The battle was between King Harald Hildetand of Denmark and Sweden, and his Viceroy King Sigurd Ring of Sweden; Sweden was during this age several little kingdoms, but Harald Hildetand had been elected king over most of them. King Sigurd had plans to unite all these kingdoms under one crown permanently, while king Harald wished to keep the possibility of electing different kings to each one, and the battle was therefore between unionists and separatists.