Down and Dirty
Page 31
Glossary—Vikings
Althing. An assembly of free people that makes laws and settles disputes. It is like a Thing but much larger, involving delegates from various parts of a country, not just a single region.
Birka. Market town where Sweden is now located.
braies. Long, slim pants worn by men, usually tied at the waist; also called breeches.
drukkinn. Drunk.
gunna. Long-sleeved, ankle-length gown for women, often worn under a tunic or surcoat or long, open-sided apron.
Hedeby. Market town where Germany is now located.
hird. Troop, war band.
Hordaland. Norway.
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.
Jutland. Denmark.
karl. One rank below a jarl.
nithing. One of greatest of Norse insults, indicating a man is less than nothing.
Norsemandy. Vikings ruled what would later be called Normandy. To them, it was Norsemandy.
odal right. Law of heredity.
sagas. Oral history of the Norse people, passed on from ancient history onward.
sennight. One week.
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 bed (mattresses stuffed with straw), rather than in battle, which was more desirable.
Thing. An assembly of freemen called together to discuss problems and settle disputes; forerunner of the English judicial system; like district courts of today.
thrall. Slave.