This carving may be explained by two different interpretations. The woman between the two horsemen may be Brynhild and the ring that which the gods got from the Dverg Andvari for a ransom for Otr, and which he predicted would always bring misfortune to its owner; or she may be Gudrun confiding to the messenger of Atli a ring, warning Gunnar and Högni of their danger.
Fig. 1106.—Front view of chair.
Fig. 1107.—Side view.
Chair supposed to have belonged to an old church, in Bö, Norway.
One of the principal houses was the skali, or eldhús,[[194]] an oblong and quadrangular building, with a door at one, sometimes at both ends, intended for daily life and for feasting.
Fig. 1108.—Front view.
Chair carved with warriors fighting, with helmets on their heads. The helmets are similar to those of the Bayeux tapestry.
The skemma, dyngja, stofa, and herbergi were separate rooms, or buildings, sometimes used as sleeping apartments, where the women of the household dwelt or remained during the daytime with their maids or attendants, and occupied themselves with all kinds of work.[[195]] Sometimes the skemma was built away from other houses, and was then called utskemma. Where there was a loft the lower room was called undir-skemma. In such rooms the light came from window openings, and no fire could be lighted.[[196]]
