Clash! Yay!! That was the sound of the valiant knights and braying crowd at the battles at the Copenhagen Medieval Market, now in its tenth year, over the Pentecostal bank holiday weekend.
From May 13 to 16, tens of thousands of Copenhageners flocked to Valbyparken in the southwestern corner of the capital to travel back in time.
Some went for the pitched battles and jousting, as reenactment fighters clashed violently, bringing realism to a pastime that obviously required a lot of practice and dedication to perfect.
Others took part in workshops, learning more about the various cultural activities of the age, perhaps picking up a new hobby after their first-hand experience.
For children, the simple sight of the tents and peasants, knights and nobles (as Monty Python pointed out, the ones not covered in crap) in traditional dress will leave them spellbound, dragging them out of their Netflix existence to learn a little about their heritage and, as is customary, fight some orcs.
The Middle Ages covers a millennium of history from the 5th to the 15th centuries, and this year’s festival paid particular tribute to the Viking Age, inviting visitors to peek into the lives of their ancestors: how they cook, weave, make jewellery. Many left with a souvenir from one of the many stalls.
And finally, it was an opportunity to sample medieval-inspired food, music and, mostly importantly, mead – the honey-fermented wine that made life seem worth living, even if it was not for very long.
