'////: VAEIOUS 1,'ooMS. 



meals and general intercourse ; a large svefnskali (sleeping 

 house); and also a large stofa, 1 in which he held his hirdstefna 

 (king's men's meetings). The common entrance led first into 

 the forstofa (lobby), and then into the house proper ; both 

 were provided with doors, which could be locked. Sometimes 

 the door was fastened on the inside with a slagbrand (bar). 



1 t>**.- rrssssjvrSsv^ Ti ft J 



Fig. 1110. Back view of chair. 

 Warriors fighting on horseback. 



The lofts, which consisted of rooms in the upper part of the 

 skali, were frequently used as bedrooms, and were lighted by 

 loft-glugg 2 (loft openings). Outside the loft there was, ;il 

 least on one side, a svalir (balcony), 3 which was reached by an 

 outside stairway. The loft generally had no communication 

 with the undir-skemma. 



1 A house of the latter kind was also 

 called mdlstofa (speaking-house) (Harald 

 Hardradi's Saga, c. 45. 



2 Ingi's Saga, 28; Egil's Saga, 1:'^ ; 



Xjal. 114, 199; Fms., 8.".; Yngliiiga, 

 St. Olaf, 116. 



3 Magnus the Good's Saga, c. 13. 



