few important quotations >>>
The Polish Winged Hussars
This painting by Wojciech Kossak, depicts the husaria at Chocim, in 1621, where the Polish Army repulsed a 100,000 strong, united Turkish and Tartar army in this battle
Researched and Written by Margaret Odrowaz-Sypniewska, B.F.A.
http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/WingedHussar.html
The hussar concept began in Serbia, near the end of the 14th century. In the 16th century, painted wings or winged claws began to appear on cavalry shields. Wings were originally attached to the saddle and later to the back. In 1645, Col. Szczodrowski was said to have used ostrich wings.
In 1500, the Polish Treasury books make reference to hussars. Early on, they were foreign mercenaries, and were called Racowie from "Rascia" a word meaning "of Serbia." They came from the Serbian state of Ras.
By the 17th century, Polish hussars were held in even higher esteem and they made their own style of dress. The wings were of Serbian origin too. It was thought the wings were made to defend the backs of the men against swords and lassos, but modern theory is that they were used as intimidation. The noise and appearance of the feathers in the wind would spook the enemy's horses. The wings were mounted on a brass-edged wooden frame. The feathers were inserted into this frame, which was mounted on brackets or hinges (see illustration above). The wooden poles were arched at the top.
Gear at Grunwald
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/HERBARZ/2001-03/09838394 31
If I may quote Ryszart Brzezinski's excellent work, Polish Armies 1569-1696 (1) (Osprey, London, 1987).
"The hussar originated in Serbia towards the end of the 14th century. There are references to hussars in Poland in treasury returns of 1500, though they were probably in Polish service before this date. These early formations were foreign mercenaries, first known as Racowie from the term Rascia, 'Serbia', from the original centre of the Serbian state, Ras. The term 'hussar' probably originates not - as has been widely published - from any connections with the Hungarian husz meaning 'twenty', but from gusar, a Slavonic word meaning 'bandit'.
Polish-Lithuanian (Winged) Hussar
Commonwealth Hussar, wings visible. Painting by Aleksander Orłowski
Hussar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussar
Light hussars
A type of irregular light horsemen, already well established by the 15th century. The word hussar derives from the Hungarian huszár. Originally, it derives from the Serbian word `gusar` (Cyrillic: гусар) meaning bandit, pirate. According to an alternate theory, the word is derived from the Hungarian word of húsz meaning twenty, suggesting that hussar regiments were originally composed of twenty men. Initially they fought in small bands indeed, but were reorganised into a strong, highly-trained and motivated formation during the reign of King Matthias I Corvinus of Hungary. Under his command the units took part in the war against the Ottoman Empire in 1485 and proved successful against the Turkish Spahis as well as Bohemians and Poles. After the king's death in 1490 many hussars fled to other Central and Western European countries and became the core of similar light cavalry formations created there.
Section 4 – Arms & Armor of the Commonwealth
http://www.plcommonwealth.org/polishcostume4.doc
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:o-8CVtpuyZkJ:www.plcommonwealth.o rg/polishcostume4.doc
Hussars
In the muster rolls of the armies of Poland and Lithuania, the terms ‘Racowie’ (Serbian) and ‘hussar’ or ‘gussar’ appear in the mid 1400’s26. When you think of the grand Polish husaria, in their expensive and flashy winged armor, it is easy to forget what the root word really meant – robber! It’s also interesting to note that ‘robber’ implies a ferocious fighter that would strike fast and hard. That implication must certainly have been on the mind of King Bathory, when he re-formed the husaria in that image.
The First Polish Hussars
The first hussars of the Commonwealth were light cavalry in a support role to the ‘traditional’ heavily armored knights, and were formed just before 1500. You can see that documented in the painting of the battle of Orsza in 151427. They served not only the Commonwealth, but also show up in woodcuts describing their service to the Holy Roman Empire of Maximilian I (figure 8). Looking at these images, you can see how the Jagiellon Kings had drawn upon the light, hard hitting Turkish Spahi and Deli as well as the Hungarian and Serbian hussar in the creation of their own cavalry (in fact, some Serbs did serve the Commonwealth).
The Fall of The Medieval Kingdom of Hungary
http://www.hungarian-history.hu/lib/warso/warso10.htm
Branches of Service, Tactics, and Morale
Moreover, border defensewhere extensive areas had to be protected by small forces and masshad to be compensated for by speed (just as in China, the ByzantineEmpire, or Spain), also required light cavalry. Their elite wasformed by the hussars of Serbian (rac) background. Hungary's light cavalry before the arrival of the Serbian refugees, provided by the Cuman, Jasz, and Szekely contingents, was far from competent in the raiding tactics needed for the constant fighting along the borders. Hence outsiders, such as Serbs, had to be hired for the purpose.(Nor was this a peculiarly Hungarian solution: China and the Byzantine Empire likewise had to resort to a foreign force of light cavalry to defend their borders.) Of course, after a while the hussars became assimilated; in fact, as we know, they came to be atypically Hungarian branch of service. In the Jagellonian period the proportion of Serbs within this corps must have still been considerable. The combat value of the hussars--whether Hungarian or Serbian--was rather high. They acquired a European-wide reputationas masters of the raiding warfare carried out day in and day outalong the borders, as attested to by numerous contemporaries. According to the Venetian ambassador Suriano, the Hungarian armored cavalry was inadequate, but the light cavalry was "the best in the world."
Sobieski at Vienna by Juliusz Kossak
more on Polish army development >>>
Polskie pamiątki husarskie. Szable polsko-węgierskie
01 październik, 2007
http://www.sztuka.pl/index.php?id=124&tx_ttnews%5Bcat%5D=20&tx_ttnews% 5Btt_news%5D=818&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=119&cHash=2285583c70
Racowie, czyli południowi Słowianie (Serbowie) w służbie węgierskiej. Tworzyli oni oddziały lekkiej jazdy, uznane przez historyków wojska za pierwowzór husarii. Prawdopodobnie też z ich języka pochodzi słowo szabla (serb.: sablja). Szybko zaczęto wytwarzać tę broń na miejscu. Produkcja krajowa nie wystarczała jednak na pokrycie węgierskich potrzeb, więc zamawiano także głownie oraz całe szable za granicą, głównie w Styrii, w miastach Weitz i Graz.
Beginning of the 16th Century
http://www.jasinski.co.uk/wojna/develop/dev02.htm
The heavily armoured knights, so common in Prussia, were too cumbersome and slow against the elusive cavalries of the East and began to discard the horse-bard but their numbers still dwindled as a new type of cavalry grew prominent, called racowie.
These were light cavalry armed with lance and shield with Serbo-Hungarian origins. They found success against the Tatars using tactics of speed and maneuverability and a powerful, knee-to-knee, full gallop charge.
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