Latest revision as of 06:45, 15 December 2018

This page is intended as a tool for the instruction of ogres in the Old Stone Tongue of the ogres, called G'rot Tongu. Resources include a Common Tongue to G'rot Tongu Dictionary, a guide to ogre runes and symbols, and a brief history of the Stone Tongue.

[edit] The Stone Tongue

The so-called Stone Tongue, is the partially lost language of the ogres. Ogres were once a solitary group hated by all due to their seclusion during the war and dispersal of the goblyns. While some of the other races jockeyed and jibed and created working relationships with other races, the ogres remained segregated. Most ogres see the other races as usurpers, and care little for their politics or alliances. As the ogres have become more scarce, this has changed somewhat. Many ogres have joined the mighty horde, or other cadres of monsters. They have also learned their tongues. As a result much of their old language has been lost but some words - specifically used in naming young ogres - are remembered.

It is claimed that U'ron taught the Stone Tongue to his children, the Garad, who in turn taught the gods, the Urungnar. Some years later, Utezni, wisest of the gods, wrote the first runes to record the wisdom of the world in the Stone Tongue. Unfortunately the secrets of the runes were lost in the thousands of years since and only a few examples of them survive.

The very first ogres, the Garad, were taught to speak by Uron. The language they spoke became the G'rot Tongu. This language is widely guttural and reflects the noises of the elements: rushing water, blowing wind, snapping flame, and cracking rock. The later being the source of the language's name since the noises of rock are favored by Uron and Utezni who furthered the language. Utezni, after being carried to and from Myrk, wrote the wisdom of the universe upon five trees that were turned to stone by his magic. This wisdom was written in glyphs and runes. The runes themselves were not assigned meaning by Utezni; rather Utezni brought them to Yord and was able to give them manifestation on earth.

Utezni spent a great deal of time carving these runes and attempted to teach other ogres their secrets but many ogres did not have the time to learn them. Una was the most interested in these symbols but did not like how difficult they were to carve into wood, her preferred medium. So she created a system of writing that took less time and was easier to carve into wood. This Short Branch form was primarily used by shaman from then on to compose spells. All runes, glyphs, and spells are stained red to represent the blood of Utezni that filled the notches when he first wrote them. The only exception is the symbol for D'Zono the Cannibal. Evil places are her domain and ogres seek them not. If a place is cursed with D'Zono's power ogres take charcoal and hastily blacken the outward facing surfaces as a warning for other passers by.

After Utezni took to wandering alone, the Stone Tongue in written form became less common used primarily by shaman in rituals. As ogres became less populous and were forced to band together and trade with other monsters they began to speak the common tongue with them. In this way the Stone Tongue was used less frequently and ultimately lost. Some Shaman still know it but the words are mostly used to name ogres. That is way so many of the Stone Tongue words archived below are used in names.

[edit] Common Tongue (Hooman) to G'rot Tongu Dictionary

The prefix 'U' is used to denote a powerful or great being. Many words are combined using a apostrophe to create compound words conveying a more complex meaning. When a apostrophe is not used random sounds can be added to meld words together. Those sounds are usually chosen to be more pleasing to the ear. It is also possible to shorten words to a single sound. Such is the case with 'val' meaning 'slain' which is often shortened to 'V'.

Plurals are usually indicated with the sound 'nar' or 'ar' however not always. Other plural sounds are 'ad' and 'non' the later being used mostly in tribal names.

air: rith

armor: hrek

arrow: her ('her' also refers to bone which was used for arrow heads by ancient ogres)

ash: rekk/rek

bag: belg

bind / to bind / to: ot

birth / born / fathered: dar

body: glim

bone: her

break (to break): brim

bull: grid'ung (using 'ung' meaning 'heavy' as a modifier)

chieftain: kroltun

child / children: rung / rungnar

cleaver: vask

clever / intelligent: os

cup / a cup of liquid / a container: vat (usually a cup containing an alcoholic beverage, like beer)

dance (dancing): inan

darkness: on / an

death: yrr

defeat: banog

earth: yord

engrave: rul

family: ut

fall: fo

father: ron (dar can also mean father)

fire: hyr

flesh / meat: solt

fur: rim

guard: ul (from 'u' meaning great, and 'ulv' meaning wolf, can be interpreted as 'great-wolf' referencing the war wolves of Ugangi and their role as his guards)

great: u

half: hav

happy / merry: kal

heap: ruga

heardsman: lose

heart: cro

heaven: hr'myn (from 'Hr' meaning 'sky' and 'myn' meaning 'home')

heavy: thung

helm: stytr

home: myn

huge: svarr

intelligent / clever: os

initiate (shaman): Tekann

knife: theg

knuckle: K'nu (K'nar pl.)

laugh (to laugh): hly / hla (la)

lift (to lift): ior

mask: skogrim

meat / flesh: solt

mother: mar

mountain: nag

night: on

ogre: thur

one (an individual): und

pile: ruga

poison: vil

powerful: svarr

rage: gangi

raid (to raid or pillage): ren

rot: vek

sand: yir

sacred place: ginnung

scavenge: karn

sea: haf

secret: z, az, in general the addition of the 'z' implies a hidden or secret nature not easily seen as utilized in the names of ogre runes

search: kan

shadow: chron

shake (shaker, to shake): ok

shaman: sa'ud'mad

shame: skom (Drotskom: term for the shamed godless ogres meaning tribe of the shamed)

shield: rond

silence: thog

sky: hir (often shortened to 'hr')

slain: val (often shortened to 'V')

stab (to stab): rut

stand (standing): vahp

steam: gufa

steel: stol

storm: ok

soul: ond

spear: sar

stone: g'rot

strong: svarr

summer: shal

swift: orr

tribe: drutt

test (shaman): ra'un

thunder: ok (any loud noise, also a shaking sensation caused by movement or noise)

to: ot

tongue: tongu

tree: tiek

trench (to dig): rul

walk (to walk alone): mund

water: na, (it is possible Na once possessed a different meaning but has come to represent water due to its association with the goddess Una)

wander (to wander): rod (also used to represent a tribe's movement or the mobilization of a war band by using 'g' prefix - g'rod)

war: gor (alternatively shortened to 'or' or 'g')

warrior: kray (m.), kra (f.)

wave: sker

wild: bhak

wisdom: tezni

wolf: ulv

wound: ver

wound (cause of death): banog

[edit] Runes and Symbols

Ogres wander from place to place rarely staying very long in any one spot. As a result ogres rely on a oral tradition to maintain their legends and folk lore. However, Utezni did create symbols that are sometimes used by ogres. They fall into three groups: glyphs, runes, and short branch.

[edit] Glyphs

See Totems of the Ogres

The glyphs are pictures of animals, beings, or places. These symbols carry mystic properties and are associated mostly with the Totems of the Ogres. Glyphs are mostly found on stone surfaces either chiseled into or painted onto the rock.

[edit] Runes

See Ogre Runes

Runes are more abstract but still more intricate than short branch. The runes require a more trained eye to read since the swirling patterns are difficult to discern meaning from. Runes can be chiseled or painted into rocks accompanying the glyphs. Certain runes are commonly painted onto ogre clothing. In this way the runes are some of the most used of ogre symbols while the glyphs are rarely reproduced and short branch widely forgotten.

[edit] Short Branch

The Short Branch was developed by Una for a more speedy, simple form of writing. Short Branch is used to record spells almost exclusively onto wood. Shaman staves are most often marked with Short Branch.

[edit] Spells, Chants, and Parables

Prayers

Prayer for younglings

The Laws

War Chants— Ugangi Ugangi Myoshia

Utezni, Utezni Nana K’ta

Una, Una Ok Fo’na

(The 4th is whispered) Ucronos, Ucronos Orr Thog Yrr

Death Prayer

Birth Prayer

Spells

Healing brief---Her ot her, Solt ot solt, Sla ot sla

Healing Full --

to be repeated 5 times.can be used in Dag cross gaming for healing

orrad na Uzond tez (6) : swiftly water share your great secret wisdom

brim kray glim verbanog(6): broken warrior, body wounded unto death

Her ot her, Solt ot solt, Sla ot sla (9): bone bind bone, flesh bind flesh, blood bind blood

ula und thur chronar (6): guard this ogre from the shadow

iore stytr, hrek, skogrim gangiok(9) let this be your helm, armor and mask from the raging storm

For summoning water from a tree

Yrr’ot tiek fo’vek---- Dead tree full of rot

Ot bkak’na vat yord---- Bring Forth the wild water you drank of from the Earth

Skogri’ e ginning---- To make this a sacrad place

Mar Una’---- for Mother Una

Parables

Utezni and Ucronos decided to race to the great mountain. Ucronos had great confidence for he had the wind and none could best his speed. But Utezni showed no hesitation or concern. The race began and Ucronos raced using all his haste, but when he reached his destination Utezni was already there. For you see young ogres Utezni was the mountain.

Una’s ire was raised against Utezni. She struck a great rock with her staff and water poured out. You may be wise, but you are immovable, whereas I flow into every seam and pore. A patient rock will over time be worn down by water dripping upon it we must move to thrive.

Think on these words, and discern the truths hidden inside