Nyelvtudományi Közlemények 87. kötet (1985)

Tanulmányok - Szíj Enikő: A Kalevala és a magyarok [The Kalevala and the Hungarians] 399

A KALEVALA ÉS A MAGYAROK 417 The Kalevala and the Hungarians by ENIKŐ SZÍJ This is the edited version of a paper read at the Kalevala jubilee célébrations of the Hungárián Academy of Sciences on February 11, 1985. — The author characterizes the major trends in the Kalevala cult in Hungary. The popularization of Finnish folk poetry (Kalevala and Kanteletar) began around the same time as Vanha Kalevala appeared. By 1985 the fifth Hungárián translation of the entire Kalevala epic was compléted and this alone shows the intense Hungárián interest in the Finnish national epic. — At the beginning Kalevala was used as a „weapon" by Hungárián scholars striving for the populär récognition of the Finno-Ugric origin of Hungárián. Being the linguistic congeners of Finns is not a shame since the Finns, unlike the Hungarians, have a national epic. According to the romantic epic theory an epic is the surest sign of an outstanding populär spirit. Since the 1880s Kalevala has been taught to Hungárián majors at the universities and it has been the topic of scholarly communication between Finns and Hungarians. The first Finnish—Hungárián scholarly debate concerned allitération in Kalevala. Since the 1870s Hungarians have played a mediatory role in making Kalevala known beyond the borders of Finland. At the suggestion of a Hungárián, B. Vikár, Akseli Gallen-Kallela painted illustrations to The Songs of Kullervo (1908) and the jubilee edition of Kalevala (1935) translated by Vikár. The 1909 Hungárián translation by Vikár did in fact influence Hungárián poetic language and style, as was anticipated by Y. Wichmann in his congratulatory letter written to Vikár and published here for the first time. The esthetic value of Kalevala became more and more appreciated in Hungary. The works of several 20th Century Hungárián classics and contemporary writers and poets show familiarity with Kalevala. Until world War II Kalevala had several Hungárián éditions, parts of it were played on the stage, and its runes were often cited by Hungarians. Finnish works of art related to Kalevala were populär in Hungary (e.g. Sibelius). After the war, the jubilee célébrations held in 1949 provided a good opportunity for Finns and Hungarians to reestablish contacts. In the 1970s two Hungárián translations appeared, one by Kálmán Nagy (Transylvania) and the other by István Rácz (Finland). These Hungárián renderings reflect two very différent attitudes to translation. Parts of the Vikár translation were replaced by the translation by Géza Képes and this version, played by the Hungárián Körszínház (Round Théâtre), was a great success in Finland. Kalevala is taught in ail Hungárián schools and is played as a puppet show at Budapest's Bábszínház. — Thus Kalevala is far from being a dust-covered book in Hungary. It is held in greater esteem than in Finland and other countries. It is the symbol of the Finnish people and literature and—in the words of its first Hungárián translator F. Barna—it is the cornerstone of the indestructible intellectual bridge between Finns and Hungarians.