Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1978 (6. évfolyam, 16-18. szám)
1978 / 17. szám
means no increase or decrease.) Surveys suggest that couples are planning two or three children, but the general trend is toward a prevalent two-child family. The fact that 23% of the respondents favored three-child families, and 14% two-child families may have important implications in the future. The author is head of the Population Statistics Dept., of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office. Palotai, Michael, "Has Hungary Outgrown Kodály?” Music Educators Journal 64:6 (February 1978) 40-43. Palotai discusses the criticism of the way the Kodály method is used in Hungary, notably the tendency to emphasize method to the detriment of the goal. Since the method is widely used in Hungarian primary and secondary schools and in specialized music institutes, the problems seem to be national in scope. Stone, Edward, “Kossuth’s Hat: Foreign Militants and the American Muse,” E.S.Q.: A Journal of the American Renaissance 23:1 (1977) 26-40. In mid-19th century America, interest in European politics climaxed in the reception given to Louis Kossuth during his tour of the U.S. in 1851-52. Hawthorne referred to him in The Blithedale Romance, which he was writing at the time. Longfellow questioned the need for the general enthusiasm in his journal, yet wrote enthusiastically about “the great Magyar.” Emerson welcomed him to Concord and Whittier wrote a poem about him. In spite of this reaction, in spite of the resolutions in Congress to set aside lands for the Hungarian political refugees, Kossuth’s mission failed; he could not raise American support for the liberation of Hungary. This effort floundered primarily because of Southern opposition to any cause of liberty. The author is at Ohio U. Varsányi, Julius, “The Beginnings of an Ethnic Law of Human Rights in Medieval Hungarian Minority Statues,” Supplement, Ausztráliai Magyarság (Sydney) July 1977 3-8. Varsányi marshals evidence of 13th century Hungarian law guaranteeing rights to ethnic groups in the realm, particularly to the Cumans, based on the privilégium, or royal edict that formed a basic part of the legal framework of the Middle Ages. These laws governing the settlement of peoples in the kingdom, whether ethnically related to the Magyars or not, were not new; they were the confirmation of customary law. Essentially, the law granted noble status to the Cumanian community, guaranteed their own courts and judicial procedure, and that witnesses be of the same social grade and ethnic community in both civil and criminal procedure. The system, in spite of setbacks, essentially existed into the 19th century. The author is Research Associate at the Law Department of the U. of Adelaide, South Australia. Kabdebó, Thomas, “The Poetry of Hungary,” Critical Quarterly 18:4;61-71. Kabdebo/ gives an interesting insight into the process of translating some 800 Hungarian poemsfrom 1200to 1970. As one of the co-editors of the venture (which may be published by Jupiter Press of Chicago, III.), he is able to give informative excerpts of the numerous versions that went into the making of one or another successful work. The method followed was essentially cooperative: Hungarian writers giving a literal version to English and American poets (selected for their affinity with one or another of the poets) who then produced the final versions. Vazsony, Andrew, “The Cicisbeo and the Magnificent Cuckold: Boardinghouse Life and Lore in Immigrant Communities,” “Journal of American Folklore 91 (April-June 1978) 641-656. Hungarians who came to the steel cities south of Chicago early in this century did not intend to settle. They sought to earn enough money to buy land and some livestock upon their return to Hungary. Most young men, married or unmarried, came alone and very few women came. This led to the development of the burdosház (boarding house). Here, the immigrant found cheap lodging in a sense of a family atmosphere. The burdosgazda (landlord) and usually also his wife (burdosasszony) sublet their house according to well-defined rules. There is evidence that the fó'burdos (principal boarder) on occasion became the burdosasszony’s lover, nevertheless, his presence seems to have been accepted by the husband for reasons of security and practicality. Folklore attest to the fact that the fó'burdos was often an active suitor. In spite of the dangers to the marriage in such an arrangement, many men chose to open a burdrosház because of the additional income. The author is prof, of folklore at Indiana U. Vincze, Lajos, “Kinship Terms and Address in a Hungarian Speaking Peasant Community in Rumania," Ethnology XVII:1 (January 1978) 101-117. In Erdógyarak (Romanian name Ghiorac) kinship terms are extended into a community-wide address system. This renders improper the use of standard Hungarian titles in address, except when peasants address higher class persons. Systematic use of kinship terms in address constitutes a linguistic mark which differentiates the peasantry from other social strata. Four sibling terms, marking sex and relative age differences, are extended into general usage with kin and non-kin. Rules of usage are governed by relative age categories associated with different degrees of respect. The four terms convey the required respect for each category. Semantically, they convey feelings of solidarity and express a moderate measure of authority. These features fit into a cultural and social milieu which emphasizes communal and class solidarity, and regards age-related authority as an important source of status. The system of kinship terms enhances the consistency and predictability of behavior in personal interactions, and it injects a measure of hierarchical order into a society with minimal social differentiation. The author is assoc, prof, of sociology and anthropology at Bowling Green State U., Ohio. EDITORS CORNER The following kind people boosted our morale (we need it occasionally) and assisted us in composing this issue: E. Bakó, E. Chaszar, A. Lengyel, J.A. Lucas, and J. StClair. Special thanks are due to Susan Gal and Enikő M. Basa for their thorough reports on meetings found in this issue. Our apologies go to Dalma H. Brunauer for quoting her contribution to the MLA meeting wrongly. It should have said: Dalma Hunyadi Brunauer (Clarkson Coll, of Technology) delivered a paper, "Women’s Liberation 1910: Margit Kaffka’s Letters to Nyugat.” The Editor NO. 17, 1978, HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER 5
