Ancient Hungarians: Origins, Culture and Rise of the Magyars

The political history of Europe was mostly shaped by two phenomena: large, consolidated kingdoms and empires on the one hand and migratory movements from the north and east on the other. While the former is well-known to the public, the many migrations, especially from Asia, are rarely talked about if we leave out the Huns of Attila. Seemingly, after the disintegration of the Hunnic Empire, the migrations by steppe peoples lost importance. But as a matter of fact, the dissolution of the Huns paved the way for even more migrations. Beginning in the 550s, many steppe peoples like the Avars, Göktürks, Bulgars, Pechenegs, and Kipchaks entered the European continent. In between, a particular group called “Magyars” also entered the European continent. They would go on to form the core of Hungarian identity. The Magyar’s early history was marked by interactions with Turkic empires, shaping their cultural and political development and even writing system. But the most important state was the Gök