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Történeti adalékok Gárdonyi regényhőseiről
One of the most famous Hungarian historical novels is Egri csillagok (Eclipse of the Crescent Moon) written by Géza Gárdonyi in 1899. It covers the story of the 1552 siege of Eger Castle, where nearly two thousand defenders repelled the attack and defended the castle successfully against the Ottoman army. The captain of the castle was István Dobó (around 1505-1573), who – in return for the victory – received donations and the title of baron from King Ferdinand I.Then he came to Transylvania as the voivode of Ferdinand in 1553. Later on,following the time when he served again the Kingdom of Hungary, he was charged of conspiracy against King Maximilian and imprisoned in 1569. Although he denied the charges, historical sources point to a different theory. It is almostproven that he had a close relationship with the Transylvanian court of John Sigismund, and he was likely to go over to that side. This paper aims to briefly introduce the historical back-ground of the siege of 1552 and to highlight the role of István Dobó throughout his carrier,based on historical sources. It also provides additional background information about Isabella, the Hungarian Queen, and Gergely Bornemissza, the most famous defender of the siege in Eger Castle.
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István Szilágyi, a native and also current resident, of Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca), is an outstanding master of Hungarian prose. He attained international recognition with his 1975 novel Kő hull apadó kútba (Stones Falling Down a Dying Well). His next novel, Agancsbozót (Antler Thicket, 1990) proved to be less successful, while the third one, Hollóidő (Age of the Raven), published in 2001, earned the author the Kossuth Prize, the highest award given to artists in Hungary. Set in the late 16th century, Hollóidő guides us to an imaginary town called Revek located in southern Hungary and dominated by the Ottoman Empire. The main characters of the novel are pastor Lukács Terebi, the town’s enigmatic schoolmaster, Illés Fortuna, and an even more mysterious youth, the Student, whose real name is never revealed, but about whom the novel suggests that his father must be Master Fortuna. Through these three characters, the author illustrates three patterns of human behavior. Pastor Terebi symbolizes the acquiescence to foreign domination while Master Fortuna advocates the armed fight against it.However, neither of them seems to achieve much. Acquiescence does not pacify the enemy, while violence only breeds violence. We conform to the oppressors even when we rebel against them. The young boy’s struggle to become an educated, free thinker seems to be more fruitful, but we do not know if it is really successful. However, one thing seems certain: being able to rule one’sown realm, however small it may be, is of vital importance to men.
More...Kós Károly: Az országépítő
This historical novel of Károly Kós deals with the subject of the life and rule of the first king of Hungary, who reigned between 1000-1038. King Stephen had been canonised a mere 45 years after his passing, and he has become a myth and a hero by the 1100s. He is a role model for kings even in modern historiography,and therefore the mission undertaken by the writer is a courageous one indeed. Kós’s writing had provoked tremendous interest and a number of critical comments upon its publication. His character was different from the traditional saintly picture of a king known from legends,and became a living human person, full of conflicts, doubts and personal tragedies. Kós took great pains to follow the historical sources available to the contemporary writer, and no inaccuracies could be labelled as faults of his, as historians debate the process of the creation of Hungary’s state and church organisation even to this day. This essay analyses Kós’s novel based on his use of real and accessible historical elements.My conclusion is that, in spite of minor anachronisms, Kós had handpicked with utmost care and proportionality the reliable components of historical remembrance that made up his now classic novel.
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The historical novel of Sándor Makkai,the Táltoskirály (Shaman King) (1934) is set during the reign of Transylvania by Prince Béla, the future king Béla IV(1235-1270). However, the novel is at least as close to the debates of the 1930s in political and public life, in which Makkai himself has participated as the bishop of the Reformed Church of Transylvania, as to the times of Prince Béla. Most conspicously, the novel includes several political commentaries which could serve as a basis for reconstructing the discourse of the 1930s on actual topics. At the same time, the novelist is remarkably well informed on the epoch of András II, with up-to-date historical knowledge on the subject. The historical subject itself must have been very attractive for a Transylvanian novelist. It offered a possibility to present an alternative to András II (1205-1235), traditionally viewed as a “bad king”, in the figure of his own son, Béla, for the rise of the Kingdom. And, at least as significantly,this alternative was a Transylvanian one, both in geographic and spiritual sense.
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