Northmen

In the north, in a harsh and unforgiving land. A group of humans have settled, and is calling this dangerous land home. A race of humans that has been well known around the world. Either feared or admired for their way of life. They live in small tribes, scattered around the many thousands of islands in their homeland, the northern isles. All these tribes fight, raid and conquer each other constantly. always plotting and fighting against each other. Yet if ever an outside threat were to set foot within the cold land of the northmen, enemies would become friends in order to take down this threat. Cause no one, but the northmen will ever rule the north.

Naming Traditions

Family names

For the northmen, their last name will always be the first name of one of their parents. If a boy is born, he will be called after his father. For example if he had a father called Ofran. He would be called Ofran-son as a last name.
If a girl is born, they will get their mothers first name as a second name. For example, if a girl is born to a woman named Olga. She would be called Olga-Daughter.
If a northmen were to become so great, their greatness would surpass that of their parents. They would often get a new name, that would tell about who they have done. Like “the bloody”, “Bear Killer” or whatever it could be.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

The northmen speak Nordic as their official language. Though a lot of northmen also speak castronian and modern orag.

Culture and cultural heritage

The northmen don't worship the same kind of gods as most others. It isn't the normal 12 gods that are known and worshiped by most of the mainland and eastland. Instead they have the wild gods. These are gods of the wild that take the shape of animals. There are 8 in total. There is the Deer, the Boar, the Bear, the Wolf, The Raven, the Eagle, the Fish and the Whale. Though all evidence suggests that these wild gods may very well be different sides of the god Malrok, or maybe demons of Malrok. Nobody knows.

Shared customary codes and values

The northmen are an honorable people, and have codes that talk against ever raising your weapon against someone who has none. They also heavily believe in revenge as being honorable. If someone is killed, revenge is also seen as a sign of respect for the dead.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Each year, on the last day. 28th of Endyear. A giant gathering will happen in Holar. On this day, anyone will be able to challenge the Heaveding for his/her title. And on this day the Heaveding is not able to reject the challenge, or he will be shamed and/or executed by the people. All who challenges will then one after one get to fight to the death with the heaveding. And the winner gets/keeps the title. Doing the rest of the year, people are still able to challenge the heaveding, yet this is seen as a coward's move.

Funerary and Memorial customs

When a northman dies, the loved ones he/she has that are still alive will carry the body out into the wild, on an open hill. Here spirits will come down from the realm of the dead. These spirits are of those who have waited on the deceased in the realm of the dead. This can be dead parents, sisters, friends, and anyone who will have missed them while they themself have been in the realm of the dead. The more loved a person has been, the more people and spirits will show up to this event.
In the unlikely event that on one shows up, it is said that the spirit will be trapped in the mortal realm, inside the body never to escape. It is said that they will then suffer an eternity in nothingness, as they will be locked out of the realm of the dead.

Historical figures

Ulrick, the great heaveding.
Rudolf, Son of Ulfrik.
Jomar, the one who defeated Ulfrik and gained the Heaveding title.
Thorald the lucky.
Annest

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

For the northmen, oftentimes wealth is seen as beauty. The fighters who do best in their raids, will gain the most loot, and therefore be the richest. Which is often seen as a sign of beauty, and will give prestige to that person. This also means that a lot of northmen will be wearing jewelry that they have gained through time to show this wealth. This can be braids through the hair, necklaces, rings or whatever.

Gender Ideals

For the northmen, you can become what you can fight your way too. All in all it has become a very male dominated society, due to the fact that oftentimes male will be stronger fighters. But when a female comes, that is just as good, if not better than most men. She will gain the respect of it, and be seen as just as powerful as those strong men.

Courtship Ideals

The realm of the northmen is split into hundreds of small tribes, and the thousands of islands there are. All led by a Jarl, often also known as a chieftain. These many jarls will fight against each other, trying to raid and conquer from each other. But all the jarls answer to one man. The heaveding. The heaveding live in the giant tribe called Holar. And he is the only northman able to call upon all tribes, and gather the giant northern army. He is only allowed to do so, if the northern isles are in danger from the outside though, and never to just fight other northmen, or to be used for his own reasons.