Magyar Cserkész, 1929 (10. évfolyam, 14. szám)
1929-07-15 / 14. szám
No. 14. MAGYAR CSERKÉSZ 279 HUNGARIAN SCOUTS AND HUNGARIAN SOIL. By S. M. Prof. Dr. Francis Fodor. A Hungarian Scout with „árvalányhaj“ on his hat, Árvalányhajas cserkész. was not until the sixteenth century, that Hungary got stronger again ; then, we find it an earthly Paradise once more. When once more all was right, a greater blow came then ever. Under the terrible force of the Turkish armies that rose to conquer Western Europe : it was Hungary once more that bled away : Hungary opposed the Turcs, saving the civilisation of Western Europe. And again, it was the Middle Land, the great plain country between the Danube and Tisza that was ruined first; non-Hungarian inhabitans on the frontiers and the population of the mountain-land never suffered so much. The Hungarian low land was so totally ruined, that when the Turcs withdrew about the end of the 17th century, Hungary looked something like Minor Asia now. deserted, sandy, woodless. There was no sign of a past culture Hungary was so proud of. The deserts, the „Puszta“, had the upperhand where woods of „Árvalányhaj" grew ; but on this land that population hardly found its living, that was left behind when the Turcs had gone. They could do nothing but breed cattle. There was nothing more left on the Hungarian flatland but sand, whirled by the whirlwind, dry meadows of „Árvalányhaj“ and endless moors. Once more Hungarians had to work tremendously to bring their country in order. They had to drain moorland of the size of the Holland. They had to build up dams in a length that the Atlantic could have been laid through with. Large territories were inhabitable, before the flying sand was not bound by large plantations of acacias and other means. The „Árvalányhaj" on the scouts hat is a remembrance of those desperate times. Hungarian scouts like to camp on lands where the wind plays even nowadays with the weavy beauty of the Árvalányhaj. The country of these boys is since the Peace Treaties of Trianon at least — chiefly a lowland territory. No fine mountain-sceneries, waterfalls The best adornment of the Hungarian scout is the „Árvalányhaj" (arvolanhoy), waving about on his scout-hat. It is a soft, weavy, hair-fine plant growing only in the Hungarian Puszta and called „The Orphan Girl's Hair“ (Stipa pinnata L.) He is well known by this adornment in foreign countries. This fine adornment is a symbol at he same time, a symbol of the Hungarian land. It not only symbolizes the real Hungarian earth; it is part of Hungarian history, too. Many fine poems sing the praise and the loveliness of this real flower of the Hungarian Puszta ; many a folklore gives a special importance to it. But what is the connection of „Árvalányhaj“ with the Hungarian history? It reminds us of very sad facts and events. It reminds us of a sorrowful historic past. It reminds us, boy scouts, of our own past. On Hungarian territory, when our ancestors took it in their possession (A. D. 896) from the inhabitants, there was no Árvalányhaj Puszta in the valley of Middle Europe, the Valley between the Duna-Danube and Tisza. On the contrary, rich grazing lands, enormous virgin woods adorned this rich country. Later these woods were partly demolished by Hungarians in order to change them over to wheatfields. Hungarians had to get accostumed to the vicinity; they had much to do with their development under Saint Stephen, the first Christian King. Fields were kept in perfect order and there was no place for any dry Puszta, for any „Árvalányhaj". In the thirteenth century however, a terrible blow was given to Hungary. The Mongol hoards came from Asia, nearly annihilated the Hungarian race and nation. Their force was however broken here; they did not get further towards Western Europe. After this however, the population of the Hungarian Low Land (Alföld) was so scarce and so small in number, that they have not been strong enough any more to keep their rich fields in order and to cultivate them ; Hungary became a wild desert, a „jungle". And it The body of King Luois II. is found after the battle of Mohács (1529). The Turkish reign beginns with this unfortunate battle. Picture of a famous Hungarian artist. A mohácsi vész után megtalálják az elesett II. Lajos magyar király holttestét. Székely Bertalan magyar festőművész képe.
