Alfarian

..Those nobles of nordic and alfar blood are called Alfarians (or Alfarins). They are tall, standing as tall as 7.5 feet, and no shorter than 6.5 feet. They are a fair people and often have very pale grey or white eyes and strong facial structures. They are clever, agile, noble, educated and yet still barbaric. While they do prefer bloodier sports, they also become knights and lancers. They are skilled in politics, high speech, poetic tales, music, equestrianship and solo combat. The group of Alfarian nobles, Jot Thanes and Frem Lairds, is called the Barbarian Court. If you like to play any of these types of characters, the Alfarian bloodline will suit you: The Northern Houses of Game of Thrones, High Elves, German and Scandinavia nobility of the 1100-1300s, Rohan Nobility, Lannisters, Targaryen or Melniboné.

Physical Appearance

• Alfarians have the lightest skin tone, the lightest hair color and the lightest eye color.
• Alfarians are "human normal".
• Alfarians are of standard Height and a Slender-Average Body Type.

Names

Viking First Names or Anglo-Saxon First names and mid to late period medieval Scandinavian last names. Alfarians do not follow the tradition of each person being named after their father but have family house names. Ys, Js and As are particularly favored.

No-Nos

No delicate fairy faces. However, pointed ears are available as part of the Alfarian throwback traits.

Other Kingdoms

Like most Valgarins, the Alfarian moral and ethical line divides between those of Valgard and Yrsa and those not of Valgard. Honor, law, respect, kinship, these things are reserved for their own people, not those of other kingdoms with different values and different gods. And while the Alfarin may have some martial respect for the Euresu, be fascinated by Zephrin sciences and have no beef with the Smallfolk, it does not change that the other races are not Valgarin.

Slavery

Alfarians keep slaves, the best slaves. Only the very best slaves are considered worthy of life. Expectations of slave behavior are therefore the highest in the known world. The slaves of the Alfarians may earn their freedom if they prove worthy. Excellent slaves may be freed and taken as a second wife, never as a first. Alfarian's believe that sending a slave to their death for failure is giving the slave a chance to be reborn again. A common Alfarian saying is, "You should best be cut from this life, for you have no more use to me than a rock."

Homosexuality

Alfarians are more accepting of homosexual relationships than other Valgarins, but please read the section on homosexuality in Valgard Family, Marriage, Divorce.

Valgard Family, Marriage, Divorce

Family is very important, from clan all the way down to immediate family. Most families live with several generations under one roof. The children are loved, and responsibility is laid upon them early in life. Children start helping out with the chores as soon as they learn to walk. The whole family takes a role in raising the children. The Elders are respected and the entire family looks to them for guidance in spiritual matters. Family meals are eaten with the entire house-hold, and time for the family to play together is set aside for the evenings. This helps to build very strong family, and clan ties. Valgarin marriage is a regularly standard affair, however polygamy exists for the wealthy, or after a drawn out war. Kinship and marriage is generally standard across Valgard.

General

Tooth-gift

A gift given when a child cut his first tooth. Infant mortality is a real thing in Valgard, so children are not named until their ninth day. It is common to give a gift when the baby is believed to have gone through this initial vulnerability after being born, hence the tradition of tooth-gift emerged.

Naming Day

Children are named nine days after their birth when they are considered a member of the house or clan, but not before their ninth day.

Death Poem

It is considered ideal for a man to die in battle, but if he dies of old age or sickness instead, he may win a better place in the afterlife if he has composed an epic poem that he must recite before he dies.

Kinship

Kinship is vitally important to Valgarins. A Valgarin without kin is an outcast, cut off from all support and goodwill. The extended family is of enormous importance to the Valgarins; there are proverbs that count kin alongside gold, cattle, and reputation as the truly valuable things in life.

Valgarin kin are everyone's refuge in times of trouble. Kin will side with a man in a dispute, care for him if he becomes sick or injured, raise his children if he dies, avenge him if he is murdered, and back him up in all of his dealings. A man without kin - alone and far from home, or as an outcast - is in a very weak position. Any man might kill him with impunity for there are no kinsmen to avenge the murder. Because of the loose nature of Valgarin society, and the difficulties in enforcing legal decisions, the family is a strong and vital protection for the individual.

The relationship between the individual and family is two-edged, as the family supports the individual, so the individual must support the family, coming to the aid of kinsmen in need and willing to place his life on the line for his family if a feud should occur. The honor of the family is a higher priority than the honor of the individual, and many stories feature conflicts of loyalty where family-ties force an individual to turn his back on a friend, betray an ally or break an oath.

As difficult as family duties might be, none resent them, for the alternative is a life as an outcast, cut off from all support and goodwill. Even after death, ties to family cannot broken. While the dead go on to Helheim, they also remain with their family in a very real way. The family undertakes funeral arrangements, and a failure in this might well lead to a visit by a vengeful ghost.

Lineage

Alfarian lineage is predominantly male, with rare exceptions for a daughter to inherit. Frem and Jot lineages are solely based on merit, and may not even follow family lines: a Thane or a Laird may name their successor, and the clan might -or might not- follow them.

(added 2/6/18) While it is traditional for a son to inherit the throne from his father, it is less traditional for a brother to inherit. In either case, if the man in question is not qualified to lead -if he isn't thought to be drengr, has little glory to his name, etc- then he will most likely not be supported by the thing (aka moot).

Marriage

Marriages are arranged by agreement between the families involved, and help create friendships and alliances to benefit both sides. Conflict may arise if the prospective bride or groom disagree violently with the wishes of their families. Although a bride will live with her husband's family, she never effectively leaves her own; a man who mistreats his wife will have to deal with her outraged kinsmen.

The women of Valgard can own land, manage their own money, lead men and even undertake quite large community projects, such as bridge-building, in their own right and using their own resources. While women were respected, a man may marry as many women as he could afford and provide separate homes for, as men pride themselves on the number of sons they sire. The tradition of polygyny is most common after war when there are not enough men to make husbands for the women, a time-honored solution to unbalanced gender division.

• Viking Answer Lady Wedding Article - An expanded article on the cultural standards of Earth's Viking Era into the Christian Era of Scandinavia.

Homosexuality

Male homosexuality has nothing to do with sodomy or sexual acts between men, it is exclusively an issue of Viking Manliness. Consequently, a man or woman is treated as being masculine if he or she is drengr. A man, any man, whether he is homosexual or heterosexual, is treated as a woman in the domestic sphere if his peers did not find him to be drengr. This means that in homosexual relationships, the passive or submissive male, is expected to serve the men, cook in the kitchens and otherwise take on the domestic role of women, while the top is assigned the same rights as heterosexual men. This may also apply to a female homosexual relationship; if the dominant woman is particularly drenger, she may be freed from the domestic expectations placed on other women, and allowed to sit and fight with the men. Some men and women manage to flow between both gender roles, but this is rare and requires great personal merit and unusual high rank.

ValgardMenu

Alfarians prefer a style of clothing that creates an elongated look. Their clothing is chosen both for functionality and showmanship. The overall combination of their items is intended to emphasize their tall and lean frames. Men prefer long, form-fitting embroidered tunics below the knee, belted at the hips with cloaks that drape. Tunics may be as long as ankle length, but they are never closed up in the front or back like a robe would be. (Male fashion styles are a blend of LotR Rohan and LotR Elves). Women utilize wide varieties of the styles from Earth's middle ages, 1100-1300, with long tunic shaped gowns, cotehardies, sideless surcoats, long braids, and sometimes veils. They prefer high-quality clothing with tasteful designs and decorations. There is a large market for Zuben fabrics and trim, especially trim shot with metals. They are likely to use fur and knot-work, as well as gold and silver jewelry that display their wealth. Any fur they wear will be of the finest tanning and of the rarest creatures. Men prefer hard leather boots rather than soft leather or wrapped leggings. The women like hand tools slippers and delicate sandals when the weather is good.

Alfarian's are generally wealthy and proud of their clothing. They will respond aggressively, even physically, to any insult -- direct or implied. Even when in work clothes, for yes these Nobles do work, they will wear well made, well fitting clothing, with only slightly more subdued accouterments.

Cleavage, Bare Arms, and Stomachs

Do not show their stomachs or cleavage, but may have bare arms in the summer.

Women in Pants

Very rare, under long tunics that cover to the thighs, and only when absolutely necessary.

Color choices

A single deep solid color with gold or silver trim.

Hair Style

Most women wear their hair long and in elegant braids. The wimple and the fillet have recently gone out of fashion in favor of hair worn down or braided with a simple circlet. Styles can change at any time. The men typically wear their hair long as well, often in a pony tail. It is not uncommon to see them follow the Jot (Viking) fashion of shaving their hair at the back, leaving a lock in front. See Alfarian Physical (A quick note on hair styles to our Torvaldsland role-players: most of the braided updos worn for role-play in Torvaldsland are actually Grecian and better suited for the Euresu. Alfarian women, as a rule, do not wear their hair up unless it was additionally covered in long veils to create the elongated style of the 1100s).

Hem Length

Women dresses are long, often with trains, most men’s tunics are long as well.

Opinion On Other Styles

Alfarians consider Dyrling fashion to be laughable, having never forgotten the period when Dyrling women wore wigs with caged birds in them.

Tomboyish girls may be teased by their mothers for looking like a Jot girl. Boys that are constantly dirty and getting scrapes are teased and called "Frem boy".

However, there is little insult ever given on how adult Jot or Frem dress. The Alfarians take their role as the nobles of Valgard seriously, and are conscious of being one of the three powerful martial races. They do not make enemies of their countrymen over such foolish things as fashion.

Most Alfarian women find Zephrin fashion exotic, even going so far as to buy items for chamber wear. A new bride is often gifted with Zephrin bedclothes by her mother.

However, if an Alfarian finds their way to Zuben, it is the fashion of the Euresu they are most likely to choose unless doing business with Zephrins. Zuben is hot!

Alfarian Personality

The Alfarians as a people are highly skilled leaders, easily learning such skills as oration, mediation, tactics, mathematics, linguistics, management, economics, and deployment. They share a set of personality traits that include focus, confidence, integrity, inspiration, innovation, passion and -very necessary- patience. Unfortunately, these skills and traits are barely appreciated by the bulk of Valgarin people who prize combat, manliness, feasting, and wit. Ask a Jot why the Alfarians rule Valgard and they will not say, “Because they are most skilled at it.”, but instead say, “They are the only ones who will do the job, no one else wants to run the country.” Consequently, Alfarians live two separate lives, the one they show the public and the one they keep in private. In public, they are tall proud warriors, who make an effort to become skilled in combat, act in all ways that are considered Drengr, sharpen their skills in flyting, and host lavish feasts. In private they prefer their studies and hobbies that include drafting, mechanics, calligraphy, alchemy, and all other medieval activities such as cooking, blacksmithing, and weaving that might be perfected through skill and practice.

This applies to their combat practice. Most Alfarians engage in a strict regiment of physical activity and martial practices. They expect nothing except perfection from themselves.

The Gentry might brag about their Golden Renaissance, and their society of culture and education, but that has always been the way of life for the Alfarians. At this bragging, an Alfararian will only smile wryly, enough to let the rest of Valgard know they think the Gentry to be as soft and foolish as the Jots and Frem. Secretly, they compare their skills to that of the Gentry, arrogantly praising their own people privately.

Outwardly the Alfarians project an aura of calm wisdom, practice lavish forms of hospitality, and follow the expectations of the Havamal diligently. Inwardly, it is only through intense concentration, physical activity and steely control that they keep their innate arrogance and violence quietly locked away. Strangely enough, the rest of Valgard seem to understand this element of Alfarian nature and are careful not to prick their tempers beyond what they can bear. The natural talents of the Alfarians make them a deadly and secretive enemy, able to develop plots within plots, and serve revenge upon a cold platter.

Personality wise, the Alfarians are most similar to the Zephrin.

Alfarian Combat & War

Alfarian prefer a combination of chain mail, heavy leather and plate -- armor is lightly decorated with fur and rarely has bones, skulls or chains. Alfarian Knights believe that the Berzerker Rage is brought on by the feminine aspect of Yrsa, and the average woman can fight to defend their home, they are called Shield Maidens.

Valgarin Riddari

A Riddari Paladin is expected to be skilled in both mounted and unmounted combat with the following weapons: sword, spear, shield, and great axe. Valgarin Riddari generally do not use bows, preferring throwing axes. In addition to martial skills, they are expected to give 40 days of service to the Motherhouse, serving as armed escorts for the Volva and Druids. They must know the tenants of their faith and furthermore be skilled in Northern poetic verse and High Speech. If the Hoplites of the Euresu are the “Musical Warriors”, the knights of Valgard are “Warrior Poets”. Not all Riddari are trained at the Motherhouse in Ulster, exceptions are made for the heirs of noble houses. Training lasts for ten years, typically from 12 to 22.

The mounted warriors of Valgard developed out of the tradition of dragon riding. The last dragon rider was King Øybiorn Skialgsson in 494. The relationship between dragon and Riddari developed much like the tarns and the tarn riders of Gor, the Na'vi and the Ikran. Consequently, Valgardin Riddari raise and train their horses from babies, often with the animals living in the longhouse with the warrior. This is not necessarily uncommon for Valgarin culture anyway. Some of the Riddari claim to have a telepathic bond with their horses, and while this has never been proven, or disproven, it is a widely accepted fact.

Valgarin Riddari, by way of graduation, are branded with their sigil, which combines their personal sigil with that of their mentor. This is the same sigil used to brand the paladin's own horses. This final step in branding a stallion is a dangerous one, the Nordsvensk as the stallion would have been bred and trained for war. The paladin was expected to brand the stallion with no more than a single rope tie-down. There are Riddari that have been savaged and killed by their own horses.

It is most common for Alfarians to become Paladin-knights, but history has many examples of Jot and Frem Riddari. The expectations are the same for all.

Note

The average Nordsvensk stallion stands 5 ft at the shoulder in RL. Adapted for SL, the average height is 6.5 feet.

Berzerker Rage

While all of the Valgarins fight with what amounts to a berzerker rage, the Alfarians prize themselves on self-control, strict military tactics and mounted combat. However, some battles call for wild and uncontrolled attack. In this case, the Frem will strip naked and fight only in wode, the Jot don their battle masks and the Alfarians drink from the horn of the goddess. Only those of the Motherhouse know what is in the drink that is brought about before a battle, they say it is foul but brings on the madness. Once men tried to make the drink, thinking it nothing but the concoctions of red mushrooms, but many died that day. Only the Volva know the making of it, and only the Alfarian king may call for it. Because of this tradition, women are accounted lucky on the battlefield and are welcomed in the war camps and alongside their men. A few even become knights.

Women & Combat

The Valgarians have more women who are trained in martial skill than any of the other two kingdoms. Alfarian women occasionally become one of the Riddari (knights), and while more than half of them can fight in an armed conflict, the average Alfarian woman does not consider themselves warriors, and will not dress in pants nor carry weapons regularly.

When Alfarian women are called up to battle, they tend to fight in female-only units led by those women who are Knights. Any Alfarian woman who can fight considers themselves a shield-maiden of Valgard. One in six Alfarian women recieve a year or two of rough infantry training; most Alfarian women are not motivated nor interested in the training, but it is available to any noble Alfarian who requests it.

Female Valgarin knights are expected to be Drengr yet will still avoid wearing pants]] except when absolutely necessary.

Drengr

Drengskapr (or daonnachd)

means Manliness and refers to the independent, self-reliant masculinity with martial character. The state of being drengr, a brave, honest and reckless man. The opposite of Drengr is Argr (or èibhinn), and basically means sissy.

A Valgarin sage wrote, "Valiant men who exert a good influence are called drengr." A drengr possessed bravery, nobility, magnanimity, a sense of fair play, respect for others, the strength to do what is right, and a sense of personal honor. Physical bravery was taken for granted. More important was self-control. A drengr showed equanimity in the face of danger, not because of insensitivity or stupidity, but because the danger and the possible risk to life and limb were unimportant compared to the need to maintain self-respect and the respect of the community. There was a practical side to such imperturbability, because not only was it unmanly to show concern or fear in the face of danger, but also useless.

A person might fall so far as to become a níðingr -- and object of hate and scorn. He was an outcast. Typical causes for such disgrace included: cowardice; treachery; shameful acts (such as killing kinsmen or defenseless people); breaking one's oath. When a man betrayed the trust of another man, that man would become known as a níðingr. In one of the Valgarin sagas, Eyjólfr ordered his men to kill a woman, a despicable act. Hávarðr stood up to him, telling the men not to do níðingsverk (the work of a níðingr).

• (Excellent YouTube video on this topic.)

Alfarian Religion

The Alfarians worship the battle maiden aspect of Yrsa and the god Lugh-Tyr. Lugh-Tyr is a god of skill, crafts and the arts as well as overseer of oaths, truth and the law.

The battle-maiden aspect of Yrsa incorporates the ancient worship of Freya and Nemain as the Chooser of the Slain and Frenzied Havoc of War. The Druid Historian, Ailig Dùghlas, writes, Nemain is accounted as being an ancient goddess that predated the Fomorians, a member of the mysterious Nemed race who joined with Alfar goddess Freya to become the aspect Yrsa as the battle maiden that we know today". Yrsa, in her aspect of the maiden, also represents youth, beauty, love, and passion.

Berserker Rage

In Alfarian society, the berserker rage is believed to be a feminine trait brought on by the battle maiden.