‘Nobody Appreciates the Soldiers’. The Afterlife of a Hungarian Soldier Lament (Eighteenth-Nineteenth Centuries)

Csörsz, Rumen István (2024) ‘Nobody Appreciates the Soldiers’. The Afterlife of a Hungarian Soldier Lament (Eighteenth-Nineteenth Centuries). HUNGARIAN STUDIES YEARBOOK, 6 (1). pp. 14-30. ISSN 2668-7542

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Abstract

The variants of the song analyzed in this paper have persisted in Hungarian popular poetry (manuscript songbooks) and folklore from the 1710s to the present day. The song, composed after the fall of Ferenc Rákóczi II’s War of Independence (1703–1711), expresses the grievances of soldiers regarding public order. Despite their heroism and victories, they were not appropriately honored by their noble officers, which facilitated the Habsburgs’ ability to suppress the revolt. Nearly all variants of the song criticize the arrogant Hungarian nobility for their delusions. Later versions of the song transcend the Kuruc era, addressing soldiers’ experiences more broadly across different historical periods. It was sung by Hungarian soldiers fighting against Napoleon and other adversaries, as well as in the context of conflicts with outlaws. Starting in the mid-19 th century, the rise of “Kuruc romanticism” imbued this popular song type with renewed significance, leading new written versions to be perceived by the public as “original.” The Tyukodi Song ( Te vagy a legény, Tyukodi pajtás – ‘You are the guy, our pal Tyukodi’) stands as one of the most renowned examples. It can be regarded both as an authentic relic and as a counterfeit, reflecting its dual role in Hungary’s cultural memory.

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