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Page 3Korniss Péter Photo Archive. In December 2020 photographer Korniss Péter donated the archive of his work from more than 5 decades (more than 34000 photos) – to Hungary’s Museum of Fine Arts. The well-organized archive is now housed in the Central European Art History Research Institute as the special Korniss Péter Archive. Amongst subjects of Korniss’ photography are: peasant life and tradition in Transylvania and Hungary, blue collar workers in Hungary, professional dancers and many more subjects. Also in December he was awarded the ‘Kriterion Wreath’ given to those who have presented Transylvanian culture to the world. A new volume of his photos was also published: “Korniss Péter Photography 1959–2017” in celebration of the event. Printed here are Grozdits Károly’s interview and an edited version of Barabási Albert-László’s laudation.
Page 6Literature: A piece written in memory of the Transylvanian Hungarian painter and graphics artist Kusztos Endre (1925–2015). This tribute by Transylvanian writer and journalist Lokodi Imre won the grand prize in the prose, poetry and essay category in a literature contest organized by the Petőfi Literary Association upon the 100th anniversary of the Trianon Peace Treaty. It is full of beautiful, especially Transylvanian imagery including references to the hawthorn trees, bears, the round shadow of God’s straw hat, linden trees, shepherds, plum trees. “But a row of plum trees remind us of Endre bácsi and I see his memory heading down a bear’s path.” Published on November 23, 2020 at: helyorseg.ma
Page 8Dance for children in traditional life of Jobbágytelke/Sâmbriaș, Transylvania. The researcher quotes mainly from interviews with folks from the village born before WWII. Dances for the ‘little ones’ were usually held separately from the adult dance events. Children meant elementary school children under the age of 14. Dances for kids were held around Carnival, Easter or in the summer. Fewer musicians played than for the adult dance events: perhaps violin, cimbalom, sometimes only a clarinet, flute, etc. The dance learning mainly occurred in a spontaneous way. Sometimes adults would come to watch, then perhaps show the kids something. The musicians and location were paid for the same way as the adult dance events: in hand made straw hats. The kids’ dances were held in people’s homes, in barns, perhaps outdoors in good weather, often danced barefoot. Mostly children were not allowed at the adult dance events. They ‘kids dance’ started at 2pm or so and lasted until dark. By Dóka Krisztina, includes bibliography.
Page 11New recording: Erdőfű Népi Kamarazenekar Fonó FA 456-2. Erdőfű Band is a group of dance house musicians active in Hungary. The members of Erdőfű are all dedicated to traditional folk music of the Carpathian Basin which they perform in the authentic style both for dance houses and in concert. The goal of their music workshop is to give their audiences a comprehensive view of the rich variety of folk music played by string bands for Hungarians and other ethnic groups all over the region. CD available at Fonó web shop, other distributors and in digital form.
Page 12Interview with Csoóri Sándor Sündi – folk musician, composer/arranger. This is the grandson of Csoóri Sándor the poet and writer (1930–2016); and the son of Csoóri Sándor (b. 1956) the folk musician (Muzsikás, Ifjú Muzsikás). Csoóri Sándor “Sündi” (born 1984) began playing music as a young teenager in Budapest playing viola with his father in the band Ifjú Muzsikás. He went on to play with a group of his peers in Buda Folk Band, now he plays with Ötödik Évszak, Dresch String Quartet and has been successful composing and arranging music for dance companies and theatre. Interview by Jávorszky Béla Szilárd first published in “Fonó 25” by Héttoronyfesztivál and the Fonó. Budapest, 2020.
Page 16Book review: Csoóri Sándor: [Wood shavings on the ground /notes on Hungarianness, art, folk art and public life] Published by Erdélyi Szalon IAT, Szentendre, Hungary 2020. Editors: dr. Balogh Júlia, Pálfy G. István ISBN 978-615-5068-51-5. The fifteenth volume of Csoóri Sándor (1930–2016 the poet)’s works, some of which are published for the first time here posthumously. “An opportunity to connect not with thought as a product, but with his way of thinking and it’s winding roads.” Review by Grozdits Károly first published at: librarius.hu 2020 January 6.
Page 17New publication: [The mystery of movement – Papers honoring the work of Fügedi János]. Edited by: Pál-Kovács Dóra, Szőnyi Vivien. L’Harmattan. Budapest. 2020. This publication is a collection of papers celebrating and discussing the theme of dance notation and the work of Fügedi János – Hungary’s leading expert on dance notation and a director of the dance research department at the Hungarian Institute of Musicology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The volume includes academic studies by 26 contributors all of whom are experts on the subject matter or are from closely related fields. The majority of the studies are written in Hungarian; with some in English from international contributors. The book is divided into 4 chapters and includes Fügedi János’ selected bibliography. Report by Székely Anna.
Page 18Old writings still relevant today – P. Vas János’ column. A short history of daily eating patterns in Hungary. "According to Hungarian sources from the middle ages the nobility, middle classes, and farmers all usually ate only twice a day: an early lunch during the morning hours (between 9 and 10am) and an early supper in the late afternoon." This was apparanty true all over Europe. The Hungarian peasantry started eating three meals a day at the beginning of the 20th century. By Kisbán Eszter from "Kis magyar néprajz a rádióban". Minerva. Budapest, 1978.
Page 20Kékfestő – Traditional Hungarian textile printing and indigo dying. This is a description of the small indigo textile printing and dying workshop in Kecskemét, Hungary created by the authors of the article. Also described is the group they have founded: Friends of Hungarian Indigo Textile Dying, in the framework of which they organize meetings and relevant workshops for those interested in the craft. A summary is included of their travels to a peninsula in the Gujarat region of India where many traditional textile crafts are practiced. By Hungarian textile artists Vidák István and Nagy Mari.
Page 22Farewell to ethnographer Csupor István (1952–2020). Csupor István began working at the Museum of Ethnography’s ceramics collection in 1983. He was a student of Kresz Mária and earned a PhD in ethnography at ELTE University in Budapest. He worked at the Museum of Ethnography for 33 years during which time he completed an important project reviewing the 22,000 piece ceramics collection. He published 11 volumes and 49 studies – all on folk ceramics. He curated exhibitions, founded the Dr. Kresz Mária Foundation and Ceramics Center and was president of the Hungarian Heritage House Folk Crafts Consulting Body. He retired officially from the Museum of Ethnography in 2015, but remained more than active in his field. The farewell by Vida Gabriella from the website of the Museum of Ethnography are printed here.
Page 23New Publication: Bonchida folk music I–II. Virágvölgyi Márta and Árendás Péter. Two volumes totaling 380 pages include ethnographic background material and technical studies of playing technique of the Transylvanian traditional musicians of the village of Bonchida/Bonțida. The focus is on the repertoire of four lead fiddlers, it also includes playing technique for accompaniment and a DVD. Published as part of a series by the Óbudai Népzenei Iskola and Zenei Anyanyelv Alapítvány with support from the Csoóri Sándor Fund. Budapest 2020. Recommended by Koncz Gergő.
Page 24Opinion: on the dance house movement’s and Hungarian folk culture’s relationship to the digital world and technology, especially during the Corona virus pandemic. "...a digital revolution didn’t occur in folk culture…they haven’t been prepared for using social media, their messages get lost in the digital labyrinth....” He points out all the advantages of communication, marketing and outreach and ‘being trendy’ via social media and the internet as a means for spreading the word of Hungarian folk culture. He feels reform in these areas is necessary so that Hungarian children can grow up knowing about their culture... By Gundy Kristóf.
Page 28A 2004 conversation with Halmos Béla. There have been so many interviews with Halmos Béla (1946-2013), but perhaps it’s been awhile since we’ve read one. He was a good talker. Here once again we are reminded of the impressive scope of Béla’s activities in and his total dedication to the dance house movement. As one of the founders of the movement, until his death in 2013 he was active as a musician, ethnomusicologist/researcher, he worked on TV programs documenting the dance house so that those beyond the inner circles might know what was going on, and a documentary film series about the movement’s village master musicians/singers, he established the dance house archive at the Hungarian Heritage House, and of course he saw the value of conversation and community. Interview by Fehér Anikó.
Page 30Life in Bukovina – from the writings and drawings of Lőrincz Gergely from the village of Istensegíts/Țibeni. The first story is told in Bukovinan Hungarian dialect, about how much can happen in village life during the time from the first toll of the church bells before mass until the final tolls actually calling the villagers in for mass. This includes getting dressed in the Sunday church clothing, cutting oneself shaving, exchanges with family members and neighbors and musings about the local pub. The other story reads more like a tall tale: "János bám" had been a wagon driver for a countryside agricultural cooperative who liked to drink 3 or 4 shots every morning at the local pub. When he died, two angels had a tough time carrying their heavy load up to heaven. When they handed his soul over to Saint Peter, he gave János the task of saying halleluja from 6am til noon, and hosanna from noon til 6pm. János was so bad at his task that God recommended he go back down to ease his soul and have a few wine spritzers with his friends... Kóka Rozália’s column.
Page 32On History’s Path – Kóka Rozália tracks the fates of Székely Hungarian families relocated from Bukovina: Fabián Margit was born in the village of Andrásmező/Tomislavci in the Bacska region of northern Serbia in 1943 during WW II. Her family were Székely Hungarians recently arrived in Serbia from Bukovina. Less than 2 years after she was born Margit’s family had to flee from Serbia. They ended up in Hungary’s Tolna County, where she was able to study beyond elementary school to teachers training college. Eventually she became an active ethnographer focusing her collection work and publications on the customs and traditions of Bukovina Székely Hungarians. She came from a tradition preserving family known as good singers. List of publications included.
Page 37Traditional basket weaving in Hungarian Csángó villages of Moldavia. Baskets in this region were made of various thicknesses of wicker or willow switches. Traditionally the Hungarians in these villages lived mainly from subsistence farming. Often the older members of the extended family who could no longer work in the fields were the ones who wove baskets. This study explains this traditional craft in the village of Pusztina/Pustiana (Romania), the role of basket weaving as a livelihood, collecting and preparing the willow switches (wicker), the basket weaving process, selling baskets, the traditional uses of the many forms of baskets. Today handmade baskets are being pushed out of everyday life by plastic bags and other containers. By Halász Péter.
Page 42Food and tradition: “flekken” – a roasted or grilled slice of meat – these days usually pork. This article provides mainly historical references to this popular meat dish. Flekken has lots of history and connections to the Transylvanian city of Marosvásárhely/Târgu Mureș from the end of the 1800s and beginning of the 1900s. There is lengthy discussion of various pubs there that were known for their flekken. Flekken was and is a favorite meal served with beer or wine in pubs and restaurants. A recipe is provided for slices of meat marinated for at least 24 hours (in garlic, oil, small amount of mustard, salt, pepper, dash of paprika) with the slices stacked. When grilling, the pieces of meat should only be turned once – right after a small bit of juice arrives to the surface of the meat. Meat cooked too long or turned too many times will be tough, dry and rubbery. By Juhász Katalin.
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Page 3Remembering Mrs Pulika János, Tankó Gizella (1933–2021 Feb. 1.) of Gyimesközéplok/Lunca de Jos, Harghita County, Romania. She met her husband traditional fiddler Pulika János when she was 14. Ten years older than her, he was already making his living as a local traditional fiddler. They eloped when she was 16. By the time she was 21 she had 4 children. Then according to custom in Gyimes, she learned to play hit cello (in Hungarian „ütőgardon”), so she could accompany her husband when he played at local events. The traditional band in Gyimes consists of two musicians: a fiddler with usually his wife playing hit cello. Together they played for balls, work parties, weddings, christenings, and other celebrations in the Gyimes region. Her husband died in 1989. Hungary recognized her as an excellent traditional musician with the title of „Master of Folk Arts” in 2009. She was an exceptionally kind woman, well known by the táncház movement. By András Orsolya.
Page 5Farewell to Czilika György „Gyuszi” 1958–2021 traditional musician from Bogartelke/Băgara, Kalotaszeg Region, Transylvania (Cluj County, Romania); known as the last of the great lead fiddlers of the Czilika family dynasty of musicians. His son became a classical musician. Czilika György played at weddings, village balls, christenings in his region of Transylvania: Magyarvista/ Viștea, Türe/Turea, Bogártelke/Băgara, Nádasdaróc/ Dorolțu and Inaktelke/Inucu in Cluj County. From the mid 1990s he was often invited to Hungary to play for dance house events. His music is preserved on at least 3 recordings and on you tube.. Having the honor of accompanying him, the typical Czilika style ornamentation and his clear, honest and kind blue eyes are rememberd. By Henics Tamás.
Page 8Interview with Ágoston Béla musician, composer and recipient of a Halmos Béla Program grant supporting creative work for folk musicians (especially welcome support for musicians during the COVID pandemic). Ágoston Béla is more than a folk musician however, he is active in jazz, world and underground rock music as well. He plays saxophone, bagpipe, clarinet, etc and his projects include bands named: Zuboly, Agostones, Mágustones, FLEMM, Aborder Klezmer Band and others. This grant allows him to work on a piece called „Csongor és Tünde”, an ’ethno operetta’ and not his first work in this genre. By Dömötör Endre.
Page 10A bit of ethnography for the radio. A piece on the rules for living the old peasant life; all areas of life were regulated. Certain kinds of work were done on certain days of the week and there were the days when work was forbidden. Across Hungary baking bread and washing clothes was forbidden on Friday and Saturday. In many places spinning and sewing was not to be done on Friday or on Tuesday. A young man could go courting only on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. A second piece tells about magic and spells. There were recipes for attracting a sweetheart, sending away a witch or a storm, casting a spell on someone, curing the ill. One example: it was said that the bones of a frog caught on Saint George’s Day worked very well for attracting a lover. Many of the things needed to cast spells or to cure the ill had to be collected either at dawn or at midnight, from 9 places, or from the cemetery, in silence and so on. By Pócs Éva from „Kis Magyar néprajz a rádióban” RTV, Minerva, Budapest. 1978.
Page 12The playing technique of the fiddlers from Transylvania’s Gyimes region (Part I.). The study begins with a statement on why the author chose this topic (his travels from Budapest to the region, etc). It provides a brief description of the region and summary of history and population, then describes the traditional band, the instruments and fiddling techniques. Includes bibliography. This study was submitted in 2018 as part of the author’s application for the title of Young Master of Folk Arts. By Mihó Attila.
Page 16„Science for the movement – the Jászberény example” This is a review of books by Bathó Edit recently published (in 2020) by the Jászberény Cultural Foundation. Bathó Edit, director of the Jász Museum since 1994, has apparently done outstanding work researching folk culture in her own area – Hungary’s Jászság Region. Putting the research to good use, she has also been instrumental in preserving and reviving tradition in the area. Her work and the publications are commended. By Juhász Katalin.
Page 18Folk music in Western India’s Kutch District of the Gudjarat Province. While not ethnomusicologists, the writers of this account are textile folk artists who travel to India often. Here they provide observations and impressions of a concert they attended in the city of Bhuj some 6 years ago. By Nagy Mari, Vidák István.
Page 20Tradition related to death in the village of Lészped/Lespezi in Romanian Moldavia as described by Hungarian Csángó Moldavian informants from the village. These are rural customs of an impoverished agrarian culture, where everything to do with death occurred in the home, until the 3rd day when a procession carried a dead relative to mass, then to the cemetery for burial. Subject matter presented: Signs/superstitions of impending death, dying, customs for preparing the body, crying/wailing for the dead, the funeral procession from the house to the church for mass then burial, remembering the dead, the feast at home after the burial, the grieving period. Rather than visiting the dead in the cemetery, everyone ‘visits’ the dead in their thoughts, dreams, in family conversation... By Halász Péter.
Page 26Farewell to Dr. Gerzanics Magdolna. Born in Ungvár (today in Ukraine) in 1934, she died on February 3rd, 2021 in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany. She grew up in Zala County, Hungary and was a Hungarian enthnographer, folk music researcher, journalist, former director of the Vass Lajos Folk Music Association. She remained active until her last days. She always supported the Transcarpathian Hungarians. Her doctoral dissertation for ELTE University’s Department of Ethnography examined folk music tradition, customs and folk arts of 3 Hungarian, 3 German and 3 Slovak villages in Komárom- Esztergom County. Printed here is the final correspondence between her and Kóka Rozália who interviewed her for the series on women’s lives. The interview appeared in folkMAGazin 2008 issues 2 and 3.
Page 26Obituary: Almási István 1934-2021 Transylvanian ethnomusicologist, member of the Hungarian Academy of the Arts. Almási István was born in Kolozsvár/Cluj Napoca, Tranylvania. He was educated in Transylvania and worked until retirement as a scientific researcher at the Institute of Folklore (of the Romanian Academy of Sciences) in Kolozsvár. His work included collection, research and publication on folk music from areas of Transylvania known in Hungarian research as: Érmellék, Szilágyság, Lápos mente, Aranyosszék, Kis-Küküllő – Maros köze, Nyárád mente, Homoród mente, Háromszék. His most recent publications were: A népzene jegyében (2009) and Most jöttem Erdélyből (2019). From announcement by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Musicology.
Page 27Obituary: Dr. Paksa Katalin folk music researcher at the Hungarian Institute of Musicology since 1971. She began her 50 year career working under ethnomusicologists Bálint Sándor and Vargyas Lajos. Her work embraced all areas of ethnomusicology: collection, transcription, categorization, comparison of Hungarian and neighboring ethnic groups, monographic music history examination, research on traditional folk performance, ornamentation, connections between folk and composed music. She was born in Zalaegerszeg, then studied in Pécs and at the Hungarian Academy of Music. She died on February 13th 2021 at the age of 77. By Matyovszky Márta (zaol.hu).
Page 28Life in Old Bukovina (Kóka Rozália’s column). The story of a man called Ambarus, a farmer, the kind of person who named his dog named Friend; a peaceful man who loved animals, his fellow man, God and nature. His wife, on the other hand, carried two swords and used them often… One day Ambarus went out to plow. At lunch time he sat down and ate the scanty lunch his wife packed for him, afterwards he was just about to enjoy the one precious cigarette that had been doled out to him, but first he needed a drink of water. Tragically he dropped his cigarette down the well. By Lőrincz Gergely.
Page 30On the Path of History – Kóka Rozália’s series. (Part I.) Rudolf László was born in Bátaszék in Hungary’s Tolna County in the 1950s. His mother was from Józseffalva/Vornicenii Mici in Bukovina. He spent his childhood amongst his mother’s family who had all come from Bukovina. László was a good student. He finished both elementary and secondary school in Bátszék, loved the books of Jules Verne and was a local chess champion. Good in mathematics, he received a scholarship to study engineering in the city of Donetsk, Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union). After finishing his degree he returned to Hungary and worked for a time at power plants until he was drafted for the compulsory 2 years of Hungarian military service. Afterwards he got work as a computer programmer in the town of Szekszárd. The first time he went with his mother to Bukovina in Romania to visit her home village of Józseffalva was in 1981. He left there in tears. To be continued. From a conversation recorded on February 25, 2021.
Page 34Left-handed Transylvanian stringed instrument players. Classical music training obliges left-handed musicians to adapt to the right-handed playing format. However, left-handed Transylvanian village musicians did not have to adapt to the rules of the right-handed classical music world. Their approaches to adapting their instruments have been varied – no particular rule had to be followed: the village musicians have done whatever works for them to get the sound they need. This is a list of left-handed traditional violinists, viola/kontra, cello and double bass players. The list was formed on the basis of personal observation during collection work, and from collection results, photos and recordings in archives at the Hungarian Heritage House. By Árendás Péter.
Page 38Conversation with Kelemen László – director of the Hungarian Heritage House (HHH). This year the HHH marks 20 years since it was established. Kelemen László was a key person in the process of rethinking/reformulating the institutions that became the HHH as a government institution with Kelemen as director. His goal has been to build a secure structure to house the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble and various folk archives, provide a „home” for the dance house movement and support education towards keeping folk culture alive. He talks about the importance of developing and using ‘virtual’ means for information sharing and stresses re-teaching/reintroduction as the next important phase – meaning a process of reintroducing folk arts (music, dance, song, crafts, story-telling) back into their original habitat. Kelemen’s mandate as director runs out this year and he wants to hand things over to the younger folks. He intends to obtain a PhD from the Academy of Music and return to his native Transylvania to develop the already established Transylvanian branch of the HHH. By Csinta Samu.
Page 42Food and tradition: Meals as ritual – blessings for food and drink from the Old Testament to the school cafeteria – Part I. Traditions from the Jewish and Christian cultures based on historical and ethnographic data are discussed, including; blessings for before the meal in the old testament tradition, Christian blessings for meals, blessings for the table in Hungarian folk culture, blessing the food in the religious liturgy (Christian), the „Saint John blessing” for wine and weddings. By Juhász Katalin.
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folkMAGazin special issue XVII
Honoring Karsai Zsigmond – traditional dancer, artist on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Karsai was born in 1920 in the Transylvanian village of Lőrincréve/Leorinţ; he died in the village of Pécel, Hungary in 2011. This is a collection of writings on Karsai and items selected from his correspondence and documents. „He was an outstanding preserving personality, an excellent ethnographic informant….his dance vocabulary condensed every valuable aspect of tradition of his birthplace.” He received Hungary’s title „Traditional Master of Folk Arts” in 1961.
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folkMAGazin surprise special issue XIII. March 2021
This special issue celebrates choreographer, folk dance theatre director, ethnographer Novák Ferenc „Tata” on his 90th birthday, with photographs by Korniss Péter from the 1960s to the present. A collection of 15 interviews on experiences working with Tata: interviewed are dancers from the Bihari and Honvéd ensembles, and musicians he has worked and collaborated with for his choreographies and other folk theatre productions. Interviewers: Berán István, Fodor Zsófia, Grozdits Károly, Herczku Ágnes, Jávorszky Béla Szilárd.
