Proto-Christian Beliefs of the Huns

Hungarians, or Magyars, are both a nation and an ethnic group that is native to Hungary and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Uralic language family, which also includes the Finnish and Estonian languages. The origin of the Hungarians has been a matter of debate. 21st century historians argue that they did not exist as a discrete ethnic group or people before their settlement in the vast Carpathian, or Pannonian basin. The borders of modern Hungary are entirely contained in this basin. The Danube and Tisza rivers divide it roughly in half. The Hungarians took possession of the Carpathian Basin in methodical manner by displacing its inhabitants. Between 862–895, a small vanguard of early settlers were joined by the balance of the Magyars. Studies of the records of witch trials reveal that some features of Hungarian folklore are remnants of shamanistic beliefs, either maintained from the past, or possibly borrowed from Turkic peoples the Hungarians lived among prior to their conquest of the Carpathian basin. The shamanic role was filled by the táltos (wise man or blessed scholar). Their souls were thought to be able to travel between the three spheres through révülés (meditation). They had the ability to contact spirits by specific rituals and praying. This enabled them to interpret dreams, mediate between humans and spirits, cure and removed curses, and retrieve souls that had escaped the body. The concept of soul dualism, where people are believed to have more than one soul, can be observed in several north Eurasian cultures, some Inuit groups, and among the Hungarians. Many examples of soul dualism distinguish between two souls: a body soul for maintaining bodily functions, and a free soul which can depart the body (even during life). The body soul, lélek, was related to breathing. The shadow soul called íz was related to the roaming soul of the dead. Its fearsome nature can be seen in the Hungarian curse expression “Vigyen el az íz!” (“the shadow soul take you!”). Much of Magyar mythology has been lost. In the last hundred years, however, scholars of Hungarian culture have attempted to recover a significant portion of it. In Hungarian myth, the world is divided into three spheres. The first is the Upper World (Felső világ), the home of the gods. The second is the Middle World (Középső világ) or world that we know. Third is the underworld (Alsó világ). In the center of the Middle World stands a tall tree, the World Tree or Tree of Life (Világfa/Életfa). Its branches and leaves extend into the Upper World, where the Turul bird dwells atop it. The Middle World contains its trunk. The underworld surrounds its roots. In some stories, this tree bears fruit, the golden apples. A pantheon of gods, animals, spirits, and cultural heroes were venerated by the Hungarians. Translated names of some of the gods are Golden Father, Blessed Lady or Blessed Queen, Warlord or Lord of Armies, Dawn Mother, Moon Father, Sun Mother, King of the Sun, Devil, Wind Mother, King of the Wind, Fire Mother, Fire Father, Water Mother, Water Father, and simply God in the case of Isten, the god of the sky and the head of the Hungarian pantheon. Translated names of some of the animals and spirits are Miraculous Stag, Old Woman, Witch, Demon of Illness, Fair Lady, and Wild Girl.