[Ponte Alto] Greetings from Sandor the Newbie

[Vitez Sandor]

Gary & Sioban (Laura):

Gary said:
> I'm also not exactly new to SCA. My daughters 
> introduced me to it some years ago.
> I am thinking of getting a bit more active.
> I'm also in Annandale.

Hi Gary.  Nice to meet you too.  I plan on going to newcomer night on Sept. 8 at 7 pm.  Maybe I'll se you there or at some other function.


Sioban said (not in this order):
> Do you speak/read Hungarian?...
> I could only look at the pictures!

LOL.  I think I am in the same boat unfortunately!  

> Please let me know if you're planning on attending one of 
> the Newcomers meetings this month -- I can try to find one 
> of the books and bring it to the meeting. 

I hope to be there Sept. 8.  I would welcome any reading material.

> Where do the Magyar fit compared to the group you describe below?

OMG.  I've been shoving so much info into my head, that it's about to burst...

Well, basically the 15th-16th century Hungarians are generally descendants of the seven (?) Magyar tribes and affiliated Khazar tribes that entered the Carpathian Basin in the 9th century and then terrorized much of southern Europe all  the way to Andalusia.  

However, in the ensuing centuries between 900 and 1400 AD, there developed small enclaves of Germanic (Saxons), Gypsies ("Cigan"), Askhenazi (Germanic Jews), Moslem Turks, Romanians, etc.  Add to that the fact that, after 1300, Hungary was ruled over by a series of mostly non-Hungarian kings - in other words a pretty multi-ethnic place, crossroads for trade, etc.

The Jewish populace in Hungary began right there with the Magyar invasions in the 800s, since some of the Khazar tribes were Jewish.  In fact, one thing that makes Hungary interesting for this persona is that it was perhaps the only country in Medieval Europe where Jews--at least some of them, and at least some of the time--were considered to be full subjects instead of "long-term alien residents."  

The Magyars & other Khazar were Pagan and involved in an ancestor-oriented religion.  Although communities were alternately welcomed to settle, and then subjected to pogroms (or evicted), there was always a presence somewhere in the country--especially in Buda.  Stephen I (997-1038) converted the kingdom to Roman Catholicism, but only Pagans.  I have read that he left the Jews & Moslems alone.

Adding to whatever Jewish remnants of Khazarian Jews survived, from around 1200 to 1600 there were several waves of Askenazi Jews from Moravia, Poland, Germany, etc.  The descendants of these Askenazis probably account for the majority of the population in modern times (but it's romantic to think I have some Khazar blood in there too ;^). 

Sándor
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Vitez Sándor 
Barony of Ponte Alto
Kingdom of Atlantia



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