Category:Skaldia

=Overview=

=History= The relations between Skaldia and the other nations are rocky at best. While the Skaldi chieftains don't have much in the way of unity among the tribes, they occasionally are gathered together by a powerful or persuasive chieftain and can unite to war against their neighbors; in such a situation their sheer size makes for a devastating attack force, considering their women and children pack up their entire camps and move along with them as well, forming a huge horde. Conquest and glory are foremost in the eyes of the Skaldi.

One of the best-known examples of the above situation was when Waldemar Selig gathered the tribes to attack Terre d'Ange as part of an agreement with Melisande Shahrizai and Isidore d'Aiglemort, though Selig never intended to stop at what was agreed. With their defeat, the seeds of change were planted, however, as some among the Skaldi began to wonder if they would not be better suited following in the footsteps of the powers around them.

=Culture=

The Skaldi are a barbaric, fierce, warlike people. They have no proper written language or alphabet, though they have a crude system of carved runes called the "futhark" in order to write down important symboles or information. They worship the ancient pagan gods of their people, including such deities as Odhinn All-Father, Freja, and Baldur. Though they're considered barbaric by D'Angeline standards, the Skaldi think the same as the D'Angelines and have a general contempt for most other nations.

The People
Skaldia is a nation roughly equitable to Nordic and Teutonic cultures. It is geographically located in the same area as Germany, to the east of Terre d'Ange and north of Caerdicca Unitas.

The Skaldi, unlike the D'Angelines, keep slaves, though they are generally well-treated. Their religion is akin to Nordic mythology, including worship of Odhinn the All-Father, Freja, and Baldur. They consider the D'Angelines barbarians, just the same as the D'Angelines consider them, though certain travelers says the skaldi view Terre d'Ange with a mixture of derision and yearning, contempt and envy.

Though they have no proper written language, they have a system of runes known as the futhark, a gift taught to their people by Odhinn. The Skaldi have an elaborate system of law, wherein the lord hears complaints twice a week; his judgments are final and unquestioned. The Skaldi do not kneel before their leaders, instead standing straight and proud to show their strength. They are fierce but unorganized warriors, given to infighting between tribes. The Skaldi women are responsible for stripping the dead of spoils, and sing as they perform their duties.

As a people, the Skaldi have a deep streak of sentimentality and emotion, given to crying and loving as easily as they are to fighting. The Skaldic women sing songs of life, the harvest, courtship and love, childbearing and loss, while the men sing of war, death, and fighting. As a people, they are fond of wagering, bickering, and drinking, not least because there is little else to do while snowbound during their long winters. They treat their animals without coddling them, in order to keep them strong and hardy.

Physically, the Skaldi are a hardy, tough people who are impressed by size and strength over beauty or elegance. They live in a tribal system, each one spread out over a certain area of territory and often raiding and pillaging the neighboring tribes for fun and profit. Of course, this doesn't profit the nation as a whole, though it certainly does toughen them up.

They tend to be fairly large in size, even the women. The men often wear beards, particularly in the winter, and both men and women often wear their hair long. As far as physical appearance goes, their culture is quite diverse - the northern tribes often have blond hair and blue eyes while the southern ones have darker hair and eye color. For clothing, the Skaldi tend to wear thick layers of crude or rough-spun fabric in the forms of tunics, leggings, and robes or dresses on the women. They also tend to wear animal furs, particularly those of predator animals such as wolves or bears.

Government
In the past, the Skaldi have formed a sort of semi-stable government in Berolinum, comprised of ambassadors from each tribe who travel to and from their settlement to exchange news and information as well as several Elders who encourage the growth of the nation in general. The Elders also send a delegation to other countries nominally to work out potential trade routes and alliances, but more commonly and accurately guessed, to spy on defenses and potential invasion routes.

Religion
Those of the Skaldian religions follow something much akin to Norse mythology, such as Odhinn One-Eye, Thore of the Hammer and Loke the Serpent tongued.

Slavery
Unlike the other nations, the Skaldi keep slaves, though their slaves are often fair-treated. A bustling trade market in kidnapped Caerdicci and D'Angeline slaves continues often through the tribes, much to the dismay of their respective nations.

=Geography= Skaldia is a large nation to the east of Terre d'Ange that stretches from the northern coast down to the mountainous border of Caerdicci Unitas. Geographically it's largely hilly forest with a harsh winter climate that cuts off all travel during the colder months, particularly in the north. While this position would normally be a strategic one considering the amount and diversity of land, the Skaldi up until now have been uninterested in real economic or mercantile development.

There are well-built roads, built by the old Tiberian Empire, that travel through the mountain passes but are difficult, if not impossible to traverse as soon as the snow begins to fall. Since there's also a severe danger of avalanches, most of the Skaldi are effectively trapped in their own nation.

=Allies and Enemies= The relations between Skaldia and the other nations are rocky at best. While the Skaldi chieftains don't have much in the way of unity among the tribes, they occasionally are gathered together by a powerful or persuasive chieftain and can unite to war against their neighbors; in such a situation their sheer size makes for a devastating attack force, considering their women and children pack up their entire camps and move along with them as well, forming a huge horde. Conquest and glory are foremost in the eyes of the Skaldi.

=Resources=

Skaldic Terms

 * Allthing: a meeting between the heads of Skaldi tribes and steadings in order to discuss things of importance. Each tribe chief is allowed to bring two of his thanes and one headwoman to the meeting itself, though the campments outside are typically much larger. The Allthing has fallen out of general use in more modern days, given the similar nature of the Elder Council in Berolinum.
 * holmgang': A combative challenge between two men. A circle is drawn in a field and the men are given one sword and three shields; the first to shed the other's blood is the winner in the dispute, or if the other steps foot outside the circle.
 * Gambrivii, Manni, Marsi, Suevi, Vandalii: These are the more prominent and largest Skaldi tribes, each about equal in power and strength to the other with their own thane (chieftain) commanding it.
 * Selig: "blessed", a term given as a substitute surname to Skaldi warriors who show tremendous courage and bravery in battle. It was first used by Waldemar Selig, and after his death was used by other predominant warriors to display their prowess. The equivalent would be 'The Great' or 'The Conquerer' rather than an actual last name.
 * -dottir, -son: Almost all Skaldi last names end with dottir, if female, and -son, if male, using their father as a referance for the last name. Waldemar Berundson is the son of Berund, Jori Waldemarsdottir is the daughter of Waldemar, etc.