Roman Terms
Ala/alae (plural): Cavalry squadron(s)
Centurion: Commanding officer of a century, a unit of one hundred legionary soldiers
Equestrian: Though literally translated as “horseman,” the title is the equivalent of a knight, generally awarded to men of the property-owning class, a step below the Senatorial class
Lanciarius/lanciarii (plural): Light infantry skirmishers, best used for reconnaissance and loose formation fighting, considered the “special operators” of a Roman legion. Lanciarii were not a permanent fixture of a Roman legion until the 3rd century CE and are used here by the grace of artistic license.
Legatus: Equivalent to a modern general, the officer in command of a legion
Optio: Officer second to a Centurion, responsible for enforcing the Centurion’s orders, keeping the troops in order, and other administrative duties
Panem et circenses: Bread and circuses
Testudo: A type of shield wall formation named for its appearance to a tortoise
Tribune: Officer second to the Legate, above the Centurion, usually a young man of Equestrian rank
Usus: The Roman equivalent of a common law marriage, an informal agreement between two consenting adults who lived together
Germanic Terms
Baduhenna: Goddess of war and revenge,
Donar: God of thunder
Haustblot: Fall festival celebrating the autumnal equinox
Landvættir: Guardian spirit of an area; nature spirit
Männerbund: Brotherhoods of male warriors who completed their warrior training together
Offnüng: Vent in the ceiling/roof
Ôstara: Goddess of Spring, celebrated at the spring equinox
Wald: Forest
Scalc: Slave or indentured servant
Tyr: God of war
Vetrnaetr: “Winter nights,” winter solstice festival
Wîblîhbund: a theoretical sisterhood of warriors
Wodan: Chief of the gods, the one who determines the outcome of battles