Selmeczi László szerk.: Szolnok Megyei Múzeumi Évkönyv (1981)

L. Szabó: Changes of the Forms of Jazigian Self-Consciousness

* revival of a form of consciousness nearly entirely forgotten. Thanks to its ties to the old Jazygian consciousness it cannot turn up in a pure form. Elements of the historical and constitutional identity as well as the results of the origin studies on the scientific level of the age mixed in it. Today they can be found as fragments of legends among the Jazygian population. (Csörsz cycle, the legend of the horn of Lehel, Metanasta-Jazygian origins, etc.) 5. THE AGE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CONSCIOUSNESS The Jazygio-Cumanian District, established in 1745, adapted itself to the nobiliary comitat system of royal Hungary, as an administrative unit enjoying privileges and practice of the comitat. As a matter of fact, being a Jazygian did not only mean being under privileged circumstances and duties within the district, but it also meant the awareness of belonging to the administrative unit. This awareness created the administrative identity. Within the Jazygio-Cumanian District, the former districts (Jazygia, Cumania Maior and Minor) remained administrative units (subunits). Beside the awareness of belonging to the Jazygio-Cumanian District and the connected Jazygio-Cumanian consciousness, there remained the awareness of belonging to the Jazygian (Cumanian) District and along with it the Jazygian (Cumanian) consciousness, too. The Hungarian revolution of 1848 abolished the privileges of the nobility, and also eliminated those like the Cumanians'. From that time the Jazygians as well as the Cumanians were levelled up in law. Being Jazygian, Cumanian or Jazygio-Cumanian did not involve more privileges, although the JazygioCumanian District kept its self-dependent administrative unity up to the reform of the Hungarian comitat system of 1876. Therefore after 1848 the Jazygian consciousness gradually reduced itself to Jazygian and Cumanian (or Jazygio-Cumanian) administrative consciousness, and being Jazygian is not other than belonging to that administrative unit. All this brought about a new form of the Jazygian identity of the inquilinii, too. From that time they also began to feel Jazygian. After 1876 the unity of the District was abolished. Jazygia and Cumania Maior became parts of new Szolnok county. They retained only the rights of administrative subunits (districts). Some non-Jazygian settlements were also added to the new district, as a result of which the new settlements now belonging to the Jazygian district began to call themselves Jazygian. In fact the administrative consciousness broadened the Jazygian identity (since the inquilinii and the non-Jazygian settlements adopted it, and, in the meantime eliminated its original or former contents. Such a content of the Jazygian identity in the age of the administrative consciousness had been the means and ideology of the Jazygians and Cumanians in their futile fight to retain their independent administrative unity. Between 1848 and 1876 the former varieties of the Jazygian consciousness had also been surviving as ideological weapons in the fight of the different social strata. The redeemed (redemptii) using the consciousness of being redeemed in the consolidation of holdings fought against the irredeemed (irredemptii) of the Jazygian ethnic and historical identity in order to convert the divided common lands into their eternal properties. As for the irredeemed, they with the weapon of ethnic consciousness intended to exclude the inquilinii, while the latter demanded their share of the consolidation of holdings on the strength of the administrative consciousness. 6. THE JAZYGIAN HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL IDENTITY After 1848 being Jazygian meant no more privileges: neither social nor economic advantages. Then after 1876 the administrative independence was also abolished, and by this time the consolidation of holdings, the division of the puszta holdings had also been accomplished. All varieties of the former Jazygian consciousness had become part of the historical past; none of them played any more active role. Yet the Jazygian identity had not dissolved. Out of the former varieties there developed (emerged) a new Jazygian identity, by this time on the basis of objective scientific historical studies, emphasizing the heroic merits of the past and the different culture. Social strata of different origins also considered it as an ideology, though of little use, but adaptable to their situation. This identity became established due to the official education, the church and the administrative authorities. Its main content was that the Jazygians were best Magyars, and they, in one way or the other, were the chief supporters of the country (military and other services plus taxes), and were pioneers in the cultural and economic development. Fans of this historical and cultural identity has permanently been in search of those special Jazygian forms and features, taking all values characteristically Jazygian (customs, folksongs, dances etc.). t. c). This consciousness appearing as natural localpatriotism may produce new values and integrate the Jazygian population on the level of the culture and economy of our days. At the end of his studie the author draws the conclusion that the ethnic consciousness of an ethnic group or an ethnicity is always a reliable reflection of its social and economic existence as well as the final ideological summary of the aspirations of all ages, including our days. It is in permanent motion in accordance with the external and internal historical development and, as long as it can serve as useful ideology, it must be a means of extreme significance in order to maintain the ethnic group, ethnicity. 148