Wielding longswords and halberds, more than 750 fighters from 34 countries have descended upon the Czech Republic to compete in the Battle of the Nations on May 6. The medieval-fighting competition, which takes place over five days in Prague, pits national teams against each other in a number of categories, including women's 3 on 3. Blades are blunted as a precaution, but the fighting is full-contact and brutal -- as one would expect to see on a medieval battlefield.
Battle Of The Nations
![A fearsome-looking member of the French team before marching into battle. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/0efc2d62-898b-4792-bcc2-b988a0254175_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A fearsome-looking member of the French team before marching into battle.
![Spanish contestant Santiago Torres Bejarano makes his way to the battleground with his team's flag. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/ddc1dfeb-8958-45d1-a211-ff7bcacc68f4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Spanish contestant Santiago Torres Bejarano makes his way to the battleground with his team's flag.
![Anna Danilukova, from the Prague band Jagabab, sings a medieval drinking song on the outskirts of the battle. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/9384c169-cdd5-4601-a6ef-1193962918fc_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Anna Danilukova, from the Prague band Jagabab, sings a medieval drinking song on the outskirts of the battle.
![Andrei Serebryakov from the Ukrainian team taking a moment before entering the fray. "I'm a little nervous now but always after the first hit I stop being afraid." ](https://gdb.rferl.org/04ea4171-7a50-42d4-851a-7a79b3ae870f_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Andrei Serebryakov from the Ukrainian team taking a moment before entering the fray. "I'm a little nervous now but always after the first hit I stop being afraid."
![The U.S. prepares to engage in battle. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/b988921d-4315-4dc8-84f6-c916d7785fc9_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The U.S. prepares to engage in battle.
![A French fighter on the march to battle. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/d80e5747-5295-4afc-ae51-3d40b65b5500_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A French fighter on the march to battle.
![A fighter with the British team with a well-armored GoPro camera. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/dfa3e4e2-29ab-4877-8fe4-9053856624c3_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A fighter with the British team with a well-armored GoPro camera.
![Belarus and the U.S. team crash into battle. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/03b589e4-1590-4892-ab93-43a4a83ad280_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Belarus and the U.S. team crash into battle.
![With the crowd roaring and battle cries resounding, the Polish (foreground) and Italian teams run at each other. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/bdb90eaf-278a-4708-bb81-924fa535d77a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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With the crowd roaring and battle cries resounding, the Polish (foreground) and Italian teams run at each other.
![The small but well-filled arena, situated on a hill overlooking Prague. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/5aff24ac-9617-4a1c-886d-d28db7d2804d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The small but well-filled arena, situated on a hill overlooking Prague.
![An Italian fighter hacks into a Polish opponent. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/ca59c7bc-fe74-4936-8fed-3da7237f0f85_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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An Italian fighter hacks into a Polish opponent.
![A German fighter surrounded by Ukrainians. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/166b6181-04ed-4b7e-b45b-c4f9011caa70_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A German fighter surrounded by Ukrainians.
![Levente Daniel Varro taking a rest after an intense battle. The Hungarian fighter entered the fray with a borrowed helmet that proved a touch too small. "My nose always gets hurt, because it's big."](https://gdb.rferl.org/f1aa8691-d75f-4962-a1a4-638351cbd1aa_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Levente Daniel Varro taking a rest after an intense battle. The Hungarian fighter entered the fray with a borrowed helmet that proved a touch too small. "My nose always gets hurt, because it's big."
![Charging Belarusians swing at a British fighter.](https://gdb.rferl.org/0eadf9ed-9fc7-4fb1-96e0-d06ee5b9f58d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Charging Belarusians swing at a British fighter.
![Almost anything goes in the fighting. This Belarusian fighter was throttled to the ground by a British opponent. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/d83c0ab6-d579-470e-8b8d-c0f06bb3513d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Almost anything goes in the fighting. This Belarusian fighter was throttled to the ground by a British opponent.
![Sofie Maceanruig (right) is herself a fighter for Britain in the women's division, but today she is supporting (literally) her male compatriots. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/51e8cd3c-d82c-4900-8d42-6e3b3c25b993_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Sofie Maceanruig (right) is herself a fighter for Britain in the women's division, but today she is supporting (literally) her male compatriots.
![The Ukrainians gather for a team talk before entering the arena. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/4bf697a1-c429-4618-b710-81c1d24fdc61_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The Ukrainians gather for a team talk before entering the arena.
![U.S. fighter Richard Starr nursing a fractured wrist. "I ran into Russia." ](https://gdb.rferl.org/525f797b-56f7-44b7-a5b9-8ef062054eab_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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U.S. fighter Richard Starr nursing a fractured wrist. "I ran into Russia."
![Harvey Palmer from the U.S. team after bowing out of the contest. His helmet is inscribed with knightly virtues. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/440eef54-1034-4c0f-b32d-7ce98a085220_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Harvey Palmer from the U.S. team after bowing out of the contest. His helmet is inscribed with knightly virtues.
![A participant takes advantage of the massage tent. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/b689546d-2cef-49b9-8dff-a81bc529140f_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A participant takes advantage of the massage tent.