Pestvidéki Ásványbánya Vállalat

Transylvania (Erdély) – the independent Hungarian Principality -- also suffered enormously because of the frequent Turkish and Tartar raids. Consequently, the Hungarian population dwindled. This was the time when Vlachs (Wallachians, now called Romanians) steadily immigrated from beyond the Carpathian Mountains. In the 14th century, there were only 389 Vlach villages in Transylvania. The number of Vlach immigrants grew considerably during the 17th century, when Vlach settlers were brought in by the Austrian authorities to make up for the greatly reduced Hungarian population. The Vlach population in 1700 was only 250,000; by 1784 it had increased to 787.000. By the mid 19th century, Hungarian and Romanian populations were roughly equal. From this time on Romanians claimed Transylvania and demanded its unification with Romania. It was achieved after World War I with the assistance of the victorious powers. In Transylvania there was also a strong and growing Saxon (German) minority. They got along with the Hungarians and Szeklers rather well. Its majority was sold out and moved to Germany by the Communist Ceausescu regime. – B: 0942, 1020, T: 7668.→Neoaquistica Commissio; Resettlements in Hungary during 17-18th Centuries; Vlachs; Trianon Peace Treaty.

“Seven-Village” Csángós – Originally the collective name of seven Hungarian-speaking villages built next to each other in the Barcaság (Ţara Bârsei) area near the town of Brassó (Braşov). These are: Bácsfalu (Bacfaliu), Csernátfalu (Cernatu), Hosszúfalu (Satulung), Pürkerec (Purcăreni) Tatrang (Tărlungeni), Türkös (Săcele-Turkeş), and Zajzon (Zizin), all in Transylvania (Erdély, now in Romania).. Their origin goes back to pre-settlement times. Their claim is supported by their customs, costumes, the Borica folk dance, and the names of their rivers and places. Some historians suggested that the Tatrang and Türkös names are the legacies of the Úz people. The neighboring Szeklers named them Seven Villages. They are highly devoted to their clans and to their customs. Mixed marriages were rare occurrences. Their weddings were always held on Tuesday, when the “fire maker” set the “fire of the wedding” in the early morning hours at the groom’s courtyard for the cooking. At christenings, two godfathers and one godmother sponsored a boy, while in case of a girl the ratio of godparents was reversed. After the christening, the priest blessed the “outgoing” woman who, armed with a loaf of bread, gave it to the first poor person she encountered. In case of a death, friends and family went with a candle to the wake in the house of mourning, where a lighted candle kept vigil day and night beside the deceased. Some elements of their clothing are linked to the Szeklers and to the attire of Torockó (now Rimetea, earlier Trascău, Romania). The men traditionally wore their hair shoulder-length; wore large brimmed black hats for summer, and black or white lambskin caps for winter. The collar of their shirt was embroidered with white or yellow yarn and it was worn outside of their trousers. They wore a short jacket made of white felt over their side-closing lambskin waistcoat. Tight trousers made of white felt and a pair of knee-high cordovan leather boots complemented their garments. During festivities the women donned their lace shirts ornamented with a golden collar and wristbands, while their everyday attire was a plain linen shirt. Only girls and brides wore white pleated skirts, while the rest wore black dresses fastened with a clasped leather belt. The well-to-do women wore a gem-studded 12-15 cm wide silver Moon-disc torc type band around their neck. They also wore cordovan leather boots. When working or traveling they favored men’s hats. Their music, dances and folk songs reflect as much archaic characteristics as their customs. – B: 0942, 1134, 1346, T: 3240.→Csángó.

The Hungarian term táltos in folklore refers to a person with supernatural powers, possessing miraculous qualities, like turning into a flying, speaking horse, having superior knowledge and wisdom and seeing the reality in life. According to folklore, certain signs at the moment of birth reveal that the child will become a táltos, such signs as being born with a tooth, lives on milk, sour cream and eggs, usually does not appear alone and if his request is not met, he conjures up a dragon from his book and creates a wind storm that can blow off the roof of a house. Since the term táltos already occurs in medieval Hungarian linguistic records with the meaning of magician, the hypothesis is justified that the priests of the Magyars in pagan, pre-Christian times were shamans. The term “shaman” forms an international word-family (e.g. Russian, Hindustani shaman), its ultimate source probably being Tungus-Manchu “shaman”, a person who “knows”; he enjoys great power and prestige within the tribe. A Hungarian description of “shaman”, dated 1799, says that a shaman is “a specially selected person who, when falling into a trance, and with the help of supernatural beings, can prophesy, heal: i.e., he is a ‘táltos’”. It is linguistically a derivative word, its root tált- is ancient inheritance from Ugrian times; in Hungarian it occurs already in 1211 AD: “Tholtus cum filio…” and again in 1416: ”taltosoc”, who possess miraculous abilities, a person who can communicate with supernatural forces, a shaman, magician, soothsayer.

In Hungarian traditions, the turul, karuly amd kerecsen falcons are symbols of a higher order. In folklore, the táltos (shaman) is identical with the stallion and this twofold conception could have had its origin from the Sun cult. – B: 1068, 1336, 1553, 1582, 1789, 1871, 7456, T: 7456.→Táltos; Garabonciás; Hungarian Mythology.
Shaman Cult – A primitive religion based on the worship of spirits. A selected person, chosen by heavenly powers and endowed with special powers, the shaman, in a trance communicates with supernatural forces and is empowered by them to influence the supernatural world. The shamans are selected even before their birth by the supernatural powers and their selection is manifested in other signs (such as an extra bone in his body). Shaman activity already existed in prehistoric times in the Bronze Age, as shown in rock paintings. Essentially, a shaman religion did not exist, because shaman activity was always connected with supernatural phenomena, a cult connected with the moon, sun or fire. The ancestral religion of the Hungarians, which developed several thousand years ago, might have been connected to such a beginning. – B: 1134, 1230, T: 7682.→Táltos.