King Sigismund of Hungary Lore Books

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About Sigismund.

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Sigismund
the King of Hungary

The son of Emperor Charles IV and his fourth wife Elizabeth of Pomerania may not have inherited the royal or imperial throne, as his brother Wenceslas did, but from his father his slyness, intelligence, and political talent he did inherit—qualities his brother, the future king, was desperately lacking. For the ginger hair he was born with and his slyness, which he did display many a time in his youth, he was given the sobriquet of The Ginger Fox, by which he was later called by his enemies especially. Sigismund is learned and popular, and his great indulgence is competing in tourneys, and seven languages of the world does he speak. Since 1387 he has been the King of Hungary, when he wed Mary of Hungary, who was at the time engaged to be married to the Duke of Orleans, and thus many of evil tongue do say he took her by force and unjustly. However it may have been though, he successfully defended his right to rule Hungary.

Later, seeing his brother Wenceslas’s inability to rule, he did collude with Jobst of Moravia and did commence to plot against Wenceslas, who ended up in his captivity with the great support of the Czech noblemen, who would rather see Sigismund sit upon the throne than an inept ruler who devotes his time and efforts more to drinking and hunting than to performing his royal duties. But Wenceslas was freed by his other brother, and thus Sigismund’s plan to seize power in Bohemia failed. In the year 1396 Sigismund planned a Crusade and took up arms against the Ottoman Turks, but to the misfortune of all Christians he was defeated at the Battle of Nicopolis, and thus he removed himself to Hungary.

Later, when his brother Wenceslas’s rule in Bohemia deteriorated to the point where his own nobility rose up against him, he called upon his brother for assistance. And he did truly set off to Bohemia with a powerful Hungarian army, but being knowledgeable of the local situation, instead of helping his brother he occupied his castles and towns and had his brother imprisoned, taking the crown for himself and finally bringing order to the land. Many do say he is a traitor, whilst others do praise his deeds. In all respects, however, he is indeed a much better ruler.