The Magyars had a long history of encroaching on the German sphere of interest. They were a pagan tribal people who had migrated toward central Europe from the east, to settle the vast plains that spread out from the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. Magyar fighting men were skilled riders who fought with bows and arrows from the saddle. They were dexterous, lightning fast, and deadly. Christian writers in the German realm spread tall stories of their unique ferocity.
