THE ANCIENT NORTHMEN, RIDDELL ANCESTRY.
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He was thick-necked, and his shoulders of superhuman breadth. In shape
well built, and taller than the most of men.'
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The ordinary dress of the sexes was nearly the same, a shirt, loose
drawers, long hose, high shoes held by thongs twisted about the ankles.
They wore a short kilt or skirt at the waist, an armless cloak, with low-
crowned broad-brimmed hat, which completed the costume of the men.
The underclothing of both sexes was of linen; the outside garments of
woolen homespun, most prized when dyed blue or red. In time of war
their chieftains put on a coat of mail, woven of small rings of iron or
steel, which formed a complete network, and was so flexible - though
heavy-as to adapt itself to every necessary motion of the body. In
addition to the coat of mail, the ancient Northmen wore a cowl or corpun-
chon of the same material, thrown over the head and shoulders; over
this they placed a conical helmet, made of burnished steel and having a
neck-piece or visor, which, when closed, completely protected the head
and face. At the waist they wore a tunic, called by them the "hauberk,"
made of rings of steel, which with the "chaussés" or leg pieces made of
the same material, constituted the complete equipment of the Northman
soldier. The Northman's shield was long and kite-shaped, having two bands
for the arm and one for the neck in case they wished to use both hands
in battle; these were covered with hard leather, with steel rim and boss,
white in time of peace and red in time of war; they were usually orna-
-mented with some fanciful device, but not of an heraldic character. Their
arms were heavy lances, steel-pointed with an ashen shaft; battle-axes;
and, above all, a broadsword, the darling of the Northmen. Their lances
were decorated with long ribbon streamers, called by them "gonfalons."
Norman ships were long, half-decked galleys, propelled both by sails and
oars. The bow and stern were high, and were ornamented, the former
with a dragon's head, the latter with the tail, and thus a fleet of these ships
looked like huge sea-monsters, whose open jaws were ready to crush the foe.
The sails were gay, with stripes of blue, green, and red. In the prow
stood the warriors, in the stern their chief, and behind him the helms-
man. The rowers were protected during action by planks set up along
the bulwarks, and on the sides of the vessel was a gangway from which
to board an enemy's ship.
The character of these hardy Northmen fitted them for the adventure-
some and warlike destinies of the race. Possessed of an independent,
haughty, and unyielding disposition, and taught contempt of danger in
their struggles for existence in a rugged and barren country, they proved
themselves unconquerable. They were cold-blooded and unmerciful to-
ward their enemies, and, as one has said, "hard-featured when angry."
All these qualities were common to ancient conquerors, but were de-
veloped in a peculiar degree by the Northmen in every generation until
their distinctive habits were lost or modified by the blood of other nations.
As we follow the Northmen in their migrations and settlements, another
feature of character is conspicuous, namely, their versatility and power
of adapting themselves to the various and peculiar conditions of society
whither they went. They introduced but few new principles, but readily
assumed the language, religion, and ideas of their adopted country, and
became absorbed in the society around them; this rule holds good with
the exception of Iceland, where they largely predominated over the in-
habitants who preceded them. But not so in respect to their influence
upon the nations amongst whom they settled, for invariably they became
