Nordhanian

Nordhanian is the name usually given to humans who live on the Continent of Nordhani. They are also known as Northlanders.

Geography

Nordhanians make up the bulk of the population in the following areas:

• Norheim
• The Mountains of Khazahk

Members

Most Nordhanians are Nordmansch or Common Human, but this ethnic group also consists of various Goliath and Dwarven members.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Alfhild, Amafrey, Arnbjorg, Ase, Aslog, Astrid, Auda, Audhid, Bergljot, Betha, Birghild, Bodil, Brenna, Brynhild, Cefrey, Dagmar, Eerika, Eira, Gudrun, Gunborg, Gunhild, Gunvor, Helga, Hertha, Hilde, Hillevi, Ingrid, Iona, Jorunn, Kari, Kenna, Kethra, Magnhild, Mara, Nanna, Olga, Ragna, Ragnhild, Ranveig, Runa, Saga, Sigfrid, Signe, Sigrid, Sigrunn, Silifrey, Solveg, Svanhild, Thora, Torborg, Torunn, Tove, Unn, Vigdis, Westra, Ylva, Yngvild

Masculine names

Agni, Alaric, Ander, Anvindr, Arvid, Asger, Asmund, Blath, Bjarte, Bjorg, Bjorn, Bran, Brandr, Brandt, Brynjar, Calder, Colborn, Cuyler, Egil, Einar, Eric, Erland, Fiske, Folkvar, Frath, Fritjof, Frode, Geir, Geth, Halvar, Hemming, Hjalmar, Hjortr, Ingimarr, Ivar, Knud, Lander, Leif, Liufr, Luth, Malcer, Manning, Oddr, Olin, Ormr, Ove, Rannulfr, Sigurd, Skari, Snorri, Sten, Stigandr, Stigr, Stor, Sven, Taman, Trygve, Ulf, Urth, Vali, Vidar

Family names

Brightwood, Helder, Hornraven, Lackman, Stormwind, Windrivver,

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Norsca is the most commonly spoken language of the Nordhanians, but most of them also speak Common.

Culture and cultural heritage

Faith

The Nordhanians believe in the The Norse Pantheon.

The Blot

Sacrifice was of great significance to the Nordic people. It was called the 'Blot'. The Blot often consisted of removing the blood from animal(s) and then boiling what remained in a large cooking pot. The blood was than sprinkled over the statues of the gods, this was done as they believed the blood had supernatural powers. The meat was then shared amongst all participants in a great feast with beer and mead. The Blot is used in many of the Nordic rituals and was often done whenever a religious feast was being held.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Marriage is the centre of household life and is considered to be of great significance. The wedding procedure follows many small rituals leading up to the wedding feast and the Blot. The rituals have to be done correctly so as to have the Gods bless the wedding. The wedding is also a legal unification of two families. Little is known of the wedding procedure.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

During birth the Norse would pray to the Goddesses Frigg and Freyja and sing ritual galdar-songs to ask the gods for a safe and successful birth. If the child survived nine nights it would be placed on the father's knee and sprinkled with water. Here the child was named and became part of the family. This was a significant moment as it meant that another life had joined the family and the regeneration of society was under way.

Coming of Age Rites

Becoming an adult

According to the oldest Nordhani law books, a boy was legally considered an adult when he was 12, but generally a boy was considered a man after he had passed 15 winters. A young male was considered an adult when he was ""hestefør og drikkefør", meaning he was able to ride a horse and allowed to participate in drinking with the other men.

The Wildening

Gender: Both
Age: 12
When a Nordhani reaches this age he/she can take part in the Wildening. Doing so is voluntary, but a Nordhani boy who has not taken part in the Wildening is looked down upon by society and his tribe, while a girl that takes part in this rite gains a lot of respect in her tribe.
The Wildening takes place in Bleaker (Deepwinter) and and demands that every participant goes out into the frozen tundra to survive there alone for 3 days and 3 nights, with no help and no tools that they did not craft by themselves.

Funerary and Memorial customs

One final significant ritual of the Norse is that of burial and funerals. Nordic Funeral rites often consist of cremation or burial. Cremation is the more favoured method and remains are often buried with a form of transport be it a horse, a wagon or a boat. Little is known of the rituals that take place during the burial and the cremation.

Draugr

The Nordhani believe that a dead that doesn't get buried/cremated properly, drowned, or gets buried in a non-horizontal position, can become a Draugr.
Draugr are undead bodies with superhuman strength that can shift their size at will.

Common Taboos

Kinslaughter

Kinslaughter is the act of killing a member of one's own family, and is considered a taboo in Nordhanian culture. Once this taboo is committed, the person becomes an outlaw or werewulf, literally translating to "outside the law" or "man-wolf. Since there is no delineation between murder, self defense, and accidental death, any death in the family caused by another member of the family has committed Kinslaughter, and is subject to the possibility of death with no retribution.

Ideals

Gender Ideals

The Nordhanian have strict gender roles. While both men and women are considered almost equally strong and can both become vikings, their social status varies wildly.
Men are the strong gender for the Nordhanian. Only men can insult other men. If a woman throws an insult at a man it's usually only met with a smirk.
An exception to this rule is made for Valkyries or higher ranking military women, as they have proven their worth and are seen equal to men.