr as well. Norse society was very
sexually stratified, and men did not touch the things of women, especially their magic.
Nithe--libel, slander, insult, accusation of homosexuality
Swan-road--a kenning or poetic metaphor for sea
Dane-Law-- the portion of England from Northumbria south to York, under control of Viking
Armies from A.D. 867-888
Hebredies and Orkneys--Islands off the coast of Scotland, both held by Norse.
Vinland--Newfoundland. The Norse established a small settlement here in 1004 or 1010, but
abandoned it after three years. However, Snurri Thorfinnson was the first European child born in
the western hemisphere.
Rus--Eastern area. Settled by Norse, Mongols and indigenous peoples. Also the river now called
the Volga. Also the offspring of those peoples, who later became "Russians."
Miklagard--Norse name for Constantinople.
Odin--Father of the Gods. Missing an eye, which he traded for knowledge. Odin gives men sagas
and fame, and his daughters, the valkyries, bring the honored dead to his great hall, Valhalla. The
Oak is sacred to him, for he hung upon it nine days and nights to receive the runes. Men and
horses were hanged from oak trees in sacrifice to him.
Freyr--the god of fertility, plenty and war. Brother of Freyja, goddess of love. He rides a golden
bristled boar into battle.
Fletching--putting feathers on arrows.
Coracle-- a small round 1 man boat, usually made of hides stretched over a willow frame.
Naglfar-- Literally "nail ship." A ship made of dead men's fingernails, harbinger of doom.
Njord--Sea and wind god, a Vanir. Father of Freyr and Freyja.
Loki--mischief maker of the Norse pantheon. He is neither an Asa nor a Vala (the two types of
gods), but a giant. So fair and handsome was he that he and Odin became blood-brothers in the
Morning of Time (although some myths have him as Odin's bastard son by a giantess). He and his
children will bring down Doomsday.
Ragnarok--the Norse Apocalypse.
pennyroyal--a common herbal abortifacient
Sea-wolves--Viking radiers
Skagarak-- a strait in the North Sea, off Jutland
Walked Njord's road--a kenning for "drowned"
Varangian--The emperor of Miklagard's personal guard, all Norse.
Aegir--Norse sea god, an Asa, very fierce. Saxons used to sacrifice every tenth prisoner by
throwing them overboard in order to appease him
Bragi-- Son of Odin and chief poet of the gods. Married to Idun, goddess of youth and growing
things, and had the runes cut on his tongue. Some believe he is an aspect of Odin, others that he
is a 9th century skald elevated to godhood by later poets.
bear-sark--Literally: bear-skin. A class of warriors who wore nothing but a bear-skin into battle,
believing it would give them the powers of the animal. Commonly called berserkers..
Wyrd--destiny. The cord of a man’s life, woven into a tapestry by the Norns.
Norns-- the Norse fates. They sit at the base of the world-tree weaving every man’s life into the tapestry of history: bright threads for Heroes, colorful and plain for common folk.
lich--body, specifically one raised from the dead by magic to serve a purpose.
geas--a great command. To fail at this is to be forever dishonored.
bezant--A Roman gold coin, introduced by the Emperor Constantine, of 65 to 70 troy grains
(About 1/4 oz or 7 grams) in weight. It was the basis of trade in the western world from the fourth to the twelfth century AD. Also known as Solidus.
Bosphorus--strait that divides the Turkish half of Constantinople from the Greek half. It leads into the Black Sea
The viking "th" is represented 2 ways: by a hard th, as in "breath" and also by a soft "th" as in
"breathe." The letter for the soft "th" I have spelled "the" as in "nithe."
argr--inclined to play the female part in sexual relations with another man.
Seitheskratti-- a man who practices woman's magic and is argr as well. Norse society was very
sexually stratified, and men did not touch the things of women, especially their magic.
Nithe--libel, slander, insult, accusation of homosexuality
Swan-road--a kenning or poetic metaphor for sea
Dane-Law-- the portion of England from Northumbria south to York, under control of Viking
Armies from A.D. 867-888
Hebredies and Orkneys--Islands off the coast of Scotland, both held by Norse.
Vinland--Newfoundland. The Norse established a small settlement here in 1004 or 1010, but
abandoned it after three years. However, Snurri Thorfinnson was the first European child born in
the western hemisphere.
Rus--Eastern area. Settled by Norse, Mongols and indigenous peoples. Also the river now called
the Volga. Also the offspring of those peoples, who later became "Russians."
Miklagard--Norse name for Constantinople.
Odin--Father of the Gods. Missing an eye, which he traded for knowledge. Odin gives men sagas
and fame, and his daughters, the valkyries, bring the honored dead to his great hall, Valhalla. The
Oak is sacred to him, for he hung upon it nine days and nights to receive the runes. Men and
horses were hanged from oak trees in sacrifice to him.
Freyr--the god of fertility, plenty and war. Brother of Freyja, goddess of love. He rides a golden
bristled boar into battle.
Fletching--putting feathers on arrows.
Coracle-- a small round 1 man boat, usually made of hides stretched over a willow frame.
Naglfar-- Literally "nail ship." A ship made of dead men's fingernails, harbinger of doom.
Njord--Sea and wind god, a Vanir. Father of Freyr and Freyja.
Loki--mischief maker of the Norse pantheon. He is neither an Asa nor a Vala (the two types of
gods), but a giant. So fair and handsome was he that he and Odin became blood-brothers in the
Morning of Time (although some myths have him as Odin's bastard son by a giantess). He and his
children will bring down Doomsday.
Ragnarok--the Norse Apocalypse.
pennyroyal--a common herbal abortifacient
Sea-wolves--Viking radiers
Skagarak-- a strait in the North Sea, off Jutland
Walked Njord's road--a kenning for "drowned"
Varangian--The emperor of Miklagard's personal guard, all Norse.
Aegir--Norse sea god, an Asa, very fierce. Saxons used to sacrifice every tenth prisoner by
throwing them overboard in order to appease him
Bragi-- Son of Odin and chief poet of the gods. Married to Idun, goddess of youth and growing
things, and had the runes cut on his tongue. Some believe he is an aspect of Odin, others that he
is a 9th century skald elevated to godhood by later poets.
bear-sark--Literally: bear-skin. A class of warriors who wore nothing but a bear-skin into battle,
believing it would give them the powers of the animal. Commonly called berserkers..
Wyrd--destiny. The cord of a man’s life, woven into a tapestry by the Norns.
Norns-- the Norse fates. They sit at the base of the world-tree weaving every man’s life into the tapestry of history: bright threads for Heroes, colorful and plain for common folk.
lich--body, specifically one raised from the dead by magic to serve a purpose.
geas--a great command. To fail at this is to be forever dishonored.
bezant--A Roman gold coin, introduced by the Emperor Constantine, of 65 to 70 troy grains
(About 1/4 oz or 7 grams) in weight. It was the basis of trade in the western world from the fourth to the twelfth century AD. Also known as Solidus.
Bosphorus--strait that divides the Turkish half of Constantinople from the Greek half. It leads into the Black Sea
