To this day, huge legends surround the Hunyadi family and its members, known from Hungarian history, and they include stories that seem unbelievable, which shade the reality much more, but it would still be important to know the facts. In this video, you can get to know the Hunyadi family and its members. Stick with me! The Hunyadi family is often mentioned in specialist literature as the Hunyadi family and as the Hunyadi house. The family was originally a Hungarian aristocratic family from Havasalföld and had a decisive economic, territorial and political influence in the medieval Kingdom of Hungary . In 2021, the Hungarian Research Institute took samples from the remains of the illegitimate son of King Matthias I of Hungary, János Corvin, and his grandson, Kristóf , in order to determine their genetic makeup. The results were compared with the samples of the remains of Mátyás Hunyadi, and it was established beyond doubt that Mátyás I was buried in Székesfehérvár, as well as that János Corvin was really his son and Kristóf his grandson. Based on the results obtained during the genetic identification test, the then director general of the Hungarian Research Institute, Gábor Horváth-Lugossy , and the deputy director, Tamás László Vizy, historian Tamás Hidán, and archegeneticist Endre Neparáczky stated in the media that the ancient-Carpathian basin of Hunyadi genetics, that is, János Hunyadi, is clearly of Hungarian origin. In the text of the research, it is stated that the genetics of the family shows an identity with ancient Hungarian Neolithic and Copper Age samples. In this description, Neolithic cultures that were discovered in the territory of today's Hungary and may have originated between the 7th and 4th millennium BC are listed. However, these cultures have nothing to do with Hungarians. It is a general truth that there is no connection between the origin of the culture and the origin of the user of the culture. The fact that these cultures were discovered in the territory of today's Hungary, and the Hunyadi genetics comes from the practitioners of these cultures, does not prove that they were Hungarians, in fact, quite the opposite. The scientific result was also published in the internationally recognized journal Hellyon , but there it is only stated in the conclusion that based on the remains of János Corvin and Kristóf Corvin , it was identified that the remains of Mátyás Hunyadi were really buried in Székesfehérvár. They did not make a statement confirming Hungarian origin, but instead stated that the genetics of the Hunyadi family is the same as the genetics of today's Southern European, Eastern European, Steppe peoples and the inhabitants of the Carpathian Basin, but the samples examined at the individual level can be identified with the genetics of Russians, Croatians, Romanians, and only to a small extent Hungarians in terms of origin. Historian András Kubinyi deduced, based on the language and name usage of the contemporary sources, that the Hunyadi family is of Romanian origin. This is indicated by the fact that the Turkish beater János Hunyadi, for example, was often called János Oláh Hunyadi in contemporary sources, as well as the ``White Knight of Wallachia''. The investigation of the origin of his father, Vajk, is questionable if only because we have much less written sources about him, and we have no information about his origin or his social affiliation. According to the findings of history professor Pál Engel, the origin of the family can be linked to the name of Vajk Hunyadi, who moved from Havasalföld to the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary at the beginning of the 15th century, where he received his title, rank, estates and the family's later home, Hunyadvára, from the Hungarian king, and this is where he got the name Hunyad. According to the Romanian (Transylvanian) historian Rado Lupescu, the family may have been of boyar origin, and most probably related to the Basarab princely dynasty of Havasalföld. At the same time, it is known about the Basarabs that they are of Kun origin, but this has given rise to a theory that the Hunyadi family is of Kun origin, or at least may have Kun ancestors, since many of the Romanians in the Havasalföld leadership had Kun ancestors. Vajk Hunyadi's name was also recorded as "Vojk". His first name has an ancient Turkish etymological origin, which is why the researchers dare to assume that the Turkish beater's father could have been a Kun. The fact that Mátyás Hunyadi, as king of Hungary, surrounded himself with historians in his court to write various stories about him, especially about his origins, goes quite strongly against today's historical findings. According to historians, it comes from ancient Roman patrician ancestry, which is also taken over by modern historians. According to another, unprovable historical anecdote, the Hunyadi family is a noble family descended from the illegitimate son of Sigismund of Luxemburg. What is certain, however, is that starting with János Hunyadi, all members of the family declared themselves Hungarian. The coat of arms of the family, the black raven with a ring in its beak, again points to an interesting origin. The Romanian sources recorded that Hunyadi Vajk had an estate, "Holló's Stone", and this is where the family's coat of arms may come from, because it is stated in the donation letter of the Hungarian King László V that the Hunyadi family had already used the coat of arms as a previous donation, meaning that Vajk Hunyadi had already used the symbol of the black raven. Well, let's get to know the members of the Hunyadi family. Hunyadi Vajk. What is known about Vajk is that his father was called Serbe or Sorbe, and before taking the name Hunyadi, he was referred to as "Serbe's son, Vajk". At times, his name was recorded as "Vojk". He was born in Havasalföld, according to historians János Thuróczi and Gáspár Heltai. He served as a soldier in the court of King Sigismund of Luxembourg . In exchange for his service here, Zsigmon was able to receive Hunyad as an estate as a donation, and he was also raised to the rank of noble, thus he was given the name Hunyadi. His wife was Erzsébet Morzsinai, with whom he had several children. János Hunyadi the elder, János Hunyadi the younger, Vajk, about whom we know nothing, an unnamed girl who became the wife of János Szentgyörgy Székely, and Klára Hunyadi, who became the wife of György Pongrác Dengelegi. Vajk Hunyadi served as a court knight until the end of his life. He may have died before 1419. János Hunyadi Sr. Vajk's eldest son, János Hunyadi, known as the ``beater of the Turks'', may have been born between 1405 and 1407. At a young age, he became a soldier under the banner of Filippo Scolari, i.e. Pipó Ozorai, fought on the side of the Serbian despot István Lazarevics, later he joined the service of György Csákvári and Demeter Csupor, but he also served as a soldier under several warlords of Sigismund Luxemburg. In 1429, according to other sources, he married Erzsébet Szilágyi from Bodrog county around 1430. Hunyadi was already able to use his military and strategic skills in the royal escort of Sigismund of Luxemburg, when he accompanied the monarch to Italy between 1431 and 1433. During these few years he lived in Milan at the court of Filippo Maria Visconti . From 1433, he became Sigismund's court knight, and he accompanied the Hungarian king to the territory of the Czech Kingdom from 1434, and participated in the Hussite Wars. He became a member of the royal council, and in 1439 together with his younger brother, János Hunyadi Jr., he received the title of Szörényi Bán from King Albert I of Hungary, thus becoming one of the greatest ensigns of the country. After the death of Albert I, he campaigned for the election of Ulászló I as Hungarian king, which the new ruler thanked him for. In 1441, he became voivode of Transylvania, Ispán of Temes, and captain-in-chief of Nándorfehérvár castle. He was tasked with protecting the southern border of the Kingdom of Hungary against the Turks, with the many positions that came with it . Along with his merits, he acquired large land holdings that no one in the country could have before. He used his political influence and the military force entrusted to him for the campaign against the Turks. During the long campaign of 1443, he took part in many battles and won victories over the Turks, which is how he got the name "Torökverő" predator. In the battle of Várna in 1444, however, the Hungarians suffered a heavy defeat, Ulászló I was also killed in the battle. II. Vlad Dracul, Prince of Havasalföld, imprisoned János and released the general only when the paladin threatened him. In 1446, the Diet of the Order elected János Hunyadi as governor, while King László V of Hungary came of age, and of course he was freed from the captivity of the German-Roman Emperor, thus János Hunyadi became the guardian replacing the king at the head of the country. In 1448, he received the title of duke, but he never used this title and did not live with it. After the defeat at Rigómez , he was captured by the Serbian despot György Brankovics , but he was released from there by the national council after a ransom was paid for him. In 1453, he resigned from the position of governor, acknowledging that László V was of age, and in 1454 he attempted to organize a large army to expel the Turks, but he did not receive enough supporters. In 1456, the Turks besieged Nándorfehérvár, the center of the southern Végvár system. With the help of János Hunyadi and János Kapistzrán, he led the Hungarian army to victory against multiple Turkish forces , but the Turkish beater died as a result of the plague that broke out after the battle. János Hunyadi Jr. János Hunyadi Jr. was the younger son of Vajk Hunyadi, who was also christened János after his brother. He may have been born around 1419, and in 1439 he was only 20 years old at the Szörény Iban. He took an active part in his brother's early campaigns against the Turks. He died in a battle in 1440, according to other sources, in 1441. He was buried in Gyulafehérvár, and according to a surviving anecdote, his brother believed that he was the bravest of the brave. He was laid to rest in the Gyulafehérvár Archbishop's Cathedral, and his tomb remains there to this day. László Hunyadi. László Hunyadi, the eldest son of János Hunyadi Sr., was born in 1431. He accompanied his father on his campaigns against the Turks at a very young age. In 1448, he was taken hostage in the second Battle of the Field of Thrush, and the Serbian despot György Brankovics wanted to exchange him for the Hungarian governor. In 1452, he was a member of the delegation that wanted to free the Hungarian king László V from the city of Vienna. In 1453 he became a Croatian-Dalmatian ban, count of Bratislava, ispan of Temes, but in 1455 he renounced all his dignities at the Diet of Buda, under the pressure of Cillei Ulrik, who consciously organized himself to the detriment of the financial and political influence of the Hunyadi family . After his father's death, Cillei accused him, as the new head of the family, that the Turk beater had accumulated a huge debt for his anti-Turkish campaigns, which László Hunyadi must now pay. László was accused primarily because he did not want to give up the lands and family property earned by his father in favor of the king . He cleared himself of the charges at the Futak parliament in 1456, and then became the commander of Nándorfehérvár at the request of the Hungarian king László V. As it turned out, Ulrik Cillei organized a conspiracy against László Hunyadi, which, after being foiled, László's men killed Ulrik under unclear circumstances. Hungarian King László V swore that László Hunyadi would enjoy impunity, and then invited him and his younger brother Mátyás to Buda. However, in Buda, László and his brother were captured due to the intrigues of the Hungarian king, and they were accused of organizing a conspiracy against the king, with which he angered the mother of the Hunyadi brothers, Erzsébet Szilágyi, and his uncle Mihály Szilágyi, who initiated a civil war on their side with the lords and mercenary soldiers committed to the Hunyadi family. Ignoring legal formalities, the royal council sentenced László to capital loss for murdering Cillei Ulrik and for betraying the Hungarian king. It was completed in 1457 on Szent György Square in Buda Castle. Mátyás Hunyadi. The second son of János Hunyadi the Elder, Mátyás, was born in 1443, in Cluj-Napoca in 1457. The Hungarian king László V captured him together with his brother, and after the execution of László Hunyadi, he took Mátyás V. László with him to Prague, fearing the Hunyadi party lords. With the unexpected death of the Hungarian king, however, the Hungarian orders held a parliament to elect a king in Buda in February 1458, where Mátyás's uncle, Mihály Szilágyi, arrived with an army of 10,000 people and succeeded in electing Mátyás Hunyadi, as a candidate from a noble family, to be the next ruler of the Hungarian kingdom . He returned from Prague and began his reign as Mátyás I, but was not crowned until 1464. beer. II. Under the pressure of Pope Paul, Matthias I organized a crusade against the Czech Hussites. In 1469, he was elected king of Bohemia by the Moravian Catholic orders. He also ruled Silesia and Lusatia, but at the same time, the majority of the population considered his opponent, György Podjebrád, to be the true lord of the region and the Czech king, and after 1471 II. Ulaszlo. Matthias occupied Lower Austria and Styria between 1480 and 1487 and strengthened the defense of the southern border. Posterity often called him the "righteous" Matthias, but the Italian historians in his court only embellished his story. As a talented ruler, however, he was not consistent. He did not spend a good part of the collected taxes on what he promised, he was not a reliable person, he had a fiery nature and sudden anger. If someone's behavior was not to his liking , he was inclined to take revenge. After the death of his first wife, Katalin Podjebrád, and his unborn son, the issue of succession to the throne became important to him, and after his second wife, Beatrix of Aragon , was found to be barren, he succeeded in securing the declaration of his son, János Corvin, who was born out of wedlock, as heir to the throne through conceptual procedures and intimidation . Mátyás died in 1490. John Corvin. He was the son of King Matthias born out of wedlock, born to a bourgeois girl named Borbála Edelpeck in 1473. He got his last name after the animal of the Hunyadi coat of arms, the Latin name for the raven, ``corvinus'', while he inherited his first name in memory of his grandfather. János received the title of Count of Lipto from his father and received several land holdings in order to legally recognize his son as his heir. With the death of his father, the Pope dissolved his first marriage because the Milanese court no longer considered it advantageous for his wife, Maria Sforza Bianka. János Corvin's second wife was Beatrix Frangepán, whom he married in 1496, and they had a daughter and two sons. He was a Croatian-Slavonic ban, a Bosnian king, and a Hungarian claimant to the throne, who in the end never became a Hungarian king, despite his best efforts. He settled in the southwestern tip of the country, and the new family center became Bihács. Corvin died in 1504. Elizabeth Corvin. Erzsébet Corvin was born in 1496 as the eldest child of János Corvin in Bihác. In the era, she was also often called Erzsébet Hunyadi. He was named after his paternal great-grandmother, Erzsébet Szilágyi. She made a promise that if she did not have a son, Erzsébet would inherit all the Hunyadi estates in her name. In 1505, Erzsébet was engaged to György Szapolyai, who, according to the marriage agreement , could have acquired the Hunyadi estates through his future wife . The betrothal was broken off by Erzsébet's mother after II. Hungarian King Ulászló made her and Erzsébet heirs in a deed of donation, and in 1507 he betrothed his daughter to Mihály Pálóczi, but Erzsébet Corvin died shortly after the engagement in 1508. The family fortune was eventually inherited by his mother, Beatrix Frangepán. Kristóf Corvin. Kristóf Corvin was often referred to as Kristóf Hunyadi. He may have been born in Bihács before 1499, and was given his first name after his uncle, Kristóf Frangepán. In 1504, after his father János Corvin died, Kristóf became the head of the family and declared that if he died without a male heir , the Hunyadi property would belong to his sister. After his father, he inherited the titles of duke of Lipto and count of Hunyad. He died in 1505. Finally, the family property II. Ulaszlo on the basis of his donation letter, it was inherited by his sister, Erzsébet, and the mother who took care of him, Beatrix Frangepán. The grieving mother soon married György of Brandenburg, who acquired the Hunyadi estates and the remaining wealth through the marriage. Contemporaries assumed that Kristóf Corvin had been poisoned due to this question of inheritance, but this did not happen. Matthias Corvin. Mátyás Corvin was often called Mátyás Hunyadi after his grandfather, but it was not by chance that historians called him Mátyás Utószülöt. He was born in 1504, the year of his father János Corvin's death. but he died in 1505 before the death of his brother Kristóf. He was Duke of Lipto and Count of Hunyad, just like his brother. 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