I'm needing a good name for a new Nord ruin I'm adding to Helgen Reborn, and really struggling with a good name. If that is a terrible name, do you guys have any ideas for a good name? The story on the dungeon will basically be that the main entrance has been sealed for centuries. But some archieologist types were trying to dig to a cave that they heard led inside. In doing so they woke up the evil that lies within, the main entrance is no longer sealed, but has a magical barrier preventing entry, but you can get in from the caves. So, having nothing better to do, the Dragonborn gets to scope it out. It's actually very unique feeling and is massive. One level is a lot of your typical nord ruin fare, but it's really destroyed. The other level is actually a new worldspace, a massive cavern, temple and huge open area where the final boss fight will take place.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xibalba: roughly translated as "place of fear" (from Wikipedia) I don't believe I ever heard of it before Falling Skies last Sunday. It also says, "Xibalba is described in the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popol_Vuh as a court below the surface of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth associated with death and with twelve gods or powerful rulers known as the Lords of Xibalba."

Cool stuff and it sort of fits my ruin.

Only jumping in real quick: My personal gut feeling leans towards, "It sounds weird, and not exactly Nordic." Nordic is usually a harder language, and 'B' is usually considered a softer sound, so to me 'B' is hard to make work in Nordic names, non-the-less twice.

But, in the long run, who cares? If it's a real word in Nordic and it's meaning fits well, go for it.

It sounds more Daedric or Dwemer to me, not really Nord.

Skyrim's nordic is derived from, well, real life nordic and germanic languages. Try looking at some scandinavian or icelandic (which most closely resembles ancient viking language) terms to get a better feel for names. X is a very uncommon letter.

It sounds like a ruin from the the Shivering Isles rather than a Nordic ruin.

I would try for something with more consonant sounds.

IMHO: Yes... for Tropical Skyrim.

The Popol Vuh is a Maya book, from the jungles of southern Mexico. That's culturally as far from the vaguely Scandinavian setting of Skyrim as you can possibly get.
Having a name from a Scandinavian language or something that sounds somewhat like them would probably be better. Xibalba doesn't *sound* Nordic.
Retaining the meaning (roughly), maybe use something like "Skremmesgrav" (pseudo-Norwegian for "tomb of horror") or "Fryktested" (from what Google Translate gives for "place of fear") or something sounding like those.

"FruktansPlats" would be a fairly direct translation from Swedish, if that is Nordic enough, "FruktansVakt" would be roughly "Fear Watch".

I am sure, those who actually are Swedish or Norse (I am not, just happen be close by) could come up with even better possibilities.

It's actually Myan. How about Holmgardr?

Yeah, I kinda feel the same, but I wanted to get some discussion going, lol. But I love those you mention. I just wish I knew how to pronounce them, lol. Not really, I guess it would be phonetic though, and just pronounced like it's spelled?

LOL< i just saw my OP said "massive TAVERN" instead of cavern. I guess all the draugr will be boozing it up!

Holmgardr could be an actual Swedish name for a place (except for the last r) so that would work fine. It would mean Islet Ranch.

"Holmgardr" looks quite fine to me, as well.
How to pronounce these exactly would also depend on what language they're based on (Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic...), but generally and for the sake of a video game, pronouncing them like they're spelled would probably do. (O tends to be pronounced as "oo" as in "foot", and Y is no "aye"-sound, but closer to French "u" or German "ü", an "ee" (as in "weed") being a closer approximation.)
But in the end, Skyrim usually pronounces its names roughly as they're spelled for an English speaker.

FINALLY! Something I can understand!!!

Just kidding, I'd say Holmgardr would HOLM (like Sherlock Holmes without the s) GARD (like guard) and then an R on the end like the r at the end of "gardener"?

That explains it, yeah it doesn't sit well on the tongue and mind as a Nordic word.

Holmgardr has a much better initial reaction in my mind. And yes, it would be said Holm (Holmes) - Gardr (Garter with a 'd' instead of a 't').

Sounds more like a Daedric shrine in Morrowind to me. Or maybe something Dwemer. I don't recall any "X"s in the Nordic tongue. plus, it has Mayan influence which makes it inappropriate, I'd say..

Try something properly Scandinavian:

Heimskringla

Reykjanesskag

A rough translation of place of fear:

Icelandic = Staeurótta

Norwegian = sted av frykt = Fryktsted

Danish = sted af frygt = Frygtsted

Swedish = plats av r?dsla - R?dslaplats (sounds more Germanic to me)

Land of Terror:

Icelandic = Hryejuverka

Well of Despair

Icelandic = vel af ?rv?ntingu = Orv?ntinguvel

Danish/Norwegian = godt av fortvilelse = Fortvilelsegodt

Swedish = v?l f?rtvivlan = F?rtvivlanv?l

Fiddle with the letters until you get something that looks and sounds good and is a little easier to say?

I tried Pit of Dread, but it didn't work, although in Danish it could be Skr?kpit.

In Swedish Pit of Horror could be Skr?ckgrop.

In Icelandic Well of Horror could be Hryllingivel

I am sure there are Scandinavian members who could help.

~.~

I missed your post and did the same thing. I didn't think of Tomb of Horror, though.

In Icelandic it could be H?rmungagr?f

Danish = R?dselgrav

Norwegian = Skrekkgraven

Swedish = Skr?ckgrav

~.~