Armies of snarling Orcs, dwarves and elves clashed in dense forest this weekend as an epic battle from Middle Earth was recreated in the Czech Republic.

More than 1,000 Hobbit super fans donned impressive costumes to transform into characters straight from the mind of author J.R.R Tolkien.

The recreation of the Battle of the Five Armies, in which Orcs and Wargs of the Misty Mountains and the Grey Mountains fought the Men of Dale, Elves and Dwarves, was recreated on Saturday.

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But this time, in a forest near the Czech town of Doksy, 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Prague, all sharp points were wrapped in plastic in a bid to avoid grizzly deaths.

Surprisingly at the events, the Tolkien fans are happy to deviate from the storyline – and leave the winners undetermined.

Many times, the evil side has triumphed at the annual event known as 'B5A'.

'We come here to enjoy a great battle, great atmosphere, have a little fight and to meet people one sees only once a year,' said Lucie Zavadilova said after her sixth battle.

The 'Battle of Five Armies' took place in the book as hobbit Bilbo Baggins encountered went on his treasure-hunting quest to Lonely Mountain.

The battle in the forest at the foothills of the Bezdez fortress has been held annually for eighteen years now.

Most participants in the event which lasts all weekend and includes camping with battle rituals, are aged between 20 and 30-years-old.

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The battle story was written by J.R.R Tolkien in The Hobbit, or There and Back Again which was published in 1937.

The Battle of the Five Armies from The Hobbit was re-enacted as more than 1,000 people descended on the town of Dosky in the Czech Republic. Weapons were blunted and wrapped in plastic to avoid injuries

Participants dressed as characters such as elves, dwarves, goblins and orcs from J.R.R. Tolkien's novel "The Hobbit"

A character 'died' in a reenactment of the 'Battle of the Five Armies' near Doksy, Czech Republic as thousands of author JRR Tolkien's fans turned out to fight

Gruesome outfits were donned by the fans who battled on 'Middle Earth' in a reenactment in the town of Doksy, Czech Republic

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Lucie Zavadilova was taking part in her sixth battle on Saturday as she dressed as a character from J.R.R. Tolkien's novel "The Hobbit"

Shields and swords were waved through the air as the armies faced one another - but they were not following the book's ending on Saturday as the fans were told the best army will win

The recreation of the Battle of the Five Armies, in which Orcs and Wargs of the Misty Mountains and the Grey Mountains fought the Men of Dale, Elves and Dwarves

There were plenty of deaths in the battle on Saturday as each side fought for victory in the Czech woodland

The characters tried to avoid being struck by their opposition which would mean death in the contest fought out in the forest

Battle time! More than 1,000 people joined in the fight

Handcrafted armour was was worn into the forst on Sunday (although sharp objects were covered)

Spears were shoved into shields and bows were arched into the air as the armies fought. The five armies refer to the Goblins, Wolves, Elves, Men and Dwarves

The groups with swords and axes faced off over the front line of the 'battlefield' as they prepared to go to war in the forest

On the front line: Two men in battled with extremely different outfits as one was wrapped in fur and feathers while the other hid under full body armour

Dark forces faced off, although some were hidden under helmets. Armies of snarling Orcs, dwarves and elves clashed in the forest clearings

The fighting continued all day as they explosive scene was recreated - only this time - nobody knew who was going to win

Casualties lay 'dead' on the ground as the fight raged above their heads. Orks and dwarves battled on Saturday as they attempted to recreate the infamous battle from The Hobbit

The creatures comforted one another as they lay dying on the ground of the forest after being 'killed' by enemy forces

Deja vu: Men and women took part in the battle, which was also acted out in the 2014 film The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

The last stand: One character who rested against a tree after he was 'injured' in the fighting. His character attempted to stay protected with his sword raised

Participants of all ages roared as they ran into battle. The forest was alive with the sound of war as the Battle of the Five Armies was recreated

Jarmila, a Philosophy student from Prague revealed he has to hand out wet bandages because of injuries caused by wearing the heavy suits

Human faces could barely be seen under heavy paint and helmets made impressively like those in The Hobbit films

The Battle of the Five Armie unites the three "good" armies (men, elves and dwarves) against against the two "bad" (the Wargs and Goblins)

The rules of the game, known as B5A, prohibit physical contact and force a two minutes stop when a character is hit by a weapon