4 replies to this topic

[mithril coyote]

The Clans are Upon us! All loyal Citizens of Trondheim and the Free Rasalhague Republic are called to do their patriotic duty in defense of their homes!

20th Hemvärnet Bataljon, The Nattravnen's
---"Vilja, mod och uthållighet" ---

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The Nattravnen's are the mech component of the 20th Raselhauge KungsArmé Hemvärnet, the FRR's home guard/planetary militia's. Natives of the world of Trondheim, the warriors of the 20th Hemvärnet Bataljon are citizen soldiers and reservists, ready to fight for their homes should enemies threaten their world.

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a collective of casual gamers with an interest in the background and tabletop aspects of the battletech setting, as well as enjoyable games of MWO, the Nattravnen's are seeking players with similar interests. Inexperienced players welcome.

Founders:
mithril coyote

Shentorb

Loki22xan

Edited by mithril coyote, 23 August 2014 - 02:46 PM.

[baba-yaga]

Send me an invite? Semi-experienced, tired of failed PUGs where we wipe 12-0, 12-3

Edited by cinosa30, 23 August 2014 - 05:21 PM.

[Hrungnir]

I feel like nitpicking a tiny bit on the language (although it's admittedly a moot point in a universe with Swedish units called "Drakøns").

"Ravnen" is Danish for raven. Swedish equivalent would be "korpen" (modern) or "rammen/ramnen" (Older/dialect) which renders Night Raven = Nattkorpen/Nattrammen/Nattramnen.

[mithril coyote]

it is a cryptid from the southern regions of sweden, so there might be some linguistic mixing going on.

from Richard Svensson, a swedish cryptozoologist:

Quote

Nattravnen is found in the folklore of Sweden’s two southernmost regions, Skåne and Blekinge. It’s not very well known in general Swedish folklore, and it’s not considered a mystery beast per se, like the Lake Storsjö monster, for example. It’s called Nattravnen in Skåne and Leharven in Blekinge. The name “Nattravnen” is said to mean “the night raven”. Leharven is a more dubious name. “Le” is an old word for bodily joint (and I’ll get back to why that’s a part of its name). Nattravnen is seldom described in detail, but it is a bird-like monster, sometimes said to be dark in colour, but without any feathers. It belongs to a special group of monsters called “grimmar”. Grimmar are supernatural animals that cannot be killed by any normal weapons. They are either ghosts of animals or beasts created by sorcery.

"Nattravnen flies around during the night and is said to devour any lonely wanderer on the roads. But the monster was also dangerous in another way. If you looked up just as it passed the moon or when its body was illuminated by the moon rays, you would be able to see the skeleton (and its joints) through the creature’s thin hide. This was a very bad thing and the sight would render you horrible pains. Mostly you would fall terribly ill and vomit blood or get blood in your urine for at least a week.

"There is an old story from Blekinge concerning Lake Halen, where in old times a flying monster lived. This creature is not actually identified as Leharven, but it appears to have many similar traits. According to legend it resembled a vulture, but without any feathers. When returning to the lake it would not perch in a tree, but dive down under the water and disappear. In the 1970’s a local school adopted the creature as their mascot and dubbed it “Halengamen”, “the Halen Vulture”.

"If I’m not totally mistaken this aquatic connection rings a bell concerning the African “Kongamato”. And the feature about getting ill from watching the flying beast also seems familiar, from something in the West Indies, perhaps.

"There’s also a folktale about a giant vulture sweeping down and grabbing an oxen in an area of Blekinge called Jämshög. The name is said to be derived from “Gamshög” =”Vulture’s Peak”, a hill where the creature is said to have been observed seen sitting. This tale is generally considered as a tall-tale, with no real etymological verification to the name of Jämshög. It’s still interesting as a Swedish counterpart of the American “Thunderbird” tales.

i thought it made for an interesting name.

though there are those who dispute his translation of "le" in Leharven, claiming it is supposed ot mean 'loathsome', not joint. since sadly i don't speak much of the language myself, i don't know which seems likely.

Edited by mithril coyote, 23 September 2014 - 12:00 PM.

[van Uber]

mithril coyote, on 23 September 2014 - 11:55 AM, said:

i thought it made for an interesting name.

It is, but just so you know "Nattravnen" where haunted spirits that primarily came from people who were buried in unconsecrated earth or had committed suicide. There are other versions of who became a "Nattravnen" but it basically centers around tormented souls. It had a terrifying shriek and you became blind if you gazed upon it. It could be avoided if you threw yourself flat on the ground, because it could never fly lower than an ox would carry its yoke.