Chronica_Hungarorum

<i>Chronica Hungarorum</i>

Chronica Hungarorum

15th-century historical illustrated medieval chronicle from the Kingdom of Hungary

Chronica Hungarorum (Latin for "Chronicle of the Hungarians") (Hungarian: A magyarok krónikája), also known as the Thuróczy Chronicle, is the title of a 15th-century Latin-language Hungarian chronicle written by Johannes de Thurocz by compiling several earlier works in 1488. It served as the primary source for the history of medieval Hungary for centuries.[1]

For the first printed book in Hungary also known as Chronica Hungarorum, see Buda Chronicle.
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History

The historical knowledge of future generations of people was based on the Thuróczy Chronicle, because it was the most complete medieval Hungarian history at that time. The chronicle itself was the result of historiographical construction of the predecessor Hungarian chronicles over the previous centuries from the time of the Ancient Gesta. According to Thuróczy, he worked from contemporary works of the time of King Charles I (1301–1342) and King Louis I (1342–1382), which also based on older chronicles. The basic premise of the Hungarian medieval chronicle tradition that the Huns, i.e. the Hungarians coming out twice from Scythia, the guiding principle was the Hun-Hungarian continuity.[2]

No one doubts that the mother of the Huns, namely the Hungarians, was Scythia: Even at the beginning of their exodus from Scythia, the famous fighting virtue glowed in them, and now, in our day, their swords are flashing over the head of the enemy.

— Johannes Thuróczy: Chronica Hungarorum[3]

King Matthias of Hungary was happy to be described as "the second Attila".[4] In the prologue of his chronicle, Thuróczy set the goal of glorifying Attila, which was undeservedly neglected, moreover, he introduced the famous "Scourge of God" characterization to the later Hungarian writers, because the earlier chronicles remained hidden for a long time. Thuróczy worked hard to endear Attila, the Hun king with an effort far surpassing his predecessor chroniclers. He made Attila a model for his victorious ruler, King Matthias of Hungary (1458–1490) who had Attila's abilities, with this he almost brought "the hammer of the world" to life.[2]

The chronicle describes the history of Hungarians from the earliest times to 1487. The chronicle contains hand-colored woodcuts depicting 41 Hungarian kings and leaders. The Augsburg edition of the Chronica Hungarorum from 1488 is the first known print made with gold paint.

The images are listed together with the title of the chapter in the same order as their appearance in the chronicle.

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Appendix at the end of the chronicle from Master Roger: A mournful song about the destruction of the Tatars in Hungary.

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See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Johannes Thuróczy: Chronica Hungarorum". Bibliotheca Corvina Virtualis – National Széchényi Library, Budapest, Hungary.
  2. [2]
    Dr. Szabados, György (1998). "A krónikáktól a Gestáig – Az előidő-szemlélet hangsúlyváltásai a 15–18. században" [From the chronicles to the Gesta - Shifts in emphasis of the pre-time perspective in the 15th–18th centuries]. Irodalomtörténeti Közlemények, 102 (5-6) (PDF) (in Hungarian). MTA Irodalomtudományi Intézet (Institute for Literary Studies of Hungarian Academy of Sciences). pp. 615–641. ISSN 0021-1486.
  3. [3]
    Johannes Thuróczy: Chronica Hungarorum http://thuroczykronika.atw.hu/pdf/Thuroczy.pdf
  4. [4]
    Malcolm, Noel (2019). Useful Enemies: Islam and The Ottoman Empire in Western Political Thought, 1450-1750. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198830139. In Hungary, King Matthias Corvinus (r.1458–90) was happy to be described as 'the second Attila', and the tradition of identifying the Hungarians with 'Scythian' Huns, already present in the writings of earlier Hungarian chroniclers but greatly strengthened in his reign, would continue for hundreds of years.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chronica Hungarorum.
  • Thuróczy, Johannes (1488). Chronica Hungarorum (PDF) (in Latin). Augsburg.
  • "Johannes Thuróczy: Chronica Hungarorum". Bibliotheca Corvina Virtualis – National Széchényi Library, Budapest, Hungary. Augsburg: Erhard Ratdolt, at the expense of Theobald Feger (Buda). 1488. Miklós Jankovich purchased it on March 24, 1823. It made its way to the Hungarian national library with the Jankovich collection in the 1830s.
  • "Johannes Thuróczy: Chronica Hungarorum". Bibliotheca Corvina Virtualis – National Széchényi Library, Budapest, Hungary. Augsburg: Erhard Ratdolt, at the expense of Theobald Feger (Buda). 1488. Joseph, Palatine of Hungary purchased it at an auction in Vienna in February 1845, and then he donated it to National Széchényi Library on March 14, 1845.
  • Thuróczy, Johannes (1490). Chronica Hungarorum (in German). Bavaria.
  • Thuróczy, János (1918). A magyarok krónikája [Chronicle of the Hungarians] (in Hungarian). Translated by Horváth, János. Magyar Helikon.
  • Thuróczy, János (1957). Magyar krónika (Thuróczy krónika 4. és 5. könyve, 1382–1487-ig tartó időszak) [Hungarians Chronicle (Book 4 and 5 from the Thuróczy Chronicle, Period of 1382–1487)] (PDF) (in Hungarian). Translated by Geréb, László. Magyar Helikon.
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