This page is part of the The Dragon and the Bear: The Novgorod Tribunal Open Content

Glossary

Old Russian Words and Terms

Baba Yaga (BAH-bah YAHgah): goddess of death

bannik (BAHN-neek): sprite inhabiting a bath house

Beilbog (byah-WOH-book): white goddess

bogatyri (boh-GAHT-ree): “valiant knights,” supernatural heroes

boyar (boh-YAHR): an aristocrat

byliny (bee-yin-yih): epic songs or poems (also “staryiny”)

cheliad/cheliadin (che-YAHD/cheYAHD-i): slave/slaves

Chernobog (char-NOH-book): black god

chiliarch (hil-ee-yahk): leader of a thousand men

dan (DAHN): tax or tribute

Dazhdbog (DAHZHd-book): sun god of creative energy

desiatsky (dess-EE-AHT-cee): leader of ten men

Devana (deh-VAH-nah): goddess of the hunt

Dogoda (doh-GOH-da): minor deity, father of gentle winds

domawiczka (doh-mahVEETCH-kah): a female

domovoi (house spirit)

domovoi (doh-moh-VOY-yeh): benevolent house spirit

druzhina (dROOHZ-yin-yah): prince’s retinue/court/private army

dvorovoi (dvoh-roh-voy-yeh): unpredictable yard spirit

dym (DHYM): “smoke”/hearth/taxable dwelling

Ersvorsh (AIRZ-VORHZ): god of weather

Glubinnye Knigi (gLOOB-yinyee hNEEG-yee): “books of depth,” books

golovnichestvo (goh-LOV-neekest-voh): fine paid to murdered man’s kin

Mati-Syra-Zemlya (MAH-ti SIHR-yah ZHEM-yah): gorod (GOH-ROHD): city (capital)

gospodin (GOHs-POHD-in): “Lord,” term of respect

gridnitsa (GRHEE-nis-ya): hall

Iarilo (yah-REE-loh): god of fertility and eroticism

izba (ISS-BAH): heavy log cabin, northern

izgoi (ISS-goy-yeh): destitute man

izgoistro (ISS-goys-troh): “usury,” practised in regard to the slave trade

Jarovit (yar-OH-veet): god of war

kholop (KHO-LOHP): indentured craftsman

khoromy (kho-ROHM-yeh): fine house

Khors (KHORs): sun/pagan god

klet/khata (KLEHT/KAHTAH): frame house of timber and clay, southern

kniaz (NEE-ahz): prince

kniazhenie (NEE-ahz-ehn-yeh): prince’s authority

Kolyada (koh-LYAH-da): deity of winter

kormilets (KHOR-meel-yetz): fosterer to whom a young prince is entrusted

krom/kreml/kremlin (KROHM/Krehm-el/Krehmleen): fortress/citadel

Krukis (KROO-KHIZ): god of blacksmiths

Kupala (KOO-pah-lah): goddess of women and fertility

kvas (kVAAS): mildly alcoholic drink

Lada Dernyaya (LAH-DAH den-YAY-yah): goddess of midnight, one of the Zorya

lechet (lech-yet): physician

leshy (LESH-ee): forest guardian

lyudi (lYUD-yi): free craftsman serving in militia mother earth

mech (mechh): sword

milost (mih-OHST): “favor,” charitable gift to a Vdachi

mir (meer): peace, also the world/village/community

Mokosh (MOH-kosh): goddess of redemption

muzh (moozz): freeman

Myesyats (mYES-YATs): moon goddess of deep wisdom

ovinnik (oh-VEEN-neek): dangerous barn spirit

palo (PAH-LOH): “plow,” a taxable unit of land

Perun (PYOO-run): god of war and thunder

pivo (PEE-VOH): beer

podol (poh-DOHL): urban quarter or district

pogost (poh-GOHST): tax district

pole (poh-LEY): “prairie,” steppe

polevik/polevoi (poh-LEH-veek): field spirit or minor deity

posadnik (pohs-AHD-neek): prince’s deputy or a city mayor

pravda (prav-dah): “truth,” also a prince’s testament/code of law/coronation oath

prigorod (PRI-goh-rohd): lesser city

Proven (PRO-vehn): god of justice and oaths

rusalka (roo-SAHW-kah): female wood or water spirit

sirota (SEE-roh-tah): beggar

skomorokhi (sco-moh-roh-key): minstrel or actor

sotsky (soht-cee): leader of a hundred men

Stribog (SHTREE-book): god/father of winds

Svarog (SHVAR-ook): fire and sky god

Svarozhich (shvar-OH-zheech): god of fire

tamga (TAHM-GHA): clan emblem

terem (TEH-REHM): tower

tiun (tee-yun): steward of a prince’s estate

tverd (tVER-ehd): small town

tysiatsky (tis-YAT-cee): leader of a militia

Utrennyaya (YOOT-rehn-YAYyah): goddess of dawn, one of the Zorya

Varpulis (VAH-pooh-lis): god of storm winds

vdachi (vDAH-chee): man or woman giving up his or her freedom to a lord for a limited period, usually to avoid debt or hardship, a charitable act for the lord

veche (VE-CHAY): city assembly, place where people speak on state affairs

ved’sto (vehd-SHTo): soothsaying

vily (VEE-lee): a fairie, wild spirit

vira (VEE-rah): fine paid to a prince for a murder

vodyanoi (vohd-YAH-noy): malicious water spirits

voevoda (voyh-VODE-yah): general/commander of armies

volkhv (vohl-koohv): pagan priest, also conjuror or sorcerer

Volos (VOH-lohs): god of poetry and commerce

volost (VOH-lohst): power, reigning authority

Walgino (val-GEEN-yoh): god of cattle

zadrugya (zah-DRHOOG-ya): “great family,” extended family composed of several brothers or cousins with their wives and children

zagovor (zah-GOH-vohr): charm or incantation

zakon (zah-COHN): law, state or religious

zakup (zah-KHOOP): indentured labourer, a debtor

zemlia (zhem-yah): land, nation/state

Zhar-Ptitsa (zah-TEETS-yah): the Fire Bird

Zorya (ZOHR-YAH): the fates, three celestial goddesses

Zorya Vrechernyaya (ZOHRYAH VREK-AHN-YAY-yah): goddess of dusk

Old Polish Words and Terms

Auskelis (or-SKEL-iz): goddess of the evening star

Datan (dat-tahn): a field god

Dievs/Diverik (she-YEHZ): sky god

Dziewona (jeh-VOH-nah): goddess of the hunt

dziwozony (jeh-VOHZ-nee): evil creatures

dziad (jeh-YAHD): wandering troubador/tale-teller

Gabija (ga-BEE-ha): goddess of the hearth

grod (GROHD): tribal stronghold

gzeladz niewolna (ZEL-ahzNEE-voy-nya): serfs (criminals, debtors, prisoners)

Jods (HODZ): god of destruction and wrongdoing

Juras Mate (oor-ahs MAHTAY): god of the sea

Kalvaitis (HAL-vay-YEET-is): god of blacksmiths

kasztelan (CATS-A-yan): prince’s deputy at a grod

knez/kniaz/ksiaze (NEEZ/NEEahz/SEE-az): prince

kurhany (cour-ahn-yee): burial mound

Lawkapatim (LOV-cah-pat-ihm): a field god

Lytuvnis (Lich-UHV-nihz): god of rain

Mehnesis (meh-NEH-ziz): moon god

Majas Kungs (mah-has hunz): god of the home

mara (mah-rah): evil spirit

majduszka (nahj-DOOSH-kya): seeress, someone with second sight

opole (op-OHL-yeh): clan territory, group of villages, district

poludnica (poh-wood-NEETsah): revenant spirit, a haunt

przywileyj (ZHEE-wehl-yeh): princely charter

Saule (zaul-AY): sun goddess

rod (ROHD): clans, together composing a tribe, also kin or kinsfolk

starosta/starszyna (sstah-ROHStah/sstah-ryhn-yah): chief of a rod

strachy (strah-chee): evil night spirits

Svaixtix (sVAYX-ticks): god of the pole star, light, and art

szlachta (zlah-ta): gentry

Tawals (ta-vahlss): a field spirit

topielce (toh-pee-el-chee): evil water spirit, soul of a drowned person

upiory (OO-pee-or-ee): vampire

voyt (VOY-TAY): village headman

wiara (VEE-yah-rah): faith

wiec (VEE-ek): convocation of free tribesmen (a governing council)

wili (VEE-lee): fairy, wild spirit

Zemlja (zem-UHL-yah): goddess of the dead

zlotys (Zlo-TEES): polish currency (also “grosz”)

znachor (naa-cor): a pagan priest (Russian Volkhv)

Miscellaneous Old Baltic Words

Andai (AHN-DIE): god of war, Lithuania

Antrimpas (ahn-THRIM-pahs): god of streams, Prussia

Gerovit (hair-oh-veek): god of fortitude

Giraitis (heer-ate-ihz): god of the forest, Lithuania

Meidein (may-deen): goddess of the forest, Lithuania

Menuo (mehn-woh): god of the moon, Lithuania

Nenadey (nehn-ah-day): god of ill fortune, Lithuania

Pergrukius (peh-grook-yus): a field god, Livonia

Picollos (pee-CO-loss): god of the underworld, Lithuania

Porevit (pour-A-veek): a god of the Isle of Rugen

Potrimpo (poh-thrim-poh): god of rivers and springs, Lithuania

Puskaitis (puss-kayt-ihz): god of the underworld, Prussia

Radegost (rah-DAY-gozz): god of the Pomeranians

Rugevit (roo-GAY-veek): a god of the Isle of Rugen

Rugio Boba (roo-he-oh Boh-bah): a harvest god, Prussia

Svantovit (swaan-toe-week): a sun god, Isle of Rugen/Arkona

Telyavel (tail-yahv-eel): goddess of the dead, Lithuania

Triglav (THREEG-yahv): god of cosmic balance, Stettin/Brandenburg

Zemepatis (jhem-eh-PAH-tiv): god of the home, Lithuania

Mongol Words and Terms

arban (AH-ban): troop of ten, with an elected leader

bahadur (ba-ha-door): knight, leader of a jagun, or trooper in the kashik

Il-Khan (eel-caan): Mongol ruler of Persia, subordinate to the Great Khan

jagun (ya-goon): company of one hundred, with an elected leader

kalat (kha-laht): tunic or uniform

kashik (kha-sheek): the imperial guard, elite toumen

kumiz (coo-miz): alcoholic beverage, made from fermented mare’s milk

kuriltai (coo-RIL-tie): tribal council

mangudai (man-goo-die): military sub-force, used to draw an enemy out in pursuit

minghan (mee-han): a regiment of one thousand, commanded by a noyan

naccara (na-CAR-ah): kettle drum, used to signal decisive charges noyan (noy-yan): baron, imperially appointed leader of a minghan or toumen

ordu (ohr-dhu): a camp (anglicized as “horde”)

orlock (ohr-lohk): a general, commonly commanding two or more Toumens

ortaq (ohr-tahk): a merchant

paitze (pays): a tablet of gold or silver, symbol of a noyan’s, orlock’s, or prince’s authority

tulughma (TOOL-ooch-mah): common tactical maneuver: a flank attack used to turn an enemy force, followed by a heavy lance charge upon the now vulnerable side

tumen (or toumen): (too-mehn): a division of ten thousand, commanded by a noyan

yam (yam): system of horse posts and messengers

yarlik (yah-lick): royal licence or permit

yasak (yas-ak): legal code

yurt (YURt): tent

yurtchi (YUR-chi): quartermaster or camp commander, at once issuer of stores and master over reconnaissance and intelligence gathering activities in a field army

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