Nordheimer

Overview
Asgard is the eastern part of Nordheim where the Æsir lives. The Æsir are a numerous people but Asgard is not a unified kingdom serving one supreme king. Essentially the Æsir are a village based people who are bound only by a common way of life.

Vanaheim comprises the western part of Nordheim where the Vanir lives. The Vanir are also a numerous people but they are not as numerous as their foes, the Æsir. Like Asgard, Vanaheim is not a unified kingdom serving one supreme king but has a more locally-oriented power structure.

The Nordheimir are fierce warriors, proud and honourable. With white hot enthusiasm they pursue life, facing death fearlessly with a song on their lips. They are giant men who value honour, loyalty and reputation above all things, for their land is harsh. Even the women are strong, running households while the men war with each other across the icy plains and mountains.

Clothing and Appearance
Nordheimir men wear trousers, tunics, coats and cloaks, usually made from hide, leather, worsted wool or linen. Most wool is dyed red, blue, brown or yellow, although some is not dyed at all if its natural colour is pleasing.

Ferocity and courage are not the only measure of manhood among the Nordheimir. Self-esteem is also valued and to some degree self-esteem revolves around appearance. Using combs made from antlers, the Nordheimir groom themselves daily, braiding their hair, moustaches and beards. Many carry small tools to clean their fingernails and ears. The Nordheimir bathe at least once a week and use saunas for health.

In addition to grooming, self-esteem includes a measure of status. Status among the Nordheimir is achieved through combat prowess or wealth. The display of wealth gives a Nordheimir status. Their clothes and armour have coins sewn onto them. Coins are also hung on chains and worn as jewellery, displayed with arrogant pride. Jewellery is equally prized by Nordheimir men as by the women. Precious metals are often melted down and recast as wearable items, such as bracelets or armlets.

Social Standing
A king is a chieftain who has consolidated one or more tribe/clan under his rule. A chieftain is the head of a tribe or clan and usually owns around 18 farms. The chieftain has the social responsibility of enforcing the laws of Nordheimir society. A chieftain is expected to be generous in all things and to protect the honour of the clan against outsiders. The chieftain must be a good leader, a powerful warrior, an excellent speaker and an inspiration to his men. He is required to attend every Thing or Althing lest he lose his position. The Hirðmaðr are those who have sworn Allegiance to the king or chieftain and fight by his side. The Jarls are the upper class, the wealthiest of Nordheimir. Below them are the commoners: landowners and land-workers. Commoners are of three categories:

Leiding: A leiding is a man who rents or leases his land to another in return for payment in food. A leiding is usually a wealthy land-owner or farmer and his tenant can be anyone from a former slave to a chieftain. He is a free man with all the rights and duties of such in Nordheimir society.

Hauldr: A hauldr is a true free man with full rights and duties in Nordheimir society. The hauldr owns his own land and has a hereditary right to that land; his family has owned the land for at least six generations. Most people in Nordheimir society belong to this class of people.

Løysing: A løysing is a slave who has been set free by his owner because of hard work or exceptional service. He is usually still dependent upon and owes duties to his former owner. The children of løysing parents are free. Members of this class often participate in raids and military excursions in order to supplement their wealth. The only right they lack is a hereditary right to land.

Slaves
Beneath the commoners are the thralls. Thralls are slaves; thralls are not protected by the law but are treated as property. Killing a slave is not murder, so the killer need only replace the slave if it was owned by someone else. Children born of slaves are the property of their mothers’ owners. Slaves work hard and the only thing they are allowed to own are knives. Slaves are captured during raids into Pictland, Asgard, Nordheim, Cimmeria, the Border Kingdom and Hyperborea. Other Nordheimir might become slaves if they find themselves unable to pay the mulct (fine) imposed by the Althing or Thing or unable to provide for themselves and/or their families.

War, Their True Religion
War is an essential component in the lives of the Nordheimir. War is their economy. War is their social setting. War is their religion. War measures courage. War measures honour. War measures manhood. This being the case, weapons are of prime importance to the Nordheimir. Their favoured weapons are the broadsword and the axe. Hunting and war spears are also commonly seen. Weapons are so important to the Nordheimir that they are almost always highly ornamented, etched with exotic designs or runic characters. The Nordheimir tend to prefer dragons or birds of prey in the complex ornamentation of their weapons. In addition, they also etch stylised nature designs into their armour, clothing and tools. The Nordheimir often wear leather helmets reinforced with pieces of metal, including a piece of iron or steel over the nose. These helms are often decorated, in addition to mere designwork, with horns to symbolise fierce power. Mail shirts and large shields are standard. The common shields seen among the Nordheimir are made of wood and covered in leather hide or bearskin. A round metal hump is place in the centre of the outer face of each shield to protect the hand holding the shield.

Religion
The Nordheimir worship Ymir the Frost Giant, God of War and Storms. Ymir rules icy Valhalla which is a place of the fallen warriors, a realm of long halls, snowy glaciers and eternal drinking, wenching and fighting.

Ymir represents the Earth to the Nordheimir and both the Vanir and the Æsir spring from Ymir. Battle for the Nordheimir is not only the basis of their economy and social life, it is also the basis of their religious life, for Ymir is worshipped by doing battle all day, then eating, drinking and singing all night. Indeed, even those activities have religious merit, for ale is the drink of bold Ymir and, as such, is sacred and consumed in large quantities. It is said among the Nordheimir that it is possible to come into direct contact with Ymir by drinking yourself unconscious. Thus, inebriation is a religious obligation as well as a social activity.

The belief of Ymir is also deemed the persons own and not to be dictated or determined by any other, attempts to do such can often end with feuds or blood shed.

Trade and Economy
The Æsir used precious metals, usually silver, in trade. They pay for goods with coin or an appropriate weight in silver cut off from their jewellery. The Æsir rarely carry purses or sacks of coin because of the noise. It is easier and quieter to recast coins as a bracelet and then just slice off pieces as needed. The Æsir also engage in barter for trade goods. Of course, their preferred manner of acquiring necessities is to raid a rival for them.

The frigid northlands are not suited for agriculture and the Nordheimir do not practice anything beyond bare subsistence farming. The Æsir do not herd great herds of animals either. They hunt for their livelihood as befits a warrior race. Their wasteland realm is not as barren of life as one might suppose at first glance. The frozen mountains and icy plains support bear, mammoths, moose, reindeer and similar beasts of the wild. Wild fruits and berries supplement the Æsir diet. Dependent upon wildlife, Æsir villages, built using whatever materials are close at hand or can be readily raided, are usually erected near known animal trails and water. In the centre of these villages stand the largest and longest of the many buildings. This great hall is the home of the local king.

Goverment
The Nordheimir villages are ruled by kings, who can be any warrior able to maintain a following, as chosen during the Thing (Vanir) or Althing (Æsir), which is the democratic body that deals with legislative or social issues. Any Nordheimir free man is a member of the Thing (or Althing) and can have his say and cast his vote. The Nordheimir see the Althing or Thing as a social setting for war, the arena in which most social combats are fought.

The Æsir and Vanir have many kings, for each village is like a kingdom unto itself. A king, to the Nordheimir, is any local warrior who can maintain a following, using both income and honour to hold on to that following. The king always leads his warriors into battle, which means that most Æsir kings die young but with barbaric honour and pride.