GOU'.VN. 



293 



(mottuT) with straps (tyyil) for over-garment. He looked down 

 and kept the mantle-straps in his hands, and by turns put 

 them on and oft' his head. When they had passed the cape 

 they had got merry and drunk, rowed hard and kept little 

 guard. Sigurd rose and went to the gunwale, and his two 

 guards did the same, and both took his mantle and held it up 

 as was the custom to do with highborn men " (Magnus Blind, 

 c. 10). 



" Halldor had on a cloak on which were long brooches l as 

 was then customary " (Laxdsela, ch. 75). 2 



The Slcedur was a trailing gown of costly stuff embroidered 

 with gold and ornamented with bands. 



In the time of Olaf Kyrri (the Quiet, 1066-93) the men's 

 gowns had trains, laced on the side, with sleeves 10 feet long, 

 so tight that they had to be pulled on with a leather thong, 

 and jerked up to the shoulder. These gowns were soon con- 

 sidered old-fashioned : it was also customary to wear gold 

 rings round the legs. 



" In the days of King Olaf Kyrri, drinking at the inns 

 and parting-bouts began in the trading-towns, and the people 

 became fond of show ; they wore costly breeches laced tight 

 to the leg, and some fastened gold rings round their legs ; 

 the men wore trailing gowns (drag-kyrtil), laced on the sides, 

 with sleeves ten feet in length, and so narrow that they had 

 to be put on with a running-string and laced tight up to 

 the shoulder ; the shoes were high, sewed with silk, and some 

 of them ornamented with gold. There was much other dis- 

 play at this time " (Olaf Kyrri, c. 2). 



This sort of sleeve belonged to the old-fashionecl kind of 

 clothing. 



"He (Arinbjorn) gave Egil as Yule-gift a gown (sloedur) 

 of silk, largely embroidered with gold, and set with gold- 

 buttons all the way down the front ; he had this made so as 

 to fit Egil. Arinbjorn also gave him a new cut suit of clothes, 

 of many-coloured English cloth" (Egil's Saga, 70). 



Erling jarl was tall and brawny, somewhat high-shouldered, 

 with a long and thin face and light complexion ; he was very 



1 Brooches = fibulae. 



2 Cf. also for cloaks Egil's Saga, 



c. 77 ; Eyrbyggja, c. 37 ; Vigaglum's 

 Sagn, c. 6; Ljosvetninsa Saga, c. 17. 



