Althing—an assembly of free people that made laws and settled disputes. It was like a Thing, but larger, involving delegates from various parts of a country, not just a single region. Forerunners of the English judicial system.
Baldr (also spelled Baldur, or Balder)— Norse god of light, purity and summer sun. Likened to the Christ god, Jesus. Son of Odin and the goddess Frigg.
Berserker—a Norse warrior who fought with a frenzied rage in battle, known to howl like a wolf and bite his shield
Birka—market town where Sweden is now located
Blindfuller—drunk as a lord
Braies—long, slim pants worn by men, usually tied at the waist, also called breeches
Brud-hlaup—bride-running, a Viking tradition in which the groom chased the bride, after the ceremony which was usually held outdoors. When he arrived ahead of her at the door to his keep, he laid his sword over the threshold. When she stepped over the sword, it was an indication that she accepted her new status as wife, not virgin maid. Often, being Vikings, the men smacked their brides over their rumps with the broad sides of their swords, just to show who would be master in their household. At least, my Vikings did, all with a sense of humor, of course. In some Viking rituals, the man would then swing his sword into the hardwood rooftree of the longhouse; the deeper the cut the more virile he was deemed to be, and it was a permanent scar of good luck
Cotters—laborers on farms or in village
Ells—measurement, usually of cloth, equal to about 45 inches
Fjords—long, narrow, deep inlets of the sea between high cliffs, usually formed by submerged glaciers
Foeman—enemy combatants
Frey/Freyr—Norse god of peace, fertility, rain, sunshine
Frigg—goddess, wife of Odin
Gammelost—Norwegian blue mold cheese made from soured skim milk; in the ancient sagas, it was said to be so foul it turned men into berserkers
Garderobe—indoor privy
Gunna—long-sleeved, ankle-length gown, often worn under a tunic or surcoat or long, open-sided apron by women.
Hedeby—market town where Germany is now located
Hersir—military commander
Hide—land measurement originally intended to represent the amount of land sufficient to support a household, equal to approximately 120 acres (49 hectares)
Hird/hirdsmen—troop, warband
Herfjöttr—a condition known as war fetter to the Vikings, similar to shell shock suffered by men in battle.
Hnefatafl—a Viking board game
Hordaland—Norway
Hospitium—a medical facility, usually tended by monks, like the hospitium associated with the minster in Jorvik (ancient name for York)
Housecarls—permanent troops assigned to a lord or nobleman’s household
Jarl—high ranking Norseman, similar to an English earl, or a wealthy landowner, could also be a chieftain or minor king
Jorvik —Viking Age York in Britain
Karl–one rank below a jarl.
Keep—home, estate, or holding
Knarr—a larger Viking longship suitable for longer voyages and carrying cargo
Loki—Norse god known as the trickster
Longboat/longship—Long, narrow warship or trading vessel, powered by both oar and sail, made most popular by the Vikings
Lutefisk—a traditional Norse dish made of dried, salted, or aged whitefish with lye. In fact, its name literally means “lye fish”
Manchet—type of flat bread baked in a circle with a hole in center so they could be stored in a stack on a pole
Manchus/es (of gold)—a measurement of gold with seventy grains equaling to six shillings, or thirty pennies/pence (one shilling equals five pennies)
Mead—fermented beverage made of honey and water
More danico—an accepted practice of multiple wives
Motte and bailey—a high, flat-topped hill on which a castle or keep was built
Norns of Fate—three female beings who rule the fates of gods and men
Norselands—All of the Scandinavian countries as a whole…Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, which were known then by such names as Hordaland (Norway), Halogaland (northern Norway), Vestland (southern Norway), Jutland (Denmark).
Norsemandy—Vikings ruled what would later be called Normandy. To them, it was Norsemandy.
Odin—king of all the Norse gods, considered a god of wisdom
Orphrey—gold or silver-threaded embroidery
Runes—ancient alphabet made of sticklike figures used by Vikings and other primitive cultures
Rushes—Fresh sweet flag plants, incorrectly termed ‘rushes,” were periodically spread on floors as a floor covering. These reed-like plants were inexpensive and plentiful and, when mixed with fresh herbs, were a good way to cover dirt while sweetening the air. They were also filthy and bug-ridden at times, if not replenished periodically.
Sagas—oral history of the Norse people, passed on from ancient times onward, important when written materials or skills were unavailable
Samite—heavy silk fabric, often interwoven with gold thread
Sennight—one week
Shert—shirt
Shiphird—ship army
Skalds—poets or storytellers who composed and told the sagas, which were the only means of recording ancient Norse history since there was almost no written word then
Straw death—to die in one’s sleep, not to be desired, a Viking wishing to die in battle instead and thus be led to a home in Valhalla
Surcoat—outer garment often worn by men over armor embroidered with heraldic arms, or sleeved or sleeveless garment worn indoors by men or women over a gown or other apparel
Thane—a member of the noble class, below an earl but above freemen, often a landowner
Thor—God of war
Thrall—slave
Tun—250 gallons, as in ale
Valhalla—the great hall where Odin welcomes Viking heroes who die in battle
Valkyries—a host of female figures who choose who may die in battle and who may live; they bring their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled over by the god Odin
Vestfold—southern Norway in Viking times
Witan (or Witenagemot)—king’s council of advisors, precursor to the English parliament