At all the doors to the hall or any other place where the emperor may be two huge giant-like men are stationed, one on either side, with staves in their hands. This is because no one is permitted to touch the threshold of the door; rather, everyone must step over it. And if anyone accidentally touches it, these guards take away his clothes and he has to pay a fine to redeem them; or if they do not strip him, they administer the allotted number of blows