Book 1: Ragnar 'Lothbrok'

APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Abbasid Caliphate--Arab dynasty that overthrew Ommayad dynasty in 750 A.D.

Aesir--group of northern gods of the Scandinavian pagan religion, including Odin, Tyr and Thor, in constant conflict with the Vanir, southern gods.

aett--the extended family, including those predeceased and those members yet to be.

althing--annual meeting, during pagan times, in which law was practiced and elections held.

Aurvandil--Thor carried him out of Giantland in a basket, but Aurvandil's exposed toe froze, so Thor broke it off and threw it up into the sky, where it became a star.

arvel--funeral feast; also, possibly arval.

atheling--warrior or noble.

At-Khazars--White Khazars, a tribe of the Khazar Empire of possible Roman origins, their leaders said to be Porphyrogeniti, born of the purple, a blood-line of the Roman Caesars. They were Jewish in religion and may have finally settled in Poland.

Balder--Aesir god; son of Odin.

bane--death.

banesman--slayer; ie: Hundingsbane = Hunding's slayer.

barrow--burial mound; also, howe.

berserk--warrior capable of attaining a manic fury in battle in which he is impervious to weapons but is overcome with weakness once the fit is through; also, berserker, shape-changer.

Biarmians--Finno-Ugric tribe of Northern Asia.

bireme--ship having two banks of oars each side.

bragarful--celebration filled with lively speech and brave boasts.

Bragi--Aesir god of poetry; also name of first Scandinavian poet; may also signify one eloquent in speech.

brand--sword; also, blood snake.

Branliv--Slavic byname meaning quarrelsome; possibly eloquent in speech.

buckler--shield; also, targe, leaf of leafy-land(sea).

Bulgars--Turkic tribe that migrated from western China to the Volga River with a second group moving on to Bulgaria; also, Volga Bulgars.

bulwarks--the side strakes of a ship; also, gunwales.

Burtas--Turkic tribe of the middle Volga River.

byrnie--coat of mail armour.

Byzant--gold coin of the Roman Empire.

Byzantine Empire--formed of the Eastern Roman Empire, following the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 A.D., by mostly Greek citizens. Fell to the Turks in 1453 A.D.

carl--freeman.

Disertus--byname of Hraerik in Saxo's Fifth Book of Danish History, Latin for eloquent in speech.

disir--female guardian spirits.

drapa--Norse poem of twenty stanzas.

Dregovichi--Slav people of the upper Dniepr River.

Drevjane--Slav people of the middle Dniepr river.

etin--giant.

Fafnir--dragon who guarded the Rhinegold treasure; slain by Sigurd the Volsung.

fane--temple.

fell--mountain.

fey--doomed to die.

fleer--to mock or make fun of.