Horowhenua's Medieval market, held this year for the 25th time, attracted hundreds of people keen to shop for artisan tools, clothes or food and soak up the atmosphere of a medieval market place at the weekend.
This was made all the more realistic with archery contests, a blacksmith, a knife maker, troubadours and minstrels playing music around the Levin Showgrounds.
The biggest attraction was the knights fighting in teams for the Pacific Cup, which would give them access to overseas competitions.
Dressed in multiple layers of clothing and protecting by steel armour and helmets they wielded swords and shields within a small enclosure. Anyone who bit the dust - not too hard when you wear 30kg of armour - was out of the round.
Other characters reminiscent of the European Middle Ages were belly dancers, minstrels and troubadours, bringing medieval music and playing medieval instruments such as a lute.
