The battle under Zbořený Kostelec

I visited the battle under Zborený Kostelec last weekend and it was for my second time. Well, the event itself has a longer tradition, this was its eleventh anniversary. This time I was invited by the organizers to capture the event in photography. I’ve intended to be there, so why not be a guest.

We arrived at the evening before the battle, to a meadow right next to the river. There was already a nice LH (Living History) camp and a little bit further was the plastic camp. There were probably some people who wished that LH camp would be even more LH and were perhaps even willing to get lice to become more LH. I built my tent in the plastic camp, because my tent is of the modern sort.

I went to find my friends who were in the historical part of encampment righ after I built my tent. I was there not even for five minutes, when they captured me as a sober driver, who will certainly happily drive for some firewood. My first idea when we returned with the firewood was to open a bottle of wine, because I wanted to spend my evening sitting by the fire and not driving around. Then I just sat down by the fire with the wine in one hand and a few lamb sausages in the other. It was very pleasant to sit there and talk to friends, but work awaited me in the morning, so I couldn’t sit there for long and soon went to sleep.

There were guards at the entrances to the LH camp next morning. Their job was to make those inappropriately (not LH enough) dressed to walk around that camp, I got the feeling that some of them were a little zealous about the LH requirements, while others had no idea and randomly selected those who should go around. I didn’t remember this from last year and I don’t think that it added anything to the event, except some pissed participants.

A little bit farther behind the camp was the marketplace and the battlefield. Some merchants were even trying to be historical, the others not so much. Spices, food, drinks, jewellery, weaponry and armours, ceramics, leather and other stuff were sold in the marketplace. It was primarily meant for visitors and there were plenty of them here. Some were enjoying refreshments and browsing through the goods, others watched children’s theatre or listened to the musicians.

Before 3pm, when the battle started, everyone was near the battlefield, some even on the opposite shore – and these spectators spoiled the view of the others by being in the background. Even more disturbing were little yellow boats. These boats were my doom, I’ve seen them everywhere, and they were in every shot.

The main plot of this battle was an argument between two Hussite lords. The quarrel was about a village, and to whom it belongs, and it meant to be solved on the battlefield, but just when they clashed together they were attacked by two groups of Catholics. The Hussite lords were forced to join forces and face the assault side by side.

It was certainly a great spectacle, even though I was suffering by the yellow boats which spoiled my view from the opposite shore. Today’s photographs from The Battle of the Ford are not as good as I’d wish, but I hope that they are able to convey at least a part of event to those who weren’t there and remind those who took part of the pleasant moments.