Chapter Text
From the book: Asgard and its Realms
By Eir Lyfjaberg
Outtakes from chapter 27, Jötunheimr, the biology and behavior of a people.
The Mating Behavior of the Jotnar
Jötnar, Jotun or Frost Giants are of both sexes, or intersexed, as of birth.
A whelp is born after being carried in its mother's womb for 1,5-2 years, bearing a set a set of two genitals which consist of the penis and a vagina closed off with a thick hymen just below the vulva.
After roughly 30 to 50 years the child's horns will push through its skin on its forehead, growing either in a straight manner, indicating their Warrior Caste or in curled manner, whose bearer almost always find themselves with magical abilities as they grow older. These children are part of the Mage's Cast and exceedingly rare, only one in every 1000th child in possession of these powers.
Once a Jötnar achieves maturity, starting around the 2nd century but as late as the 7th century, they will be driven into instinctive mating fights over the cherished and sought-after weaker Jotuns or runts, who take the female role in the relationship. Even though the winner of said fights have the right to ergi the fought-over Frost Giant, the weaker Jotun or, in rarer cases, Mages and runts, have the last say in the courtship and the ability to choose a mate.
However, since the end of the 1000-year Icen War between Jötunheimr and Asgard under the current king, Laufey Utgardson, the realm is run as a forceful patriarchy. The mating fights have turned into fights for dominance and the strong position in a partnership. The fights in itself have not changed, traditionally carried out using hands and horns, but with the new patriarchy the winning Jötnar will now claim the weaker opponent on the spot, forcefully penetrating the closed orifice (vagina) and hereby degrading the loosing partner into a life as an Ergi.
The position of 'Ergi' as well as the pronoun 'she' is disgraceful and seen as a form of humiliation under Laufey's rule, leading to loss of face and status. Ergi Jötnar are not allowed to take part in government, hunting parties or battles, and are solely used for breeding purposes and lower tasks such as manual labor.
Depending on the Alpha, the Ergi's horns will be removed to inhibit her from future fights to regain her freedom. Also, she will usually be branded or tattooed with rounded symbols that cancel out the status of a Warrior as well as indicate the ownership by repeating some of her Alpha's patterns, thus marking her as his property. The Alpha that ergi'd the weaker Jotun has full rights to her body at all times, to a point that even killing her, while frowned upon, is of his own choosing and will not be penalized.
When an Ergi Jötnar is claimed via her female openings several times over the course of at least a month up to several decades, the repetitive act of breeding will release a single egg from her dormant ovaries. This in turn will produce a heat in the Ergi; she will exhibit heightened sexual arousal and generate pheromones, bringing her Alpha into a rut who will continue to breed her until she is with child; once it is born her milk glands enlarge visibly and create breasts for the necessary nursing.
A Jötnar can have several mates, depending on his strength and prowess in his fights. If a Frost Giant longs for the Ergi of another Warrior, a fight will decide the new owner and usually leaves one of the opponents dead in its wake. This is a rare occurrence, however, and lead to harsh penalties as a Warriors life’s is prized above all.
Nowadays many weaker Jötnar or runts choose escape or self-slaughter over the possibility of being forcefully mated to another Frost Giant. This is the reason why many of them can be found living solitarily in the wide plains of Jötunheimr.