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MITMH2022
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Shields

Lake Eerie

These Vikings put on a colorful display, but sensing a horrid unknown thing can cause even the most flag-waving seafarers to look gray indeed.

[See original puzzle for image: Perspective drawing of a square on the ground, whose near edge is covered by the bottom edge of a slightly thick square object that is vertical and facing the viewer. The square front of the object is blue except for a smaller white square in its center; the object's top and left edges are also visible and are gray.]

[See original puzzle for image: Perspective drawing like the previous one except that there are two of those vertical square objects, and the bottom edge of each one extends from the middle of the near side of the square on the ground to one of the far corners of the square on the ground; thus, the two objects form a wedge shape pointing at the viewer (with the objects' blue-and-white fronts and gray top edges being visible).]

Perspective drawing of a square on the ground, whose near edge is covered by the bottom edge of a slightly thick square object that is vertical and facing the viewer. The square front of the object is blue except for a smaller white square in its center; the object's top and left edges are also visible and are gray.
Perspective drawing like the previous one except that there are two of those vertical square objects, and the bottom edge of each one extends from the middle of the near side of the square on the ground to one of the far corners of the square on the ground; thus, the two objects form a wedge shape pointing at the viewer (with the objects' blue-and-white fronts and gray top edges being visible).
Shield of Hross and shields of Knut. (Both patriarchs are behind these patriarch shields, facing forward.)
(Some information used in this puzzle appears differently in different sources; use the version in Wikipedia.)

Shield of Hross and shields of Knut. (Both patriarchs are behind these patriarch shields, facing forward.)

(Some information used in this puzzle appears differently in different sources; use the version in Wikipedia.)

The sons of vikings Knut and Hross,
Whose shields displayed St Patrick's cross,
A roundel sable, Haiti's bands, some
Bull's-eye, one blue square, the handsome
Bari flag (though all adore
That roundel and those bands there), or
And sable quartered, one blue band
(As centered as that square was), and
Some others, bravely met to fight
But soon they'd all turn pale with fright;
Their shields could not protect them from
The foul Inhuman Thing To Come.

The field, whose bounds (unless they'd flee!)
They couldn't pass, had squares like the
Eleventh month
, which none could share.
Three sons of Knut (all faced towards where
The Bantu's blue is) stood like bands
Of Capulet and "nosed" (which stands
For "faced with no squares in between")
The only two free squares and keen-
Eyed, north-faced Hrossfot Hrossson, who
Nosed Hrossfax (who's a Hrossson too).
Then Hrossfax and three bros sensed Some
Inhuman Thing Was Due To Come!

Those four (the only Hrosssons there
Whose lines of sight matched lines of hair-
Less Brown
, and not the links game and
The beastless dance) each, shield in hand,
Then fled — by simply crossing through
A square-edge that's a field-edge too
(While Hrossfax sidled left, the others
Just backed up). Their foes and brothers
Now were in the ratio
Weight, northerner, and kit each show
Us, color-wise; all feared that Some
Inhuman Thing Was Due To Come.

When, next, the middle Knutson of
The three-man phalanx seen above
(In stanza two) backed up, each clan
Filled squares of just one hue. That man
Then sidled right, and made a clatter
Hrossfot heard, far off; the latter
Leapt straight up (so straight that he
Would surely land eventually
Exactly in his former place).
Neath airborne Hrossfot, men could race
At speeds increased by fear that Some
Inhuman Thing Was Due To Come.

A Knutson (trapped within his space
By two folks) first turned right to face
The same way Hrossfot plus just one
More Hrossson faced. The latter son
Ran just as many squares as light
From tubes
marks off; his path bent (right,
Not left) once (he turned not a bit).
That Knutson thus was freed to flit
As far (and as unturningly);
His path bent twice. On stopping he
Heard Hrossfot land, and shouted "Some
Inhuman Thing Is Due To Come!"

So all then turned in utter fright —
The Knutsons left, and Hrosssons right.
One Knutson (who before and after
Turning faced the field-edge) laughed a
Mirthless laugh, and shrieked in fear,
"The Thing That's Due To Come Is Here!"
All fled the field — but left their shields
Just where they'd stood (each Hrossson wields
One shield, each Knutson two, like dad).
No coins whose hue the province had
Could make those Vikings stay when Some
Inhuman Thing At Last Did Come.

The sons of vikings Hross and Knut
Whose further shields displayed a suit,
The cross of Skåne, bendwise or
And gules
, the Scottish flag, a more
Pentagonal two-hued shape, and one
That's red and still five-sided
(that's
Not like the bendwise one, St. Pat's,
Or Haiti's), though uncommon brave,
Would never dare to face the grave
Offensive weapon of that same
Inhuman Thing That Really Came.

The sons of vikings Knut and Hross,
Whose shields displayed St Patrick's cross,
A roundel sable, Haiti's bands, some
Bull's-eye, one blue square, the handsome
Bari flag (though all adore
That roundel and those bands there), or
And sable quartered, one blue band
(As centered as that square was), and
Some others, bravely met to fight
But soon they'd all turn pale with fright;
Their shields could not protect them from
The foul Inhuman Thing To Come.
The field, whose bounds (unless they'd flee!)
They couldn't pass, had squares like the
Eleventh month, which none could share.
Three sons of Knut (all faced towards where
The Bantu's blue is) stood like bands
Of Capulet and "nosed" (which stands
For "faced with no squares in between")
The only two free squares and keen-
Eyed, north-faced Hrossfot Hrossson, who
Nosed Hrossfax (who's a Hrossson too).
Then Hrossfax and three bros sensed Some
Inhuman Thing Was Due To Come!
Those four (the only Hrosssons there
Whose lines of sight matched lines of hair-
Less Brown, and not the links game and
The beastless dance) each, shield in hand,
Then fled — by simply crossing through
A square-edge that's a field-edge too
(While Hrossfax sidled left, the others
Just backed up). Their foes and brothers
Now were in the ratio
Weight, northerner, and kit each show
Us, color-wise; all feared that Some
Inhuman Thing Was Due To Come.
When, next, the middle Knutson of
The three-man phalanx seen above
(In stanza two) backed up, each clan
Filled squares of just one hue. That man
Then sidled right, and made a clatter
Hrossfot heard, far off; the latter
Leapt straight up (so straight that he
Would surely land eventually
Exactly in his former place).
Neath airborne Hrossfot, men could race
At speeds increased by fear that Some
Inhuman Thing Was Due To Come.
A Knutson (trapped within his space
By two folks) first turned right to face
The same way Hrossfot plus just one
More Hrossson faced. The latter son
Ran just as many squares as light
From tubes marks off; his path bent (right,
Not left) once (he turned not a bit).
That Knutson thus was freed to flit
As far (and as unturningly);
His path bent twice. On stopping he
Heard Hrossfot land, and shouted "Some
Inhuman Thing Is Due To Come!"
So all then turned in utter fright —
The Knutsons left, and Hrosssons right.
One Knutson (who before and after
Turning faced the field-edge) laughed a
Mirthless laugh, and shrieked in fear,
"The Thing That's Due To Come Is Here!"
All fled the field — but left their shields
Just where they'd stood (each Hrossson wields
One shield, each Knutson two, like dad).
No coins whose hue the province had
Could make those Vikings stay when Some
Inhuman Thing At Last Did Come.
The sons of vikings Hross and Knut
Whose further shields displayed a suit,
The cross of Skåne, bendwise or
And gules, the Scottish flag, a more
Pentagonal two-hued shape, and one
That's red and still five-sided (that's
Not like the bendwise one, St. Pat's,
Or Haiti's), though uncommon brave,
Would never dare to face the grave
Offensive weapon of that same
Inhuman Thing That Really Came.
Before
A square.
After
A square.

BEFORE

[A big white square.]

AFTER

[Another big white square.]