This page was born after playing some Medieval II Total War. Maybe modders of this game and other game designers can use these infos to build up a more correct Hungary in the future. You can find a Hungarian pronunciation guide here.
The aim is giving useful informations about the Hungary and the Hungarians aimed to games. The main theme is the 11-13th century. For later periods see Matthew Haywood's page.
Hungarians call themselves to Magyars. It is a relatively new form it was
finalized in the end of the 13th century. The older Mogyer, Megyer, Magyer words
were used until this time. If you like the archaic style I suggest the firstly
mentioned Mogyer form. In plural Magyarok, Mogyerek, Megyerek, Magyerek.
Hungary = Magyarország, Hungarian Kingdom = Magyar Királyság.
Here are some more detailed e-books in English and in German for people who are interested in the Hungarian history:
Hungarian history 1038-1300
Hungarian history 1301-1437
Hungarian history 1438-1526
Ungarische Geschichte 1038-1300
Ungarische Geschichte 1301-1437
Ungarische Geschichte 1438-1526
The well known Hunnic origin may be true but not proved. We know very little
about the Hungarians before ~800.
Magyars settled in the Carpathian basin in 895. They conquered the whole
basin in 900.
People: Hungarian is a mixed people like most others. The
traces of our origin show back to the eastern part of the mountain Ural. The
early Hungarians were Europids, too. Genetics showed uralic markers in the gene
pool of the conqering Hungarians. In addition to this many Slavs (and many other
people) were assimilated in the
Carpathian Basin. So we can imagine some fair-haired people, especially between the
peasants. Skin color is white, however people who live in the open air
supposed having darker skins. The old Hungarians had divided into five pieces:
-the tribes who conquered the Carpathian Basin,
-a few others went to the Caucasus,
-remaining Hungarians near the river Volga (disappeared after the Mongol
Invasion, 1240-42),
-a Hungarian tribe left the Carpathian Basin and they went to the Balkan in the
9th century.
Maybe they are the Magyars settled near the river Vardar and appeared as
Vardariotai in the Byzantine army,
-there were some few Hungarians in Wallachia and Moldavia but they might left
Hungary in later centuries.
Language: The grammar and the most of the identified words are Finno-Ugrian and there are significant number of Turkish words. This is the most accepted theory nowadays. Present day Hungarians do not understand either Finno-Ugrian nor the Turkish languages.
Culture: The conquering Hungarians had Turkish culture. Despite the Finno-Ugrian language there is not any trace of their culture. In Hungary the culture was changed to Christian culture and there is a significant Slav and German influence. Also the Turkish culture got supports by the settled Pechenegs and Cumans.
Christianity: Some chieftains were baptized in the 10th century in Constantinople. Both western and eastern priests came to Hungary to baptize the people. The whole nation was forced to take the new faith in the 11th century under the rule of St. István (Stephen) (997-1038). He choosed the Catholic Christianity because of his education. Pagan revolts happened in 1046 and 1061 but were crushed. Even latter kings St. László (Ladislaus) and Kálmán (Coloman) legistated against the pagan customs so there were such customs even around 1090-1110. Some elements of the old faith remained till the 20th century but only scientists may identify these.
Economy: The Hungarian lands are very fertile. Because of this and the appreciable animal breeding famines were rarer and less serious compared to the western part of Europe. Notable trading goods were horses, wine, salt, and slaves till ~1100. Later cattles. There were rich gold and silver mines in Transylvania and the upper Hungary. Mining precious metals boomed under the rule of the Angevins in the 14th century. Hungary was the first in gold mining and second in silver mining (first was Bohemia). In those years Hungary gave 75% of the gold and 20% of silver production of Europe. The commodity production was far less so the economy was weaker than in the western part of Europe.
Population: Hungary was less populated because the conquering Hungarians settled in a big country compared to their numbers and even the inhabitants were not so many in their numbers. (Chronicles wrote large empty lands.) The urbanization was less as well. In the 12-13 century the most populated city, Esztergom had roughly 10.000 citizens. The citizens of the tipical cities were not Hungarians but generally Latins (the term covered mostly Vallons and Italians), Volga Bulgarian merchants and some Jews. After 1222 Muslim Bulgarians were exiled and more and more Germans appeared in the cities.
The Hungarian army was first purely cavalry. Infantry is rarely mentioned in the sources but it can be imagined when there were Hungarian cities or castle guards near at the battle area.
The army composition was light cavalry and small number of heavy cavalry. The light cavalry were archers first of all, they used 2-2,5m long spears, swords, sabres, war-axes (fokos, see the picture) in melee. Because the games usually not supported units with several melee weapons I use spears in the old and swords in later centuries. Villani, an Italian chronicler wrote about them in the 14th century and said they wore multi-layered leather clothing and no shields. I consider this clothing something like a gambeson when I calculate statistics. The historians think the composite bows were about 70 pound strong average. With replicas 200 meter shooting distance seems as average but it depends on the weight of arrows, too. In games I set the range equal to the longbows. Althrough the composite bows were less strong its build was more effective to release energy so a 70 pound composite bow was roughly equal to a 105 pound longbow. This is just a simplification and it do the job for games. But eastern archers didn't use bodkin arrowheads. Their needle-like arrowheads were not so effective to penetrate armor. We know from a letter they considered the coat of arms-mail combination arrowproof.
After the final occupation of Croatia (1102) the local
troops served the Hungarian kings. These soldiers were
not mounted archers but rather knights and retainers. Their armaments might be
typical western European with byzantine influence.
Heavy cavalry was less proportioned than the Western European knights. In the beginning of the 10th century they were really a few German and Rus knights but their numbers raised significantly during the time as the Magyars adopted the fighting style. They might used not only chainmail but even lamellar armor. Their main weapons were the lance and the sword as usual. Sometimes they also used other weapons like axes. Hungarian nobles, Templar and Hospitaller knights composed the backbone of the heavy cavalry.
Hungary might had roughly 40-45.000 soldiers in 12th century. The mobilizable, effective army had about 20-30.000 soldiers the rest maybe the castle guards.
Some sources mentioned infantry in the lines of the Hungarians. At the battle of Zimony there were some (if the source has right). The use of crossbows are mentioned in 1242 and 1265. It does not mean of course there were not earlier.
Niketas Choniates had written about the Hungarian army at the
battle of Zimony in 1167. This is a very good description. My raw translation:
"The hostile army was awful and frightening: all mounted and armed with lance.
Not only the people weared full armaments come down to their legs [or foots?]
but one could see also headbands and poitrels on their horses [...] defending
against arrows. When the Romans took up the fight with him [with Dénes, the
Hungarian leader] both side trew javelins, than attacks and counter-attacks
alternated each other. After the spears [or rather lances] had broken and an
obstacle arised from the staffs of the spears they drew their long swords and
entered in battle again. After the edge of these weapons got notched because the
armies were merely of brass and iron the Paions [=Hungarians] became helpless
[...] but the Romans take their iron maces (they have the habit to take such
weapons into battle) and thrashed the Paions with them. Such a beat was lethal
if hit the face or head. Many men fell from the saddle unconsciously many
others died with serious wounds."
Another Byzantine source said they collected 2000 armors of the Hungarians (these
mean possibly metal armors) after this battle but it is not sure the number is right. The Byzantines said there were 15.000 soldiers in the
side of Hungary. Very interesting Hungarian horse archers are not
mentioned in this battle. It does not mean they were not only strage. Only Roman
horse archers are mentioned who fled immediately before the Hungarian attack -
it was not a feint flee. Some historians think there were notable Austrian
auxiliaries in the lines of the Hungarians because the large numbers of the
Hungarian heavy cavalry.
Some notes about the Hungarian warriors from the annals of
Königssaal from 1300:
"The people of the Hungarians wear no armor. When prepares into battle or duel
they pull on tight leather coat or very tight clothes which hold their limbs
close [...] Their bows injure many, they shot rapidly. They cause serious wounds
while galloping on the battlefield. They will not fight standing but make a
feint flee or avoid the melee galloping here and there, fighting like Swabian
style [=melee] would be surely tough to them."
The writer considered only the metal armor to an armor.
Weakness: the lack of infantry and the arrows of the horse archers were less effective against metal armors. But their horses can be killed as mentioned in a Byzantine battle, when the Hungarian auxiliaries were ordered to kill the horses of the enemy knights with arrows.
The Hungarian forces were roughly equal in power like the Romans (Byzantines), maybe the latter was stronger a little bit but not so much.
Knight orders in Hungary:
Gyeicsa II (the generally used Géza is a wrong reading of his name) (1141-61) established the Stephanitic Order
in respect of
Saint István (Stephen). It was a hospitaller order, they had houses in Esztergom and Jerusalem and
worked until the Turkish invasion (~1530). The Hospitaller order was more
popular than the Stephanitic one.
Hospitallers or Johannites: they came in Hungary under the rule of Gyeicsa II.
The most important order.
The Knights Templar settled in Hungary between 1162-72. They were called “Red
Fraters”. After their dissolution (officially in 1312) the Hospitallers got their
wealth and membership. In the Magyar Kingdom they did not suffer from
persecution. Their main center was in Vrana, Croatia (part of the Hungarian
Kingdom since 1102).
Teutonic Knights got land in the Barcaság, in the southern part of
Transylvania. They were here from 1211, with the mission to evangelize the
Cumans. In 1225 the king exiled them because they offered their land as feif to the
pope who accepted it and set the Knights as his vassals.
The Szent György (=Saint George) Knight Order was the establishment of Károly Róbert (1312-1340)
after the scheme of the English Saint George Order.
The Hospitallers and Templars were the most important orders.
The well-known Order of the Dragon, the first secular chivalric order in Europe.
Sigismud founded it in 1408 and the membership was made from his supporters. The
order was made only for the aristocracy so it wasn't a military order like the
Templars for example.
-Horse Archers (Lovas íjászok): Hungarian light cavalry armed with composite bows, swords, spears (2-2,5m), war-axes (fokos), sabres, tight leather or textile clothing. Their quiver was on their right side hanging from their belt. Arrows were holding head up. If they used shields they should be small round shields. Good and poorly armed versions also possible the richer wearing short mail.
-Lancers (Kopjások): armed with lance, sword, leather armor or gambeson, maybe short chainmail, helmet, shield. Retainers of the knights in small number.
-Heavy cavalry (Nehézlovasság): The chivalry culture wasn't typical in Hungary so I suggest this name. Otherwise they can be similar than the knights but were not so capricious and blindfold. Their main weapons were lance and sword and they might use maces or battle axes as well. Saint László (Ladislaus) is known using a battle axe.
-Székelys (Székelyek): Székelys were Hungarian languaged people with certain privileges. They had the obligation to give 2400 soldiers in the royal army. Their weapons and armors varied by the time. In the early centuries they were horse archers. You can use them also as a special unit due to their more martial experience. By tradition Székelys and Pechenegs were the first rank in battle with the job sending a shower of arrows and retreat.
-Pechenegs (Besenyők): a Turk people, they were border guards and gave soldiers to the king. They were horse archers and used maces, sabres and picks in melee. The Pecheneg auxiliary troops were mentioned from ~900 to ~1242 (Mongol invasion). They settled in smaller groups continually during the centuries.
-Khwarazmians (Kálizok): Some of them maybe came with the migrating Hungarians into the Carpathian Basin. Gyeicsa II (1141-62) brought more of them. They got lands in the southern part of the country. Khwarazmians were famous soldiers and played an important rule in many country. Their islam faith caused some problems they were forced to take Christianity and disappeared from the sources after the Mongol invasion. They was not so important like the Székelys, Pechenegs and Cumans so they can be skipped. There gave at least 500 warriors to the army.
-Cumans (Kunok): Another Turk nomadic people. After a first try in 1239-41 which went wrong they permanently settled in Hungary around 1243-46, after the Mongol invasion. They were significant supporters of the current king. In 1280 their rebellion was crushed near the lake Hód, and they were forced to take Christianity. After this battle many of them hived off. The rest slowly assimilated to Hungarians, playing lesser and lesser role in the army and disappeared from military sources around 1380. Armed with composite bow, sabre and leather armor. The richest worn chainmail and changed their sabres to swords in the 14. century. They were nomadic say elite horse archer troops.
-Jazygians (Jászok): An Iranic people. They were the mentioned with the Cumans under their leadership and fought similar like they. But they were far less in numbers so they can be ignored. They settled in the first decades of the 14th century.
-Infantry (Gyalogság): any from the above on foot in sieges and sometimes the castle guards and citizens (see below). The latter ones can be armed with spear and shield, war-axe and composite bow. These are the cheapest weapons, swords were maybe too expensive to such infantry.
-Crossbowmen foot soldiers possibly from the 13th century.
Horses:
The heavy cavalry is supposed to use big horses. The
horse archers had smaller eastern horses. They are quick and have
good stamina.
Steppe horses in Hungary were very cheep. They costed one fifth of the western prizes. It means there is no reason to order high cost to the Hungarian light cavalry. The same issue occured to all nomadic people: Cumans, Pechenegs, Uzes, Turks, etc. These horses were small, like modern day Huculs. Their main advantage was they were able to live on grass and didn't need forage nor stables.
Cheap and good horses can be an advantage compared to other factions.
-Castle Soldiers (Várkatonák): they were the most numerous part of the Hungarian army. There were 50-72 county depending on age with 3-400 such warriors on the average. The group mostly disappeared under the rule of András II (1205-35) as he gave away the royal lands to his followers.
-Servienses of the King (Királyi szerviensek): Althrough their name means servants, they were free people. Servants of the king meant they need to give military service only to the king and noone else. Sometimes I use the Royal Warriors (Királyi vitézek) name because the servant title is misleading today. They had some land and every land owner had the obligation serving as a soldier. In 1267 Servienses became the rank of nobles.
-Nobles (Nemesek): they composed the heavy cavalry in the early times. Only these rich people were called nobles first. Later (from the end of the 13th century) their status was called to baron (báró, pl. bárók). Many of the high ranked nobles were originally permanetly settled foreigners. Most of them were Germans but also some Spanishes, Normanns, Franches, Czechs. All of these got their ranks because of their service as heavy cavalry. Early in the 10th century there were some Rus (Varangian) soldiers served as bodyguards and heavy cavalry.
-Retinues of nobles: after András II gave away the royal castles the emerging nobles needed more soldiers to defend their possessions and fight their wars. Possibly they hired the former castle guards as soldiers. These troops were called later to banderia or banderium especially in the 14th century. The multiplied retinues of nobles changed the role of the Castle Soldiers in the royal army.
-Ethnic troops: Székelys, Pechenegs, Khwarazmians and Cumans were free people with military obligation. All these people liberty rights were granted in exchange of the military service. At the end of the 13th century Vlach (today Romanian) settlers grew enough in number to provide a small troop for the king. They settled in Southern Transylvania at first. Vlachs were probably infantry with javelins, spears, two-handed maces and shields.
-Citizens: after Germans settled in Transylvania (from 1242) they soon were able to send a troop with 500 soldiers to the royal army. They can be infantry or cavalry, too. As cavalry they surely was not horse archers. Germans in Hungary were called to Saxons. Actually they were also ethnic troops but their life and martial style was different.
Frankish knights were mentioned in the 12th century, and Frankish siege experts. Austrian and Bohemian mercenaries are mentioned in the sources possibly as heavy armored units.
Hungarian horse archers appear in Byzantine and Austrian sources. They were sent by the Hungarian king so they weren't mercenaries.
If you are interested for more, e-mail me: birbin_AT_freemail_DOT_hu
Please use capital letters in subject because I got a lot of spam.
Created: Januar 27, 2007
Last update: April 19, 2013
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