Basis for modern Norse villages in Galinia.
Villages are centred on the Long House, which is both the local leaders hall and a general meeting place for the population. In the evening the lord will feast his guests in the hall and make his villagers welcome for moots, war meeting and other social activities. All of which are generally accompanied by beer drinking J. The long house can be used to sleep guests and warriors when the band/fyrd is called for battle. The local Lord/leader lives close to the Long House, but in a separate building.
Other members of the village live in extended family homesteads within easy travelling distance of the hall. Each family has a trade, which it passes on to its sons (and possibly daughters) but each family also works the local land (communally) and provides warrior sailors for the Lord’s long ship (if he happens to have one)
The other main building in the village is the Temple Hall. Another square building, often with a priest’s house attached or close by, is generally situated near the lord’s hall and residence. The temple hall will be decorated with symbols representing the gods and goddesses of the pantheon. As per this description J
" … a room decorated with a number of painted Images. Immediately opposite the Door is a huge Blue eye, which seems to watch everyone in the room. On either side there are representations of a spinning wheel and a War Hammer. Down the left wall there are paintings of a gem-encrusted chalice, a harp, a ship-shaped cloud, a fire in the shape of a woman, and a dish of apples. The right wall has paintings of a sword, a curved horn, a set of scales, an arm holding an upraised sword, and an ocean scene with rough waves. The floor is bare wood and empty except for a raised plinth in the centre of the far wall, which bears a square stone block, with an eye carved on the front. Stepping into the room, there are images painted on the back wall as well. There is a black and white face and a staff with three branches at the top on one side of the door, and a pair of red and black boots and a woman in horned helm on the other side. The paintings on the far wall are clearly much better executed than those on the other walls and are larger as well. They are clearly the most significant images. It would seem that this room has lain undisturbed since the fall of the place. "
Blue eye = Odin
A spinning wheel = Frigga
War Hammer = Thor
Gem-encrusted chalice = Baldur
A harp = Bragi
A ship-shaped cloud = Frey
A fire in the shape of a woman = Freya
Dish of apples = Idun
A sword = Tyr
A curved horn = Heimdall
Set of scales = Forseti
An arm holding an upraised sword = Sif
Ocean scene with rough waves = Aegir
Black and white face = Hel
Staff with three branches at the top = Norns
A pair of red and black boots = Loki
A woman in horned helm = Valkyries
If the village is too small for a full temple hall it will generally have a shrine of one sort or another.