stones or turf. Near the house stood the "town" or home fields where
meadow hay was grown, and in favoured positions where corn would grow,
there were also enclosures of arable land near the house. On the uplands
and marshes more hay was grown. Hay was the great crop in Iceland; for
the large studs of horses and great herds of cattle that roamed upon the
hills and fells in summer needed fodder in the stable and byre in
winter, when they were brought home. As for the flocks of sheep, they
seem to have been reckoned and marked every autumn, and milked and shorn
in summer; but to have fought it out with nature on the hill-side all
the year round as they best could. Hay, therefore, was the main staple,
and haymaking the great end and aim of an Icelandic farmer.... Gunnar's
death in our Saga may be set down to the fact that all his men were away
in the Landisles finishing their haymaking. Again, Flosi, before the
Burning, bids all his men go home and make an end of their haymaking,
and when that is over, to meet and fall on Njal and his sons. Even the
great duty of revenge gives way to the still more urgent duty of
providing fodder for the winter store. Hayneed, to run short of hay, was
the greatest misfortune that could befall a man, who with a fine herd
and stud, might see both perish before his eyes in winter. Then it was
that men of open heart and hand, like Gunnar, helped their tenants and
neighbours, often, as we see in Gunnar's case, till they had neither hay
nor food enough left for their own household, and had to buy or borrow
from those that had. Then, too, it was that the churl's nature came out
in Otkell and others, who having enough and to spare, would not part
with their abundance for love or money.

These men were no idlers. They worked hard, and all, high and low,
worked. In no land does the dignity of labour stand out so boldly. The
greatest chiefs sow and reap, and drive their sheep, like Glum, the
Speaker's brother, from the fells. The mightiest warriors were the