Albdag controlled the gouw Oostergo in Central Friesland, which is the part of Friesland between Vlie and Lauwers.
Friesland is now a province of the Netherlands He ruled in the name of Louis the German in the era when the Jutish Vikings dominated the Netherlands.
In 873, the Viking Rodulf Haraldsson made a predatory raid on Oostergo.
The people organised themselves with the help of a Christian Norman to resist the invaders.
Herre Halbertsma has argued that the battle would have occurred around the church of Dokkum.