Sverre Sigurdsson's decisive victory at Ila in 1180 strengthened his claim against Magnus Erlingsson in the Norwegian civil wars.
Key Facts
- Date
- 27 May 1180
- Location
- Ila, Trondheim (Nidaros)
- Width of battlefield at Ila
- Just under 200 metres metres
- Outcome
- Decisive victory for Sverre Sigurdsson
- Prior engagement
- Battle of Kalvskinnet, June 1179
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
After the Birkebeiner faction won the Battle of Kalvskinnet in 1179 and held Nidaros, Magnus Erlingsson gathered a powerful army of landlords and townsmen, sailed into Trondheimsfjord, and sought to reclaim the region. Sverre used negotiations and a preliminary skirmish at Byneset to buy time and fortify his position at the narrow strip of land at Ila.
The two forces met at Ila, a strip of land barely 200 metres wide between the Nidelven and Trondheimsfjord. Sverre Sigurdsson held a wooden castle there, originally built by Archbishop Øystein Erlendsson, while Magnus Erlingsson commanded a combined force of landlords and townspeople. The battle concluded as a major victory for Sverre.
The victory at Ilevollene consolidated Sverre Sigurdsson's hold over Nidaros and the Trøndelag region, dealing a significant setback to Magnus Erlingsson's efforts to reassert royal authority in the north during the ongoing Norwegian civil war period.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Sverre Sigurdsson.
Side B
1 belligerent
Magnus Erlingsson.