44 Norivay and the Norivegians 



was full of pungent wood-smoke. Not seldom this 

 opening in the roof serves as window as well as 

 chimney. It must be close-able, to give protection 

 against the weather ; and, if it is closed suddenly, the 

 room must get absolutely choking with wood smoke, 

 which can then only find its way out at the door. 

 When the fire has burnt to glowing ashes, so that there 

 is little or no smoke coming from it, it is usual to shut 

 up this opening in the roof in order to preserve as 

 much heat as possible in the room. Probably in the 

 old Saga- days most of the people in the house slept on 

 the benches which went along the walls. But there 

 were generally one or more separate beds, which the 

 chief people occupied. They were sometimes partitioned 

 off from the room, and are then spoken of in the Sagas 

 as closed beds. The table was not always fixed, but 

 brought in when the feast was laid. It stood ap- 

 parently between the bench and the fire, which in large 

 halls did not lie, as in our illustration, on a single 

 hearthstone in the middle of the room, but ran all 

 down the hall. The ale was handed to the people 

 sitting on the benches ' across the fire,' as we are 

 expressly told. That gave it some sort of blessing, 

 no doubt. It was not until about A.D. 1100 that this 

 custom was given up. 



It is probable that at this date, too, the fire itself was 

 removed to one side or to one corner of the hall. And 

 that would lead very soon to the use of chimneys to 

 carry away the smoke. Fig. B represents a small house 

 which follows this plan. The fire (now-a-days the 

 stove, /), stands, we see, in the corner of the room 

 instead of in the centre. And there are windows as 



