Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 96. (Budapest 2004)

Papp, G.: A critical review of 16–17th century reports on meteorite falls in and around the Carpathian Basin

SZÉKELY (7-1563?), Protestant minister at Gönc, in his chronicle (SZÉKELY 1559: 473): MAGIAR ORSZÁGBA A' KEREZTESI mezcen pinkest hauanac tizen kilenczedic napian finies nappal a' tiszta egbœl, három kce essec ala, kic a' mertekbe húszan neg' fontot niomanac egietebe. Three stones fell from the clear sky in broad daylight on the field at Keresztes in Hungary, on the 19th of the month of Pentecost [May]. They weighed 24 pounds altogether. Another brief record was written down later by MICHAEL FORGÁTS (1563-1633), a burgher of Hermannstadt or Brassó in Transylvania (now Bra§ov in Romania), in his manuscript notes (FORGÁTS 1903: 41): f 1558] 26. Julii sind 3 Stein vom Himmel gefallen, einer hat gewaegen 26, der ander 28, der dritt 30 Pfund, auf dem Crestes-Mezö. The third note was taken by MÁTÉ SEPS! LACZKÓ (15707-1633?), Reformed minister in Abaúj and Zemplén counties, in his manuscript chronicle (SEPSI LACZKÓ in MIKÓ 1858: 18): [1558] A keresztesi mezőn három kő esik le az égből, 28 fontot nyoma. /1558] Three stones fell from the sky on the field at Keresztes. They weighed 28 pounds. All three of the sources reported the fall of three stones, but their data on the day of the fall and the weight of the meteorites are inconsistent. The localisation of the fall is also uncertain. FORGÁTS (1903) wrote "Crestes-mezö", which can be identified with the Keresztesmező area (PAPP 2000), a traditional place of Transylvanian national assemblies, south of Torda (now Turda, Romania). SZÉKELY (1559), however, wrote that the locality was "in Hungary", which contradicts this identification, Keresztesmező being in Transylvania. The locality name was written by SZÉKELY (1559) and SEPSI LACZKÓ in MIKÓ (1858) as "keresztesi mező" i.e. 'field at Keresztes', which cannot be identified unambiguously considering that there were several localities named Keresztes at that time in the country. The whereabouts of the meteorites are unknown. MISKOLCZ [MISKOLC], 1560 Listed by GRADY (2000: 335) as doubtful and dated to 1559 after CHLADNI (1819: 214-215). The original source, however, is the chronicle of the historian MIKLÓS ISTVÁNFFY (1538-1615). CHLADNI reported the event using the slightly abridged translation of ISTVÁNFFY'

s description published by KANOLD (1722: 512), who gave 1559, though the fall is listed in the chronicle among the events of