The Magyars, or Hungarians as they are called, came into Europe from
Asia, and first settled between the Don and the Dneiper. They possessed
from remote antiquity a national heroic poetry, the favourite subject
of which was their migration and conquests under the Seven Leaders.
They laid claim to Attila as being of their nation, and many of their
most warlike songs recounted his deeds and those of the other Gothic
heroes. The Magyars have never taken kindly to foreign influence, and
when, in the fifteenth century, Mathias Corvin tried to bring Italian
influence to bear on them, the result was a decline in literature, and
neglect of the old poems and legends. During the Turkish invasions the
last remnants of the national songs and traditions disappeared; and
under the Austrian rule the Hungarians have become decidedly Germanized.
Within the past century Kisfalud has sought to restore the national
legends of his country, and a new impetus has been given to the
restoration and preservation of the Hungarian language and literature.