Jotnar once lived in matriarchal societies, but outside influences forced them to adapt to changing times. Now they live in autocratic, pre-feudal tribes. Their leaders are warlords. They raise their children semi-communally, with families raising children together but not with the rest of the community. Families are made up of a male and his wives, their unwed siblings, and all of their children. Grandparents stay with the most secure family of their children once their own is diminished.

Wives are called gygnar (singular gygr). They form their own poltiical power that works against the interests of the unwed women (ivithja/ivthjur). These two groups hold most of the power among the common jotnar, and the warlords' family controls the warriors and the elites. Between the three groups, they guide all of jotnar society.

A young jotunn learns from the gygnar and ivthjur until they are ten years old. At this age, they either join the men at work or they are sent exclusively to live with the ivthjur. The ivthjur are kept in a protected compound within the community to keep them from being kidnapped by those compelled by their beauty. Their virginities are well treasured by the men, but most ivthja are eager to lose it and often do, even among themselves. Seldom do the men notice. The leaders of the ivthjur are known for their wisdom, being elder unwed women, women who never were taken husband. They do this by fighting them off fiercely, and they are feared by the men and respected by even the gygnar. The leaders of the gygnar are similarly respected, but they are less often warriors and more often advisors and cunning politicians and administrators. The leaders of the men are all warlords.

Jotnar reach adulthood at their last growth spurt, usually around the age of 21. At this time, they may marry (ivthja becoming gygr; men becoming... men). If they do not hit their last growth spurt, they must leave society for ten years. If they hit it between then and their return, they are allowed back in. If not, they are outcast forever. During this time, many jotnar force the growth spurt through eta.

Among the jotnar tribes are many craftsmen, tradesmen, and farmers who have great power within society despite not being part of the warrior class. They form rudimentary associations and alliances, but they are subject to the authority of the ivthjur (tradesmen, farmers, merchants) or gygnar (craftsmen, herders, hunters). Only the mead maker community--beekeepers, brewers, servers--are independent.

Jotnar hate titans and fight them to the death on sight. The sentiment is usually returned.

The most frequent festivals are to honor different victories or milestones of the tribe. They vary from tribe to tribe. Every ten years, though, the mead makers hold their Tasting Festival, and every jotnar tribe in the world attends if they can. This festival is world-renowned. During the life of a jotunn, there are many feasts, mostly birthdays, marriages and anniversaries, and adulthood ceremonies.