Hedbards
The Herodi descendants of migrating mercenaries of Radimane's army settled in Lakia and were named for their stereotypical beards and proclivity in warfare.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Alvina
Malasthinda
Loreleia
Malasthinda
Loreleia
Masculine names
Thrasarich
Gesigmud
Theigrich
Gesigmud
Theigrich
Family names
Alboini
Liebgard
Yvonn
Liebgard
Yvonn
Other names
"Lugous"- Lakic
"Rakhena"- Rasenna
Orasel- The Great City or Rasca
"Rakhena"- Rasenna
Orasel- The Great City or Rasca
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Initially, the Hedbard language was like that of their Tuscian and Rhonish cousins. Due to their close proximity and occupation of such a large Lakic population, the Hedbard language was slowly enveloped by that of the imperial language, forming a Hedbard-Lakic language commonly referred to as Laceni or colloquially "Lingua Sporica" or dirt tongue.
Culture and cultural heritage
The Hedbards were thought to be the Herodi tribal coalitions of the Kracyts, the Belcholns, and the Eriwirds. According to the Hedbards themselves, their collective name came about before a great battle against their Hasdinii and Tuscian foes. Seeing themselves outnumbered, they cried out as one above to their patron deity Wera who answered that she would give victory to whoever rose first in the morning in the greatest number. During the night, Hedbard women tied their hair across their faces to give the appearance of beards and rode to battle with their men. When Wera saw the number of the Hedbard men and women, she declared them the winners and with their god's blessing, they won the day.
The Hedbards were among the fiercest foes encountered by Radimane's father Einhard during his campaigns east of the Rhor. Called the Kracyts at this time, they defeated Einhard on a number of occasions before finally being beaten into submission. Due to their history with the Hasdinians, the Hedbards were keen to escape the grip of their overlords and migrated en masse to the largely autonomous region of north Lakia which they had fought and conquered by 196 B.E.
After victory was achieved, the Hedbards who had settled in the northern mountain passes slowly migrated south as they were pushed into Lakia by the more numerous Marvingi. The Hedbards soon came to be ruled under the domain of Radimane's son Clovis who pushed the Rasennification of the people under his rule with the Hedbards emerging as the most powerful in the realm and having a great influence on Clovis himself who styled himself King of Hedbardia. After the death of King Einhard theYounger during the War of the Princes, Desideric Alboinid, through his marriage to Einhard's daughter, came to be elected the new king and founded the Kingdom of the Hedbards. Desideric's daughter Rosamund would rule the kingdom at its greatest extent and begin the conversion of the heathen Hedbards to that of the Mundana Ecclesia. The Kingdom of the Hedbards was among the coalition that ventured south and sacked Rasca bringing on the Dykairos which hit their kingdom first, blasting it into pieces a decade after the sacking.
The Hedbards were among the fiercest foes encountered by Radimane's father Einhard during his campaigns east of the Rhor. Called the Kracyts at this time, they defeated Einhard on a number of occasions before finally being beaten into submission. Due to their history with the Hasdinians, the Hedbards were keen to escape the grip of their overlords and migrated en masse to the largely autonomous region of north Lakia which they had fought and conquered by 196 B.E.
After victory was achieved, the Hedbards who had settled in the northern mountain passes slowly migrated south as they were pushed into Lakia by the more numerous Marvingi. The Hedbards soon came to be ruled under the domain of Radimane's son Clovis who pushed the Rasennification of the people under his rule with the Hedbards emerging as the most powerful in the realm and having a great influence on Clovis himself who styled himself King of Hedbardia. After the death of King Einhard theYounger during the War of the Princes, Desideric Alboinid, through his marriage to Einhard's daughter, came to be elected the new king and founded the Kingdom of the Hedbards. Desideric's daughter Rosamund would rule the kingdom at its greatest extent and begin the conversion of the heathen Hedbards to that of the Mundana Ecclesia. The Kingdom of the Hedbards was among the coalition that ventured south and sacked Rasca bringing on the Dykairos which hit their kingdom first, blasting it into pieces a decade after the sacking.
Shared customary codes and values
A quite brutally honest people, one can find no scheming courtiers or backstabbing bureaucrats among the Hedbard aristocracy, only strong-tongued men with little fear of reprisal and viper-tongued women ready to back up their venom with a strong right hook. This has caused more than its fair share of issues as diplomacy is not the strong suit of the Hedbards and where discretion may have been the wisest move, they meet with blunt words.
Common Etiquette rules
Harsh and undisciplined speaking is a key to Hedbard life, one doesn't get by name alone in Hedbard society as merit often trumps pedigree. Hedbards tend to speak their mind and let feelings be damned which has caused the term "tongue like a Hedbard" to refer to someone who speaks recklessly but truly.
Common Dress code
Curiously among the Herodi nations, the Hedbards abandoned the stereotypical pants of their forefathers in favor of the tunics and gowns of the Rasenna. Hanging on to their love of elaborately decorated gold and silver jewelry, the Hedbards cast an interesting picture when one gets a good look at their two cultural trendsetters, the Rasenna, and the Herodi.
Art & Architecture
The architecture of Hedbardia takes a massive influence from the Rasenna, with archways and complicated engineering being the highest model of achievement for Hedbard architects.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
The Hedbards seem to be the most culturally null of the numerous civilized Herodi tribes who ventured across the Rhor with Radimane. Proximity to the former lands of the Rasenna seems to have had a large impact on Hedbard culture as they adopted many of the legal and governmental proceedings of the former Empire of the Rasenna. Over time, the Herodi spoken by the Hedbards morphed into more and more of a Lakic dialect, and soon the Hedbards spoke the langauge of their old foes than their own mother tongue.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Hedbard babes are typically not named until their 1st birthday and then upon receiving a name are taken from mothers and cared for my servants or wetnurses.
Coming of Age Rites
Marriage is a coming of age rite, boys become men when married to an eligible girl who in turn is considered a woman. Marriage is often a merit-based ritual with men proving their worth to their future bride by competing in pre-ordained games and ceremonies.
Funerary and Memorial customs
the dead are carried to a common graveyard and buried with the name of the deceased inscribed on a headstone listing their birth year and their death year.
Common Myths and Legends
Streuse Iron Hull- mythological first ruler of the Hedbards and who guided his family down the river Lethes on a boat he made himself with an iron hull.
Historical figures
King Desideric the Hedbard- First non-Krauling king of Hedbardia and founder of the Kingdom of the Hedbards. Desideric was a choice of the largely Hedbard nobility and could claim legitimacy through his marriage to the late king's daughter and a distant relation to the Krauling family through his ancestor Arudin who married a Krauling princess.
Blessed Queen Rosamund- first and only queen of the Hedbards. Was a major power-player in Lakia after the disaster of Calar and death of the Emperor Procopius. Under her, the Hedbards not only came to be converted to the Mundana Ecclesia but also slowly merged with the Lakic population they occupied.
Falkan the Gold- Hedbard Reik during the Sack of Rasca, brought back enormous loot from the captured city and was nearly immediately troubled by the division of the riches and was overthrown by a violent mob and torn apart in the streets.
Blessed Queen Rosamund- first and only queen of the Hedbards. Was a major power-player in Lakia after the disaster of Calar and death of the Emperor Procopius. Under her, the Hedbards not only came to be converted to the Mundana Ecclesia but also slowly merged with the Lakic population they occupied.
Falkan the Gold- Hedbard Reik during the Sack of Rasca, brought back enormous loot from the captured city and was nearly immediately troubled by the division of the riches and was overthrown by a violent mob and torn apart in the streets.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Living in a very heavily patriarchial culture, the Hedbard beauty is a long-haired blonde with some let us call them, heavy endowments. Men are typically large in stature, well-groomed, and with long well-styled mustaches or braided beards.
Gender Ideals
Among the most patriarchal of Herodi nations, the Hedbards are dominated by the presence of men and boys with little societal advancement made for women or girls. Though, through their husbands, many Hedbard women retained a voice in the home and within the wider Hedbard society as though they were deemed subservient to men, a fiery and outspoken wife was a source of pride for a Hedbard groom.
Courtship Ideals
Hedbard courtship is a pursuit, a hunt for the strongest, fairest, most fertile woman one can find. Many a violent brawl has taken place when a desirable woman has been married off to a man who has been deemed ill-suited to her.
Relationship Ideals
Hedbard men are lords of the household, with a "patyer" ruling a house with an iron hand with a trusty "Mahtur" beside him acting in his stead when he is not home.
Major organizations
Kingdom of the Hedbards
Parent ethnicities
Diverged ethnicities
Related Organizations
Related Myths
Related Locations
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