This woodcut by Joseph Mor depicts the shepherd boy handing Attila the magnificent Sword of God.

Soon Bendeguz died, and the Huns elected Attila their ruler.  He appointed his brother Buda the overlord of the lands to the east of the Tisza River that stretched right to the Don River in Scythia.  He also ordered his subjects to call him “King of the Huns, Dread of the World, and the Scourge of God.”  After this Attila led many campaigns against his enemies and gained much wealth and glory, but he did not dare begin his conquests for a world empire.  The Sword of God was still not his.

One day Attila had a marvelous dream.  He dreamt that an old man descended from the sky and presented him with a beautiful sword that looked just like the Sword of God. 

Then came a whirlwind that picked Attila up and carried him across high mountains, vast spaces, limitless seas, and multitudes of cities.  Wherever he went, he would strike with his sword.  And lo and behold, the forests would bend down before him, the waters would part, and the cities would go up in flames.

Upon awakening, Attila assembled the shamans and the wisemen of his realm, and questioned them about the meaning of this dream.  Chief shaman Torda came forth and proclaimed: “The meaning of your dream, my Lord, is that you shall soon find the Sword of God, and with it you shall conquer the world.”

Hardly had old Torda finished his speech when a shepherd boy appeared before the king of the Huns, bringing a magnificent sword in his hands.  He reported that he had found it while tending his oxen. 

He saw this flaming sword, which he at first took for lightning, descend from the sky.  Upon further investigation, however, he learned that it was a sword indeed.  Picking it up, he brought it to King Attila, for he was certain that this sword would have magical powers.