Hungarian Heritage Review, 1991 (20. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
1991-01-01 / 1. szám
missionaries into the land of the Magyars, giving them huge estates, with feudalistic powers. The Magyars rebelled against these new-comers, as well as against the feudalistic powerstructure, which was new to their ancient tribal society. History, mostly under German influence, prefers to attrribute these insurrections to religious reasons, a fight of the old religion against the new. However, the fact is that most of the Magyars were already Christians by that time, but not so much under the influence of Rome as of Byzantium (Sarolt's mother was a princess of Greece). What the Magyars, especially those on the Western borders, rebelled against, was the intrusion of the German knights, the huge land-donations made to them, taken out from the free grazing range of the tribe, and the feudalistic system, which forced the free tribesmen into servitude to the new landlords. However, it must be noted, that István, not yet under the influence of his wife, the Bavarian Princess Gizella, asked the Pope for a crown and did not ask it from Otto III, ruler of the "Holy Roman Empire", as many other new Kings in Central Europe had done. Thus, he emphasized the complete independence of the new Hungarian Kingdom. István, the first King of the Magyars, was later canonized, thus the Hungarian Holy Crown is also known as "Saint Stephen's Crown." In its nearly one-thousand-year history, the crown is closely interwoven with the Magyar fate. At times, it was taken away by force. It was stolen, pawned, buried, and even taken into exile. But each time, it was somehow reclaimed, by means of money, trickery, or battle. This crown is not merely a piece of coronation jewelry. Its real value lies in its special judicial position. The crowned king received his power from the Holy Crown, rather than the other way around. Each Hungarian, no matter whether he was of Magyar, Croatian, Slovak or other descent, was a member of the Holy Crown, while every square foot of Hungary was the property of the Holy Crown, and was not in the name of the King. The Crown, and not the King, ruled over the "Countries of the Holy Crown", assuring thereby, complete autonomy to each of the couuntries, with the right to self administration, the right to the free use of their own language and culture of every ethnic minority group. The Hungarian Apostolic King was the only ruler in Europe who had the right of having the doubled cross (insignia of the Apostles) carried in front of him. There is no end to the legends and historical facts connected with the Holy Crown. Endre raised an army and revolted against his brother, King Imre, (1200 A.D.). Imre, with the Holy Crown upon his head, walked alone into his brother's camp. "Let me see who dares to raise a hand against his anointed King!" he said. Then he led his brother, Endre, by the hand from the midst of his own army, and made him a prisoner. Such was the respect for the Holy Crown. FROM "SELECTED HUNGARIAN LEGENDS", DR. ALBERT WASS JANUARY 1991 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW 33
