Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-18
V|K|NGHERO'S HOME.
IS TO Be REBUILT.
.1,000th Anniversary of Old
est Continuous Democratic
Legislature Planned.

A Vikings house that was burned
e1s years ago in Iceland has been re-
constructed.
viking hospitality will be extended
in this hall to the visitors and repre-
Sentatives from many nations who
journey to Iceland this Spring to cele-
brate the 1,00Oth anniversary of the
worlds Oldest, continuous, democratic
legislature, the Icelandic Althing.
1.-The new house duplicates, as near
" as possible, the historic home of one
Of Iceland's greatest lawyers" says
bullet from the National Geographic
Society.
A Viking Blackstone.
'Njal was a lawyer learned in the
voluminous and technical law of Vik-
ing Iceland before William the Con-
Queror brought the English jury sys-
TEN to England on the end of Nor
man spear.
iceland has rebuilt Mails home be-
cause the fame of his legal skill. to-
gether with the story of his death amid
melodramatic scenes, has been pre-
served in one of the most cherished of
IcelandS SagaS. The Stoy of Burnt
Mail The saga came into being IL
years after Lief Ericson's journey from
Greenland to American shores, which
was IN the year 1000 AID.
Malls reconstructed house Is epe-
cially interesting to America because
it is similar to the house reputed to
in America. Thorflnn Karlsef1n, the
coloniSt who followed Lief Ericsson, Is
believed to have built a Viking house
somewhere on the shores now known
as New England or Nova Scotia. Mails
rebuilt house has floor plan not I'M
like that Of Lief's own house, the
ruins of which may still be seen in
Iceland.
Iceland's Row Houses.
"The appearance of many Viking
houses resembled q street of modern
row houses in Eastern United States
and seaboard cities. The triangular
viking gable ends, ranging In a line,
suggested a series of cottages shoulder
to shoulder, but each Viking gable
roof usually sheltered a single room.
The whole spravling Viking house Of
many gables was connected by q mar
row hall that linked the rooms in the
same way that covered passages linked
up the many buildings Of New Eng
land farmhouse.
Turf often rooted the Vikings house,
and in Spring he lived beneath a car
pet Of wild flowers.
Leading men Of the island, such as
Mai, usually had one high-roofed, large
han in their houses. This hall had
three divisions lengthwiSe; q nave and
two low side aisles separated by low
stone walls. The high roof of the nave
was supported by two lines of wooden
pillars brought over stormy seas from
Norway In the small viking ships. This
hall was sleeping, eating and living
room for the chief and his retainers.
Some of these halls, which served as
eating. living and sleeping rooms, were
very large. One in Iceland was 200 feet
long and so feet wide.
Booths for Sleeping Quarters.
Down the center Of the hall was one
long fireplace. The smoke from the
fire found its way through holes cut
high up In the roof. Benches for the
family, servants and retainers ran along
each side Of the long fireplace. In the
low-roofed aisles parallel to the long
axis Of the hall were hunks for Sleep
Ing. These hunks usually had swinging
doors which locked on the inside, so
that the sleeper could lock himself in
his compartment.
Such house was burned down over
Mails head. Lawyer Victim of Gang
land Feud.' newspapers would have
headlined the event If there had been
newspapers instead of sagas.
NAL had been too successful in the
Iceland courts. He knew Icelandic law
50 well he could repeat it all from
memory. So he, his sons and his
friends and servants were attacked by a
rival gang. With spears and battle
axes they beat on the attackers, who
finally set fire to a haystack, which in
turn fired the house. Women and chill
dren were permitted to 60 out safely ex-
cept Bergthora, Mails wife, who chose
TO stay with her husband. Mai himself
was too old to fight, so he and Berg
thora lay down together, covered them
selves with an oxl1ide and awaited their
fate.
''one Of the defenders managed to
escape amid the smoke and confusion
He brought his enemies to trial, heard
them declared outlaws and finally fol-
lowed some Of them as far south as
Wales TO kill them for vengeance"