Folia archeologica 52.

Vörös István: Ló az Árpád-kori Magyarországon

Ló лх ÁRPÁD-KORI MAGYARORSZÁGON After the Dürnkrut battle (1278) the Germans confiscated 'a large number of Rumanian horses' (

KRISTÓ 1994, I 10.). In 1270, Bárca, an Olah (Olacoruin ?) horse with 'sign' is mentioned. In 1293, magistrate László adjudged a tartar horse to serf Csud (BFI .KNYKSI 1956, 24, 4. footnote.). The opinion of Miklós Jankovich, i.e., the 'better horses for lords'would be the high stature 'Turanian horses' (JANKOVICH s.a. 140-141) was not proved by him or any other supporting evidence. In Hungary, the horses were typically differentiated in two 'qualities'. Some of them were trained (domitos) horses and some untrained ('wild horses' indomitos) living in the horse breeding as well as the stud farms themselves. According to their chief use, there were martial stallions, military/war horses. There were cart horses and led-horses as well as transport horses. Special mention was made on fast running horse, good horse and riding/ pack horses, or small horse. It is interesting that we have no data on miller's horses ('equi molendinum'), but there is mention made on shiptowing horses along the Danube (1237/40. Gy. II. 641.). The main colours of the horses in the Árpád-Dynasty period were white, black, grey, bay, red and yellow. The dappled character of the horses was indicated by the word(s) 'peg, pegy, peeg'. The hair colour of hoses in 13

t

h century Hungary are presented on Table 8. The patches of various colours in the hair cover of the horse are called 'signs', fliese are mentioned in the charts as 'signum', different from artificial markers, stamps. The value of the horses were typically given in 'mark' (M). We can separate three categories: low price (2 M, or under 2 M); high price (between 5 and 20), and very expensive horses. Table 9. summarises known prices for horses from 13th century Hungary. Expensive horses (alti pretii) were of special lineage and qualities. The young King István is known to buy a stallion for 100 M in 1

269. In 1281, King 'Rumanian' László donated demesnes for an expensive chestnut/bay stallion and a 200 M worth red stallion. In the charters investigated, agressive conduct concerning horses is mentioned 46 times; i.e. driving away, stealing and killing (Table 10.). The 46 cases mentioned involve altogether 321 horses and more. Among the 321 horses, those of known gender comprise 1 12 stallions and only 8 mares! 15 cases and 24 horses are mentioned from the period preceding the Tartarian invasion (1208—1235), while after this event (1270-1302.) 31 cases and 297 horses are mentioned. HORSE TRADE IN THE ÁRPÁD-DYNASTY PERIOD In the last third of the 11th century decretums (resolutions, in.: Corp.Jur.) used to regulate trade, both home and foreign animal trade. Opposed to former practice, King László I. (1077-1095) prohibited sale and purchase outside the fairs in the country (L.II.7.). The actual process could only take place at the fair in the presence of witnesses. The stock (goods) purchase outside the fair was confiscated from the customer and the price taken from the trader and possible witnesses of the act had to pay, as punishment, a sum equal to the price paid. (L.II.7. 2.§.). In the case when the goods were stolen, the customer, trader and the witness were all condemned to death as thieves (L.II.7. l.§). In the case when the stock offered on a fair turned out to be stolen, the purchasing party was exonerated by the magistrate of the fair and the toll-man and the selling party was handed over to authorities by the witnesses (L.II.7.4.§). The trader selling stolen goods anywhere was punished as a thief (L.III. 1 1.). Thus, in the case of selling a stolen horse, the trader was always executed; the buyer only when he purchased it outside the fair. (L.II.7. l.§).