stofa

Updated: May 10, 2025

'Now in those times there were wont to be large fire-halls at the homesteads. The hall, <i>holl, skáli, stofa</i>, was the principal room in every home. <i>Elda-skáli</i>, or fire-hall, as the one alluded to at Biarg, was so called from its serving as a cooking-hall and a sitting-hall at once.

- The Story of Grettir the Strong

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.

Andrew Lang - Homer and His Age