Gustavus Adolphus, who in December 1611 at the age of 17, had ascended the throne of Sweden, was in the winter of 1612 on the rampage in Skåne in retaliation for the Danish ravaging of Småland and Västergötland during the Kalmar War. He and his army, which consisted of about 3 000 men, led by Nils Stiernsköld and Herman Wrangel, had burned the city of Vä and 24 parishes within Göinge and Villands district. In 1912 a memorial was raised to commemorate the battle. The inscription on the memorial reads in full: