A man wearing armour was seriously injured by a sword during a battle re-enactment this weekend.
The 37-year-old man from Horsham, West Sussex, was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton after the accident at Bodiam Castle on Sunday.
He was a part of a living history demonstration at Bodiam Castle, where volunteers showed what medieval combat may have looked like in full armour.
Police are asking for witnesses to come forward after the man was stabbed through his visor with his opponent’s sword.
A Sussex Police spokesperson added: ‘He suffered a head injury and he is currently in a serious condition at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.’
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DI Barry Chandler said police are treating the incident as accidental and offering support to the victim’s family.
Photographer: by Andrea Pucci
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment Unreleased RF(Credits: Getty Images)
‘His opponent, a 36-year-old man also from Horsham, and the organisers are helping us with our inquiries,’ he added.
‘We know the re-enactment had drawn a large crowd and understand that anyone who witnessed the scene could have found this distressing.
‘We are appealing to anyone who has photographs or videos of the interaction that led to the injury to contact us so we can gain a clear understanding of what happened.’
Historical reenactment, or living history, as it’s also known, first took root in Northern Europe in the 1890s.
As of 2022, there were around 140 reenactment societies in the UK, with around 20,000 enthusiasts devoting their time, money, and expertise to the hobby.
While these groups recreate all periods between the Roman Ages up to the Vietnam War, activities remain broadly similar: camp tasks, arms drill, sentry duties, historical crafts and skirmishes between troops. There’s a space for everyone, no matter their interest.
But the hobby isn’t without its dangers. A woman suffered life-threatening injuries in a similar accident in 2020, slicing her throat open with a sword in Kent during a Viking re-enactment.
A witness said at the time: ‘They’ve got proper swords. They were practising and he caught her neck. It really was an accident, a terrible one, so I’m glad she is okay now.’
World War Two re-enactors were injured in 2017 when explosions at Audley End House in Essex went wrong.
The men were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and made a full recovery.
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