Have you ever read a book and come across a word that left you wondering, “What is that?”
I have, and it’s a pain, especially when you’re right in the middle of an exciting part.
The hero is flying toward the villain’s tower on the back of a (insert beast of choice) to save his friend, when…
Bam! A new word hits you so hard it knocks you right out of the story.
This can be especially true for fantasy. Since it has such an otherworldly feel, you’re bound to run across new words—and I’m not talking about ordinary but unknown words like multitudinous or subrogate.
Fear not, faithful citizen. I have enlisted a glossary of fantasy terms to save you from frustration.
I mean words found solely in fantasy. I’ll try not to be boringly obvious with words like castle, mace, or squire.
Chances are, if you’re a fantasy lover you’ll have run across many of these words and already know what they mean—if you looked them up, that is. Even if that’s the case, I hope you’ll learn a few new ones as well.
Behold the list…
- Adamant: A legendary, extremely hard stone, sometimes identified as diamond or lodestone.
- Aketon: A quilted tunic worn under the hauberk or plate armor, usually quilted vertically.
- Barbican: A strong defensive tower at the entrance to a town or fortress.
- Bailey: A courtyard.
- Battlement: A defensive or decorative parapet with indentations.
- Bier: A wooden frame on which a corpse or coffin is carried to where it will be buried.
- Bodkin: A long arrowhead without barbs. A small dagger often carried in a sheath fixed to a sword by a scabbard.
- Brazier: Another spelling of cauldron.
- Buckler: A small round shield carried by infantrymen.
- Burg: An ancient fortress or walled town.
- Coif: A close-fitting linen or leather cap word under a hood of chain mail.
- Corslet: Light armor covering the upper body.
- Courser: A strong swift horse.
- Crenel: The open section of a battlement.
- Cuisse: Curved or cylindrical plate protecting the thighs.
- Damascene: To decorate metal such as iron or steel with wavy patterns of etching or inlays of precious metals, especially gold or silver.
- Doublet: A man’s close-fitting jacket with or without sleeves.
- Errantry: The wandering, romantic, and adventurous life of a knight errant.
- Falchion: A single-edged sword used like a cleaver.
- Fastness: A place that is difficult to attack or get control of, usually because it’s on the top of a hill or mountain.
- Gambeson: A quilted tunic worn over the hauberk or plate armor.
- Gauntlet: Usually a leather glove with a long wide cuff that covers and protects part of the forearm.
- Gisarme: A long staff weapon that had at its tip a curved axe head whose lower point attached to the haft.
- Greaves: Curved or cylindrical plates protecting the shins and calves.
- Hauberk: A long, often sleeveless tunic made of chain mail.
- Hostel: An inexpensive inn or place of lodging.
- Hostelry: A hotel, pub, or inn.
- Jerkin: A sleeveless tunic usually made of leather.
- Livery: An identifying uniform worn by members of a group or trade, especially men and boys who are servants of a household or feudal retainer.
- Motte: A mount on which a castle is built.
- Panoply: Ceremonial dress with all the necessary accessories. A full suit of armor and equipment for a warrior.
- Phalanx: A line or lines of foot soldiers standing close together, usually with their shields arranged in a wall and spears pointing outward.
- Poniard: A small dagger with a slim blade that is triangular or square in its cross section.
- Poleaxe: A battle-axe with a long or short handle, especially on with a hammer or spike opposite the axe blade.
- Postern: A lesser or private gate.
- Rampart: A defensive fortification made of an earthen embankment, often topped by a low, protective wall.
- Ricasso: The top section of the sword blade, which was usually left blunt.
- Scion: A member of a rich or important family.
- Standard: A long tapering flag ending in two points and with heraldic devices on it, used as an emblem of a person or group.
- Surcoat: A short tunic worn over armor in medieval times. A short sleeveless garment worn as part of the ceremonial costume of an order of knighthood.
- Tabard: A loose surcoat with slits at the sides worn outside the armor.
- Truncheon: The shaft of a spear.
- Vambrace: A curved or completely cylindrical piece of armor worn over the forearm as protection.
- Wain: A farm wagon or cart.
- Ward: A courtyard.
How many did you know? Which ones were new? Did I miss any you would have liked to see? I would love to hear your thoughts.
