260 



HALLS AXD BUILDINGS. 



all kinds of work. 1 Sometimes the skemma was built away 

 from other houses, and \vas then called wtskemma. Where 

 there was a loft the lower room was called undir-skemma. In 

 such rooms the light came from window openings, and no fire 

 could be lighted. 2 



The stofa, which was usually occupied by women, 3 was large 



t-x 



Fig. 1109. Side view of chair. 

 Warrior, with open helmet, slaying a dragon Vaage, Gudbrandsdal, Norway. 



or small ; sometimes it was intended for a sleeping apartment. 

 At the royal residence in Nidaros, St. Olaf built a large 

 hirdstofa (king's men's house), with doors at both ends, for 



1 Di/nyja cf. Egil, 159 ; Gisli Sursson, 

 !.">; Njal, 66; Kormak, 10 ; BjnrnHit.dk, 

 68. S/temma Foereyinga, 259 ; Gisli 

 Sursson, 7 ; Kormak, 228 ; Islendiuga 

 Sb'gur, ii. 28. Hi'iiier<ji seems to have 

 been a general term tor any kind of room. 



2 Harald Hardradi, 70. 



3 Fcereyinga, 41 ; Islendinga Sb'gur, 

 ii. 250 ; Fostbrcedra, 164. A bad-stofa, 

 or bath room, is mentioned. Eyrbyggja, 

 Forn. Sogur xiii. In St. Olaf's Saga, 82, 

 the stofa is said to be in the loft. 



