Arrabona - Múzeumi közlemények 35/1-2. (Győr, 1997)
Közlemények - Tóth László: Devoted to service
Dr. József Horváth: Turning over the leaves of the Barsi-bibliography The author gives a quantitative analysis of the bibliography compiled by Zsuzsanna Lanczendorfer (see Győri Tanulmányok Tó. /1995/). Until June 1995, 223 publications written by Ernő Barsi as well as 175(?) articles reflecting him and his works were registered. From the 223 entries 22 formed separate volumes, 1 1 works were included in different volumes of essays, and 190 were published in journals and periodicals. As to their subject, about half of the publications are connected with special localities (in Co. Borsod and the Small Hungarian Plain), while his other works are of national significance or of theoretical charakter. It can also be assumed that the importance of Barsi's oeuvre has been discovered by the press and by academic circles only in the last decade. Drlószló Tóth Devoted to service The author - who performed the duty of editing the present volume - argues, that these essays and etudes of recollections were written to congratulate to Ernő Barsi's 75th birthday, and not in order to give an account or to summarize his life-work. The basic method of his scientific work is to examine and collect relics of the fullness of popular life. In course of his research, he analyses common components of folklore (traditions, customs, cults) and the material world. He is not content with describing the meaning of the collected material and spiritual relics, but he examines their social, communal, economic, and religious environment and background. He is not only fond of folk poetry for its own sake, but explores its social, human, and moralmotivations. By analysing this multicoloured emotional world (folk-songs, folk-tales, children's songs, ditties, relics of popular beliefs), Barsi aims at completeness in his work to explore and preserve our common values. He is a fanatic, totally devoted to service, to the Almighty, to human and national culture. As an apostle of Hungarian national-popular culture, the uses the most ancient "material" of our cultural heritage to resuscitate, foster, and strengthen national consciousness and patriotic feelings among younger and older generations alike. ARRABONA 35/1-2
