The Eighth Tribe, 1977 (4. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1977-11-01 / 11. szám
November, 1977 THE EIGHTH TRIBE Page 11 Being primarily light cavalrymen and able archers, the Magyars relied heavily on their mastery of the horse and of the bow and arrow. They were also masters of discipline and of routine, and could execute military maneuvers with great precision. In preparing for a battle, they would initially attack the enemy only with a small cavalry force. After contact was made, they would immediately pretend to flee and thereby entice their adversaries to pursue them and break their ranks. Once the military formation of the enemy was split, the main body of the Magyar cavalry — which had been lying in wait — would swoop down on them from three directions, and would shower them with arrows. At the same time, the seemingly fleeing unit that made the first contact would also turn around and close off all routes of escape. Being primarily archers of considerable skill, and using the powerful reflex bows with a wide variety of arrows, the Magyars would rarely engage in close hand-to-hand combat with the enemy. Unless forced by circumstances, they preferred to destroy their adversaries from some distance, relying on their skill to use their bows accurately even from the back of a galloping horse. This also gives an explanation for the oft-quoted words found in tenth-century Western prayer books: “De sagittis Hungarorum, libera nos, Domine.” (Save us, oh Lord, from the arrows of the Magyars.) But until 955, God appears to have turned a deaf ear to their prayers. Although their unorthodox fighting methods and mobility, and the lack of unity and cooperation among the Western European nations made the Magyars virtually invincible for a half a century, Magyar military success could not go on indefinitely. The Westerners were bound to learn their military strategy sooner or later, and Magyar successes were also bound to bring their enemies together into one camp. Thus, whereas in the early tenth century even Pope John X availed himself of Magyar aid against his opponents, by the 950’s their enemies were closing ranks, and Emperor Otto the Great was preparing for a showdown. Having established a degree of unity among the German states, in 955 Otto inflicted a crushing defeat on the unsuspecting Magyar army that was led by horka Bulcsú and by his lieutenant Lél (Lehel). This defeat made the Magyars realize that the era of adventures was over, and that henceforth they would have to concentrate their efforts at home. The defeat at Augsburg (Lechfeld), therefore, also had its positive side. It undercut the power of the adventuresome tribal chiefs, and simultaneously aided the ruling princes to re-establish their power and to increase the process of centralization and nationformation among the Magyars. 67 Get the Facts on SOLAR HEATING! a 160 pages book with valuable information for homeowners, builders and architects. ... It is time to think about converting your present heating unit to include SOLAR HEATING. ’ ENERGY BOOM and SOLAR HEATING” Introductory Price: $£.00 To order make checks payable to: Sunwall Inc. Publications, c/o Bethlen Press, Inc. P.O. Box 637 Ligonier, Pa. 15658 Kitchen Corners— YADJA’S POACHED SOLE RECIPE A magnificent French stainedglass window casts its shadow of velvet blues, reds and golds across a dining room filled with gleaming antiques at “The Five Fishermen,” one of the newer and most talked about restaurants n Halifax, N.S. Mellowed brick walls and handhewn beams date to the building’s origins more than 250 years ago. Originally the Church of England National School, then the Victoria College of Art under the patronage of Anna Leonowens (the governess of “King and I” fame) and later a warehouse, the narrow two-story structure has served countless generations of this North Atlantic peninsula. Today, as “The Five Fishermen,” it serves some of the best seafood you ever ate! In his compact kitchen, Hungarian born Chef George Vajda, a graduate of Vancouver Institute of Technology, prepares everything to order from the simplest butter sauteed North Atlantic Cod fillets to such gastronomical masterpieces as Sole Homardine a’la Americaine. Though we’ve simplified Vajda’s version of this very special dish, it’s unabashedly party fare, costs a bit more and takes a bit longer to prepare — but oh, is so very well worthwhile. Vajda, who lives in a country where the tang of salt is always in the air, has easy access to the highest quality fish in the world. Now — because of modern flash freezing — the same high quality North Atlantic fish is just as easily available to restaurateurs and at local supermarkets from coast to North American coast. And with proper handling, it’s very hard indeed to find any taste or texture difference between fresh caught fish and fish fresh frozen the day of the catch.
