Román János (szerk.): Borsodi levéltári évkönyv 4. (Miskolc, 1981)
Angol nyelvű összefoglaló
In 1919 the District of Királyhelmecz ceased to exist because the northern part of Bodrogköz had become part of the Czechoslovakian Republic. As a result, the Office of District-Notary was formed to which Pácin belonged as a fellow-village, at the same time a new district of Bodrogköz was also formed with the centre in Riese. The administrative work of Karcsa and Pácin was done in Karcsa till 1947, but in the same year they separated and both villages had their own administration. After the formation of councils, Karcsa became a district centre again in 1969 after the village Karos had been transferred to it with its decreasing population. The situation, however, changed again some years later when in 1977 the council of Pácin also united with that of Karcsa and the Common Village Council of Karcsa consisting of three villages was formed. In Karcsa centralization is now going on. In accordance with this must public buildings be built, they must ensure social and community provision, which is quite sure to be done, since the council has done more for the village in the past thirty years than the previous administration had done from the beginning. THE „SAVAGE BRIGANDAGE” AND JOE JÁGER’S BALLAD Sándor Dömötör It was especially in Upper Hungary that woodland pastoral life produced those particular conditions in which local phenomena of individual social rebellion got into touch with the archaic forms of social protest. For all romantic believes outlaws were not supporters of poor people, since it was them who needed their support. The base of brigandage containing social progression is that according to local morals people do not consider those men to be criminals who rebel against the illegal acts of power. It would have been the hardest blow for them to be separated from their supporters, suppliers, from those giving them shelter. It had occurred, however, that the embittered outlaw defrauded, put his true supporters to shame, as well. It is natural that these had been avenged cruelly. Relying upon archival data the author shows what a dirty trick Pista Keskeny and his comrades served those herdsmen who had stripped them to get clothes and boots. Authorities could not find political features in thes^ crimes and they avenged them cruelly. Among these savage outlaws, bandits was Joe Jäger, a swineherd (1798-1832), who came from the village Tibolddaróc. He was first up against the law at the age of 30. After he had been selling pigs from the squire’s herd to people of the neighbourhood, he was soundly punished. He broke gaol and became the terror to the inhabitants of three counties. Because of his use of force, a herdsman struck him dead with his hatchet in the fields of the village Szucs. This event has been immortalized in the ballad on him and it is sung in many places even today. Not that Joe Jäger was considered to be a national ideal, but because his story reminds us of poverty making people so wild. 319
