Pages

Friday, December 2, 2011

Szekler cavalry

The Szekely were a semi-nomadic people who played a key role in the defense of the Kingdom of Hungary against the Ottoman Empire.  As a subgroup of Hungarian people, they believed they were descendants of the Huns. Their lands were outside of traditional Hungarian law and their only obligation to the Crown was to supply troops for military service. The Szeklers were regarded as some of the finest horsemen in Hungary.
 
Szekler cavalry are rated in the Field of Glory rules as superior and armed with bow and sword. In my Later Hungarian army, they can go toe to toe with the best cavalry in the Sultan's army.  I don't want to put too much pressure on these boys but I expect great things from them on the tabletop!

And just to change things up a bit, here's a shot of them in the early stages. 

3 comments:

  1. Nice. I´ve never heard of this lot before...anither group to add to my medievals to do list :-D
    Cheers
    paul

    ReplyDelete
  2. lol. You were using medieval spelling!

    Someone asked on TMP if you can learn about history via our hobby and this is a perfect example. I knew nothing about Medieval Hungary until I started reading and researching the period and people. I find it fascinating that the Szekely lived within the kingdom but not the laws of the Crown. As long as they provided troops, everyone was happy. I do wonder what happened to them once Hungary fell to the Ottomans. I'll have to see what I can find on this subject.

    ReplyDelete