Category:Vanir



VANIR "Both were tall men, built like tigers. Their shields were gone, their corselets battered and dented. Blood dried on their mail; their swords were stained red. Their horned helmets showed the marks of fierce strokes. One was beardless and black-maned. The locks and beard of the other were red as the blood on the sunlit snow."-The Frost Giant's Daughter After the Cataclysm destroyed the civilizations of the world, humanity again began its fight for dominance. A primitive people, only slightly more evolved than the Neanderthal, travelled north and fought the snow-apes. They drove these monsters north of the arctic circle to perish and occupied the cold northern lands as conquerors. Over the next several thousand years these snow-apes managed to evolve into gigantic blonde arctic savages and pushed back south. A thousand years later, they finally pushed the Hyborians south and established Nordheim. These barbarians split into two major groups based primarily on hair-colour. Those with red hair went west of the Blue Mountains and those with yellow hair went to the east of that range. The red-haired Vanir settled in the western portion of Nordheim and called it Vanaheim. They are not Hyborian and their bloodlines remain pure.

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

Description
The Vanir are giant men who value honor, loyalty and reputation above all things, for their land is harsh, and they are hardened by generations of living in near-arctic conditions and almost constant warfare with the Aesir, the Cimmerians, the Hyperboreans and the Picts. However, there are some Vanir men who are gutless cowards, men who attack other from behind rocks. Not even their own people claim them.

In order to survive in their cold wastelands, the Vanir have built a religion around battle and warfare. Aggression is worshipped, and the Vanir are undoubtedly fierce warriors, chasing after life with intense enthusiasm, singing songs even as they die, swords in hand. As Nordheimer traits go, the Vanir feast in a loud, boisterous fashion and often engage in ‘friendly’ brawls when drunk.

It should be known that in battle, the Vanir do not quit so easily. Even when outnumbered and far from home, the Vanir would fight right to the very end. This determination can be seen in the set of their feet and their eyes. However, there have been a few exceptions; usually a commander offers his life in return for his men to return to their homes alive. They will also take caution of formidable opponents as well as flee from supernatural creatures.

Clothing
Like the Aesir, the Vanir believe in appearance and are not a dirty people. They make combs from antlers and many carry small tools with them to clean their fingernails and ears. Their red beards and manes are often braided and groomed. The Vanir bathe weekly and use saunas for health reasons.

Clothing amongst the tribes is invariably practical, with thick woolen tunics, cloaks and furs favored for the protection they grant against the snow and ice. Many Nordheimer also wear ornaments and decorations – simple arm-rings made by the tribe’s smiths or items of antler or bone are favored over the flimsy jewelry of more civilized lands. Wealthy Nordheimer may be somewhat more ostentatious, having gold coins sewn to their clothing to display their wealth and even the fact that they are not afraid of thieves.

Behavior and Notable Oddities
The Vanir differ from their Cimmerian and Aesir neighbors in that they are vicious raiders who attack others for slaves and plunder excessively, sometimes just for amusement.

Vanir raids are known to be especially brutal. The Vanir are famed for burning all they cannot carry away with them. Vanirs dislike intrusions into their territories and will always destroy any settlements which come within several days’ march of their villages.

The Vanir feast in a loud, boisterous fashion and often engage in ‘friendly’ brawls when drunk.

Their favored weapons are the broadsword and the axe. Hunting and war spears are also commonly seen. However they frown upon the use of bows, which they perceive a dishonorable weapon used by cowards.

In addition to grooming, self-esteem includes a measure of status. Status among the Vanir is achieved through combat prowess or wealth. Those Vanir who achieve a level of wealth often display this wealth. This is not considered vanity, but just another part of their culture. Hiding one’s wealth is cowardly, showing fear of thieves. Thus, their clothes and armor have coins sewn onto them. Coins are also hung on chains and worn as jewelry, displayed with arrogant pride. Jewelry is equally prized by Nordheimer men as by the women. Precious metals are often melted down and recast as wearable items, such as bracelets or armlets.

Religion

 * Ymir
 * Afterlife
 * Seid (Shamanism)

The Nordheimer worship Ymir, the Frost Giant King. Dread Ymir rules icy Valhalla, a realm of long halls, snowy glaciers and eternal drinking, wench-ing and fighting. The dead dwell there. Ymir represents the Earth to the Nordheimer and both the Vanir and the Aesir spring from Ymir. Battle for the Nordheimer 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 Nordheimer 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.

It is likely that there are regional gods in Nordheim as well, considering the Nordheimer and their life-style. They have no unified government to enforce anything. If there are such local gods among the Nordheimer, the Conan saga does not mention them. Any local gods are subordinate to Ymir, in any case.

Afterlife - The Nordheimers believe in an afterlife and the afterlife often mirrors how one lives life and meets one’s doom. For the common folk, the afterlife is dull and dreary, a life spent gathering and serving the warriors. For valiant warriors, however, the afterlife is filled with fighting and feasting in the snowy plains and halls of Valhalla.

Personal Religion - Nordheimers have no time or interest in priests to interpret Ymir for them. Each man is his own intermediary to Ymir. Religion is viewed as a personal matter.

Places of Worship - The Nordheimer keep no temples to Ymir but they acknowledge many sacred outdoor sites, such as mountains, islands, fields, rocks and groves.

Sacrifices - Three times per year the Nordheimer hold ceremonies to placate Ymir, asking for victory in war and raiding, making sacrifices of animals and humans, feasting on steaming food hot from the fires, drinking ale in fantastic quantities and singing lustful songs celebrating their wars and heroes.

Völva - The Nordheimer do have shamans and oracles but they have more political and medical functions than religious ones. Male shamans are called Godi. Female shamans are called völva and practices seid, the Nordheimer version of Shamanism.

Seid - is considered unmanly in Nordheimer tradition, so almost all völvas are female. A few men, however, especially after a near-death experience, do take up the path. Seid is considered unmanly because it is a manipulative practice, which runs counter to the Nordheimer code of forthright behavior for men. Old women völvas are seen as representatives of the spirits of death. The primary forms of magic practiced by völvas are Divination, Hypnotism, Nature Magic and Curses. Really old and powerful völvas practice necromancy.

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

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

The chieftain has the social responsibility of enforcing the laws of Nordheimer society. A chieftain is expected to be generous in all things and to protect the honor 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 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 Nordheimer. Below them are the commoners: landowners and land-workers. Beneath them are the slaves (thralls).

Economy and Common Professions
War is an essential component in the lives of the Vanir. War is not only their social and religious setting, war and plunder is the most central part of their economy. From raids they acquire whatever the frozen lands cannot provide for them.

The Vanir 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 Vanir frown upon barter for trade goods, their preferred manner of acquiring necessities is to raid a rival for them. The Vanir are quick to fight among themselves and raid their neighbors. On occasion, the Vanir may deal with Zingaran merchants who travel up the coast to trade the trappings of civilizations for steel and hides, but such a merchant would be brave indeed to risk landing at a hostile settlement on the Vanaheim coast.

The frigid northlands are not suited for agriculture and the Vanir do not practice anything beyond bare subsistence farming. They 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 diet.

Common Professions:
 * Hunter
 * Warrior

Sex Roles and Marriage
Vanir men have only a single mate, although they seek sexual relations with all women who are not of Vanir blood. To the Vanir, this type of sexual activity is not considered adultery and is perfectly acceptable, even to the Vanir women.

Nordheimer women enjoy an unusual degree of freedom compared to the Hyborian kingdoms in the south. They can own property, request a divorce and reclaim their dowries if their marriages ends. Though the men are the ruler of the house, the woman plays an active role in managing her husband, as well as the household. Nordheimer women have full authority in the domestic sphere, especially when their husbands is absent. If the man of the household dies, his wife will adopt his role on a permanent basis, singlehandedly running the family farm or trading business.

Families negotiate to arrange marriages, but the woman usually have a say in the arrangement. If a woman wants a divorce, she have to call witnesses to her home and marriage bed, and declare in front of them that she have divorced her husband.

Slavery
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 Nordheimer might become slaves if they find themselves unable to pay the mulct (fine) imposed by the Thing or unable to provide for themselves and/or their families.

Influences
Architectural influences: Vendel period and Viking Age.

The Æsir and Vanir do not build cities. The Nordheimir villages are ruled by kings in an uncounted number of villages and towns. A tribe or clan and usually owns around 18 farms, however 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. 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 center of these villages stand the largest and longest of the many buildings. This great hall is the home of the local king.

''Tip: Use T2 wooden building style as much as possible. Do not build large medieval-style castles and cities, very high towers, massive stone structures with multiple stories. Start with a longhouse, then, if a Nordheimer clan is established, expand to a settlement of several longhouses and huts. Ideally, there should be no walls, but considering the PVP and Purge threats, settlement can be surrounded by walls and palisades with guard towers of average height.''

More Information
RPGS:
 * Return to the Road of Kings (Nordheim - Asgard and Vanaheim, p 156-159)
 * Faith and Fervor (Nordheimer Religion, p 61-62)