The Caged Viking

by Sandra Hill

  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