The Gundermen are the people of Gunderland, the northernmost province of Aquilonia. Although Gunderland is technically part of Aquilonia, it remained independent for so long that its people retain a strong identity of their own and do not truly consider themselves Aquilonians.
Of all the Hyborian peoples, the Gundermen remain closest to the ancient Hyborian root-stock. Gunderland is the only land where the old Hyborian blood is still found virtually unaltered.
Gunderland lies on Aquilonia's northern frontier, facing the wild lands beyond. Its people are predominantly agricultural, but generations of frontier warfare have produced a formidable martial tradition. Gundermen are particularly renowned as heavy infantry and pikemen, and many leave their homeland to serve as mercenaries abroad.
Gundermen are predominantly tawny-haired and grey-eyed, retaining many of the physical characteristics of the ancient Hyborian peoples.
They are generally tall and strongly built. Their comparatively isolated ancestry has left their appearance less varied than that of the broader Aquilonian population.
Clothing largely follows Aquilonian styles. Common people favour practical woollen outer garments over linen, with simple tunics, hose and leather boots. Soldiers are particularly associated with mail, helmets, large shields and the long pikes for which Gunderman infantry are famous.
Gunderland is predominantly rural and agricultural, with much of its population living in villages and farming communities.
Life on Aquilonia's northern frontier has given the Gundermen a strong military tradition. They are renowned throughout the western kingdoms as disciplined infantrymen, particularly for their use of the pike. Gunderman soldiers frequently serve outside their homeland, and mercenary service is a common way for young men to experience the wider world before returning home.
Honour and allegiance play an important role in Gunderman society. Loyalty to Gunderland itself is particularly strong, existing alongside allegiance to local lords and communities. Their long history as a distinct people has preserved a regional identity considerably stronger than their political incorporation into Aquilonia might suggest.
The settled agricultural population exists alongside people who make their living closer to the wilderness, including shepherds, woodcutters and hunters. Life away from established settlements demands considerable self-reliance and familiarity with the forests and frontier.
The traditional god of the Gundermen is Bori, an ancient god-hero inherited from the earliest Hyborian peoples. Bori is associated with wisdom and war, victory in battle and the reception of the dead.
According to his mythology, Bori defeated Ymir and the frost giants, allowing the ancestral Hyborians to move south.
The spread of Mitra through Aquilonia displaced much of Bori's traditional worship, and most Gundermen now follow the Mitran faith. Small and isolated cults of Bori nevertheless survive, particularly among those who resisted the religious changes occurring elsewhere in Aquilonia.
Some ancient rites of Bori include sacrifice. Human sacrifice is illegal in Gunderland, even though such practices continue among Bori's worshippers elsewhere, particularly in Hyperborea.