Stephen I of Hungary Totally Explained

Everything about Stephen Of Hungary totally explained

Saint Stephen I (Hungarian: I. (Szent) István, Slovak: (Svätý) Štefan I.) (967/969/975, Esztergom, Hungary – 15 August 1038, Esztergom, Hungary), Grand Prince of the Magyars (997-1000/1001) and the first King of Hungary (1000/1001-1038). Stephen was born under the pagan Turkish name Vajk, but was baptised as Stephen in his childhood. Following the death of his father, Géza, Stephen became the Grand Prince of the Magyars, but he could only strengthen his rule when he defeated his relative, Koppány. Shortly afterwards, he claimed and received a crown from the pope and he became the first King of Hungary. Stephen extended his rule in the Carpathian Basin with force by defeating several local chieftains. He maintained peace with the Holy Roman Empire during the first three decades of his reign, and later he could withdraw the attacks of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor. Stephen established ten dioceses in his kingdom and he issued severe decrees against pagan customs and in favor of the Christian faith in order to strengthen Christianity among his subjects. He organised several counties (vármegye) in Hungary and his decrees could ensure the internal peace in his kingdom. Based on his acts, he's generally considered as the founder of Hungary. Following the death of his son, Emeric, Stephen wanted to ensure the maintenance of the Christianity in his kingdom and therefore he named his sister's son, the Venetian Peter Urseolo as his heir instead of his cousin, Vazul whom he suspected following pagan customs and ordered him blinded. Stephen was canonised, together with his son and Bishop Gerard of Csanád, on 20 August 1083 and he become one of the most popular saints in Hungary.

Early years

St. Stephen was born Vajk in the town of Esztergom. His father was Géza, Grand Prince of the Magyars; his mother was Sarolt, the daughter of Gyula of Transylvania. According to his legends, Vajk was baptized by Saint Adalbert of Prague. He was given the baptismal name Stephen (István) in honour of the original early Christian Saint Stephen.
When Stephen reached adolescence, Great Prince Géza convened an assembly where they decided that Stephen would follow his father as the monarch of the Magyars. Nevertheless, this decision contradicted the Magyar tribal custom that gave preference to the eldest member of the ruling family to the deceased ruler's son.
Stephen married Giselle of Bavaria, the daughter of Henry II the Wrangler and Gisela of Burgundy in or after 995. By this marriage, he became the brother-in-law of the future Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor. Giselle arrived to her husband's court accompanied by German knights.

Ruling prince of the Magyars

In 997, his father died and a succession struggle ensued. Stephen claimed to rule the Magyars as the deceased monarch's son, while his relative Koppány, a powerful pagan chieftain in Somogy, claimed the traditional right of seniority. Eventually, the two met in battle near Veszprém and Stephen was victorious, primarily thanks to his German retinue lead by the brothers Pázmány and Hont. The nearly contemporary deed of foundation of the Abbey of Pannonhalma clearly described the battle as a struggle between the Germans and the Magyars. Thus, Stephen strengthened his power in Transdanubia, but several parts of Hungary still didn't accept his rule.
According to Hungarian tradition Pope Silvester II, with the consent of Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor, sent a magnificent jeweled gold crown to Stephen along with an apostolic cross and a letter of blessing officially recognizing Stephen as the Christian king of Hungary. The date of this coronation is variously given as Christmas Day, 1000 or 1 January 1001.

First king of Hungary

After (or just before) his coronation Stephen I founded several dioceses, ie, the dioceses of Veszprém, Győr, Kalocsa, Vác, Bihar (Romanian: Biharea). He also established the Archdiocese of Esztergom, thus he set up an ecclesiastical organisation independent of the German archbishops. He also began to organise a territory-based administration by founding several counties (comitatus, megye) in his kingdom.
   Stephen discouraged pagan customs and strengthened Christianity with various laws. In his first decree, issued in the beginning of his rule, he ordered that each ten villages are obliged to build a church. He invited foreign priests to Hungary to evangelize his kingdom; Saint Astricus served as his advisor, and Stephen also had Saint Gerard Sagredo as the tutor for his son Imre.
   Around 1003, he invaded and occupied Transylvania, a territory ruled by his maternal uncle, Gyula, a semi-independent chieftain; and after his victory, he organised the Diocese of Transylvania. In the next few years he also occupied the lands of the Black Magyars in the Southern part of Transdanubia, and organised there the Diocese of Pécs. Shortly afterwards, he probably made an agreement with Samuel Aba, the chieftain of the Kabar tribes settled in the Mátra region, who married Stephen's sister; in his brother-in-law's domains, Stephen founded the Diocese of Eger.
   Finally, Stephen occupied the domains of Ajtony, a semi-pagan chieftain, who had been ruling over the territories of the later Banat, where he set up the Diocese of Csanád.

External politics

In his external politics Stephen I allied himself with his brother-in-law, the Emperor Henry II against Prince Boleslaw I of Poland, who had extended his rule over the territories between the Morava and Vág Rivers. He sent troops to the Emperor's army, and in the Peace of Bautzen, in 1018, the Polish prince had to hand over the occupied territories to Stephen.
Shortly afterwards, Stephen sent troops to help Boleslaw I in his campaign against the Kievan Rus'. In 1018, Stephen lead his armies against Bulgaria, in alliance with the Byzantine Emperor Basil II, and collected several relics during his campaign.
After the death of Henry II (July 3, 1024), Stephen broke with the German alliance, because the new Holy Roman Emperor, Conrad II claimed the supremacy over the kingdom of Hungary, while Stephen demanded the duchy of Bavaria for his son Emeric who was the nearest relative of the deceased Emperor Henry II (who himself had been the last male descendant of the old dukes of Bavaria). In 1027, Stephen had Bishop Werner of Strasbourg, the envoy sent by Conrad II to the Byzantine Empire, arrested at the frontier. In 1030, the Emperor lead his armies against Hungary, but Stephen's troops enforced their retreat. Stephen and the Emperor Conrad II concluded peace in 1031, and the territories between the Leitha (Hungarian:(Lajta)) and Fischa Rivers were ceded to Hungary.

His last years

Stephen intended to retire to a life of holy contemplation and hand the kingdom over to his son Emeric, but Emeric was wounded in a hunting accident and died in 1031. In Stephen's words of mourning:

By God's secret decision death took him, so that wickedness wouldn't change his soul and false imaginations wouldn't deceive his mind – as the Book of Wisdom teaches about early death.

His legacy

The Hungarian Sacred Crown is closely devoted to King Stephen. According to Hartwick's legend Pope Silvester II sent a crown to Stephen, however, it isn't true as the legend can't be recognised as authentic source, and also, there are no evidence found in Vatican City. The date of his coronation is unknown, it's variously given as Christmas Day, 1000 or 1 January 1001. During this coronation, he dedicated the crown to the Holy Virgin, thereby sealing a contract between God and the crown (which is therefore considered a "holy" crown). This contract is also the base for the Doctrine of the Holy Crown, and the base of Apostolic Kingdom of Hungary.
Stephen intended to retire to a life of holy contemplation and hand the kingdom over to his son Imre, but Imre was wounded in a hunting accident and died in 1031. In Stephen's words of mourning:

By God's secret decision death took him, so that wickedness wouldn't change his soul and false imaginations wouldn't deceive his mind – as the Book of Wisdom teaches about early death.

Stephen mourned for a very long time over the loss of his son, which took a great toll on his health. He eventually recovered, but never regained his original vitality. Having no children left, he couldn't find anyone among his remaining relatives who was able to rule the country competently and willing to maintain the Christian faith of the nation. Unable to choose an heir, King Stephen died on the Feast of the Assumption in 1038 at Székesfehérvár, where he was buried. His nobles and his subjects were said to have mourned for three straight years afterwards.
Following Stephen's death, his nephew Peter Urseolo (his appointed heir) and brother-in-law Samuel Aba contended for the crown. Nine years of instability followed until Stephen's cousin Andrew I was crowned King of Hungary, re-establishing the Árpád dynasty in 1047. Hungarian historiography saw Peter and Samuel as members of the Árpád dynasty, and both are counted among the Árpád kings. Shortly after Stephen's death, healing miracles were said to have occurred at his tomb. Stephen was canonized by Pope Gregory VII as Saint Stephen of Hungary in 1083, along with his son, Saint Imre and Bishop Gerhard (Hungarian: Szent Gellért). Thus Saint Stephen became the first of the canonized confessor kings, a new prototype of saints.
   Catholics venerate him as the patron saint of Hungary, kings, the death of children, masons, stonecutters, and bricklayers. His feast day wasn't included in the Tridentine Calendar. It was added in 1631 to the Roman Calendar as a commemoration in the feast of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. In 1687 it was moved to 2 September. In the 1969 revision of the calendar, 16 August became free from other celebrations and the feast of Saint Stephen of Hungary was moved to that date, the day immediately after that of his death. However, in Hungary the feast is observed on August 20, the day on which his sacred relics were transferred to the city of Buda. This day is a public holiday in Hungary.
   The king's right hand, known as "The Holy Right", is kept as a relic. His body was mummified after his death, but the tomb was opened and his hand was separated some years later. Except for this, only some bone fragments remained (which are kept in churches throughout Hungary). Catholics honour the first king of their country on annual processions, where the Holy Right is exhibited.
   The canonization of Saint Stephen was recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople in 2000.
   The Holy Crown, popularly attributed to St. Stephen, was removed from the country in 1945 for safekeeping, and entrusted to the United States government. It was kept in a vault at Fort Knox until 1978, when it was returned to the nation by order of U.S. President Jimmy Carter. It has been enshrined in the Hungarian Parliament building in Budapest since 2000.

Quote

� My beloved son, delight of my heart, hope of your posterity, I pray, I command, that at every time and in everything, strengthened by your devotion to me, you may show favor not only to relations and kin, or to the most eminent, be they leaders or rich men or neighbors or fellow countrymen, but also to foreigners and to all who come to you. By fulfilling your duty in this way you'll reach the highest state of happiness. Be merciful to all who are suffering violence, keeping always in your heart the example of the Lord who said, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." Be patient with everyone, not only with the powerful, but also with the weak.

� Finally be strong lest prosperity lift you up too much or adversity cast you down. Be humble in this life, that God may raise you up in the next. Be truly moderate and don't punish or condemn anyone immoderately. Be gentle so that you may never oppose justice. Be honorable so that you may never voluntarily bring disgrace upon anyone. Be chaste so that you may avoid all the foulness of lust like the pangs of death.

� All these virtues I've noted above make up the royal crown, and without them no one is fit to rule here on earth or attain to the heavenly kingdom.

--Excerpt from Saint Stephen's admonitions to his son Imre.

Artistic representation

King Stephen of Hungary has been a popular theme in art, especially from the 19th century on, with its development of nationalism. Paintings such as The Baptism of Vajk (1875) by Gyula Benczúr and many statues representing the king all over Hungary testify to Stephen's importance in Hungarian national thought.
The best known representations of St. Stephen in music are Ludwig van Beethoven's King Stephen Overture, and the 1983 rock opera István, a király (Stephen, the King) by Levente Szörényi and János Bródy. Szörényi's Veled, Uram! (With You, Lord! - 2000) was a sequel to István, a király.

Further Information

Get more info on 'Stephen Of Hungary'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:

<a href="http://stephen_i_of_hungary.totallyexplained.com">Stephen I of Hungary Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.