Libušín 2014 (republished pictures from 2014)

Yes, this is the fourth time I’ve been to the Battle of Libušín and the fourth time I can say that it looked good. I arrived a little after noon, and the first thing I came across was the Battle of the Nations in the old pool. This pool probably hasn’t seen anything but rainwater in at least twenty years, so this was a notable change - all the combatants and numerous spectators.

In addition to the Battle of the Nations, there were many other activities in the supporting program. Including some birds of prey, live music by Peregrine, a marketplace, a children’s battle (mudless in comparison to last year), a theatre, and historical encampments of combatants. I’m sure I must have missed something, as I often do. Every time I meet some friends to chat with, I stop following the action - in fact, I meet half of them just once a year at Libušín.

This year’s main battle story was told by two farmers who refused to work for the mercenaries occupying their village. To their great joy, their master returned from the war and got rid of the mercenaries, although most of the settlement was burnt to the ground, as it usually happened.

The story was more complicated than that, but this summary should be enough to give you an idea. The main thing was that there were hundreds of warriors fighting, and the fires were so hot that you could feel it in the auditorium.

The battle itself was followed by two free-flowing clashes, where unscripted, head-to-head fighting went on. And as a grand finale, we saw the Battle of the Nations finale.

This was the second event I attended with the new camera, and it was noticeable that I was still struggling with the controls and all the numerous settings the latest technology offers. But it’s gradually getting better; a few more events and I won’t even know which camera I’m holding at the moment, and it’ll all go like clockwork.