A History of Central Eastern Europe

RIGHT:
The Crown is representative of the
“HOLY CROWN OF HUNGARY.”
LEFT:
The ÁRPÁD stripes:
The 3 green hills
The 7 junctions of represent the 3
the red & white
main mountains
bands represent the,
of historic Hungary:
7 Magyar tribes TÁTRA, FÁTRA & MÁTRA.
that arrived in 896:
Since 1920, only
the Magyar, Nyék,
the last of these
Kari, Kasi, Tarján-
has remained within the
Tarxán, Jenü and
borders of the
the Kurt-Gyarmat.
REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY.
The resulting 4
The double-cross
white bands
emerging from the
represent the 4 main
open crown is called the
rivers of historic
Apostolic Cross and
Hungary: the
may have more than
DUNA, TISZA,
one origin.
DRÁVA & SZÁVA.
COLORS: The colors of the Arms were adapted to
the Hungarian national flag: red, white and green.
All design elements of the Coat-of-Arms of the REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY can be found in
earlier designs representing the various entities that collect under the umbrella of
“Hungary” starting with the MAGYAR KIRÁLYSÁG in 1000 C.E. and even earlier.
The HOLY CROWN OF HUNGARY is commonly known as the CROWN OF SAINT STEVEN.
The “Apostolic Cross,” is so-named as it represents the cross allegedly given to the first
king of Hungary, ISTVÁN ÁRPÁD, by POPE SYLVESTER II (and here I thought he only got
crowned by Sylvester), hence the formal title: "N. Dei gratia apostolic king of Hungary"
or “Apostolic King of Hungary.” The cross is also called the “Anapostolic Cross” and the
“Lorraine Cross.” In Hungarian heraldry the first known use of this cross came in 1189
when it appeared on the shield of Bela III ÁRPÁD, KING OF HUNGARY while an enamel
plate found on the Holy Crown, dates to about 1075 and depicts GÉZA I ÁRPÁD holding
the Apostolic Cross. The cross’ design has been standardized since the 16 th century.
Predating the arrival of the 7 Magyar tribes was the arrival of the Byzantine Catholic
SAINTS CONSTANTINE and METHODIUS in 862. They introduced a double cross to the
GREAT MORAVIAN KINGDOM, the ancestor of the SLOVAK REPUBLIC.
The dominant belief is that both incidents could be true with an emphasis on the fact that
acceptance of one story does not preclude acceptance of the second in any manner.
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