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- This page is about the Battle of Lena of 1208; for other battles, see Battle of Helena (disambiguation).
The Battle of Lena took place January 31, 1208, and it was probably located near Kungslena ( 58°14′N, 13°50′E) which is located in the Tidaholm Municipality in Västergötland.
It was an important battle between the former Swedish king Sverker and prince Eric. Sverker arrived with a large, mostly Danish, army provided by the Danish king Valdemar the Victorious. Some sources has this army to number as many as 12 000, or even 18 000 men, but that is with all certainty an overstatement. The Swedes were, on the other hand, assisted by Norwegian auxiliaries, which numbered around 7,000 to 10,000 men.
The Swedes won, according to legend aided by Odin, and Sverker had to flee back to Denmark. He would return in the Battle of Gestilren and Sverker died during the battle.
