Do we have misconceptions about one of the biggest Hungarian battles?

The Battle of Mohács in 1526 could have actually been fought on September 8 instead of August 29 as it was previously believed, said Norbert Pap, the Historical Geography professor at the University of Pécs, who is the leading researcher of the Suleiman Tomb complex near Szigetvár.

Norbert Pap, the leader of the research group which also examined the site of the Battle of Mohács, said to Origo that August 29, 1526, is one of the best-known dates in Hungarian history. The memory of the battle of Mohács was intertwined with the day of the beheading of St. John the Baptist and thus became the day of mourning for the Hungarian nation that lost its king and leaders.

“With this, August 29 became sacred. Symbols were built on it: the 200-year anniversary memorial site of the battle, the Battlefield Memorial Chapel (Csatatéri Emlékkápolna), was dedicated to St. John the Baptist,” Norbert Pap explained.

However, if we convert the time of written sources dated according to the Julian calendar used during the battle to the Gregorian calendar, the anniversary would be September 8, not August 29, he said.

But according to his explanation, the chronological location of the Battle of Mohács is determined by tradition. When telling the historical events of the 15-16th centuries, each important event – be it a Muslim, Christian, or Jewish calendar – is depicted as one of its holy days. However, sometimes calendars had to be reformed to remain usable for everyday life and religious practice, and also to be able to adapt to astronomical phenomena.

This is also what happened in 1582 when, under the papacy of Gregory XIII, the 10-day slip to the spring point of the Julian calendar, which was used in the contemporary Christian world, was corrected. This was later remedied, among other things, by omitting 10 days following October 4, so the next day became October 15, instead of October 5. The reform was successful, the calendar was corrected, and the spring solstice, as well as other important astronomical events, were coordinated with it. The calculation of important religious holidays and the planning and organisation of agriculture have also become much more straightforward.

The researcher noted, however, that tradition is unreformable. Within a single year, holidays are followed by other holidays, and each has its own religious significance and symbolic meaning, as well as historical connotation. After a while, the calendar reforms carried out to organise the agricultural works have separated the sacral and secular (accurately measured) time.

But what does it imply for Mohács? Norbert Pap emphasised that if we changed the day of remembrance, it would completely disrupt the memory of Mohács, which has a 500-year-old nation-building tradition. According to today’s Catholic calendar, September 8 is the Nativity of Mary and does not have any significance related to the Battle of Mohács.