Olaf kept house at Herdholt, he had many servants and workmen, and
work was divided amongst the house-carles; one looked after the dry
cattle and another after the cows. The fold was out in the wood, some
way from the homestead. [Sidenote: Hrapp's ghost] One evening the man
who looked after the dry cattle came to Olaf and asked him to make
some other man look after the neat and "set apart for me some other
work." Olaf answered, "I wish you to go on with this same work of
yours." The man said he would sooner go away. "Then you think there is
something wrong," said Olaf. "I will go this evening with you when you
do up the cattle, and if I think there is any excuse for you in this I
will say nothing about it, but otherwise you will find that your lot
will take some turn for the worse." Olaf took his gold-set spear, the
king's gift, in his hand, and left home, and with him the house-carle.
There was some snow on the ground. They came to the fold, which was
open, and Olaf bade the house-carle go in. "I will drive up the cattle
and you tie them up as they come in." The house-carle went to the
fold-door. And all unawares Olaf finds him leaping into his open arms.
Olaf asked why he went on so terrified? He replied, "Hrapp stands in
the doorway of the fold, and felt after me, but I have had my fill of
wrestling with him." Olaf went to the fold door and struck at him
with his spear. Hrapp took the socket of the spear in both hands and
wrenched it aside, so that forthwith the spear shaft broke. Olaf was
about to run at Hrapp but he disappeared there where he stood, and
there they parted, Olaf having the shaft and Hrapp the spear-head.
After that Olaf and the house-carle tied up the cattle and went home.
Olaf saw the house-carle was not to blame for his grumbling. The next
morning Olaf went to where Hrapp was buried and had him dug up. Hrapp
was found undecayed, and there Olaf also found his spear-head. After
that he had a pyre made and had Hrapp burnt on it, and his ashes were
flung out to sea. After that no one had any more trouble with Hrapp's