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*[[Norn]]s are "the three old women who sit round a giant tree (see Yggdrasil) spinning men's fates, Urd (fate), Skuld (necessity) and Verdandi (being)."
 
*[[Norn]]s are "the three old women who sit round a giant tree (see Yggdrasil) spinning men's fates, Urd (fate), Skuld (necessity) and Verdandi (being)."
 
Also the name of a language which descended from old Norse, which was spoken in the Shetland and Orkney islands. The extinction of the language is believed to have come about during the 15th century, when the islands were ceded to Scotland, and the new government discouraged the language.
 
Also the name of a language which descended from old Norse, which was spoken in the Shetland and Orkney islands. The extinction of the language is believed to have come about during the 15th century, when the islands were ceded to Scotland, and the new government discouraged the language.
*[[Grendel]], a descendant of Cain, the first murderer, is a terrifying monster who eats drunken men. [[Beowulf Norn|Beowulf]] defeats him bare-handed, and later fights with, and kills, the [[Grendel Mother|Grendel's mother]].
 
 
*[[Grendel Tree|Yggsdrasil]] was the World Tree, binding heaven, hell and earth.   
 
*[[Grendel Tree|Yggsdrasil]] was the World Tree, binding heaven, hell and earth.   
*The [[Shee]], or more properly, Sidhe (Siðe), were faerie folk.  They must have seemed all-powerful to the ordinary humans, as are the [[Shee]] to the other [[Creatures]].
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*Geatland is another name for Gotland, an island which nowadays is in Sweden and [[Geat]]s were the Scandinavian inhabitants of that island. According to Jordanes and modern archaeological finds, Geats are, in reality, the same as the Goths, or at least closely related.
*The [[Banshee]] were faerie women who sang funeral dirges for the five great clans of Scotland.  To hear a banshee foretold a death in the family, however to see a banshee foretold your own death. 
 
*The [[Ettin]]s were two or three-headed creatures of English mythology who liked to ask riddles.
 
*[[Albia]], or rather, Albion, was the name for the ancient island of Britain.
 
*Geatland is another name for Gotland, an island which nowadays is in Sweden and [[Geat]]s were the Scandinavian inhabitants of that island. According to Jordanes and modern archaeological finds, Geats are, in reality, the same as the Goths.
 
 
*[[Borland|Jörmungand]] was a giant sea serpent that encircled [[Midgard]], holding its tail in its mouth.  One of the children of the trickster god, Loki.
 
*[[Borland|Jörmungand]] was a giant sea serpent that encircled [[Midgard]], holding its tail in its mouth.  One of the children of the trickster god, Loki.
 
*[[Mjollnir]] was Thor's hammer, used in combat and the cause of thunder.  
 
*[[Mjollnir]] was Thor's hammer, used in combat and the cause of thunder.  
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[[Steve Grand]] was not unaware of where he had got his material from. Indeed, in a [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.games.creatures/browse_frm/thread/7375085c93b184f4/68b0ba2115def82d?q=&_done=%2Fgroups%3Fenc_author%3DNEh2bRgAAABpnzTRIR4pTfVqJv-9flJkWKLNRqB-u4_S4z0CNL-NQg%26&_doneTitle=Back+to+Search&&d#68b0ba2115def82d rare posting] to [[alt.games.creatures]] he mentioned that:
 
[[Steve Grand]] was not unaware of where he had got his material from. Indeed, in a [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.games.creatures/browse_frm/thread/7375085c93b184f4/68b0ba2115def82d?q=&_done=%2Fgroups%3Fenc_author%3DNEh2bRgAAABpnzTRIR4pTfVqJv-9flJkWKLNRqB-u4_S4z0CNL-NQg%26&_doneTitle=Back+to+Search&&d#68b0ba2115def82d rare posting] to [[alt.games.creatures]] he mentioned that:
 
:''"I do half expect a band of marauding Vikings to turn up any day now, asking for their myths back!"''
 
:''"I do half expect a band of marauding Vikings to turn up any day now, asking for their myths back!"''
 +
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In 1993, Steve Grand wrote [https://web.archive.org/web/20050312010808/fp.cyberlifersrch.plus.com/creaturesarchive/mythography.htm Small Furry Creatures: A Mythography], which detailed the mythos of Creatures, and caused confusion among the development team, which Steve tried to right with a later [https://web.archive.org/web/20050312012947/http://fp.cyberlifersrch.plus.com/creaturesarchive/rationale.htm revisiting of the rationale] for the mythos.
  
 
Third Party:
 
Third Party:

Revision as of 23:50, 18 August 2016

Norse mythology underpins a lot of the names in the Creatures series:

Norse mythology Norns
  • Norns are "the three old women who sit round a giant tree (see Yggdrasil) spinning men's fates, Urd (fate), Skuld (necessity) and Verdandi (being)."

Also the name of a language which descended from old Norse, which was spoken in the Shetland and Orkney islands. The extinction of the language is believed to have come about during the 15th century, when the islands were ceded to Scotland, and the new government discouraged the language.

  • Yggsdrasil was the World Tree, binding heaven, hell and earth.
  • Geatland is another name for Gotland, an island which nowadays is in Sweden and Geats were the Scandinavian inhabitants of that island. According to Jordanes and modern archaeological finds, Geats are, in reality, the same as the Goths, or at least closely related.
  • Jörmungand was a giant sea serpent that encircled Midgard, holding its tail in its mouth. One of the children of the trickster god, Loki.
  • Mjollnir was Thor's hammer, used in combat and the cause of thunder.
  • Niflheim is a region of darkness and cold - it is the lowest level of the universe, underneath Yggsdrasil's roots.
  • Ragnarok is the Norse name for the battle in which all gods will die, along with all people (except Lif and Lifrasthir, who will restart all humankind). The sun will be eaten by the giant wolf Fenrir, and giants will go to war. It was said that it would be 'the end of the world'.

Steve Grand was not unaware of where he had got his material from. Indeed, in a rare posting to alt.games.creatures he mentioned that:

"I do half expect a band of marauding Vikings to turn up any day now, asking for their myths back!"

In 1993, Steve Grand wrote Small Furry Creatures: A Mythography, which detailed the mythos of Creatures, and caused confusion among the development team, which Steve tried to right with a later revisiting of the rationale for the mythos.

Third Party:

  • The Fimbulwinter will be immediately before the end of the world, Ragnarok. The Fimbulwinter will be three winters in a row without any summers.
  • Audmula was a supernatural cow, who emerged from the nothingness at the beginning of the world. She nourished the first frost giant with her milk, and licked Bor, the father of the Gods, out of primeval ice.