The Huns

   The Huns were a wild, nomadic people of northern Asia. They are regarded as a branch of the Mongolians, who invaded the Chinese Empire about 200 B. C. The Great Wall of China was built to keep them out. They appeared in authentic history about 375 A. D. Under Attila, their leader, called the Scourge of God, they established an immense empire in western Asia. They drove the Goths west of the Danube and penetrated Europe as far as Chalons, France. Here a terrific battle was fought, lasting several days; here they are said to have lost the improbable number of 300,000 warriors. They were defeated and retired eastward. After the death of their great leader they disappeared gradually from European history. They are described by Roman writers as a short-legged, stout race, with strongly knit limbs, thick necks, and black eyes. The men were without beards, the women without beauty. They had no desire to be under a roof, but spent their time in the saddle. Even their military conferences were held on horseback. They never tilled the soil. They are not to be confounded with the Hungarians, who came into Europe several centuries later.