Hungarian Heritage Review, 1987 (16. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1987-06-01 / 6. szám
Sfentnre of e 3®IoniIj ROZSA SÁNDOR: THE “ROBIN HOOD” OF HUNGARY- by -ENDRE HARASZTI (Translated from the Hungarian by Zoltán Solymosi) PART I “When some rich traveller came, Marci shouted at him, ‘Come on with your purse, or you’ll get done in!’ “When some poor wretch showed up, he treated him kindly: ‘Come on take my purse — farewell and God bless you. ’ (Zöld Marci, by Sándor Petőfi, April 1847) The word "betyár" is one among many flavorsome Hungarian terms that defy translation. Some feel that the word means "a jobless servant.” This definition, however, is not acceptable because the true "betyár" was hardly unemployed. Secondly, he could not be considered a "servant,” for he was fiercely independent. Most Hungarian-English dictionaries equate the word “betyár" with "outlaw.” While it is true that most "betyars" were, indeed, outlaws, this definition omits the romantic, chivalrous aspect of the calling — the taking from the rich and giving to the poor. Perhaps the best comparison in terms of meaning would be with the English word "highwayman.” This denotes a very romantic, glamorous, gallant thief, always more than likely to end up on the gallows, but still considered as a kind of "knight-errant” by the people of his time. King of the Betyars Sándor Rozsa, uncrowned King of the Betyars, has been compared with Robin Hood, the legendary 12th Century English outlaw of Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire. He was a larger-than-life, heroic figure, an idol of the poor because he stole only from the haughty aristocrats and wealthy merchants. And Robin Hood has been the favorite of many writers, poets and balladeers. The great novel "Ivanhoe” by Sir Walter Scott is perhaps the greatest work in which the character of Robin Hood plays a major part. The Betyár as Freedom Fighter The activities of the betyars in Hungary aroused much controversy among their own contemporaries. If one relies on Court documents, the picture is, of course, unflattering. Without exception they were regarded as rascals, rustlers of horses and cattle, highwaymen, arsonists and murderers. Still, in the eyes of the country folk they remained heroes because they personified the people’s opposition to despotism and oppression. The people hailed the betyars as God-sent protectors of defenseless commoners against the mighty, and as avengers of bureaucratic abuses. The deeds of the legendary Sándor Rozsa showed his awareness of his own political importance; this, perhaps, is the main reason for his prominence among the betyars. Rozsa’s Youth Rozsa was born on a ranch at Szeged in 1813. His childhood was haunted by a robbery in which his father was beaten to death. While much of his early life is obscured by time, we do know that in 1836, at the age of 23, he had been a novice herdsman at Kunhalas, where he was accused of rustling. For this crime he received a jail sentence of 18 months combined with quarterly floggings. According to the infamous Werbőczy Code, Rozsa could have been sentenced to death for this crime. Actually, after only half a year in jail, the wily Rozsa escaped from prison and went into hiding. At this time Rozsa learned that —continued next page 22 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW JUNE 1987
