Vatha pagan rising
Encyclopedia
The Vata pagan uprising was a Hungarian
rebellion which in 1046 brought about the overthrow of King Peter Urseolo, the martyr
dom of St. Gellért
and the reinstatement of the Árpád dynasty on the Hungarian throne.
had been introduced in Hungary by the King Stephen I of Hungary. Upon his death in 1038, he was succeeded by his sororal nephew Peter Urseolo, a Venetian
noble. Through tax increases, and Urseolo's involvement with foreign powers, he proved an unpopular ruler. The Hungarian peasants, still largely pagan
, suspected he was intent on bringing Hungary into the fold of the Holy Roman Empire
. In a rebellion in 1041, Stephen's brother-in-law Samuel Aba took control of the throne, unseating Urseolo. Urseolo fled to Bavaria
, in exile allying himself with German king and Holy Roman Emperor Henry III
.
In the years that followed, Aba's reign weakened, likely due to opposition from the church, who disliked his catering to pagan beliefs. With support from Henry, Peter Urseolo returned to Hungary in 1044, defeating Aba at the Battle of Ménfő
. Urseolo regained the throne, but Hungary was no longer independent; it became a vassal kingdom of the Holy Roman Empire. However, his second reign would prove to be even more short-lived than his first.
, cousin of Saint Stephen. During the reign of Samuel Aba, they had fled the country in fear of their lives, Béla to Poland and András and Béla to Kiev
. In 1046, András and Béla returned to Újvár (today: Abaújvár
) in Hungary from their exile and quickly gained popular support to the throne, especially among the pagan populace, despite the fact that András was Christian (Levente had remained pagan). On their return, a rebellion began, which András and Levente initially supported.
During this rebellion, a pagan noble named Vatha (or Vata) gained power over a group of rebels who wished to abolish Christian rule and revert to paganism. According to legend Vatha shaved his head in the pagan fashion, leaving three braids remaining, and declared war on the Christians. A slaughter of priests and Christians by Vatha's mob ensued.
King Peter is said to have fled towards Székesfehérvár
, where he was killed by the rebellious townspeople, and András, as the oldest brother, pronounced himself king. As András and Levente's men moved towards Pest
, the bishops Gellért
(Ital. Gerard), Besztrik
(Hung. Beszteréd, Slovak Bystrík) Buldi (Hung. Bőd) and Beneta gathered to greet them.
In Pest, on September 24, the bishops were attacked by Vatha's mob, who began stoning
the bishops. Buldi was stoned to death. As the pagans threw rocks at him, Gellért repeatedly made the sign of the cross
, which further infuriated the pagans. Gellért was taken up Kelenhegy hill, where he was put into a cart and pushed off a cliff, onto the banks of the Danube
. Besztrik and Beneta managed to flee across the river, where Besztrik was injured by pagans before they could be rescued by András and Levente. Only Beneta survived.
Gellért was later canonized
for his martyrdom and the hill from which he had been thrown was renamed Gellért Hill
. Now in central Budapest
, the hill has a monument on the cliff where Gellért, now a patron saint of Hungary, was killed.
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
rebellion which in 1046 brought about the overthrow of King Peter Urseolo, the martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
dom of St. Gellért
Gerard Sagredo
Saint Gerard Sagredo , also called Gerhard or Gellert, was an Italian bishop from Venice who operated in the Kingdom of Hungary , and educated Saint Emeric of Hungary, the son of Saint Stephen of Hungary). He played a major role in converting Hungary to Christianity...
and the reinstatement of the Árpád dynasty on the Hungarian throne.
Background
ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
had been introduced in Hungary by the King Stephen I of Hungary. Upon his death in 1038, he was succeeded by his sororal nephew Peter Urseolo, a Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
noble. Through tax increases, and Urseolo's involvement with foreign powers, he proved an unpopular ruler. The Hungarian peasants, still largely pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
, suspected he was intent on bringing Hungary into the fold of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. In a rebellion in 1041, Stephen's brother-in-law Samuel Aba took control of the throne, unseating Urseolo. Urseolo fled to Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, in exile allying himself with German king and Holy Roman Emperor Henry III
Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
.
In the years that followed, Aba's reign weakened, likely due to opposition from the church, who disliked his catering to pagan beliefs. With support from Henry, Peter Urseolo returned to Hungary in 1044, defeating Aba at the Battle of Ménfő
Battle of Ménfo
The Battle of Ménfő was an important battle in the early history of the Kingdom of Hungary. Fought in 1044 at Ménfő, near Győr, between an army of mostly Germans and Hungarians , it was a victory for the Germans and thus for Westernising influences in Hungary.The Emperor Henry III invaded Hungary...
. Urseolo regained the throne, but Hungary was no longer independent; it became a vassal kingdom of the Holy Roman Empire. However, his second reign would prove to be even more short-lived than his first.
Rebellion
András (Andrew), Béla and Levente were the sons of VazulVazul
Vazul was a Hungarian noble of the Árpád family, Duke between March and Gran or Prince of Nitra, with realm between Morava and Esztergom ....
, cousin of Saint Stephen. During the reign of Samuel Aba, they had fled the country in fear of their lives, Béla to Poland and András and Béla to Kiev
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus was a medieval polity in Eastern Europe, from the late 9th to the mid 13th century, when it disintegrated under the pressure of the Mongol invasion of 1237–1240....
. In 1046, András and Béla returned to Újvár (today: Abaújvár
Abaújvár
Abaújvár is a village in Hungary, next to the Slovakian border. It lies northeast of Miskolc.-History:In the 11th century, the village belonged to the Aba clan, one of the most important Hungarian families of the time, and was first mentioned in 1046, but presumably an earth castle stood here...
) in Hungary from their exile and quickly gained popular support to the throne, especially among the pagan populace, despite the fact that András was Christian (Levente had remained pagan). On their return, a rebellion began, which András and Levente initially supported.
During this rebellion, a pagan noble named Vatha (or Vata) gained power over a group of rebels who wished to abolish Christian rule and revert to paganism. According to legend Vatha shaved his head in the pagan fashion, leaving three braids remaining, and declared war on the Christians. A slaughter of priests and Christians by Vatha's mob ensued.
King Peter is said to have fled towards Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár is a city in central Hungary and is the 9th largest in the country. Located around southwest of Budapest. It is inhabited by 101,973 people , with 136,995 in the Székesfehérvár Subregion. The city is the centre of Fejér county and the regional centre of Central Transdanubia...
, where he was killed by the rebellious townspeople, and András, as the oldest brother, pronounced himself king. As András and Levente's men moved towards Pest
Pest (city)
Pest is the eastern, mostly flat part of Budapest, Hungary, comprising about two thirds of the city's territory. It is divided from Buda, the other part of Budapest, by the Danube River. Among its most notable parts are the Inner City, including the Hungarian Parliament, Heroes' Square and...
, the bishops Gellért
Gellert
Gellért represents three unrelated but interchangeable first names shared by several people and places:-Hungarian:The Hungarian first name "Gellért" is a variant of the English name Gerard, from the elements ger-, "spear", and -ard, "strong".* Hugo Gellert ,...
(Ital. Gerard), Besztrik
Saint Bystrík
Saint Bystrík was a martyr and the bishop of the diocese of Nitra of probably Slavic or Hungarian origin.-Bystrík's bishopric:Bystrík lived at the times when the first King of...
(Hung. Beszteréd, Slovak Bystrík) Buldi (Hung. Bőd) and Beneta gathered to greet them.
Stoning
Stoning, or lapidation, is a form of capital punishment whereby a group throws stones at a person until the person dies. No individual among the group can be identified as the one who kills the subject, yet everyone involved plainly bears some degree of moral culpability. This is in contrast to the...
the bishops. Buldi was stoned to death. As the pagans threw rocks at him, Gellért repeatedly made the sign of the cross
Sign of the cross
The Sign of the Cross , or crossing oneself, is a ritual hand motion made by members of many branches of Christianity, often accompanied by spoken or mental recitation of a trinitarian formula....
, which further infuriated the pagans. Gellért was taken up Kelenhegy hill, where he was put into a cart and pushed off a cliff, onto the banks of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
. Besztrik and Beneta managed to flee across the river, where Besztrik was injured by pagans before they could be rescued by András and Levente. Only Beneta survived.
Gellért was later canonized
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
for his martyrdom and the hill from which he had been thrown was renamed Gellért Hill
Gellért Hill
Gellért Hill is a high hill overlooking the Danube in Budapest, Hungary. It is part of the 1st and 11th Districts. Gellért Hill was named after Saint Gerard who was thrown to death from the hill. The famous Hotel Gellért and the Gellért Baths can be found in Gellért Square at the foot of the...
. Now in central Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, the hill has a monument on the cliff where Gellért, now a patron saint of Hungary, was killed.