Acta Historiae Litterarum Hungaricarum

A Representation of Petőfi in the Bach Era

2022-06-29T11:35:34+02:00

My paper raises a dual hypothesis. First, the beginnings of the evolution of Petőfi’s social‐communal memory are inseparable from the history of the illustrated press and its upsurge in the 1850s. Second, the examination of Petőfi’s iconography also provides an insight into the press‐historical and economic registers of the Petőfi discourse, which we cannot detect through fiction, science or written journalistic sources alone. In the second half of my paper, I analyze one of the most significant representations of Petőfi in the period which may bring us closer to the contextual understanding of Petőfiʹs memory of the time.

Notes on the Nature of an Adage and of the Language of the Press

2022-06-29T13:21:55+02:00

The relationship and similarities of the printed press to oral culture with regard to language, content, news and genres has not been examined yet in Hungarian media history. Leaning mostly on German results on the field, in the first part of my paper I reflect on the possibilities and possible new achievements which a similar research project could generate dealing with Hungarian newspapers and journals. The major part of the paper illustrates the theoretical introduction by one selected example. Since more than a hundred years there has been living an anecdote, more exactly an adage assigned to János Arany in literary and social discussion and even in scholarly works: „The hell thought it”, a sentence denying any kind of authorial intention and deeming irrelevant any interpretative move relying on it. By now we know that the sentence can be connected to Arany only conditionally or only in variants or only by oral transmission, and we also know that its message is contradicting Arany’s ideas and principles about poetics and criticism. However, the adage is persistently popular. But if we shift attention from the authenticity of the adage to its usage as the linguist Lajos Lőrincze suggested when examining the sources of it, we are facing ever‐changing forms and meanings which help to explore the language of publicism, 20th century history of criticism, the nature of taboos and tropes of literary theory, literary texts dealt with in a popular manner, and, lately, ideas about how to renew the methods of teaching literature.

The ‘Flȃneur’ as Type and as Analytical Category

2022-06-29T13:37:28+02:00

The paper aims at an interpretation of the term ‘Flȃneur’. The starting point is to separate three different levels of the use and understanding of the term: a) The flȃneur as a type in the popular metropolitan (first of all, Parisian) literature in the first half of the 19th century. b) The flaneur as artist: the best examples are Baudelaire’s works, like the essay The Painter of Modern Life or the texts of Le Spleen de Paris. c) The Flaneur as analytical category appears in the 20th century in Walter Benjamin’s interpretations and in the tradition connected to Benjamin (authors like Marshall Berman, Richard Sennett, etc.). In this third phase the term ‘flaneur’ plays a significant role in the (social) scientific understanding of cultural modernity. From a historical point of view (connected to the first use mentioned above), this paper tries to give an overview about the literary type/figure of the ‘Parisian flaneur’ and presents the flaneur’s appearance in the Hungarian press of the 19th century. From a more theoretical point of view (connected to the third use), I would like to define the category of flaneur as the expression of a certain way of perception, creation and use of metropolitan (social) spaces. The theoretical context of my approach is based on the Benjaminian tradition and on writings by authors like Michel Foucault and Michel de Certeau.

Network as a Critical Form

2022-06-29T14:05:33+02:00

In the Kádár‐era not only the explicitly political samizdat media counted as provocation to the system, but also those publications of a fundamentally artistic nature whose aesthetic program was not compatible with the ideological norms of the time. My paper analyzes the connections, communication and network‐like functioning of artistic and political samizdat. It also examines how aesthetic transgression is related to a possible rearrangement of the political map.

The Background of the Hungarian Translations of The Fisher Maiden by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson

2022-06-29T14:24:05+02:00

The Fisher Maiden, a short story by Norwegian author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson gained world‐wide success and got translated into many languages, Hungarian among them, after its publication in 1868. The work and its reception had a serious impact on Bjørnson’s portrayal in Hungary. In Hungary, the paper Magyarország és a Nagyvilág published the translation in 1869 which was based on a German edition, then it appeared again in Divat‐Nefelejts in 1876. My paper examines the approach in which the short story is treated within the Hungarian literary discourse. Due to the authorʹs world‐wide reputation based on his earlier narrative works and to the effects of linguistic transmission, The Fisher Maiden is considered to be a typical Norwegian peasant story, however, compared to the writer’s earlier works it is rather atypical. The protagonist is not a peasant girl, and her actions are motivated by her aspiration to become an actress. The duality of the Hungarian reception is that Bjørnson is introduced to the Hungarian literary scene as the author of peasant stories, while his first voluminous work translated to Hungarian, The Fisher Maiden does not fall into that stereotype. The overall image of Bjørnson writing Norwegian peasant stories obscures for a long time the aspect that The Fisher Maiden is also a powerful narrative about (female) emancipation. Prompt translation, text‐centered attitude, placement of publication and editorial messages, however, implicitly give way to this interpretation, too, in the Hungarian reception.

The Journalist Doctor (Artur Munk)

2022-06-29T15:02:58+02:00

Artur Munk was a physician practising in Subotica in the first half of the last century, who, in addition to his civil profession, was also engaged in literature, writing novels, plays and newspaper articles. His writings depict life, events and people in Subotica in the happy peacetime and between the two world wars and are considered important works concerning local history. His novels, such as Köszönöm, addig is… [Thank you, and so long…], A nagy káder [Big Face] and Hinterland were popular readings and enhanced Munk’s already established popularity as a doctor. These works are also important for literary historians because Munk went to the same school as Dezső Kosztolányi and Géza Csáth, therefore his works provide valuable information about them as well as about the environment that gave birth and context to their careers. In this article, I will explore Munk’s writings published in the Sunday literary column of the newspaper ’Bácsmegyei Napló’ [’Bács County Diary’] (from 1931 it is called ’Napló’ ’Diary’) between 1928 and 1941 focusing on the themes, genres and motifs which can also be found in his popular novels. Munk was not a staff member of the paper but his writings were nevertheless published from time to time. The literary supplement of the paper, and by his organising work the editor Ferenc Fenyves himself did much good for the advancement of Hungarian literature evolving in Vojvodina. The study reveals that although Munk tried his hand at several genres, only his novels achieved real success. In addition, the writings discovered may contribute to a deeper understanding of his motifs and to a more complete picture of his career.

Teenagers on the Palics Tram

2022-06-29T15:11:45+02:00

Relying on newly published archival and museum sources, the paper deals with the history of the self‐study circle of the High School of Subotica. The documents of the circle so well‐known in Hungarian literary history, provide important data for the history of one of the most important southern centers of the Austro‐ Hungarian Monarchy in terms of micro‐, mentality and educational history.

From the University Pulpit of Cluj to the Opening Ceremony of the Academic Year in Szeged

2022-06-29T15:22:51+02:00

The study follows the life path of the two professors, László Erdélyi OSB and Sándor Márki from Cluj‐Napoca, who started their journey of academic exile on June 26, 1921 through mid‐October 1921 from their home university in Cluj to Szeged. The article is also presenting the context of the city of Szeged, which was preparing for the opening ceremony of the local university after the treaty of Trianon. The article’s main sources include the Pannonhalma correspondence of Erdélyi and the diary of Márki, written in Gyula, along the national and Szegedbased local press outlets and university documents of the period. Furthermore, the research coveres issues of the city’s management, the foundation of the university and the work of the government, together with the organization of the academic year’s opening ceremony. It also discusses topics related to the professorsʹ new homes, the renovation of the city’s buildings designated for the university units, and the governorʹs visit to Szeged on 8th and 9th October, 1921. Overall, the article is focusing on the professorial legacy of Erdélyi and Márki, which complements the history of the university transposed from Cluj to Szeged in October 1921.

Questions of In‐betweenness, Conveyance and Cultural Translation in Central‐Europe

2022-06-29T15:35:07+02:00

Hungarian novels translated into Slovenian as well as Slovenian novels translated into Hungarian equally abound in widely known rhetorical tropes, specifically encoded metaphors and „culture specifics” or cultural realia requiring special cultural and associational methods of interpretation. The understanding/translating process pre‐assumes expertise shaped by and known within a culturally defined community. These realia are often such mental, emotional, social etc. topics which have a special meaning in the given cultural context. Based on examples from selected works, in this paper I deal with the methods of translation used by Slovene and Hungarian translators, i.e. with the specific cases of translated cultural realia and with possibilities/impossibilities of translation.

Cisiojanus and Papists in the Petrovay Songbook

2022-06-29T15:42:53+02:00

In my article, I deal with the appearance of Cisiojanus in the Petrovay songbook, trying to identify the source from which Petrovay could have copied the passages. The Cisiojanus was originally a perpetual calendar of 24 verses, later becoming synonymous with the calendar, and reached its most definite form in the editions of Cluj‐Napoca and Levoča. In the course of the investigation, comparing the various editions and the other products of the printing house, I came to the conclusion that Petrovay must have used the Levoča edition for this text. In addition, I try to prove that the poem with the incipit „Illik emlékeznünk ...” does not correspond to any poem known so far, in the manuscript we read a paraphrase. Presumably, the author altered the original song deliberately to represent a new, different message condemning the Papists. This would be the second text in the manuscript that has hitherto been completely unknown to the literature specializing in the topic, and not the only one attacking Catholics. The latter tendency is not surprising because of Petrovay’s reputation of being inclined towards Protestantism.

The Beginnings of the History of Hungarian Humor Magazines and the Significance of ’A Nagy Tükör’ in this Process

2022-06-30T14:30:50+02:00

The best known and longest running humor magazine edited by Mór Jókai was the ’Üstökös’ [Comet] but prior to its success, the author published another humor magazine titled ’A Nagy Tükör’ [The Big Mirror]. There has not been much discussion about this periodical either in literary or in press history so far, its significance among Hungarian humour magazines has not been examined yet. In my paper I discuss topics as follows: is the A Nagy Tükör different from other Hungarian humor magazines (prior and subsequent ones as well), and if yes, in which aspects? What kind of texts are published in it? Which pseudonyms did Jókai use, and how? How did he create and establish the character and role of his alter ego Kakas Márton who was „born” in the paper Vasárnapi Ujság [Sunday Paper]? The graphics and illustrations of the magazine are especially worth attention because they are overstepping the category of caricature and some of them are approaching the category of comics. The magazine has a recurring character, the innocent, simple rustic coming from the countryside, baffled by the urban experience, and assessing it with fresh eyes. On the one hand, the figure’s remarks can serve as a sort of travel guide for the readers from the countryside, and on the other hand, they show a mocking glass to the less educated and to the educated readers as well. The fate of the magazine was influenced by both the „formal reception” (critics from daily newspapers and weekly periodicals) and by the actions of the readers. Jókai reacted to the journalists’ opinion by satires, and the assistance of the readers (which meant that they sent anecdotes to the editorial staff) not only helped to maintain publishing the magazine but inspired Jókai to start the new weekly ’Üstökös’. I attempt to answer the question: how did A Nagy Tükör (which was running for two years) convince Jókai that ’Üstökös’ can be a successful venture?

Effects of the Medial Turn on the Lifestyle Articles by Júlia Jósika

2022-06-30T14:41:05+02:00

In the second half of the 19th century journalism became the primary medium of Hungarian literary scene. It was a common practice for authors and editors to publish their texts first in the daily newspapers, weeklies or periodicals with the book‐form publication following later on – depending on the success. This way, the publishers were able to provide authors with publicity and feedback from the audience (readers’ letters, changes of subscribers etc.) without significant financial risk. By the grounds of these informations publishers could decide which groups of texts were worthy for a book with the hope of public success. Júlia Jósika – a Hungarian emigrée, who lived in Brussels in the 1850–1860’s – was the author of the first original Hungarian female conduct book titled Pályavezető [Mentor](1863). The book was written by request from publisher Gusztáv Heckenast, and it was partially composed from Júlia Jósika’s own articles published regularly in the magazine Nővilág [Women’s World] between 1857–1860. The conduct book contains some Nővilág‐articles without any change, some she wrote over or compiled from more than one of her texts, but there are also completely new chapters in Pályavezető. In my paper I examine the re‐interpretations of the texts which got out of their original context, with special regard to the target audience, history of publishing and the occasional political content. For the comparison between the two different media, I use the methods Wolf Kittler and George Bornstein regarding the materiality of the texts.

The Launch of Dezső Tandori’s Career in Periodicals and Anthologies

2022-06-30T14:55:57+02:00

Dezső Tandori’s first two books, Töredék Hamletnek [A Fragment for Hamlet] and Egy talált tárgy megtisztítása [Cleansing of an Object Lost and Found] are still widely celebrated as the starting point of one of the most important careers in Hungarian literature. But the two books necessarily go back to antecedents: his poems had been published in journals, periodicals and in an anthology ten years prior to his books. This long delay, while it was normal in the 1960’s mainly because of the cultural politics of Hungary and of the risk‐avoiding nature of book publishers, is still surprising since already the first poems of Tandori were received with universal praise. But further examination reveals that Tandori spent those ten years meticulously planning his first book, preparing not only the poems but also their sequence, that is, the main structure of the book. This structure is already laid out in the publications in journals, the order of the poems rarely changed later. This never published Egyetlen [Only One]? We know from interviews and recollections that the book was only allowed to be published in a mutilated form, but interestingly, we cannot find the extra poems supposed to be in this version of the book. The antecedents to his second book, Egy talált tárgy megtisztítása indicate a different process. Allegedly written in the time‐span of mere two years, it got published five years after his first book. While the samples of Töredék Hamletnek were published in several small dosages, parts of the second book were published in two big collections, both in the same journal ‘Híd’ [Bridge], and the order of the poems does not even resemble their final arrangement in the book. The different publication models allow us to see deeper into the creation and construction of the books, and also into the different creative methods of the author.

László Végel and the ‘stateless localpatriotism’

2022-06-29T11:01:11+02:00

The study focuses on the diary entries, diary volumes and essay collections written by László Végel during the 1990’s Balkan war and NATO bombings, which allow us to unravel the experience of the writer’s stateless localpatriotism. The future image, the anxious prediction and the uncertainty of linguistic erosion, linguistic endangerment and language loss are subversively conveyed in his poetics, starting from the radical language use in the Egy makró emlékiratai [Memoirs of a Pimp] (diary) novel to the later adopted (Deleuzean) stuttering language of ‘végelean’ cultural discourse. This language, possessed by the minority author in a seemingly wrong manner (in relation to the late Wittgensteinian concept of language philosophy), leads to the statelessness in Végel’s art. The historical‐political dimension, as well as social determination, marginality, minority existence and the notion of the ‘European bastard’ are all interesting and significant categories for interpretation from the aspect of how they jointly construct the loss of Europe and, eventually, the world itself as the terrain of homelessness.

Two Name‐day Greetings and the ’’aura Poems’ by Mihály Vörösmarty

2022-06-29T11:16:01+02:00

In the early 1840s Vörösmarty wrote two greeting poems, Névnapi köszöntés [Name‐day Greeting] and Névnapra [For a Name‐day], for the name‐day of his future wife Laura Csajághy. Both poems have come down for us in fair copies on white paper, signed by the author. He gave them to Laura when her name‐day was celebrated in a small circle of friends. Both poems were published, too, and have been considered ever since as ’Laura poems’, in the love poems segment of the oeuvre. But inside that group they get less attention since topical, celebratory poems are regarded as inferior genres in the 1840s, and especially in the oeuvre of Vörösmarty. The paper attempts to re‐think the formation history of some of the Laura poems, examining the differences detected in names, in language and content, in the private and public usage of the two greeting poems. It also adds data to Vörösmarty’s biography in the pre‐marriage years.

Interpreting Lúdas Matyi (Matthew the Gooseboy) According to it’s Narrative Structure and it’s 20th Century Film Adaptations

2022-06-29T11:29:35+02:00

In this paper I analyse Mihály Fazekasʹ epic poem Lúdas Matyi from a narratological perspective, drawing primarily on different narrative theories. First, the paper focuses on the multiplicity of interpretations intended by paratexts, the possibility of filling the gaps in the plot with metaleptical narratives, and the dynamism of the text based on sharp cuts and rhythmic montage. Next, I examine two 20thcentury film adaptations, the 1949 feature film and the 1977 cartoon, which repeat the same transformations, thereby they not only go back to Fazekasʹ work but also enter into dialogue with each other. The comparison of the narrative structure and the analysis of the film adaptations also reveals that the character of Matyi is best described as a picaresque figure in constant movement (both in physical and social sense), being always in disguise.