The Wonderstag

Many thousands of years ago, far to the east, lived a famous king called Nimrod.  No one before or since knew wild animals to the point that he did, nor did anyone enjoy hunting as much as he.  He would venture forth from early morning until late at night, roaming the woods and fields, and so great was his skill that he could easily shoot an arrow into a flying bird from horseback.  He had two sons, Hunor and Magyar.  Both of them had taken after their father and were avid hunter.  The old king’s eyes filled with pride when he saw them ride out on their expeditions.

One day, the two brothers decided to gather together fifty men each and go on an extended hunting trip.  They started off towards the west, riding through forests and through grasslands, following their hearts’ desire, going wherever there was good game to be found.  After they had rode for a while, they realized they had arrived in a wonderful country.  It was beautiful and filled with wild animals.  There were thick forests and endless grasslands filled with bison, stag, deer, and all sorts of animals they could hunt.  The eye could hardly take them in, there were so many animals.  There were hundreds, thousands of creatures that they could have caught without any effort at all, but they challenged themselves and one another, chasing the game down one by one.  They roamed around like this from morning until night for many days.

After a time, they saw a stag jump in front of their path.  What a stag this was!  No man’s eyes had ever seen a stag as beautiful as this one.  His antlers were woven together above his head like a wreath.  His two eyes shone black as diamonds.  He was slender and flexible, like a reed, his legs thin, and he ran so fast across the land that it barely seemed to touch the ground.

“Look, little brother,” Hunor called to Magyar.

“It’s beautiful as a miracle,” Magyar replied.  “I have never seen a creature equal to him.”

“After him!”

The wondrous stag ran like the swift wind, and after him galloped Hunor and Magyar, and after the two princes chased the hundred valiant youths.  They went from clearings into forests, then back to clearings, up mountains, and through valleys.  Now and then the stag disappeared, then appeared again further on.  He teased Hunor and Magyar, as if asking them to follow him.  The horses were drained, foaming at the mouth, and their pace got slower and slower, but Hunor and Magyar didn’t stop the chase.  They wanted to catch the wonderstag alive.  But it was all to no avail.  The sun set and dusk fell, and the beautiful stag disappeared for good in a strand of reeds.  They couldn’t follow him there.

But while they didn’t catch the stag, he had let them to such a beautiful country that no one had ever seen before a land to rival it.  Hunor, Magyar, and the hundred men  found themselves on a beautiful island, with forests and rivers all around it.  The lush grass reached their waists, and scented flowers lined their paths.  There were large, shady trees offering all sorts of fruits ripe for the taking, and shade for the hot parts of the day.  The waters were filled with fish both large and small by the thousands; they shimmered as they played in the sun’s rays that glinted off the waves. 

“I wish I could stay here forever,” said Hunor with a filled heart.  “What about you, Magyar?”

“Me too, elder brother, me too!” Magyar agreed.

And they went further, explored the island, and wandered around to their great contentment.  Their hearts and souls were filled with the beauty of the land.  They were only surprised that no matter how many days they spent on the island, they didn’t find anyone besides their own men.  Just when they were starting to get bothered by this idea, they stopped in their tracks.  Their eyes and mouths were stopped from surprise.  What did they see?  There was a great multitude of maidens, one more beautiful than the other, holding hands and dancing in circles around a spring bursting from the ground.  In their center were two beautiful girls, both so beautiful that it was easier to look at the sun’s glory than to look at their faces.

Hunor and Magyar looked at each other, and their men looked at one another as well.  They didn’t have to say anything, but they all knew they had the same idea.  They surrounded the maidens and each took one onto their horses with them.   Hunor and Magyar caught the beautiful girls in the center of the circle.  Then they all galloped off, faster than the wind.  When they reached their tents, the men gently lifted the girls from the backs of the horses and took them into the tents.  The girls were shaking with fright, but Hunor and Magyar were so gentle with them and spoke so nicely to them, reassured them that they would come to no harm, that slowly they grew to trust them.  They gathered their courage and came to realize that they didn’t mind that they had been stolen off by the handsome men.  When they finally understood one another’s words, they came to realize that the girls were the daughters of a chieftain, Dul.  Hunor and Magyar were happy that they were of high ranking, and they in turn were happy that they had been taken by the sons of the king Nimrod.

That very night they held a large wedding banquet for the two couples, and also for their hundred followers and the maidens they had chosen.  God blessed them and they had many children together, and their children had many children, and theirs as well, and they became two nations, the huns and the magyars.  There were so many of them eventually that the beautiful island country was not large enough to hold Hunor and Magyar’s descendants.  They had to venture forth once again, to find a new home that was larger and held them all.  And there are many legends that tell of how they did just that.