this is not a long one...
The Helthdanes region has been a frequently important area in the history of the northern continent, yet it is, itself, a somewhat dull area.
There is no nation of 'the Helthdanes', in fact this rather broad region is home to dozens of city-states and pocket kingdoms, many short lived. the people here are fiercely independent and insular, and apparently utterly contemptuous of obeying any leader they cannot personally meet for lunch... and the Helthdanes love their lunches.
In the Age of Men, the Helthdanes were the last conquered by Vasilimatu, and the first to break off from his empire upon his death. They were among the last to fall to the Horde on its push west, and too this day provide a buffer between the so-called Tenebrian Kingdoms and the lands of the West.
A saying popular among the various neighbors of the region is this: The only difference between a danish farmer and a danish bandit is that the bandit is holding a sword.
That largely seems to sum up the general lawlessness of the region. Given that it lies at an intersection of three major trading blocs this is a genuine problem.
At its core lies the helthdane attitude that every man is first responsible for himself (this holds true for their women as well), and then for his family, and then for his cousins then for it village, and lastly for his people... and then, maybe then, for the gods themselves. A dane fully believes his wife, his brother, his own children will take from him what they can... but only for themselves. He believes his neighbor will take from him. Their entire culture has been described as a series of circles, always facing outwards with swords drawn (though the average dane is more likely to hit you with an axe than a sword), ending at last in a circle of one.
Despite this general disregard for others, the Danes are actually a cheerful, friendly people. Untrustworthy, perhaps, but friendly. A dane will share his food and wine, always taking his portion first, with a stranger... indeed, not taking his portion first is actually rude (and somewhat suspicious), and most Danes are more than willing to admit to their future treachery. They have no reason to hide it after all. Their homes tend to be heavy walled and sturdy, but once within they are comfortable... indeed, inside one's personal fortress why be miserable? Life is short, and cheap, and thus they tend to make every effort to enjoy what they have while they can.
Like their neighbors to the west, the Danes are a darker people, though taller and straighter of limb. The region is suitable for horses, and the Danes are skilled riders (though less so than the Nornsan and Kerkeshi peoples), but there is no cavalry tradition as such. A Dane will ride up to a fight, dismount and begin flailing about with his axe with lusty abandon. The one thing no dane will admit to is cowardice, for his ability to protect himself and his belongings is concommitant with his strength and bravery. That said, 'low' and 'cowardly' tactics are fully approved of by the average Dane.
Danes and dogs. WHile a dane will not trust another man with anything he cares about, he will trust his dogs. The loyalty of these animals is of paramount importance to the Danes, and large, feirce watchdogs guard every home, and when the danes hunt or go to war (as compared to the average bloody brawl) they take their dogs with them. The Danes hate wolves with a passion few other races of men can muster, and they've bred hunting hounds specifically to take on the beasts, and many a home is well decorated with wolf pelts, often savaged by hound's teeth. Some hold that the largest, fiercest dogs in teh world are danish wolfhounds...
Oddly, the Danes are a highly civilized race, with little love or respect for the wild places of the world. Fiercely independent, certainly, but they've long been farmers and ranchers, and few woodmen and witches can be found among them. Commonly worshipped gods include these of the hearth and of grains. However, among the Danes it is commonly held that they were long ago cursed by the Sun because they refused to obey his divine laws and slew his appointed judges and sheriffs (some believe this refers to a notorious incident during the reign of Vasilmatu, as the Sun was believed to be his personal divine patron, and the worship of the Sun was spread more strongly than other faiths during his conquests). The actual penalties of this curse vary according to the specific tale being cited, of course. It is common wisdom that one result is that no Dane will ever bow his head before the Sun. Often a dane's opinion on hats is tied to his personal belief about how best to spit in the sun's eye (wearing a hat to always be in the shade, never wearing a hat so he can see their defiance, and so on...), and they have no problems changing their story to suit their chapeau or lack thereof.