The Eighth Tribe, 1975 (2. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1975-04-01 / 4. szám
Page Six THE EIGHTH TRIBE April, 1975 Besenyos attacked the Magyar people at Atilkoz, but to interpret the occupation of Hungary as the Magyars fleeing from the Besenyos into the Carpathian Basin, would be a very misleading and thoughtless statement. History has proved that Arpad prepared the occupation with unprecedented diplomacy for the ninth century. The agreement with the Prince of Kiev to use his men as road builders in front of the wagon train, up to the pass of Verecke. Levente’s sacrifice to keep the Bulgarians in their homeland, the agreement with the Saxonians and the perfect knowledge of the territory, all give evidence of his diplomacy. • • • Konstantin, Emperor of Greece, (“Born in purple”) mentions to his son in his letters of guidance, “The Magyars carry leather inflated tubs, in which they bathe after a battle.” Certainly this does not indicate a barbaric, uncivilized people. They had their own language, runic characters carved on wooden sticks. During the conversion to Christianity, the French, Italian, and German missionaries burned these sticks, unfortunately. They claimed that the sticks were the devil’s work. However, some characters from medieval times, were left on more substantial material, such as stone pillars of churches, and thus disclosed that the Magyars knew and still used the runes in the fifteenth and sixteenth century. * « * Near Ungvar, the armies camped for forty days. We can explain this by the fact that the time was used to rest from the long, tiresome journey and to repair the wagons. Another explanation would be the customary forty days of mourning after Almos’ death, as well as the truth about the “White Horse” legend. From Ungvar to the Lajta River, where presumably Szvatopluk’s empire had its center, was a long distance. Especially when the envoys had to lead a slow, grazing horse. It was essential that the white horse arrived and appear in full strength and beauty to be worthy of its sender. * * # Graves from the occupation time (ninth century) reveal surgical instruments similar to those used at the present time for skull operations. Further, these graves revealed skulls with markings that proved the warrior had survived some such operations and lived many years after. Translated by Elizabeth M. Wass Reprinted from Selected Hungarian Legends by Albert Wass We call to the attention of the Churches, Societies, and businessmen to use the services of the Bethlen Press for their printing needs. —Books or Magazines Publication —Yearbooks —Cookbooks —Sunday Church Bulletins . . . one or multi-color. —Business Forms —Letterheads —Envelopes * * • AMERICAN HUNGARIAN TEXTBOOK Series No. I. and No. II......ea. $1.50 — enclose 25 cents for postage These books are designed to provide easy teaching material for Hungarian parents, grandparents, church-groups, or other social organizations in America who wish to teach the children in their midst to speak and be familiar with their language and customs. The listing of the words, together with their different forms used in the text, will also enable those parents who are not fluent in the Hungarian tongue to read the book together with their children, thus enlarging their own knowledge of the language. THE HUNGARIAN HERITAGE BOOKS Vol. 1. Hungarian Folk Dances, by Hona Jobbágy and István Kutny, illustrated by Gyula Hargitay, hardb........................................$ 7.50 Vol. 2. History of the Hungarian Nation, by Dr. B. Vardy and D. Kosary, 480 pp. white deluxe ..............................................$16.00 Vol. 3. Selected Hungarian Legends, illustrated by Joseph Mór, standard green ........$ 7.50 white deluxe.......$ 8.50 Vol. 4. Selected Hungarian Folk Tales, illustrated by Béla Petry, standard green $ 7.50 white deluxe .......$ 8.50 The Books can be ordered through the Bethlen Press or the Danubian Press (Albert Wass) Astor Park, Florida 32002. * * * BETHLEN PRESS, INC. P. O. Box 637 Ligonier, Pa. 15658 Sándor E. Chomos, manager — 412-238-9244
