God's Hammer

Chapter 4

Aesir – One of the main tribes of deities venerated by the pre-Christian Norse. Old Norse: Æsir.

Balder – One of the Aesir gods. He is often associated with love, peace, justice, purity, and poetry. Old Norse: Baldr.

Blotmonath – November. The name refers to the slaughtering of animals prior to the winter.

bonder – Free men (farmers, craftsmen) who enjoyed rights such as the use of weapons and the right to attend law-things. They constituted the middle class. Old Norse: baendr.

burgh – A fortified settlement.

byrnie – A (usually short sleeved) chain mail shirt that hung to the upper thigh. Old Norse: brynja.

dragon – A larger class of Viking warship.

Dubhlinn Norse – Northmen from Dublin.

Frey – Brother to the goddess Freya. He is often associated with virility and prosperity, with sunshine and fair weather. Old Norse: Freyr.

Freya – Sister to god Frey. She is often associated with love, s*x, beauty, fertility, gold, magic, war, and death. Old Norse: Freyja.

fylke (pl. fylker) – Old Norse for “folkland,” which has come to mean “county” in modern use.

fyrd – An Old English army made up of citizens of a shire that was mobilized for short periods of time, e.g. to defend against a particular threat.

godi – A heathen priest or chieftain. Old Norse: goði.

hird – a personal retinue of armed companions who formed the nucleus of a household guard. Hird means “household.” Old Norse hirð.

hirdman (pl. hirdmen) – A member or members of the hird. Old Norse: hirðman.

hlaut – The blood of sacrificed animals.

Hogmanay – The feast preceding the Yule, which has come to be associated with the last day of the year.

jarl – Old Norse for “earl.”

jarldom – The area of land that a jarl ruled.

kaupang – Old Norse for “marketplace.” It is also the name of the main market town in Norway that existed around AD 800–950.

knarr – A type of merchant ship. Old Norse: knǫrr.

Night Mare – The Night Mare is an evil spirit that rides on people"s chests while they sleep, bringing bad dreams. Old Norse: Mara.

Njord – A god associated with sea, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth, and crop fertility. Old Norse: Njörðr.

Norns – The three female divine beings who influence the course of a man"s destiny. Their names are Urd (Old Norse Urðr, “What Once Was”), Verdandi (Old Norse Verðandi, “What Is Coming into Being”) and Skuld (Old Norse Skuld, “What Shall Be”).

Odal rights – The ownership rights of inheritable land held by a family or kinsmen.

Odin – Husband to Frigga. The god associated with healing, death, royalty, knowledge, battle, and sorcery. He oversees Valhall, the Hall of the Slain. Old Norse: Óðinn.

seax – A knife or short sword. Also known as scramaseax, or wounding knife.

seter – A simple wooden cottage in the mountains with a barn where farmers (bonders) bring their livestock herds (cattle, goats, and sheep) to be milked after a day of grazing in the mountain pastures.

skald – A poet. Old Norse: skald or skáld.

shield wall – A shield wall was a “wall of shields” formed by warriors standing in formation shoulder to shoulder, holding their shields so that they abut or overlap. Old Norse: skjaldborg.

steer board – A rudder affixed to the right stern of a ship. The origin of the word “starboard.” Old Norse: stýri (rudder) and borð (side of the ship).

skeid – This word refers to a midsize class of Viking warship.

skol – A toast to others when drinking. Old Norse: skál.

Terce – A service forming part of the Divine Office of the Western Christian Church, traditionally held at the third hour of the day (i.e., 9 a.m.).

thane – A word used to describe a class of military retainer or warrior. Old Norse: þegn.

thing – The governing assembly of a Viking society or region, made up of the free people of the community and presided over by lawspeakers. Old Norse: þing.

Thor – A hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oaktrees, strength, the protection of mankind. Old Norse: Þórr.

thrall – A slave.

tun – A dwelling place usually consisting of a group of structures.

Valhall (also Valhalla) – The hall of the slain presided over by Odin. It is where brave warriors chosen by valkyries go when they die. Old Norse: Valhöll.

valkyrie – A female helping spirit of Odin that transports his favorite among those slain in battle to Valhall, where they will fight by his side during the battle at the end of time, Ragnarok. Old Norse: valkyrja, plural valkyrjur.

wergeld – Also known as “man price,” it was the value placed on every being and piece of property.

witan – An assembly of royal councilors.

woolsark – A shirt or vest made of course wool.

Yngling – Refers to the Fairhair dynasty, which descended from the kings of Uplands, Norway.

Yule – A pagan midwinter festival lasting roughly twelve days. It later became associated with Christmas. Old Norse: Jōl.