hich the whole crew consisted of sorcerers
and other dealers with evil spirits. Eyvind went from his ship to the
land with his followers, and there they played many of their pranks of
witchcraft. Eyvind clothed them with caps of darkness, and so thick a
mist that the king and his men could see nothing of them; but when they
came near to the house at Ogvaldsnes, it became clear day. Then it went
differently from what Eyvind had intended: for now there came just such
a darkness over him and his comrades in witchcraft as they had made
before, so that they could see no more from their eyes than from the
back of their heads but went round and round in a circle upon the
island. When the king's watchman saw them going about, without knowing
what people these were, they told the king. Thereupon he rose up with
his people, put on his clothes, and when he saw Eyvind with his men
wandering about he ordered his men to arm, and examine what folk these
were. The king's men discovered it was Eyvind, took him and all his
company prisoners, and brought them to the king. Eyvind now told all he
had done on his journey. Then the king ordered these all to be taken out
to a skerry which was under water in flood tide, and there to be left
bound. Eyvind and all with him left their lives on this rock, and the
skerry is still called Skrattasker.
71. OLAF AND ODIN'S APPARITION.
It is related that once on a time King Olaf was at a feast at this
Ogvaldsnes, and one eventide there came to him an old man very gifted in
words, and with a broad-brimmed hat upon his head. He was one-eyed, and
had something to tell of every land. He entered into conversation with
the king; and as the king found much pleasure in the guest's speech, he
asked him concerning many things, to which the guest gave good answers:
and the king sat up late in the evening. Among other things, the king
asked him if he knew who the Ogvald had been who had given his name both
to the ness and to the house. The guest replied, that this Ogvald was a
king, and a very valiant man, and that he made great sacrifices to a cow
which he had with him wherever he went, and considered it good for his
health to drink her milk. This same King Ogvald had a battle with a king
called Varin, in which battle Ogvald fell. He was buried under a mound
close to the house; "and there stands his stone over him, and close
to it his cow also is laid." Such and many other things, and ancient
events, the k
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