Szirácsik Éva (szerk.): A Magyar Mezőgazdasági Múzeum Közleményei 2018-2019 (Budapest, 2019)

Sánta Ákos: Főúri halál a 17. századi Magyarország. Az élelemszerzéstől a szórakozásig

Aristocrats’ tally-ho in 17th century Hungary.

From provisions to sport

ÁKOS SÁNTA

The early modern period in Europe saw an increasing number of specialist and literary publications devoted to hunting. Even though no expert hunting publication survived in Hungary from that period, that does not mean that authors did not discuss hunting either from an expert or an artistic point of view. The most important sources concerning the history of hunting include diaries, autobiographies or manorial account books, which quite often contain references to this pastime. Contemporary correspondence also presents a wealth of references. Based on these sources we can establish that members of the Hungarian aristocracy in the 17th century created a well-defined hunting culture among themselves. According to the sources hunting had three functions. The first and most ancient was the supply of provisions. As we approach the early modern era the importance of this function gradually decreased. In the 17th century hunting for these nobles had a significance that transcended the economic aspect, as it was regarded a form of military training, a preparation for war. The third and most general or perhaps most important role appears in the sources as a sport or recreation that was simple, often without ceremonies, providing a pleasant spectacle and delighting the soul of the participants.

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