Military Odyssey, 2005
BATTLES
With three arenas to choose from, there was always some kind of action going on at Detling, be it simple parade drill or fully-fledged battle.
The first deadly encounter I came across involved a group of Saxon warriors fighting some ancient Britons. With battle helmets gleaming in the sunlight, round shields at the ready, the men of both sides were a fearsome sight to behold. Here we see an early skirmish as scouts tangle prior to the main event – whilst a battle line forms to charge the enemy.
Having psyched themselves up into a frenzy, the two sides charged each other, coming together in a blistering clash of steel and flesh.
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However the battle swiftly degenerated into a series of untidy personal brawls as men desperately fought for their lives.
Casualties began to mount as the battle wore on…
The final duels raged, with both main forces shattered, the outcome of this war would be determined by the stamina of the greatest warriors from each side.
And it’s was all over – the dead littered the battlefield, the Saxons were victorious…
Or were they? There was time for one final demonstration for the assembled crowd – as the "dead" miraculously came back to life, the men came together once more to form a line and began to beat their shields ominously…
Before charging the crowd with blood-curdling screams of terror!
I didn’t stay for the resultant massacre of the crowd…I went and bought a burger instead.
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