With spring right around the corner, I thought I’d lighten things up with some Hussar fun facts.

Fun Fact #1: From Weapons to Walking Sticks

Polish winged hussars toted many weapons when they went into battle, and a favorite was the war hammer. In Polish, it might have been called an obuch, a czekan, or a nadziak, depending upon the era and the style of war hammer. In my research, I’ve also seen it referred to as a horseman’s pick.

Whatever name it bore, it was a terrible weapon which, when wielded by a Pole, could kill with a single strike of the claw (or “beak”) to a man’s head.

Okay, so you’re wondering what’s “fun” about a weapon that can cause such destruction. Well, winged hussars were known to drink as lustily as they fought, so in many churches, public houses, and other gathering places, they were prohibited from bringing in their war hammers.

During times of peace, the beak was bent so it curved into the haft, negating its lethalness. And thus, it became a hussar’s walking stick–maybe to support said hussar hobbling home after a night spent overindulging!

Fun Fact #2: The Showiness of Wealth

Hussars were all noblemen by birth and were well known for their flamboyance. As wealthy nobles, or szlachta, they loved showing off their riches, whether on the battlefield or in pageantry.

I read an account by a French writer of the time who derided them for their habit of flaunting their possessions, a habit he found rather odious. In his narrative, he described how they had boot heels made of pure gold, and that they purposely attached the heels loosely so they would “drop” as they made their way through the streets. I didn’t spy any on this museum replica of a hussar’s regalia. I wonder whatever became of all those golden heels!

Fun Fact #3: The Sash Wasn’t Just a Fashion Statement

Part of a hussar’s outfit included his sash, or pas, worn as the gentleman on the left is wearing it, with a leather belt on the outside. The sashes were a foot wide, 10-12 feet long, and woven in two separate color patterns on both sides, thus allowing for four different looks in different color combinations depending on how they were folded.

Not only were they beautiful, but they were practical as well. Those thick layers of sashing could be the difference between a mortal blade wound and survival if a hussar was dealt a blow during battle.

For everyday practicality of a far less dire nature, the sahes were perfect holding places for hussars to tuck various items, similar to what one might find in a purse.

When sashes first became vogue, they were reserved for the nobility, but they grew so popular that eventually all Polish men wore them.

And speaking of the gentleman on the left, he’s a weaver who joined us for dinner one night in Poland and showed us his beautiful work. I purchased one of his sashes, and it hangs on my office wall.