August 20...
Aug. 19th, 2003 09:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wiseheart.... is the biggest national holiday in Hungary. It's the anniversary of the foundation of our state by St. Stephan I, our very first King in the year 1000.
For the last 20 years, every year the rock opera featuring this event will be shown in some open-air theatre, either here or in Transylvania, where still several million of our people live, trapped after the Peace Treaty of Trianon, after World Ware I.
The foundation of a Christian Hungary was also the most horrible kin-strife in the history of our country. St. Stephan, supported by the Catholic church, fought a short but brutal war against his own uncle, at the time the greatest warlord of the country, who was not willing to bend his head under the Church. The folk was decimated, our own - pagan - culture torn out with its very roots. We have become a Christian people... by iron and blood.
History proves that Stephan was right, after all. As a loose alliance of unorganized pagan tribes we wouldn't have survived in a circle of strong, feudal states. After a century of fighting agaisnt all our neighbours, we wouldn't have lasted much longer.
It's still a horrible tragedy, though. We bought our existence for the price of our unique culture. The Church did thorough work in erasing our culture. All that reamined are a few old tales, passed down from generation to generation in secret. And a few old songs the true meaning of which has mostly been forgotten, too.
Every year, I sit down before the TV and watch this particular rock opera called "Stephan the King" again. It's an emotional rollercaster, feeling first the one, then the other side, as at the end both had only one thing in mind: to save the country and the folk from extinction. They just had different ideas about it. As it's a modern interpretation of the events, every tragedy of our history is addressed in it in the arguments. This is a history lesson that millions watch every year - either live or on TV.
A very hard lesson that leaves me emotionally drained every time.
This year the performance was in Transylvania, where our people havd lived as an oppressed minority for decades. Things are somewhat better now, but I could relate to the ecstatic reaction of the audience. I was born in Transylvania, and when we moved to Hungary, we'd never think that such a performance would ever be taking place back there. People were standing all over the stage with burning torches and Hungarian flags. And at the end they all sang the national hymn with the actors.
No, we never thought this could ever happen.
All right, I am really drained now. Time for bed, I think. Soon.
For the last 20 years, every year the rock opera featuring this event will be shown in some open-air theatre, either here or in Transylvania, where still several million of our people live, trapped after the Peace Treaty of Trianon, after World Ware I.
The foundation of a Christian Hungary was also the most horrible kin-strife in the history of our country. St. Stephan, supported by the Catholic church, fought a short but brutal war against his own uncle, at the time the greatest warlord of the country, who was not willing to bend his head under the Church. The folk was decimated, our own - pagan - culture torn out with its very roots. We have become a Christian people... by iron and blood.
History proves that Stephan was right, after all. As a loose alliance of unorganized pagan tribes we wouldn't have survived in a circle of strong, feudal states. After a century of fighting agaisnt all our neighbours, we wouldn't have lasted much longer.
It's still a horrible tragedy, though. We bought our existence for the price of our unique culture. The Church did thorough work in erasing our culture. All that reamined are a few old tales, passed down from generation to generation in secret. And a few old songs the true meaning of which has mostly been forgotten, too.
Every year, I sit down before the TV and watch this particular rock opera called "Stephan the King" again. It's an emotional rollercaster, feeling first the one, then the other side, as at the end both had only one thing in mind: to save the country and the folk from extinction. They just had different ideas about it. As it's a modern interpretation of the events, every tragedy of our history is addressed in it in the arguments. This is a history lesson that millions watch every year - either live or on TV.
A very hard lesson that leaves me emotionally drained every time.
This year the performance was in Transylvania, where our people havd lived as an oppressed minority for decades. Things are somewhat better now, but I could relate to the ecstatic reaction of the audience. I was born in Transylvania, and when we moved to Hungary, we'd never think that such a performance would ever be taking place back there. People were standing all over the stage with burning torches and Hungarian flags. And at the end they all sang the national hymn with the actors.
No, we never thought this could ever happen.
All right, I am really drained now. Time for bed, I think. Soon.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2003-08-21 12:32 am (UTC)But I'm still hoping to break down that ungodly long and hurriedly-written story into a dozen smaller parts and rewrite it one day. Maybe when I've retired.
Assuming I live long enough to reach my retirement. There is no guarantee for that in school work.