Arrabona - Múzeumi közlemények 31-33. (Győr, 1994)

Ágh Zsófia: Isten zászlai

Flags of God -Testament in an agricultural town called Halászi from the 19 th century 1. The original text of the Testament from 1818. Introduction. 1st point: direction of the funeral. 2nd point: direction of the Requiem donation on mass: 30 HUF. 3rd point: 100 HUF grant on making two temple flags. 4th point: She's donated 50-50 HUF on Kohlnhoffer Albert's 3 sons. 5th point: left the house, cattle and other goods on her husband. Ps: signatures of the town - principals. 2. Preparing to death It's always been an important thing in lives of peasant families: preparing to death. It wasn't compulsory to make will, but it was habitual in towns and noble-villages. 3. Analysis of the Testament The person, who left the quotated testament came from a noble family. The testament differs from average forms in the following things: the financial inventory isn't included, donations precede the demands and it has closer contact to the Church as usual. 4. The religious life of the town in the reflections of the Testament Above mentioned bequest on the Church was higher amount than the value of 4 cows. The donation is not rare in town. There's a foundation left on Requiem in 1799. They donate the maintenance of the surround's stone-crosses in 1770,1776,1779,1802, building hospital (1816) and statue of Saint Florian (1864). There were 30 foundations for the Church between 1890 and 1910. A woman without family left all her goods on the Church during the 1st World War. 5. The flag and funeral traditions Flags, that are mentioned in the testament probably were patronal festival flags. Flags at funeral were used only for members of Company inside the territory of Cemetery. According to researchers János Berze Nagy and Károly Tagányi, the black kerchiefs pinned on cross are relics of a pagan tradition: funeral with flag. Funeral with flag is well-known and often in range of aristocracy in Chatolic Europe. There were funeral flags above King Matthias' tomb in the Basilica /Cathedral of Székesfehérvár. The funeral is a fest at village-peasants similar to citizens. 6. Other religio ethnographic relations of flags The use of funeral flags in the 19th century in Halászi town isn't verified, but doesn't have to refuse it to totally. They went on patronal festivals with flag-march 5-6 times a year to different pilgrimage places of over Danube. We can find similarities among the pilgrimages, processions and funeral marches in form, function and symbology. These were originally against trombles and protective in one and the flag connected to them as sacral object, symbolized victory and life. 343