ÖSTERGÖTLAND, Sweden — The action was legendary on the central plain of Östergötland Tuesday afternoon as Sigurd Ring, king of Sweden, and his uncle Harald Wartooth, king of Denmark, squared off in a match for the mythology books.

It was a battle seven years in the making for the two kings, who each fielded squads of up to 200,000 men, though attendance numbers were not reported as official.

“I was getting old, and I wanted a chance to die in battle to get to Valhalla, so I suggested to Sigurd that we fight,” said Wartooth, who, at a spry 150 years old, is also king of the Geats of East Götaland.

Harald Wartooth trotted out Ubbe of Friesland, the NBA (Norse Battle Association) leader in sacks, as well as Hothbodd the Indomitable and Are the One-eyed, both All-Stars in their own right. The were supported off the bench by 300 shieldmaidens led by Hed, Visna and Hedborg, representing the best of the best in the VBA (Valkyrie Battle Association).

Across the lines, battlefield heroes Starkald and Blig Bignose came from Norway to join Sigurd Ring’s army. Ring also penciled Gummi and Gudfast from Gislamark into starting roles.

“I was happy with the chemistry of the squad from the outset. We really came together nicely as a fighting unit,” Ring said.

The clash at Bråvalla lasted the entire day, with Ring emerging victorious. Forty thousand fighters received ejections to Valhalla. Among the fallen on Wartooth’s side was Ubbi who first racked up points killing Ragnvald the Wise Councilor, the champion Tryggvi and three Swedish princes.

Sigurd Ring countered the scoring barrage with his ace battler Starkad, who managed to wound Ubbi but was himself even more seriously wounded.

“Then Ubbi killed Agnar, and took the sword in both hands and slashed a path through the Swedish host, until he fell riddled with arrows from the archers of Telemark,” said one observer.

However, in a clutch moment worthy of Kurt Gibson’s 1988 World Series home run, a gimpy Starkad proceeded to slay the champions Brai, Grepi, Gamli and Haki in a berserker rage.

In the final quarter, Harald Wartooth left the match with a fatal blow to the skull and soon afterward fighting stopped and the battle was called in favor of Sigurd Ring’s army.

With the victory, Sigurd Ring becomes sovereign ruler of all of Sweden and Denmark.

“[The battle] could have just as easily gone the other way. We caught a couple of lucky bone breaks along the way and managed to pull out a win,” he said.