Ehh I didn't want to post the estates I wanted to post St Stephen's statue.
I googled and found this saint was from 10th century. And he was a king.
We have Chinese saints but they were recent. They were never famous to general Chinese . There were no king saint either.
I'd imagine he became Saint because he was King, not the other way around. But I might be wrong.
Happy birthday steppe invaders, I understand that Finland was already taken.
His canonization along with his son's happened about 45 years after his death by another king, Ladislaus I, who was also canonized a century later. While Christianity was introduced to Hungarians earlier Saint Stephen made Catholicism state religion and he was the one who created the framework of the Church in Hungary (among other things).
During the ages 20th of August had different feasts/holidays. In the middle ages it was a religious feast as Stephen was canonized on this day. In the interwar era in the 20th century became national holiday for the first time. During the communism it was the holiday of the (Stalinist) Constitution and People's Republic. After '89-90 it returned back to the national holiday of the Hungarian statehood.
This Hungarian statehood is counted from the coronation of Stephen in 1000/1001. The actual date is very uncertain so that's why his date of canonization was picked instead. It's not even sure it was coronation, it might been a different type anointing. The point is he become rex from dux what he was since 997.
While it isn't 20th August yet, I bump this so I won't have to repost it. Maybe I'll prepare something for it. Hmm, I also should prepare a more beefy post in the near future about some topic. I did fairly long time ago.
Why the pisa tower cross? By the way one of my close friend has been to budapest, he says you'd love it for 2 days but hate it after 2 weeks. People are close minded and always stick to their close friend group.
>Why the pisa tower cross?
Which version do you wanna hear?
Nevermind, I'll write what I can.
We have no idea why does it stand askew, but many theories were created by both historians and the people. If one observes the Crown it will be apparent that not just the cross strange but the crosspiece and the rim are also seems to be deformed which can lead to the easy conclusion it was hit with large force from above.
a. The put it in a big wooden flask but during the road it fell off the horse at one point and they had to search for it. The drop damaged the Crown.
b. They put it in a small barrel but it was too small and when they put the lid on it pushed down the Crown.
This version is based on the story of the chronicle and the two version comes from the two possible translation of a Latin word. The chronicle doesn't say however that the Crown was harmed, so it is a speculation. Also this is one of the versions what usually was cited as a reason.
2. In 1849 the War of Independence was defeated and the governor, Kossuth, fled to Turkey. He had the Crown but didn't want to bring it with him to abroad. So they buried it at Orsova. I think it was underground for four years. Somehow it was damaged either when it was buried or when recovered. This is also a popular version.
3. In 1638 during the coronation of queen Mária Anna (first wife of king Ferdinand III.) they got the wrong key for the reinforced chest they guard the Crown in. They had to break this chest and had to use large force and they dun goofed. (Btw, during Habsburg times the queens were crowned with another crown, the Holy Crown was only used to touch their shoulders.) This version is fairly recent one.
4. This isn't the original cross, but a replacement which was mounted in the 16th century.
a. A version says that in 1551 queen Izabella break the original one down and gave it to his son, king János II (aka János Zsigmond), who wore it in his neck on a chain. They surrendered it to king Rudolf I. but it's further fate is unkown. The Habsburgs made a new one instead.
5. There was no cross originally, it was mounted later (for example in the 16th century).
6. It stands askew on purpose, this is how it was planned and made. - This version is preferred by some pseudo-scientific theoreticians.
The next few are the products of folklore, however some details of the above might be similarly made up by the people.
7. In 1385 at the coronation of Károly II it fell from the pillow as a bad omen. He ruled for only two months.
8. When the angels brought it down they dropped it accidentally.
9. When István I (aka Saint Stephen) fought with the pagan rebel Vata, he slashed at the king with his sword and hit the cross.
10. When the House of Árpád went extinct it bent.
11. "Back then" three seas washed our shores but now the country is torn apart, this made the cross bend.
12. It bent due the election of Mátyás I.
a. The nobility chose the new king by throwing the crown up into the air and onto however's head it fell, he became the new king. During this process the crown was damaged.
b. Mátyás and a peasant tilled a field together when they heard the news of the election of a new king. The news also said who dines on an iron table him will be the new king. So Mátyás turned the plow sideways and ate his meal at it as if he was sitting at a table. His mate just laughed at him and said Mátyás will be king if his whip sprouted. So Mátyás shoved his whip into the ground and it sprouted. Then came two angels with the Crown to put it on his head but Mátyás was startled by them and hit toward them with the whip, then the dropped the Crown. This story is related to #8, but also has great many versions and not just in Hungarian folklore, Moravians, Northern Hungarians, Croats and even Slovenes has a version or two of it. One Czech myth connects this story to Saint Stephen.
- By the end of the 18th century it stood askew, one Austrian official made a note of it.
- A Hungarian writer, M.D. who wrote a book about the Crown about the same time also made a note of this.
- On older depictions the cross stands straight - I wouldn't consider this great importance, since older depictions aren't realistic, great many things were drawn very differently.
- It moves too, has a little wobble in it.
- I'm not sure how factual this data is, but I found it to be presented in such way: the screw what holds the cross wasn't driven into it straight with the axis, but with an angle to the axis.
- It is not for small hedas.
- It was used only during coronation. It wasn't for wearing it casually, the kings had their own crowns for that. When it needed to be used, a crown guard, who's job was especially this, took out the Crown, inspected it, if it was necessary he ordered repairs, then after the coronation he had to inspect it again, and order repairs if it was necessary, then put away into it's place.
that's tuğrul, which is pronounced like tuurul. common symbol for us, even the seljuks used it.
read all of it, first one seems the most believable one. thank you for explaining, I guess you like to delve into your history don't you?