By Garrett Vorisek
The name Buhurt probably doesn’t mean anything to you, or the annual event called Battle of the Nations. If so then have no fear, this article will bring you up to speed about this thrilling sport involving menacing medieval armor and weaponry.
The true start of medieval style fighting for sport was actually devised in the 1200’s, but was soon phased out around 1340. This was because it was against the church’s rules and was considered sinful. Another reason was because people just got bored of watching others beat the tar out of each other for fun. It later re-emerged in Ukraine in 2004 as medieval reenactments. It then got some momentum and soon turned into a cool sport, just like it used to be. The name “Buhurt” (French for “wallop” or strike) was adopted when the first team named “Knyaz” was founded in Ukraine in 2011. It consisted of 2 or more people decked out in historically accurate medieval-style armor, and armed to the teeth with medieval-style weapons to match. The weapons, of course, are blunt to prevent any lacerations or major damage. The armor is hand-forged and can run anyone wanting to get into the sport roughly $1,500 – $2,000.
Now, This sport sounds pretty chaotic and complex, right? Well the rules are pretty simple – for example, you are not allowed to hit someone on the back of the legs, this is a big no-no. You are also not allowed to thrust your weapon. There is also a dress code, while it isn’t very strict, your armor still has to originate from the 1200-1699 period. Those aren’t the only rules of course, but we can’t go over all of them in this article. Another thing to keep in mind is that the sport hasn’t really become common in the US, and while there is an abundance of teams scattered across the nation, there is no national team. For anyone in Ohio, your best bet would be with the Cincinnati team, “The Barbarians”. They have a Facebook page for anyone wanting to join. If you don’t mind just watching and not participating. there are a plethora of videos on YouTube about Buhurt. You can find any type of battle from any perspective, whether it be from a swordsman, a pikesman, or from a bird’s eye view.
Although 1v1 or 3v3 battles might be interesting, nothing compares to the madness of Battle of the Nations. Appearing during the spring of 2010, the first battle was held at Khoyt Fortress, Ukraine. 4 countries joined the fight: Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and Poland. There were 3 different tournaments, the Men’s Triathlon duel, Men’s battle 5v5 and the massive Men’s battle 21v21. Russia went undefeated that year, getting 1st place in every event. The event is held at a different historical site or plaza each year.
Overall this sport can be very interesting and entertaining, as long as you use common sense, good sportsmanship, and have a love for history. If you want to find out more about Buhurt, there are many Facebook groups and websites dedicated to this sport.
