The battle was fought between Olaf Trygvesson, king of Norway, and a coalition of his enemies - Eric Hakonson, his cousin and rival; Olaf, the king of Sweden; and Sweyn Forkbeard, king of Denmark.
In the year 1 000, when the Norwegian king was in Pomerania, a coalition was formed between the king of Sweden, Sweyn Forkbeard, king of Denmark, and earl Eric of Lade, and the allies waylaid their enemy off the coast near Riigen and overthrew him in Reign of the great sea-battle of Svolder.
The name Swansea stands for Sweyn's "ey" or inlet, and may have been derived from King Sweyn Forkbeard, who certainly visited the Bristol Channel and may have established a small settlement at the estuary of the Tawe.