Weather and Weather-Related Natural Hazards in Medieval Hungary IV: Documentary Evidence from 1401-1450
Weather and Weather-Related Natural Hazards in Medieval Hungary IV: Documentary Evidence from 1401-1450

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the paper is to provide a first, comprehensive overview of the weather events, weather-related extremes and reported socio-economic impacts recorded in the first half of the 15th century in medieval Hungary and the Carpathian Basin, based on contemporary, mainly domestic, source evidence by providing the original texts and, when available, (Central) European comparisons. While the first decades of the 15th century are of average documentation compared to the previous century, partly also due to the better source coverage (Pressburg accounts), the years richest in weather reports are the late 1430s–early/mid-1440s forming the hardest period of the early Spörer anomaly in large part of Europe. Winter is the best-documented season by far, but occasionally other seasons are also represented. Quite independently from differences in source coverage, similar to other parts of Central Europe, the highest frequency of hard winter periods are known from the 1430s–early/mid-1440s. Partly or entirely unintentional settlement and forest fires as potentially weather-related natural hazards can provide additional, indirect weather-related information. Although many fire events were reported in the first half of the 15th century, mostly in the second part of the study period, relatively few fires were not the result of conscious criminal or war attacks. As another indirect, coupled weather signal, bad harvests, high prices, dearth and famines, reported in the years (1414-)1415-1416, 1428 and before, 1433(-1434), late autumn 1440 and early 1442, are also discussed in a regional context and potential causes identified in the paper.

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