Every year a group of Czech larping enthusiasts re-enact The Battle of Five Armies, the concluding set piece of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
For those who are unaware, larping is Live Action Role-Playing and is a form of battle re-enactment. The “B5A” event has taken place annually since 2000 and is held near the village of Doksy in the Czech Republic. Their website contains full information on itinerary, costumes, and weapons and the weekend itself includes camping, food and musical performances!
One of the best things about the event is that result isn’t pre-determined: Elves, Men and Dwarves have actually lost to the forces of Evil in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2013.
Check out this article at io9 about this year’s event, or this one at larping.org, for photos, whilst there are a host of videos about the event on YouTube (but you might have to swat up on your Czech!).
Do you know about similar events? Would you like to see one in your area? If so, do let us know in the comments below.
Update: Huffington Post and International Business Times also have photos
