Hail at Lipany

Not only did a few dozen swordsmen decide to go on a rampage at this year’s Battle of Lipany, but also the weather decided to be crazy. It has begun with really hot summer temperatures, when almost everyone tried to stay in shades and drink a lot of fluids. But that wasn’t enough; exactly when the battle was supposed to start the heavens opened and a couple tons of water and even hail fell on us.

Almost two thirds of the visitors disappeared between the moment when the heavens opened and when the battle finally started, trying to find salvation in their cars or nearby pubs. Those who endured the weather had an amazing experience in seeing the swordsmen battling without any care for the hellish weather.

Considering how loudly the hail rang on the warriors helmets and how persistent the rain was I was quite surprised when the shooting started. I did not expected that the black powder would be still dry when everybody was soaking wet and there wasn’t a single dry thread on me after the first minute of the rain.

The battle was shorter, but more authentic

The battle was shorter and it looked much more improvised than I’m used to. I’m not sure if it was due to the weather or the aggregate malfunction and thus no sounding but I don’t think it took anything from the viewer’s experience, if anything it probably added to it. “Those soldiers also couldn’t pick a weather in those times, this is so authentic!” was a sentence I’ve heard in multiple variants.

A few minutes into the battle a young man appeared next to me and shielded me and my camera from the rain with his umbrella. I don’t know if he was afraid that the rain will damage my equipment or I just looked like so much like a drowned rat but I would like to say “Thank you”. No matter his reasoning, both I and my stuff survived.

I don’t actually have a lot of pictures from this reenactment. It was shorter and in some moments I couldn’t even see what is happening on the battlefield through the heavy rain. Anyway this is the first time I have photograph from a battle where it didn’t just drizzle, but it was a proper downpour.