What do you think?
Rate this book
The Magyars: The History and Legacy of the Medieval Tribes that Established the Kingdom of Hungary
*Includes pictures
*Includes excerpts of contemporary accounts
*Includes a bibliography for further reading
“Having crossed the Danube, they encamped beside the Danube as far as Budafelhévíz. Hearing this, all the Romans living throughout the land of Pannonia, saved their lives by flight. Next day, Prince Árpád and all his leading men with all the warriors of Hungary entered the city of King Attila and they saw all the royal palaces, some ruined to the foundations, others not, and they admired beyond measure the stone buildings and were happier than can be told that they had deserved to take without fighting the city of King Attila, of whose line Prince Árpád descended. They feasted every day with great joy in the palace of King Attila, sitting alongside one another, and all the melodies and sweet sounds of zithers and pipes along with all the songs of minstrels were presented to them ... Prince Árpád gave great lands and properties to the guests staying with them, and, when they heard this, many guests thronged to him and gladly stayed with him.” – An excerpt from Gesta Hungarorum
Of all the steppe peoples in the medieval period, perhaps none were more important to European history than the Magyars. Like the Huns and Avars before them and the Cumans and Mongols after them, the Magyars burst into Europe as a destructive, unstoppable horde, taking whatever they wanted and leaving a steady stream of misery in their wake. They used much of the same tactics as the other steppe peoples and lived a similar, nomadic lifestyle. The Magyars also had many early cultural affinities with other steppe peoples, following a similar religion and ideas of kingship and nobility, among other things. That said, as similar as the Magyars may have been to other steppe nomads before and after them, they were noticeably different in one the Magyars settled down and became a part of Europe and Western Civilization in the Middle Ages.
The Magyars exploded onto the European cultural scene in the late 9th century as foreign marauders, but they made alliances with many important kingdoms in less than a century and established their own dynasty in the area, roughly equivalent to the modern nation-state of Hungary. After establishing themselves as a legitimate dynasty among their European peers, the Magyars formed a sort of cultural bridge between the Roman Catholic kingdoms of Western Europe and the Orthodox Christian kingdoms of Eastern Europe. Ultimately, the Magyars chose the Roman Catholic Church, thereby becoming a part of the West and tying their fate to it for the remainder of the Middle Ages.
The The History and Legacy of the Medieval Tribes that Established the Kingdom of Hungary examines the Magyars and their culture, from their origins through the Arpad Dynasty to their raids on Europe, the establishment of a royal dynasty, and their integration into Western Civilization, marking the transition from the Magyars to Hungarians. Along with pictures and a bibliography for further reading, you will learn about the Magyars like never before.
*Includes excerpts of contemporary accounts
*Includes a bibliography for further reading
“Having crossed the Danube, they encamped beside the Danube as far as Budafelhévíz. Hearing this, all the Romans living throughout the land of Pannonia, saved their lives by flight. Next day, Prince Árpád and all his leading men with all the warriors of Hungary entered the city of King Attila and they saw all the royal palaces, some ruined to the foundations, others not, and they admired beyond measure the stone buildings and were happier than can be told that they had deserved to take without fighting the city of King Attila, of whose line Prince Árpád descended. They feasted every day with great joy in the palace of King Attila, sitting alongside one another, and all the melodies and sweet sounds of zithers and pipes along with all the songs of minstrels were presented to them ... Prince Árpád gave great lands and properties to the guests staying with them, and, when they heard this, many guests thronged to him and gladly stayed with him.” – An excerpt from Gesta Hungarorum
Of all the steppe peoples in the medieval period, perhaps none were more important to European history than the Magyars. Like the Huns and Avars before them and the Cumans and Mongols after them, the Magyars burst into Europe as a destructive, unstoppable horde, taking whatever they wanted and leaving a steady stream of misery in their wake. They used much of the same tactics as the other steppe peoples and lived a similar, nomadic lifestyle. The Magyars also had many early cultural affinities with other steppe peoples, following a similar religion and ideas of kingship and nobility, among other things. That said, as similar as the Magyars may have been to other steppe nomads before and after them, they were noticeably different in one the Magyars settled down and became a part of Europe and Western Civilization in the Middle Ages.
The Magyars exploded onto the European cultural scene in the late 9th century as foreign marauders, but they made alliances with many important kingdoms in less than a century and established their own dynasty in the area, roughly equivalent to the modern nation-state of Hungary. After establishing themselves as a legitimate dynasty among their European peers, the Magyars formed a sort of cultural bridge between the Roman Catholic kingdoms of Western Europe and the Orthodox Christian kingdoms of Eastern Europe. Ultimately, the Magyars chose the Roman Catholic Church, thereby becoming a part of the West and tying their fate to it for the remainder of the Middle Ages.
The The History and Legacy of the Medieval Tribes that Established the Kingdom of Hungary examines the Magyars and their culture, from their origins through the Arpad Dynasty to their raids on Europe, the establishment of a royal dynasty, and their integration into Western Civilization, marking the transition from the Magyars to Hungarians. Along with pictures and a bibliography for further reading, you will learn about the Magyars like never before.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
44 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 5, 2020
22 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
Charles River Editors
5,213 books282 followersCharles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 8, 2021
I have listened to the Audiobook version of this book through Amazon's Audible.
This is an introduction to the un-initiated to the history of Hungary, or at least the beginning of it. The book explains the origins of the Magyars (the way we like to be referred to), peppered in with modern research, a brief explanation of the type of sources. Even I have learned a thing or two that my own education of the history of my nation have left out. Then it goes on the change of the cultural development of Hungary and the transition from a nomadic society to a stationary country that fits in with its neighbours. Finally it goes through the Árpád dynasty of rulers, their basic contributions and the eventual downfall of the dynasty.
Overall, as I said earlier, I have learned a few things and the audible book is about an hour long, so its an easy listen and is more like a lecture than it is a full book. However it would have benefited from having a pdf attachment, as the narrator had great difficulty pronouncing Magyar names and places, which made it really grating trying to decipher what he was saying and who done what exactly. Which is mainly why my review is 3 stars.
I'd recommend another secondary source if one is interested in the study of Hungary in English, however there are very few easy to read books that encompasses ancient and early medieval history of this particular country. Most people seem to focus on the 1956 uprising and the country's fight against communism.
This is an introduction to the un-initiated to the history of Hungary, or at least the beginning of it. The book explains the origins of the Magyars (the way we like to be referred to), peppered in with modern research, a brief explanation of the type of sources. Even I have learned a thing or two that my own education of the history of my nation have left out. Then it goes on the change of the cultural development of Hungary and the transition from a nomadic society to a stationary country that fits in with its neighbours. Finally it goes through the Árpád dynasty of rulers, their basic contributions and the eventual downfall of the dynasty.
Overall, as I said earlier, I have learned a few things and the audible book is about an hour long, so its an easy listen and is more like a lecture than it is a full book. However it would have benefited from having a pdf attachment, as the narrator had great difficulty pronouncing Magyar names and places, which made it really grating trying to decipher what he was saying and who done what exactly. Which is mainly why my review is 3 stars.
I'd recommend another secondary source if one is interested in the study of Hungary in English, however there are very few easy to read books that encompasses ancient and early medieval history of this particular country. Most people seem to focus on the 1956 uprising and the country's fight against communism.
June 3, 2020
The Arpad Dynasty
Short but good summary of the Magyar history. One change begs to be made. It is likely that Hungarian speakers will read this book and they will be put off and confused by the foreign to Magyar names and places.
Short but good summary of the Magyar history. One change begs to be made. It is likely that Hungarian speakers will read this book and they will be put off and confused by the foreign to Magyar names and places.
June 23, 2020
A useful history of early Hungry
This book is a nice introduction to the history and culture of early Hungry and the Arpad dynasty. It's relationship to surrounding cultures is also delved into.
This book is a nice introduction to the history and culture of early Hungry and the Arpad dynasty. It's relationship to surrounding cultures is also delved into.
November 25, 2020
Good basic history.
November 19, 2021
There’s just not that much here.
May 22, 2022
Wish it delved into more details on the early history of the Magyars. I know details are scarce, but it still felt lacking.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews