y would rather fall
dead in heaps than that they two should exchange blows alone. And when
Hethin saw that nothing would satisfy Hoegni, save that they should
fight, he ordered his men to land, saying:

"I will no longer hold back from Hoegni, nor make excuses to avoid
fighting. Let every man bear himself bravely!"

They thereupon landed and fell to fighting. Hoegni was full of fury,
but Hethin was both dexterous with his weapons and mighty in his
stroke. It is told for fact that so potent was the evil charm in
the spell that even when they had cloven one another to the very
shoulders, yet they started up as before and went on fighting. Hild
sat in a grove and watched the battle.

This harrowing torment continued to oppress them from the time when
they began to fight until Olaf Tryggvason became King of Norway. It
is said to have gone on for a hundred and forty-three years, until it
fell to the lot of this famous man that one of his retinue released
them from their grievous calamities and tragic doom.

IX. In the first year of King Olaf's reign, it is said that he came
one evening to the island of Hoy and anchored there. It was a
regular occurrence in the neighbourhood of this island that watchmen
disappeared every night, and no-one knew what had become of them. On
this particular night it was Ivar the Gleam who kept guard. And
when all the men on the ships were asleep, Ivar took the sword that
Jarnskjoeld had had and that Thorstein his son had given him, and all
his armour, and went up on to the island. And when he had landed
on the island he saw a man coming towards him. He was very tall and
covered with blood, and his face was full of sorrow. Ivar asked
him his name, and he replied that he was called Hethin, the son of
Hjarrandi, and that he had come of a stock in far Serkland, adding:

"I am telling you the truth when I say that the vanishing of the
watchmen must be laid to the charge of me and Hoegni, the son of
Halfdan. For we and our men have been laid under such powerful and
destructive spells that we go on fighting night and day; and this has
continued for many generations, while Hild, the daughter of Hoegni,
sits and looks on. It is Othin who has laid this spell upon us; and
our only hope of redemption is that a Christian man should give battle
to us.--When that occurs, he whom the Christian slays shall not stand
up again; and so will each one be freed from his distress. Now I would
pray you that you wil