Gulyás Éva: Egy őszi pásztorünnep és európai párhuzamai: Adatok a Vendel-kultusz magyarországi kutatásához – Szolnok megyei múzeumok közleményei 42. (1986)

Veneration of Saint Wendelinus by the people flourished in Hungary in the first half of the 19th century. After this time his roadside statues of folk spirit became more and more frequent, primarily in the eastern part of the country where his figure was compltely „Hungarized" both in the statues and in verbal traditions, (county of Heves, Jazygia, county Szolnok). However, the cult remained under the influence of the church in the Transdanubium (with portayals in baroque and rococo style), or his figure was formed by German colonist's heritage from their homelands. In time of the naturalization of the Wendelinus-cult, in the 18th century many other patrons of animals had been honoured with great traditions in Hungary. In the western part of the country Leonard was popular as the „Saint with the cattle". The herdsman-customs of German origin on the day of Martin (11th Nov), spread in the villages of the Transdanubium. In certain places Elias, Stephen, Roch and Venance were honoured as patrons of animals. In the Plains the days of Saint Michael (29th Sept.), Demetrius (26th Oct.), occasionally of Simon-Judas (28th Oct.) and Hallow's day (1st Nov.) indicated the end of the farming season, the time of accounts and engagement of herdsmen. Veneration of the new cattle-patron, Saint Wendelinus, could not overshadow these customs everywhere, absolutely not in those places (Great Cumania, Hortobágy) where traditional ways of livestock-breeding survived; or, his veneration spread in different socio-economic conditions. The latter was experienced in Jazygia, in Little Cumania, in the vicinity of Szeged and among the peasant-shepherds in the county of Nógrád, where the smallholder livestock-breeding society was paying homage to Wendelinus in the way popularized by the catholic church. Saint Wendelinus remained the „holy Christian Saint" also in Hungary. In his cult the motifs of protection, avoidance of diseases and of curing, originating from the animal-patron spirit became conspicious. His honour was manifested mostly in religious acts (procession, services, etc.). The day of Wendelinus took over the traditional role of ancient herdsmanfeasts only in some places, eg. in Jazygia where his day was celebrated by sheep-owners, in suppers. This sacral tradition spread widely in Hungary, but became a constituting, peculiar element of Hungarian folk culture only locally outside the borders of Jazygia. In general it retained the specific features of its German origin and of being spread by the church. 147