Johann Georg Kohl 1843

Austria, Vienna, Hungary, Bohemia and the Danube, Galicia, Styria, Moravia, Buckovina, and the military frontier Johann Georg Kohl 1843 ” It is often very difficult,” continued my informant, ” to say whether these Bacony foresters are swineherds or robbers. Their wandering and uncertain mode of life, and their superiority in strength to their more settled [...]

Cigany Botolo

Baranta

Not sure about where all the techniques and combat theories in the modern Hungarian art of Baranta come from but at least we can see some of the influence of the shepards stick in this video clip.

Austria: Containing a Description of the Manners, Customs, Character and Costumes of the People of that Empire 1828

  Austria: Containing a Description of the Manners, Customs, Character and Costumes of the People of that Empire By Frederic Shoberl Published by C. S. Williams, 1828 The usual costume of the peasants of the Bukowina, consists of white or red trowsers, a shirt, the wide, open sleeves of which are embroidered at the wrist, [...]

The War in Hungary, 1848-1849 By Max Schlesinger

Any firearms peeping out of a carriage-window commonly sufficed to keep such fellows at a respectful distance, as the swineherd is never armed with any other weapon than his fokos. The fokos is a hatchet, with a long handle, which the Kanasz hurls with great dexterity. Whenever he desires to pick out and slaughter one [...]

Bleiknopf peitsche

Adventures and Anecdotes of the South Army of the Emperor of Austria, During the Late Hungarian Campaign: Narrated by Eye-witnesses By John William Warre Tyndale Published by R. Bentley, 1850 He was no less famous as a marksman than as a rider, and his ” poor fellows” were equally well trained ; but, besides fire-arms, [...]

Unknown Hungary By Victor Tissot 1881

If the Kanasz possesses a hut made out of branches, the brigand becomes his companion for the night. His relations with refugees and vagabonds of the forest are the result of circumstances ; he is their spy, their sentinel. In return for his services the brigands respect the animals he guards, and for which he [...]

Nyírvasvári cigány botoló

Magyar pásztorbotoló 1974 Shepherd stick dance

Pickaroon to Fokos

My good friend Randal gave me a great logging tool called a pickaroon made by Peavey Manufacturing this summer that I modified just slightly as far as the handle profile to make it more fokos-like. This particular model is called a Katahdin w/Brush Cutter Head. It can be seen here: Peavey Manufacturing. Nice curved spike [...]