{"id":7118,"date":"2025-11-21T03:05:52","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T11:05:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/draculascastle.com\/wordpress\/?p=7118"},"modified":"2025-11-21T03:07:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T11:07:01","slug":"origin-of-the-szekelys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/draculascastle.com\/wordpress\/?p=7118","title":{"rendered":"Origin of the Sz\u00e9kelys"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scholarly theories about the <strong>origin of the Sz\u00e9kelys<\/strong> (a subgroup of the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hungarians\">Hungarian people<\/a>) can be divided into four main groups. Medieval chronicles unanimously stated that the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sz%C3%A9kelys\">Sz\u00e9kelys<\/a> were descended from the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Huns\">Huns<\/a> and settled in the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Carpathian_Basin\">Carpathian Basin<\/a> centuries before the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hungarians\">Hungarians<\/a> (or Magyars) conquered the territory in the late 9th century. This theory is refuted by most modern specialists. According to a widely accepted modern hypothesis, the Sz\u00e9kelys were originally a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Turkic_peoples\">Turkic people<\/a> who joined the Magyars in the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pontic_steppes\">Pontic steppes<\/a>. Another well-known theory states that the Sz\u00e9kelys are simply Magyars, descended from the border guards of the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kingdom_of_Hungary\">Kingdom of Hungary<\/a> who settled in the easternmost region of the Carpathian Basin and preserved their special privileges for centuries. According to a fourth theory, the Sz\u00e9kelys&#8217; origin can be traced back to the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Late_Avar\">Late Avar<\/a> population of the Carpathian Basin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Medieval_and_Early_modern_period\">Medieval and Early modern period<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Medieval chronicles associated the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sz%C3%A9kelys\">Sz\u00e9kelys<\/a> with the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Huns\">Huns<\/a>, also claiming that both the Huns and the Hungarians were descended from the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Scythians\">Scythians<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHermann20041-1\">[1]<\/a><\/sup> Medieval scholars also agreed that the Sz\u00e9kelys had already been present in the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Carpathian_Basin\">Carpathian Basin<\/a> before the Hungarians (or <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Magyars\">Magyars<\/a>) conquered the territory.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPop1996162-2\">[2]<\/a><\/sup> The early 13th-century <em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gesta_Hungarorum\">Gesta Hungarorum<\/a><\/em> was the first to mention that the Sz\u00e9kelys &#8220;were previously the peoples&#8221;<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-Anonymus_ch50_p109-3\">[3]<\/a><\/sup> of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Attila\">Attila the Hun<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHermann20041-1\">[1]<\/a><\/sup> According to the same source, the Sz\u00e9kelys &#8220;gave their sons as hostages along with diverse gifts&#8221;<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-Anonymus_ch50_p109-3\">[3]<\/a><\/sup> to the Hungarian chieftain, \u0150sb\u0151, at the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/K%C3%B6r%C3%B6s_River\">K\u00f6r\u00f6s River<\/a> before joining his campaign against <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Menumorut\">Menumorut<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-FOOTNOTEEgyed20139-4\">[4]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPop1996108\u2013109-5\">[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Simon_of_K%C3%A9za\">Simon of K\u00e9za<\/a> stated that the Sz\u00e9kelys were &#8220;remnants of the Huns&#8221; who &#8220;remained on the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Field_of_Csigla&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1\">field of Csigla<\/a>&#8220;<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-Simon_of_Keza_ch21_p71-6\">[6]<\/a><\/sup> after the fall of the Hunnic Empire.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHermann20041-1\">[1]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPop1996162-2\">[2]<\/a><\/sup> In contrast with the <em>Gesta Hungarorum<\/em>, K\u00e9za said, the Sz\u00e9kelys joined the Hungarians &#8220;on the borders of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kievan_Rus%27\">Ruthenia<\/a>&#8220;<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-Simon_of_Keza_ch21_p71-6\">[6]<\/a><\/sup> when the Hungarians crossed the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Carpathian_Mountains\">Carpathian Mountains<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-FOOTNOTEEgyed20139-4\">[4]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKrist\u00f3199623-7\">[7]<\/a><\/sup> All subsequent Hungarian chronicles repeated K\u00e9za&#8217;s story and most scholars accepted the identification of the Sz\u00e9kelys with the Huns for centuries.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHermann20041-1\">[1]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKord\u00e9199322\u201323-8\">[8]<\/a><\/sup> The theory was also mentioned in <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Istv%C3%A1n_Werb%C5%91czy\">Istv\u00e1n Werb\u0151czy<\/a>&#8216;s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tripartitum\">Tripartitum<\/a><\/em>, which was published several times in <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sz%C3%A9kely_Land\">Sz\u00e9kely Land<\/a> after 1517.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHermann20041-1\">[1]<\/a><\/sup> As a consequence, it cannot be decided whether the Sz\u00e9kelys&#8217; well-documented own tradition of their Hunnic origin is a genuine part of their folklore, or it is only an adoption of a medieval scholarly fabrication.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHermann20041-1\">[1]<\/a><\/sup> Most Sz\u00e9kelys still regard themselves as descendants of the Huns, but the majority of modern scholars refute this theory.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-FOOTNOTEEgyed20139-4\">[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p><em>About the Transylvanian Scythulis, whom we call Sz\u00e9kelys \u2013 In addition, in its <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Transylvania\">Transylvanian<\/a> parts, there are the privileged nobles called Scythuli, originating from the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Scythians\">Scythian people<\/a> when they first came to Pannonia, whom we call by a corrupt name: \u201eSz\u00e9kely&#8221;. They enjoy quite different laws and customs; they are very skilled in warfare; and divide up and distribute inheritances and offices among themselves by tribes and kindreds and the lineages of kindreds, in the manner of the ancients.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2014\u200a<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Istv%C3%A1n_Werb%C5%91czy\">Istv\u00e1n Werb\u0151czy<\/a>: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tripartitum\">Tripartitum<\/a><\/em><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_the_Sz%C3%A9kelys#cite_note-9\">[9]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Scholarly theories about the origin of the Sz\u00e9kelys (a subgroup of the Hungarian people) can be divided into four main groups. Medieval chronicles unanimously stated that the Sz\u00e9kelys were descended from the Huns and settled in the Carpathian Basin centuries before the Hungarians (or Magyars) conquered the territory in the late 9th century. This theory is refuted by most modern specialists. According to a widely&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/draculascastle.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7118"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/draculascastle.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/draculascastle.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/draculascastle.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/draculascastle.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7118"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/draculascastle.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7118\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/draculascastle.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/draculascastle.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/draculascastle.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}