The Eighth Tribe, 1977 (4. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1977-01-01 / 1. szám
Page 6 THE EIGHTH TRIBE January, 1977 Bulgarian, Macedonian, and several other borderline cases, such as the Carpatho-Ruthenian. (At times, the latter is considered a separate language, but at other times, simply a dialect of the Ukrainian.) But even within these languages, there are differences in dialects. And given favorable historical circumstances, eacli of these dialects could evolve into separate languages, and the people who speak them into separate nationalities. In light of the above, it should be evident that one of the most significant identifying features of a nationality is its language. Yet, not even the language is an absolute defining factor of a nationality. After all, in our own age, we know of several nationalities who speak identical languages. As an example, there is the case of the English language, which is the national tongue of such diverse nationalities as the English, the Americans, the Irish, the Canadians, the Australians, and even the New Zealandese. There are other examples too. Yet, in most instances, it is primarily the language that determines one’s nationality. In the more distant past, however, one’s “ethnicity” may also have played a role. But as diverse people intermixed, in the course of the many milleniums and centuries these often difficult-to-define ethnic characteristics have lost their significance. In most instances only the language remained as a readily distinguishing factor. Although all languages are different from all other languages, most of them can be classified into several major linguistic groups or “families of languages.” This generally means that the nationalities who speak related languages are often related to one another, however remotely. There are, of course, gradations in these relationships, depending on when these groups broke off from one another. Linguistic relationship, however, does not always mean ethnic relationship. And conversely, the lack of linguistic relationship does not preclude ethnic relationship among nationalities. We know of many examples when people have changed their language without altering their fundamental ethnicity. And we also know of cases when certain nationalities have gradually intermixed with surrounding peoples, thereby altering their ethnicity, but without giving up their original language. A good example for the first instance is the case of the people of North Africa, who have accepted the Arab language, following the Arab conquest of the seventh century A.D., but did so without becoming ethnically Arabized (e.g. the Hamitic and Berber peoples of today’s Egypt, Lybia, Tunisia, Algeria). Another case would be that of the Bulgarians, a 4 Folk Arts-Crafts “From Village to Village” Exhibit By Hungarian Scouts of New Brunswick, New Jersey November 23-28, 1976 Paul Teleki Scout Hall Two floorsful of artifacts were on hand for public view, with courteous, enthusiastic, and intelligent guides to personally aid visitors in an educational, historical, and cultural review of creatively-conceived and handcrafted articles which were lent for this special occasion by families and friends of the Hungarian Scouts as well as others in the community vicinity. Warm welcome would greet individuals at the door by the various participants plus the pleasing scene that included booths (by specific regions), wall hangings, glass cases, as well as a central revolving turntable on which life-size manikins were colorfully displaying their head-to-toe outfits that portrayed authentic women’s garb for a few particular geographic sections of Hungary. One model depicted the way in which the front of the outer skirt was tucked up into the belt, with apron overlapping the folds and numerous, fully-pleated underskirts—this effect provided both utility and beauty in these women’s clothing so as to enable them to ride horseback comfortably even with traditional feminine attire. One southerly Hungarian region’s outfit for women did not have the booted footwear, but instead included heelless cloth slippers considered more stylish (probably more in keeping, too, with climatic conditions that often could be warmer than elsewhere in Hungary). The famous honey-cakes (Mézes Kalács) in heart and other shapes, decorated with icing, some including mirrors plus poetic verses for beloved ones— many, too pretty to eat. Highlights of noteworthy items were: hand-woven, sewn, and embroidered garments plus furnishings such as vests, blouses, shirts, caps, under and outer skirts, aprons, shawls, pillowcases, bedding, rugs, coverings, carvings, scrimshawed work, etc., as illustrative samples of various representative regions in Hungary, such as the following: Northern Hungary — Palóc ■— From the diverse villages of this gentle, hilly area, there are characteristic designs, dress, modes, ceramic as well as wood artifacts, and especially the unique wooden drinking cup. Northern Hungary — Matyó — Here there are only a few villages, with a low economy, yet with highly tasteful creativity in their costumes, embroidery, ceramics, wooden items, etc., so much so that their exquisite articles with metallic gold-threaded embroidery and other crafts were considered to be a greatly extravagant luxury and therefore church authorities about two hundred years ago destroyed most, if not all, of these items for the intent of putting a stop to such unnecessarily fancy and “devilish work.’’ To this day, their artistic efforts, however, are still particularly outstanding and elaborately designed, with symbolic colors of: black for the life-giving earth; red for thematic brightness of light, joy, or summer; and blue for sadness, death, or the past. Southern Hungary — Kalocsa — This area was more recently developed, only about 200 years ago, as compared to elsewhere in Hungary. Their folk
