The Eighth Tribe, 1977 (4. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1977-03-01 / 3. szám
March, 1977 THE EIGHTH TRIBE Page 7 River. They called their new homeland “Etelköz” (Etelkuzu = “The Land between the rivers”). The Magyars remained in Etelköz only for about six decades. But during this short period they underwent further transformation. They were joined there by three fragmented Khazar tribes (known as the Katars — “Rebels”), whereby they further increased their Turkic ethnicity. Moreover, on this occasion they may also have picked up some of the Savards or “Savard Magyars” of the Caucasian region. These “Savard Magyars” allegedly came from the south of the Caucasian Mountains, and thus may have added some Trans-Caucasian (Persian, Islamic, Mesopotamian, etc.) cultural and linguistic influences to the make-up of the Magyars. This, however, is not certain. Most scholars claim that the Savards were in fact Magyars, who broke off from the main body of the nation during the 660’s or 670’s, gradually worked themselves across the Caucasian Mountains, and managed to survive in the Trans-Caucasian region for many centuries. Following these additions (and perhaps losses), the Magyars of Lebedia have basically reached the stage of their ethnic and linguistic evolution which was identical to that of the Árpádian conquerors a few decades later. It is quite evident that by this time they had become ethnically mixed, largely by the constant infusion of Turkic blood. They had also become bilingual, in that a sizable portion of the conquerors spoke a Turkish dialect as their primary language. It is true that subsequently the use of Turkish had gradually disappeared. But it did not disappear without leaving its imprint upon the basically Finno-Ugric, and remotely related Magyar language. During the period that followed the Magyars’ declaration of independence from the Khazars, they initiated an increasingly independent foreign policy. They did this not only vis-a-vis their former overlords, the Khazars, but also toward the Byzantine Empire, the Bulgarian Empire in the Balkans, the Arab Khalifate, as well as the newly formed Kiev Rus, the first East Slavic state founded under the leadership of the Scandinavian Varangians around 860 A.D. It is interesting that while at that time most sources still referred to the Magyars as “Turks,” some Arab sources began to call them “Magyars.” In their search for new possibilities, by the late 830’s some of the Magyars had already crossed the Lower Danube into present-day Bulgaria. Moreover, by 862 one of their armies had penetrated their future homeland, the Carpathian Basin. Following this visit, they frequently 17 Perhaps we should add that authors like Ferenc and Lél Somogyi, and such others whose works we have discussed on the pages of The Eighth Tribe (L. Könnyű, J. Széplaki, L. Eszenyi), are doing a great service for the cause of Hungarian culture. Without an appreciation of their works by the reading public, however, much of their effort will prove to have been in vain. (Faith and Fate can be ordered from the authors: 220 Harding Street, Medina, Ohio 44256, or from: Kárpát Publishing Co., Inc., 1017 Fairfield Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44113.) If you know someone, who should receive this magazine, please send us their name and address. Kodály Chorus of New Jersey — Winter Concert Rutgers University, Kirkpatrick Chapel December 5, 1976 This resplendant group of approximately fifty mixed voices presented diversified musical renditions representing a broad-ranging repertoire to an audience numbering 300-400 devotees of Hungarian cultural arts, who apparently enjoyed with immense pleasure this three-hour evening program at the Queen’s Campus in New Brunswick, N. J. Organ Preludium of “Variations on Christmas Carols” by Marcel Dupré engagingly opened the concert, with performance by Dr. George Markey (of Westminster Choir College, Princeton; All Souls Lutheran Church, New York; American Guild of Organists, Board of Directors.) Greetings were extended by Dr. Lajos Boros, who gave an interesting account of how the Kodály Chorus became created as a result of needed cultural expression in the Garden State Arts Center and people of the State of New Jersey. The beginning choral segment consisted of religious works sung in Hungarian by the Kodály Chorus, directed by The Reverend András Hamza (of the Magyar Reformed Church, Manville, N. J.; Magyar Presbyterian Church, New York). These selections comprised: “Minden földek Istent dicsérjétek” (“All ye lands proclaim your glory to God”) — László Halmos; “Ah, hol vagy magyarok” (“Oh, where are you, Magyars”) — Mihály Bozóki; “LXXXIV. genfi zsoltár” (“Genevan psalm 84”) — Claude Goudimel; “Csendes bizalom éneke” (“Hymn of quiet faith”) — László Halmos; “Jubilate” (“Jubilation”) —1 Helmut Walcha. Madrigal pieces presented by the Chorus included: “Éljen kánon” (“Hurrah, Canon”) — Antonio Salieri; “Zsoldos szerenád” — Orlandus Lassus; “Gagliarda” — Leo Hassler; “Csónakos ének” (“Boating song”) — Giovanni Gastoldi; and “Baráti kör” (“Friendship Circle”) — Daniel Friderici. Folk song choral pieces were: “Elindultam szép hazámból” (“I left my beautiful home land”) — Jenő Ádám; “Ablak alatt” (“Beneath a window”) •— Lajos Bárdos; “A huszár” —• Kálmán Nádasdy; plus “Réten, réten” (“In the meadow”) — Lajos Bárdos. Soprano Ilona Boros soloed with the •following lyrical works: “Erdő nincsen zöld ág nélkül” (“No forest is without
