MEASURING HOUSES. 273 



We see in smaller objects (as on p. 272) how highly finished 

 were the carvings in the earlier iron age. 



When a house was built the people inquired if the ground 

 be lucky or unlucky in the new house. They measured the 

 length and breadth repeatedly, and then they carefully 

 examined if all the measurements were the same. If the mea- 

 surements grew longer they thought it foreboded an increase 

 of well-being for the dwellers ; if the opposite they thought 

 it foreboded a decrease in the well-being of the persons. 



Ogmund went to Iceland from Norway. 



" He measured the ground for his house. It was a belief 

 that if the measurement was the same when it was tried 

 repeatedly, then the well-being of the man whose measuring- 

 yard grew too short would decrease, but increase if it grew 

 longer. The measurement was performed three times and the 

 yard was too short." 



VOL. II. 



