Tündéres and the Order of St Ilona or, did the Hungarians have fairy magicians?

Pócs, Éva (2009) Tündéres and the Order of St Ilona or, did the Hungarians have fairy magicians? Acta Ethnographica Hungarica, 54 (2). pp. 379-396. ISSN 1216-9803

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Abstract

The paper discusses the question of the existence of Hungarian fairy magicians. Fairy magicians is a term to denote magicians who sustain a mediating connection with the fairy other world. One type of Hungarian fairies, usually called a szépasszony (fair woman), is closely related to the fairy world of the Balkans. The paper also analyses the way in which fairy beliefs radiated from the Balkans toward Hungary. The question is whether along with the fairy beliefs and narratives the Hungarians also appropriated the various methods of mediating communication with the fairies. In the light of a few recently published data and of recently discovered historical documents it can be stated that at least two types of Hungarian magicians (healers and weather magicians) as protégés and initiates of the fairies, did exist. There are a number of questions that can be answered better now than earlier, although even the totality of the old and the new data do not allow for a full reconstruction of the presumed system of Hungarian fairy magicians. However, the new data have outlined the geographic area where it is worthwhile to add further fieldwork to the research on contemporary issues. This is the contact zone between Hungarians, Croatians and Slovenians on the south-western borders of the Hungarian speaking area.

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