Have you ever wondered what the weather was like before or during major historical events? We now have an idea of the conditions in which the participants of the Battle of Mohács had to fight. Historical records suggest that the weather was particularly wet in the days leading up to the battle 500 years ago.
No official measurements, but historical records remain
HungaroMet told the Hungarian news agency MTI that meteorological measurements in Hungary only date back to 1870. As a result, the weather conditions surrounding the Battle of Mohács can only be reconstructed from historical records. One important source is Antal Réthly’s four-volume work Weather Events and Natural Disasters in Hungary.
Réthly, who was also involved in founding the Hungarian Meteorological Society, spent more than seven decades collecting and critically analysing historical information about weather events and natural disasters. He also sought to document their social and economic consequences.
The volumes present the records in chronological order, while also allowing readers to search for particular weather events – such as lightning, floods and heatwaves – or for specific locations and regions.
The weather records relating to the Battle of Mohács can be found in the first volume, which covers the period from the earliest records up to 1700. At HungaroMet’s request, the four-volume work was digitised by the Library and Information Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA KIK). The volumes are available in the MTA KIK’s digital collection.
Muddy, impassable roads and heavy rain
In his work, Réthly wrote that “mud and roads that were without proper routes were truly a natural disaster for Hungary”, as roads were “completely impassable” in some years, probably on many occasions.
As an example, he noted that Ottoman chroniclers accompanying Sultan Suleiman I had also recorded the significant role played by the deep mud created during periods of particularly heavy rainfall.
“For example, between 14 and 17 August 1526 – 12 days before the disaster at Mohács – the Ottoman army crossed the Drava, but because the roads had been damaged by continuous rainfall, they did not reach Baranyavár until 26 August. It took them ten days to cover the 25–30-kilometre journey,” Réthly wrote.
According to historical records, heavy rainfall was recorded in Mohács in August and September 1526. Rain was reported along the Drava on 22 August, while on the following day it “rained continuously from morning until evening”. On 24 August, records state that “very heavy rain fell both day and night”.
Have you read this? Hungary’s most bizarre 20 August monument? Devecser unveils a winged penis, UPDATE: Hungary’s ‘winged phallus’ memorial taken down as officials offer strange explanations
An icy shower
Based on Miklós Istvánffy’s History of Hungary, Réthly also recorded a dramatic weather event from 29 August 1526.
According to the account, when King Louis II reached the Csele stream between Mohács and the village of Csele, the stream had swollen due to flooding of the Danube and an “icy shower” that poured down after the battle.
Drawing on the shorter historical works of Mihály Horváth, Réthly also recorded that on the night of 29 August, a heavy downpour gave many Hungarians an opportunity to escape. However, when King Louis II attempted to cross the rain-swollen, marshy Csele stream on horseback, his exhausted horse was unable to climb the steep bank on the opposite side. The horse fell backwards, burying the king beneath it.
On 29 August 1526, the Ottoman army inflicted a decisive defeat on the Hungarian forces at the Battle of Mohács. King Louis II also died while fleeing after the battle.
The defeat had catastrophic consequences for the Kingdom of Hungary. The country was subsequently divided into three parts, ushering in around 150 years of Ottoman rule over much of Hungary.
Living, working or doing business in Hungary?
Make things easier with professional support in English. Explore Daily News Hungary’s Services in English and find the help you need.
