Barsi Ernő: Sály : egy bükkalji falu a hagyományos gazdálkodás idején (A miskolci Herman Ottó Múzeum néprajzi kiadványai 17. Miskolc, 1965)

SUMMARY S á I y (a village undei Hie Bükk mountain at the time of traditional farming) by Barsi, Ernő Sály village lies at the southern foothills of Bükk -mountain. According to Anonymus our conquesting forebears with Leader Árpád at the head came to a halt beside a brook traversing the valley in 896. „It was the place where Árpád had alloted land to Ócsád, father of Örsúr, who afterwards built a castle at the source of the river and is called castle of Örsúr - put Anonymus in his chronicle Gesta Hungarorum. The castle itself was an earthwork serving above all for protection of örsúr's goods. The people belonging to the estate settled down anrl.i-stablished a village for themselves at foot of the castle, and the village was named Váralja - foot of castle -. In the course of time the clan of örsúr multiplied and devided into branches. It made necessary to draw further down the valley and created settlements as well. The clan later was named after grandson, Tibold of Örsúr. Further settlements - also Sály located on the south ol Váralja - obtained their names fron members of Tibold Clan. Thus the different lines of Váralja. Sály, Geszt and Leányfalva of the family Tibold were devided. Váralja - belonging to Sály under name Latorut this time - was mentioned in 1292. While Sály was refered to in 1348 for the first time. At first keeping of livestock was characteristic of manners and production of the village. By beginning of the 13th century the agriculture isof equal importance, then by the end of the century agriculture obtains greater part not only at Sáiy, however in the whole county. Primarily corn was raised and waterpower of brooks was used for driving mills grinding the corn. The uniform serfdom comes into being making free moving possible. In 1596, after surrender of Castle of Eger and defeat at Mezőkeresztes, Sály is burnt down by the Turk. The village becomes deserted. Remained inhabitants seek refuge in nearby mountains, most of them conceal themselves in cave-dwellings hewed in calc tuff of Tarizsa -mountain. It can be read in a tax-register originated from 1685 that from among the ten houses at Sály there are only four inhabited. The last örsúr-descendant at Sály: Sályi Tibold Zsigmond dies without boy offspring in 1660. The estate is redeemed by his wife, Kakasfalvi Csuda Zsuzsanna for 3000 gulden and marries Négycsi Szepessy Pál, one of leading personalities of the Kurutsmovements. His heirs possess the whole estate of Sály till the middle of 19th century. The estate keeps on deviding by marrying into the family. Families Eötvös, Fáy, Csáky become owners building a manor-house in the village. Besides part-owners of less importance are listed in Geographical Dictionary of Hungary written by Fényes Elek in 1851. The village has an area of around 11.000 acres this time. Of this the woods figure out 3190 acres, vineyard 1940 acres (since the 17th century also vineculture comes to the front), plough-land 2400 acres, meadow 1170 acres, pasture 2200 acres. The whole woods and most part of land belong to the landlords. Merely 923 acres plough-land, 728 acres pasture and 36 acres hemp-field is given to the serfs in return of tithe on 1758 acres vineyard. Large estates are in decay since middle of 19th century, the landowner families sink into poverty, die out. By the beginning of the 20th century only two large estates remain, thus more land falls to the share of people. Despite it is still litte, since population of the village increases from 1618 to 2083 between 1851 and 1924. Some 2840 acres land is given to the people who had been cultivating it like their own since turn of the century, for realization of abolition of selfdom was fifty years long in coming. 1611 farmers live on this area, so hardly over one and a half acre falls on one person. Afterliberation in 1945 the large estate is completly abolished, then socialist-type agriculture is started in 1960. Beside the large estate the Church played significant part in guiding of the people in the village for centuries. In the 14th century Váralja had a church and own priest. The Reformation helps Sály to have the first church. The Calvinist Church is established here in 1581. Its first relics are still in existence only from 1690: Lord's Supper zinkcup and baptistery plate given as gift by Szepessy Pál Jr. The name of the first teacher, Pásztor János and death of the first priest, Polgárdi István are recorded in 1766. Register of births, marriages and deaths has been kept since 1769, Protocollum since 1789. At the head of the Church stands the Consistorium maintaining grand discipline. It is recorded in protocols remained untouched. No data about construction of first calvinist church survived. Négyesi Szepessy János has got it rebuilt in 1713, then in 1826 it crashes down and is reconstructed in present form by 1845. With sponsoring of Szepessy Sámuel the catholich church in Baroque style is built in 1791-1793, however the bell-tower is put up only in 1824. The Roman Catholic Church becomes independent in 1810, till that time it is attached to Daróc. 201