Here they rested--
meditating, however, fresh conquests. Oh, the Magyars soon showed
themselves a mighty people. Besides Hungary and Transylvania, they
subdued Bulgaria and Bosnia, and the land of Tot, now called
Sclavonia. The generals of Zoltan, the son of Arpad, led troops of
horsemen to the banks of the Rhine. One of them, at the head of a
host, besieged Constantinople. It was then that Botond engaged in
combat with a Greek of gigantic stature, who came out of the city
and challenged the two best men in the Magyar army. 'I am the
feeblest of the Magyars,' said Botond, 'but I will kill thee;' and
he performed his word, having previously given a proof of the
feebleness of his arm by striking his battle-axe through the brazen
gate, making a hole so big that a child of five years old could
walk through it."
Myself. Of what religion were the old Hungarians?
Hungarian. They had some idea of a Supreme Being, whom they called
Isten, which word is still used by the Magyars for God; but their
chief devotion was directed to sorcerers and soothsayers, something
like the Schamans of the Siberian steppes. They were converted to
Christianity chiefly through the instrumentality of Istvan or
Stephen, called after his death St. Istvan, who ascended the throne
in the year one thousand.
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