KINGS OF NORWAY. 219 be losing their own lives, without being of any assist- saga xm. ance to the townspeople. Then said Olver, " Although all of you should hold back, I will go alone ; and one or two heathens, at any rate, shall fall before I fall." He ran down to the town, and a few men after him to see Avhat he would do, and also whether they could assist him in any way. When he came near the castle, and the heathens saw him, they sent out eight men fully armed against him ; and when they met, the heathen men ran and surrounded him on all sides. Olver lifted his axe, and struck behind him with the ex- treme point of it, hitting the neck of the man who was coming up behind him, so that his throat and jawbone were cut through, and he fell dead back- wards. Then he heaved his axe forwards, and struck the next man in the head, and clove him down to the shoulders. He then fought with the others, and killed two of them ; but was much wounded himself. The four who remained took to flight, but Olver ran after them. There was a ditch before them, and two of the heathens jumped into it, and Olver killed them both ; but he stuck fast himself in the ditch, so that two of the eight heathens escaped. The men who had fol- lowed Olver took him up, and brought him back to Skurhage, where his wounds were bound and healed ; and it was the talk of the people, that no single man had ever made such a bloody onset. Two lendermen, Sigurd Gyrdersson a brother of Philip, and Sigaard, came with 600 men to Skurhage ; on which Sigurd turned back with 400 men. He was but little re- spected afterwards, and soon died. Sigaard, on the other hand, proceeded -with 200 men towards the town ; and they gave battle to the heathens, and were all slain. While the Yendlanders were storminof the castle, their king and his chiefs were out of the battle. At one place there was a man among the Yendlanders
