Fig. 489. Incrusted Tile. Norman. Middle Ages.
Norman Pottery, Mediæval. The illustration is from a pavement of a church of the 12th century. “Nothing,” says Jacquemart, “is more curious than the study of these tiles, in which, with rudimentary means, art already begins to manifest its power. There, in a graceful chequer-work, the fleur-de-lis of France heightens at intervals a semé of trefoils and rosettes; scrolls of notched leaves combine in graceful borders; circles divided crossways receive in their sections stars and heraldic suns; here are armour-clad warriors, mounted upon horses richly caparisoned, &c.—all that picturesque fancy assisted by the resources of heraldry could invent to animate the cold compartments of the pavement, and give a meaning to the vast naves trodden every day by the Christian multitude.” (Histoire de l’Art Céramique.) (Fig. [489].)
Norns, Nornas, Icelandic. The three Fates, whose names signify the Past, the Present, and the Future.
Norroy King at Arms. The third of the kings at arms, whose jurisdiction lies to the north of the Trent.
North Side of a church “was regarded as the source of the cold wind, and the haunt of Satan. In some Cornish churches there is an entrance called the devil’s door, adjoining the font, which was only opened at the time of the renunciation made in baptism, for the escape of the fiend. In consequence of these superstitions, and its sunless aspect, the northern parts of churchyards are usually devoid of graves.” (Wallcott, Sacred Archæology.)
Norwegian Architecture. The timber-built churches are of great interest, and exhibit the wonderful durability of the Norwegian pine. They are generally in the form of a cross, with a tower in the centre ending in a cupola or spire, and with high pitched roofs. The ornamental details are elaborate and richly carved. The whole is often painted of a rich brown colour; sometimes of a bright red. Some of these churches date from the 11th or 12th century, and are an imitation in wood of the masonic style of the period.
Nosocomium, R. (νοσο-κομεῖον). A hospital.
Notatus, R. (noto, to mark). A slave branded with a hot iron.
Note of a Room. The vibrations of the air in a chamber or vaulted space produce a musical note proper to the dimensions and other conditions of the place, which a good musical ear can recognize and identify. [See T. R. Smith’s Acoustics, pp. 83–87.]