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<DIV>Gary & Sioban (Laura):</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Gary said:</DIV>
<DIV>> I'm also not exactly new to SCA. My daughters </DIV>
<DIV>> introduced me to it some years ago.</DIV>
<DIV>> I am thinking of getting a bit more active.</DIV>
<DIV>> I'm also in Annandale.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sioban said (not in this order):</DIV>
<DIV>> Do you speak/read Hungarian?...</DIV>
<DIV>> I could only look at the pictures!<BR></DIV>
<DIV>LOL. I think I am in the same boat unfortunately! </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>> Please let me know if you're planning on attending one of </DIV>
<DIV>> the Newcomers meetings this month -- I can try to find one </DIV>
<DIV>> of the books and bring it to the meeting. <BR></DIV>
<DIV>I hope to be there Sept. 8. I would welcome any reading
material.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>> Where do the Magyar fit compared to the group you describe
below?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>OMG. I've been shoving so much info into my head, that it's about to
burst...</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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." </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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 ;^). </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sándor</DIV>
<DIV>~*~*~*~*~*~*~*</DIV>
<DIV>Vitez Sándor <BR>Barony of Ponte Alto<BR>Kingdom of Atlantia</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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