As examples we turn to the parallel afforded by the Icelandic sagas and their pictures of houses of the eleventh century B.C. The present author long ago pointed out the parallel of the houses in the sagas and in Homer. [Footnote: _The_ House. Butcher and Lang. Translation of the Odyssey.] He took his facts from Dasent's translation of the Njal Saga (1861, vol. i. pp. xcviii., ciii., with diagrams). As far as he is aware, no critic looked into the matter till Mr. Monro (1901), being apparently unacquainted with Dasent's researches, found similar lore in works by Dr. Valtyr Gudmundsson [Footnote: Monro, Odyssey, vol. ii. pp. 491-495; _cf_. Gudmundsson, _Der Islandske Bottg i Fristats Tiden_, 1894; _cf_. Dasent, _Oxford_ Essays, 1858.] The roof of the hall is supported by four rows of columns, the two inner rows are taller, and between them is the hearth, with seats of honour for the chief guests and the lord. The fire was in a kind of trench down the hall; and in very cold weather, we learn from Dasent, long fires could be lit through the extent of the hall. The chief had a raised seat; the guests sat on benches. The high seats were at the centre; not till later times on the dais, as in a college hall. The tables were relatively small, and, as in Homer, could be removed after a meal. The part of the hall with the dais in later days was partitioned off as a _stofa_ or parlour. In early times cooking was done in the hall. Dr. Gudmundsson, if I understand him, varies from Dasent in some respects. I quote an abstract of his statement. "About the year 1000 houses generally consisted of, at least, four rooms; often a fifth was added, the so-called bath-room. The oldest form for houses was that of one long line or row of separate rooms united by wooden or clay corridors or partitions, and each covered with a roof. Later, this was considered unpractical, and they began building some of the houses or rooms behind the others, which facilitated the access from one to another, and diminished the number of outer doors and corridors." "Towards the latter part of the tenth century the _skaal_ was used as common sleeping-room for the whole family, including servants and serfs; it was fitted up in the same way as the hall. Like this, it was divided in three naves by rows of wooden pillars; the middle floor was lower than that of the two side naves. In these were placed the so-called _saet_ or bed-places, not running the whole length of the [blank space] from gable to gable, but sideways, filling about a third part. Each _saet_ was enclosed by broad, strong planks joined into the pillars, but not nailed on, so they might easily be taken out. These planks, called _SATTESTOKKE_, could also be turned sideways and used as benches during the day; they were often beautifully carved, and consequently highly valued."