So I just finished reading this (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440240948/sr=8-1/qid=1151747821/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-3834762-8353547?ie=UTF8) book. In it, a Roman soldier faces "Krajka", which appear to be elite warriors of a people who smear blue mud over themselves. Keeping in mind the historical liberties he takes, is this a historical term? My googling efforts only showed the word is a popular Easern European surname.

Well the Britons smeared a blue paste known as woad over them before going into battle. Thats all I can think that seems similar.

Well AFAIK it was the Picts.

And Krajka in Czech means "lace", it could also have some meaning around "land" or "border\edge"

I think he gets this from the woad that Britons used, as Silver said.

This definitely seems to be the muddle of the woad. (Sorry, I couldn't resist. Please don't beat me.)

Many of the Google hits for Krajka have to do with lace making. None that I saw had to do with soldiers, blue mud, or Romans.

well, ive read the book and wasnt this taking place in northern macedonia?
maybe Thracians or Getaeans.

well, ive read the book and wasnt this taking place in northern macedonia?
maybe Thracians or Getaeans.

There was a strong Gallic element in central Anatolia at the time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galatia

I know it's not a historical authority, but in Rome:Total War, there are Thracian warriors that wear that blue paint on them, their name escapes me. If anyone plays the game, they are those folks with the reverse-curved swords.

falxmen? 10 char

yea, those are the guys. Falxmen.

I think the blue painte dones are Bastarnae... the flaxmen are for both Thrace and Dacia and none ar painted IIRC.