Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1977 (5. évfolyam, 13-15. szám)

1977 / 13. szám

The Yugoslavian attitude, as assessed by George Klein (Western Michigan U.) swung from sympathy toward the Hungarians at first, to approval of the Russian occupation. The reason for this change was the fear of party leaders that the Hungarian communists would not be able to maintain political control, an event which could have adversely affected the parties of neighboring countries.

In his commentary, R.V. Burks (Wayne State U.) suggested that the weakness of the Romanian Communist party was in great part responsible for the repressive measures adopted by its leaders, and he pointed out that the Magyar population of Czechoslovakia was no doubt affected - as indeed the activities of the CSEMADOK and the Magyar press prove. The Russians’ main concern, of course, was a potential domino effect. The second commentator, William E. Griffith (M.l.T.) suggested that the real fear of the Russians was that the movements could spread to the Soviet scene also. The fear of revisionism may have played a role in the reaction of these countries. □

The Canadian-American Review of Hungarian Studies III (Spring 1976) contains three articles and three full-length reviews. The latter are: Erdély változása: Mitosz és valóság (The Changing Transylvania: Myth and Reality.) by Elemér INyes, reviewed by Andrew Ludanyi; The Tragic Fate of Hungary: A Country Carved-Up Alive at Trianon by Yves de Daruvár, reviewed by Edward Chaszar and Crime and Compromise: János Kádár and the Politics of Hungary since the Revolution by William Shawcross, reviewed by Barnabas A. Racz.

George Bisztray, in "Man’s Biological Future in Hungarian Utopian Literature,” examines the phalanster scene of The Tragedy of Man by Imre Madách, A Novel About the Next Century and The Soul Shaper by Mór Jókai, and Tomorrow Morning and A Journey Around My Skull by Frigyes Karinthy, as utopian novels concerned with the ethical responsibilities of the future planners and manipulators of human potentials. Biological rather than technological utopias dominate, and an authoritarian trend is obvious: a new aristocracy of scientists is predicted, but a danger is foreshadowed: the use of geniuses by a “political superelite.”

Andrew Harsanyi, “Praise the Lord: Albert Szenczi Molnár, 1575-1633,” traces the I ife of this Renaissance scholar whose impact on the Hungarian Reformed Church and on the Hungarian language was profound. After studies at Gönc and Debrecen, he went to Wittenberg, Heidelberg, Strassburg, and Geneva. He published the first Latin-Hungarian dictionary, translated the psalms, giving the Hungarian church a Psalter equal to the Geneva Psalter. The next project was a “people’s Bible,” cheaper and less bulky than Károlyi’s Bible. He also wrote a Hungarian grammar, again the first of its kind which helped to codify the Hungarian language. The last work, a translation of The Institutes of the Christian Religion was written in Heidelberg. Upon his return to Hungary in 1625 he was received by Prince Bethlen, but lost patronage after the Prince’s death and died in poverty and obscurity.

Joseph A. Batori, “The Lyrical Poetry of Sándor Petőfi,” concentrates on the poet’s blending of personal poetry with what can be called “lyrical realism.” Petoifi’s optimism and steadfast devotion to his ideals emerges from his poetry, as does his love of the people i.e. the common man. This is seen both in his folk songs and in the genre pictures which present

ARTICLES AND PAPERS (Continued)

the life of common people with sympathy. His patriotic or political lyrics form as important part of his work. His idealism and enthusiasm led him to adopt ever more radical views, but he lived up to the demands he made of others. He joined in the War of Liberation of 1848, and was killed presumably by Cossack forces in the Battle of Segesvár. Bátori holds that this unique poet, who has captured the imagination of poets in almost every land (his poetry has been translated into 50 languages) deserves to be classed with Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, and Goethe in the pantheon of great poets.

The late Prof. Bátori (1900-1975) was a Piarist educator, Provincial of the Order, and former Headmaster of the Piarist Gymnasium in Debrecen. □

Sweeney, James Ross “The Problem of Inalienability in Innocent Il’s Correspondence with Hungary: A Contribution to the Study of the Historical Genesis of Intellecto" Medieval Studies 37 (1975) 235-251.

From an international viewpoint, Sweeney explores the legal framework of the doctrine of inalienability of the rights of the crown or of the realm, which became widely accepted in the 13th century. He examines the Intellecto of Honorius III and the Decretales of Gregory IX as documents intended to protect the inalienability of the rights, privileges and territories of the kingdom. Specifically, he examines the papal actions in relation to László III, son of King Imre of Hungary, vis-á-vis his uncle, Duke Andrew, later Andrew II. The pope rebuked the Duke for failing to carry out his brother’s wish and urges him to treat the young king well. In his fourth letter, in particular, Honorius III defended the integrity of the iura regni, an action he justified in terms of his duty to protect the orphan, and the obligation to render judgment as vice-regent of Christ. He did not claim the rights of a feudal overlord.

The letters of 1205 stress that the “regalian rights should be preserved or maintained in their fullness,” as do the letters of 1225, directed to the same king, Andrew II, in a dispute with his son, Prince Bela. It is notable that the theory of the inalienability of regalian rights is not dependent upon a coronation oath. Furthermore, these directives were based on the pope’s spiritual rather than temporal power: Hungary was not a papal fief, and as noted, none of the letters press feudal claims. However, the Árpád dynasty had a long history of cooperation and the pope showed “paternal affection” toward the rulers of Hungary.

The author is Prof, of History at Pennsylvania State U. □

Sweeney, James Ross, "The Decretal Intellecto and the Hungarian Golden Bull of 1222.” In Album Elemer Malyusz. Studies Presented to the International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions, Brussels, 1976, pp. 91-96.

The Intellecto included in the Decretales of Pope Gregory IX “voided certain alienations. . . .which had been made in prejudice” to the Hungarian kingdom by Andrew 11. The Pope cites a clause in the coronation oath as binding the monarch “to preserve the rights of his kingdom and honor the crown unimpaired,” and the early date of 1220 assigned to this document seemed to suggest it had an influence on the Golden Bull. However, the true date of the letter seems to have been 1225. This suggests that the decretal and the bull shared a common political background, namely the resent(Continued on page 8)

NO. 13. 1977 HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER

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