The Battle of Gransjø

The Battle of Grønsjø was a battle that took place in 997 at Gransjø, during The Third War of the North. It was fought between a united army of Norden and an army of The Skilamrilusian Empire.

Background
Even though Fjordheim and Runskog had not participated in the Red Raid, the emperor of The Skilamrilusian Empire- Iremlius VI- declared war on all of Norden. He planned a dual invasion of Åsmark, and in the winter of 997 (february) sendt a fleet of 17 warships (with 9450 men) upwards the river Naumelv, as well as sending a land-army of 11000 men along the north-eastern side of the river.

To meet this threat, Åsmark called for assistance of the other Jarldoms. Oddvar Torsønn Sølvfell of Fjordheim was not happy, but sendt an army of 1750 anyways. Runskog did not respond at first, but at a later an army of 870. Einar Eiriksønn Langskjegg did already have an army of men 4150 in the area, and Nordaland already had a force of 83 men under the control of Olaf Ragnarsønn Rimøks there. Altogether the army of Norden consisted of about 6850 men. In addition, the Luvian engeneer Eulug Trerumseki had helped Einar Eiriksønn Langskjegg to construct 6 catapults, something the Skilamrians did not expect at all.

Along the way, the army was harassed by Nordic ski-troops, and after marching through the forest for several weeks, the army of The Skilamrilusian Empire met the Nordic force by the lake Gransjø located along the border between Argensoll and Åsmark. The nordic forces retreated into the frozen lake, and the imperial army follwed. On the lake, the baltte was fought.

The United Nordic Army
Total: 6850 men
 * Einar Eiriksønn Langskjegg of Åsmark: 4150 men and 6 catapults
 * Oddvar Torsønn Sølvfell of Fjordheim: 1750 men
 * Gjurdmund Ingvarsønn of Runskog: 870 men (including Ingvar Gjurdmundsønn)
 * Olaf Ragnarsønn Rimøks of Nordaland: 83 men (including Keugon)

The Skilamrilusian Empire
General  Ovilus Amati  of  The Skilamrilusian Empire with: Total: 11000 men
 * From Barantus: 5000 men
 * From Luvania: 3000 men
 * From Argensoll: 2000 men
 * From Skilamrilusa:1000 men

The Battle
The Nordic forces retreated across the frozen lake, until they got to a peninsula located at the middle of it. Here the 6 catapults were hidden, and the army took stand on the banks of the peninsula. As the Skilamrian forces started clashing with the Nordic shield-walls, the catapults threw rocks into the enemy forces. The rocks did not only kill many soldiers, but also made holes in the ice, which then started to crack up. Many Imperial soldiers drowned as the ice collapsed beneath them, and as the nordic shieldwall held stand, they won the battle.

Aftermath
The Nordic losses were:


 * Åsmark: 610 men

Total: 1026 men
 * Runskog: 210 men (including Jarl Gjurdmund Ingvarsønn)
 * Fjordheim: 190 men
 * Nordaland: 16 men

The Skilamrian forces lost about 7000 during the battle itself, and another 2000 died before making it back to Haam.

The Imperial armada continued uwards the river, but were defeated and driven back during The Battle of Naumelv.

The forces of Runskog had been in the thoughest part of the battle, and thus lost the hightest percentage of men (of the Nordic forces) - including Jarl Gjurdmund Ingvarsønn. This later lead Sigrid Gjurdmundsdatter to claim that this had been a conspiricy against her father.

After Gjurdmund Ingvarsønns death, his daugther Sigrid Gjurdmundsdatter became Jarl after killing her brother Ingvar Gjurdmundsønn. Her other brother, Magnus Feige Gjurdmundsønn accepted her becoming Jarl.