.

Here, gathered in our beloved South Dakota, are a few members of our Williamson / Mattson Clan. Charles and Luella are to be blamed (be kind, they didn't know what they were doing). We're generally a happy bunch and somewhat intelligent (notwithstanding our tenuous grasp on reality). I'm also proud to say that most of us still have our teeth.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Atilla the Hun. Our 48th Great Grandfather. It Explains a Great Deal.

Grandpa Atilla

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
I sensed at an early age we had barbarian blood flowing through our veins. I remember my eight brothers and sisters and I used to watch the National Geographic Specials on television. We cheered for the lions as they hunted the gazelles. We knew even back then that it was all about the survival of the fittest. We were fascinated when the animal was brought down and consumed by the pride. Our eyes glazed over and drool wet the carpet as we watched raw meat being torn from the bone. At such times Mother would quickly turn off the TV, gather the youngest and lock her in the bathroom for her own saftey. Then, to placate our animal instincts, she'd throw cheap Safeway sandwich cookies at us from the kitchen to feed on until we were satiated.

What was it about those scenes on television that pulled such feelings from the very core of our being? Today, I discoverd a possible source - our barbaric ancestor, Atilla the Hun. He was a strong, ruthless, unforgiving Scourge of God. Sounds rather cool wouldn't you say?

Our uncivilized, barbaric behavior is seen even today in the way we interact with each other at our worse times. Remember what happens when our families get together for competitive events (the Mattson / Williamson soft ball game for example). It can be explosive with temper and tears.

I found the line to Atilla while researching our Drummond, Scottish genealogy which means I can add the Hungarian flag to our growing collection in the sidebar. Before we learn about this Scourge of God, let me show you the line as it stands now. Please realize there are some disagreements on a few names, but I'm very confident the direct line is there (or as confident as one can be when relying on medieval historians and their efforts to trace the lines of kings).

I'm thinking it's time for one of our more daring families honor this great ancestor by naming one of their sons Atilla. Imagine the fear of God he would instill in his teacher on his first day of school, and on every teacher thereafter.

So, shall we start with the Relationship Chart?

48th Great Grandfather.
Atilla King of the Huns

to
Chaba Prince of the Huns
to
Edus
to
Kadiah
to
Chazew
to
Kulchug
to
Edur
to
Vegerus
to
Elendus
to
Avarius, King of the Huns
to
Venedobel
to
Ogyek, Prince of Hungary
to
Almos, Prince of Hungary
to
Arpadius of Magyar Prince of Hungary
to
Zoltan, Prince of Magyars of Hungary
to
Taksony, Prince of Hungary and Princess of the Kumans
to
Michael Hungary, Regent of Poland and Adelaide Plast, “The White” Princess of Poland
to
Laszlo Szar Prince of Hungary and Premislava Vladimirovna, Princess of Kiev
to
Andrew, King of Hungary I and Anastasiya Agmunda Yaroslavna, Princess of Kiev
to
George Drummond and Agatha Podiebradia Grand Duchess of Bohemia
to
Maurice Drummond
to
Malcolm Drummond 2nd, Seneschal of Lennox
to
Maurice Drummond, 3rd Seneschal of Lennox
to
John Drummond, 4th Seneschal of Lennox
to
Malcolm Drummond, 5th Seneschal of Lennox
to
Malcolm Beg (The Little) Drummond
to
Malcolm Drummond, 7th Seneschal of Lennox
to
Malcolm Drummond, 9th Seneschal of Lennox
to
John of Stobhall Drummond and The Maid of Monfichets.
to
Sir John Drummond and Elizabeth Sinclair
to
William Drummond and Margaret Ruthuen
to
Malcolm Drummond Knight and Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar.
to
Lord John Drummond and Elizabeth Lindsay
to
Annabel Drummond and William Graham
to
Elizabeth Graham and Sir Walter Drummond
to
Lord David Drummond
to
Mary Drummond and Archibald Sterling
to
James Sterling and Anna Home
to
Mary Stirling and John Steward of Blackhall, the Younger
to
Marie Lady Steward and Alexander Baronet Cunningham
to
Elizabeth Cunningham and William Hunter
to
John Hunter and Frances Mortimer
to
Martha Hunter and William Williams
to
Ann Williams and William Cantwell
to
Martha Cantwell and Jacob George
to
Frances George and Henry Fiddler
to
Eldora Elizabeth Fiddler and Edwin Sherman Pierce
to
Walter Edwin Pierce and Vesta Althea Dennis
to
Violet Mae Pierce and Walter Albert Mattson
to

Luella, Linda, John and Marvin
to

Us

And now, the history of Atilla.


Atilla the Hun was no yellow coward in the pages of history. Rather he is known as number one in the gallery of ruthless and uncivilized barbarians. Even though there are no photos of the devastation that he delivered upon his enemies, the reports still paint a bloody picture. The sadistic terror that he instilled as he drove cities under the thumb of bondage caused him to become known as "Flagellum Dei" (The Scourge of God). While most people see Atilla as being just a ferocious warrior, the more obscure side of him shows us that as result of his lust for power, he was a great king, possessing passion and organization. He is quoted as saying, "When in a political war, a Hun must always keep an eye to the rear."

Atilla the Hun was born in approximately 406 AD to the ruling Hun family, his uncle being the king over the nomadic people that had already reached the out skirts of the Roman Empire in the late 4th century. Not much is known about Atilla's childhood other than he could shoot a bow while straddling a horse, a leg mounted in each stirrup. (The invention of the stirrup gave the Huns the advantage over those they conquered.) Atilla was obviously a sly hustler who took advantage of his athletic prowess and his political connections.

By his late teens, Atilla was no amateur at leading the Huns in merciless battle against the Visigoths and Rome. About 418 Rome and the Huns negotiated peace terms. To secure peace, important persons, such as the young Atilla, were exchanged as hostages between the Romans and the Huns. During Atilla's two years in Rome, he was awed by the sensual grandeur and wealth of the Empire. Upon his return home, he vowed to someday go back to Rome not as a hostage, but as a conqueror.
He was soon back to pillage towns, snatch young women for sexual pleasure, and cause mayhem and devastation. No one could match him in battle, and by his thirties, he had thrust himself into the most powerful position as the Huns' leading commander despite that his brother Bleda had also succeeded the throne upon the king's death in 433.

War between the Romans and the Huns broke out again in 440 when a Roman bishop was caught desecrating Hun tombs. Atilla and his army proved unbeatable as they swept into the Roman Empire defeating them time after time. The Hun had hard core women in his army who also fought and supported the main body of warriors. (This practice extended into the 12th century Golden Horde of Genghis Khan when he invaded toward the West.) In 445, Atilla murdered his brother and obtained domination over the Hun kingdom. As king, Atilla demanded large amounts of tribute from the Roman Empire and pillaged their villages when his demands were not met. For many years, the Eastern Roman Empire, ruled by Theodosius II, paid Atilla extreme amounts of money and gifts to keep an unsteady state of peace.

Even though he was very rich, Atilla led a very simple life. In the tradition of Mongol warriors, the Hun ate mare's milk, blood, and raw meat if necessary. He wore plain clothes and animal skin layered against the cold central Asian steeps (which is a far cry from the nearly nude depictions in movies like Conan the barbarian and their busty barbarian babes such as Xena the Warrior Princess). His belief system was unknown but he demonstrated little, if any, concern for local religions or Christianity. In contrast to the violent and sexual movies which play with man's temptations, the real Atilla seems to have been motivated by raw power rather than blood lust or erotic orgies. It was reported that it was uncommon for him to be drunk.

There appeared many legends surrounding the life of Atilla. He was said to have found a sword of the war god Mars buried in the ground of a field, with which he was an invincible warrior. Atilla probably did find a sword of some dead warrior and believed it to be a sign that he was destined to rule the world. Another rumor was that he was a cannibal, eating two of his sons. It was believed that one of Atilla's wives killed and prepared the children, for an unapparent reason, and told Atilla the flesh was that of an animal.

Reports of his wicked sins were exaggerated in Christian Rome. The Hun's diabolic reputation spurred fear based revival for the church where the Darkside served to create dreams of hell and anarchy to be avoided. Armageddon was just around the corner given the presence of "The Hun"! The sinful action of the Hun gave rise to virtuous action of Romans who tossed aside that which was forbidden by the church. Yet some renegade pagans claimed the scourge was because the old pagan gods had been abandoned for the Christian God. They advocated a return to temple prostitution and, rather than be appalled at the stories of the Hun's whores, they viewed this as one reason for the Hun's successful exploits.

In 451, Atilla turned his aggression towards the Western Roman Empire in an attempt to expand his kingdom. The Huns organized one of the largest invasions of the time composed of perhaps as many as a half a million men. The Huns spread across Gaul (today's France) and wreaked collateral damage on the great cities of Europe. The aftershock caused the Romans to quickly unite with the Visigoths, enemies of the Huns, to confront the Huns. The Huns were surprisingly halted and forced to retreat a hundred miles. The enemy pursued them and once again attacked. The battle that ensued caused mutual retreat for the loss of men on both sides.
Atilla was not discouraged however, and planned to redirect his invasion into Italy, the heart of the Western Empire. So, in 452 the Yellow Peril struck once again at the Romans. His ultimate goal was Rome itself. The Huns devastated the Roman countryside. However, in Rome, Pope Leo was able to convince him to spare the city. Atilla made peace with the Romans because of a famine and plague that existed in Italy at the time.

Back home, Atilla planned his next campaign on the Romans. However, in 453, his plans were suddenly cut short with his untimely death. Atilla had just married to Ilico, his seventh wife. During the night of the wedding, he got drunk and suffered from a hemorrhage of the nose. Another theory is that he was murdered (Babcock, 2005). He died in his bed that night at the age of about 47.

After his death, the sons of Atilla gained leadership of the Huns. They lacked the qualities and experience to run a kingdom. In fighting over the throne, they divided the empire, which soon led to its crippling. By 469, the Hun Empire was completely dissolved, faded into a mere memory.

Atilla was a fierce, merciless warrior on the battlefield who left behind unmatched devastation. Through his aggression, he posed an extreme threat to the Romans and nearly conquered Rome itself. During his prosperous reign, he was able to transform the nomadic Huns into a sedentary empire by collecting immense riches through plunder and extortion. In many eastern European cultures today, Atilla the Hun is honored as a hero.