Hungarian Hussar Coat

“100 Days of Jókai Mór” February 1- April 30, 2025

Still researching King Matthias and his father Hunyadi János!!! The history of Europe at the time of the Turkish conquests of the 15th and 16th centuries is bewilderingly violent and complex… The swift and highly maneuverable cavalry called hussars originated in this time period from Serbia to Poland - all front-line countries during the expansion of the Ottoman Turkish Empire north of today’s Budapest. The Hungarian hussars became legendary for their short braided coats, also called a dolman or a pelisse, sometimes worn over the arm and shoulder to guard the rider from saber cuts during high-speed head on collisions with adversaries. The cross braiding was often quite tight and made of silver or gold thread - which served as body armor. Over the centuries the jacket evolved into Hungary’s national attire - worn by both peasants and aristocrats. ALL the Hungarian patriots who participated in the Revolution of 1848 wore these jackets!!! In preparation to our Hungarian celebration, I ordered a Hungarian hussar jacket for myself - looking forward to wearing it during our Zooms at the end of the novels!!! Tomorrow will post examples of historical Hungarian short coats for both men and women from Budapest’s National Museum!!! Stylish does not begin to describe these!!!