Glossary

For those who may be less familiar with the Norse world.

Jomsviking Glossary

Ægir – a jötunn representing the personification of the sea.

Ásgarðr - the home of The Gods, men would spend the afterlife.

Drakkar – a Norse ship of war, propelled by oar or by sail depending on the wind.

Eire – Ireland

Freja – Norse Goddess of fertility. It is she who selects the worthy from among the fallen warriors and leads them to Valhalla

Freki and Geri – two giant wolves who frequently accompany Odin.

Great Hall - Valhalla

Hanö Bay – a small bay at the southern tip of present-day Sweden.

Hel – the hall of the dead. Where the slain languish for eternity if they are denied the glories of Valhalla.

Helluland - land of rocks, or Hel on earth. The name given to Baffin Island in northern Canada.

Hrafnaguð – the raven god, i.e. Odin disguised in raven form.

Jomsvikings – a legendary order of Swedish mercenaries who fought in the 10th and 11th centuries and staunchly worshiped the Old Norse Gods.

Jötunn – a Norse entity greater than a man yet less than a God. Usually a giant.

Knarr – a Norse trading ship. Wide, to hold cargo, but as a result, relatively slow.

Loki – a Norse God. The trickster.

Miðgarð – Earth. The world.

Miklagård – the Norse name for Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine empire and the greatest city in the known world.

Níðhöggr – a Norse fire dragon representing death and the dead. He is often seen biting at the roots of Yggdrasil. Níð referred to a loss of honor, so Níðhöggr awaited the likes of murderers, adulterers, and oath-breakers.

Níðingr - a man without honor, often a thief. See Níð above.

Norns – in Norse mythology, three elderly women who control fate. They spend eternity weaving the threads of life. Every man’s life is its own thread.

Odin – The Allfather. Ruler of The Gods. God of many things, from warriors to poetry to outlaws. Takes the form of a raven, often with one eye.

Puuku - a Finnish style of knife characterized by a short blade and no guard.

Ragnarök – The end of the world.

Rán – Norse Goddess of the sea. Her nine daughters symbolize waves.

Seax – a large knife, or dagger, often made from a broken sword. Metal was scarce and expensive, so a broken sword would frequently be ground down and reshaped into a seax. They would typically be worn in a sheath hung horizontally across the waist.

Serkland – the land beyond Constantinople, south and east of the Caspian Sea.

Sjaund – a ceremonial Norse ale drank at funerals.

Skål – a Norse toast, loosely meaning “cheers!”

Thor – a Norse war God. Also god of strength, thunder, lightning and many other things.

Týr – a Norse war God, God of law and justice. Sometimes treated as Odin’s son.

Ullr – a Norse God associated with archery and skiing.

Valhalla – a magical hall located in Ásgarðr. A warrior who died in battle spent eternity in Valhalla feasting, drinking, and fighting. A man who died without a weapon in his hand would be denied entry.

Varg – a particularly large and evil wolf, believed to be associates of The Gods.

Yggdrasil – the sacred tree of life around which the Nine Worlds rotate. The branches extend into the heavens, and the roots extend into the realms of the dead. The Norns sit at the base of Yggdrasil and weave our fate.