Sándor Petőfi’s Supposed Grave in Székelykeresztúr Cover Image

„Ahol Petőfit majd szüntelen temették”
Sándor Petőfi’s Supposed Grave in Székelykeresztúr

Author(s): Gábor Szűcs
Subject(s): History, Cultural history
Published by: Korunk Baráti Társaság
Keywords: Sándor Petőfi; Székelykeresztúr (Cristuru Secuiesc); folklore; legend; cult; reception

Summary/Abstract: This study examines the legend of Sándor Petőfi’s grave in Székelykeresztúr (Romania). It illustrates the process of change that is created by the uncertainty of memory and the characteristics of folklore narrative tradition. The paper examines the different versions of the myth from the first written record of the alleged grave (1902) until our present. The first written mention of Petőfi’s death in Székelykeresztúr comes from an unidentified person and the grave that can be visited nowadays has been built by a mortician who hoped to give new impetus to his enterprise by making the locals believe that he buried the well-known poet. The overview of different legends of Petőfi can help literary historians understand why readers stick to different variations of refuted legends about Petőfi.

  • Issue Year: 2015
  • Issue No: 12
  • Page Range: 104-114
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: Hungarian