Just like
last year with the vampires and werewolves, I made another collection
work for Halloween, this time with my favourite topic, the witches. I hope you find it interesting. [If not, then not. :)]
Where to begin a soo complex topic like this.
What for sure I will skip writing about the horrid events what the Inquision caused in Hungary too, but I try to focus on the folk belief part. We already know the real history anyway…
What we all agree with, that who were the so called 'witches' whom must die: practitioners of ancient religions, free spirits, individualists, loners, scholastics, wise but unsociable people, clerks [whom "knew too much"…], people with unusal mental illness [and because of this they caused troubles without even knew what they did], midwives, rebels, remonstrants whom were against a system [or the Catholic system itself], parent was betrayed by the children, child was betrayed/or selled by the parent, neighbour was betrayed by neighbour [just like in Communism] but most of all women whom tried to live their life as they wanted but the chauvinist sexually aberrant inquisitors [and some other men] said "~Ah aah there is no such thing my love" and put them on the fire as a piece of wood… aaand with my angry feminist thoughts, antisocial behavior, red flaming hair and big mouth I probably would not have lived a long life in those times… Thank Buddha this is the 21th century yet! [except for some people whom still living in the Middle Ages… like my cretin boss… but no, he is rather in the Stone Ages…]
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Well, let's start with some words:
boszorkány, bűbájos, bű szerzet, tudós kocsis, vadleány, táltos, varázsló, tudákos, Vasorrú Bába, Rézfaszú Bagoly, szépasszony, rézorrú anyó, garabonciás, ördöngös molnár
These are all supernatural beings with the ability of magic, foretelling, shapeshifting or evil doings in Hungarian folklore.
Let's see them a little closer:
boszorkány/witch
They used this term onto anyone – mostly old-aged women – whom considered to be outcasts or loners by the "normal" society. This could be a natural healer, a midwive, a fortune teller, a quack doctor etc. In folk tales they are mostly malevolent, bitchy old women whom are real trouble-makers and particularly evils. They believed that the boszorkány is the mother of the Devil himself.
The witch's characteristic in folk tales
She likes to eat up her guests or just desire their hearts, wants their livers or pinkies. She can rise her power by eating those.
Sometimes she is a [dead] old woman who lives alone in a strange house far from the village and she searches for a family with little children to be the nanny. In one of the tales the mother can't find a nanny in the whole village, then a strange old lady comes and applies for the job. Years later when the kids are grown-ups they along with their mother go to visit the old lady. They find the strange house and step in it they see curious things such as the spoons and prick-bars are dancing and there is a huge fire in the fireplace while the old woman just puts back her head onto her neck… the arriving company freeze down out of fear and can't eat a bit when the old hag offers delicious things and tries to explain herself. Then she shouts a big: "Then I will eat you up too!"
A couple of "facts" about witches written down at Hungarian witch-trials [17th century]
-they can fly because they grease their armpits with a kind of flying-fat [jeeez]
-they can become invisible and can get through even a keyhole
-they can turn into cat, frog, dog, geese, raven and even pumpkin or mulberry tendril too
-a witch is able to squeeze milk from gate-post, making cottage cheese from tablecloth, butter from horse-dung aaand lays its own eggs [stupid]
-they usually gather on Tokaj Mountains or Gellért Hill with loud evil noise [then everyone is a witch who ever spent a good time in our famous wine countries…]
The witch's characteristic in folk tales
She likes to eat up her guests or just desire their hearts, wants their livers or pinkies. She can rise her power by eating those.
Sometimes she is a [dead] old woman who lives alone in a strange house far from the village and she searches for a family with little children to be the nanny. In one of the tales the mother can't find a nanny in the whole village, then a strange old lady comes and applies for the job. Years later when the kids are grown-ups they along with their mother go to visit the old lady. They find the strange house and step in it they see curious things such as the spoons and prick-bars are dancing and there is a huge fire in the fireplace while the old woman just puts back her head onto her neck… the arriving company freeze down out of fear and can't eat a bit when the old hag offers delicious things and tries to explain herself. Then she shouts a big: "Then I will eat you up too!"
A couple of "facts" about witches written down at Hungarian witch-trials [17th century]
-they can fly because they grease their armpits with a kind of flying-fat [jeeez]
-they can become invisible and can get through even a keyhole
-they can turn into cat, frog, dog, geese, raven and even pumpkin or mulberry tendril too
-a witch is able to squeeze milk from gate-post, making cottage cheese from tablecloth, butter from horse-dung aaand lays its own eggs [stupid]
-they usually gather on Tokaj Mountains or Gellért Hill with loud evil noise [then everyone is a witch who ever spent a good time in our famous wine countries…]
Where a witch gets its supernatural power and knowledge from or How can you take the knowledge and become a witch...
There are three ways
A. by heredity
The nominee [who wants to be the next witch] holds its dying – also witch – relative's hand. The only problem is when you haven't got any witch relatives, eh?
The nominee [who wants to be the next witch] holds its dying – also witch – relative's hand. The only problem is when you haven't got any witch relatives, eh?
B. in a meadow
The nominee goes out in a meadow with an older witch. They see a "maggoty dog" first, then a kissing dove pair. The nominee stands on thistles with bare feet and waits. A bumblebee is flying around, but the nominee doesn't want to swallow it. Then the witch tells that the maggoty dog symbolizes those who swallowed the bumblebee and the kissing doves those who didn't want to. The bumblebee symbolizes the 'knowledge' [probably the occult or higher knowledge] itself. So let the knowledge fly freely don't swallow it! [especially if that is really a bumblebee, because it's endangered!]
The nominee goes out in a meadow with an older witch. They see a "maggoty dog" first, then a kissing dove pair. The nominee stands on thistles with bare feet and waits. A bumblebee is flying around, but the nominee doesn't want to swallow it. Then the witch tells that the maggoty dog symbolizes those who swallowed the bumblebee and the kissing doves those who didn't want to. The bumblebee symbolizes the 'knowledge' [probably the occult or higher knowledge] itself. So let the knowledge fly freely don't swallow it! [especially if that is really a bumblebee, because it's endangered!]
C. at a crossroad
The nominee draws a circle at a crossroad and must stays inside the circle anything comes on the road toward him/her, a wise old man, a car, a camion, a wind band or a group of rabid dogs... in this case leave that circle and run!
The nominee draws a circle at a crossroad and must stays inside the circle anything comes on the road toward him/her, a wise old man, a car, a camion, a wind band or a group of rabid dogs... in this case leave that circle and run!
They feared the witches because they believed they could turn into animal forms and brought misfortune onto the house. The people stood pitchforks to the barn door to keep off the curses from the animals. The disturbing witch hunting finally reached Hungary too but only in the late 17th century and wasn't that gory [no torture chamber, "only" water-ordeal] like in Western Europe because of a 'witch-edict' wrote by King Kálmán Könyves of Hungary [or Coloman the Learned, 1074 – 1116] around 1100. Kálmán was against witch-huntings due to he never believed that evil, supernatural witches actually exists especially among the everyday people… This sounds rational, but he meant this on the 'strigas' only, who "were" the pagan, evil kind; BUT he was against the real[?] bűbájosok/witches. So a bűbájos must be arrested and punished before the trial jury such as every other criminal. Centuries later this last sentence was enough motivation…
The same as a witch, but this can be a younger person who – understandably - can be more charming and attractive than an old hag… but there's no accounting for taste.
They related the 'bűvölés' [bewitching] and 'bájolás' [enchanting] words with witchcraft or just simply with something evil. The 'bű' and 'báj' roots are derived from an old Turkish word and means bond, string or chain.
bű szerzet/bű creature
They related the 'bűvölés' [bewitching] and 'bájolás' [enchanting] words with witchcraft or just simply with something evil. The 'bű' and 'báj' roots are derived from an old Turkish word and means bond, string or chain.
bű szerzet/bű creature
The word 'bű' means hideous, horrible in Székely dialect. So this can be some kind of disgusting creature but I didn't find more about this.
tudós kocsis, ördöngös kocsis/wise coachman, devilish coachman
tudós kocsis, ördöngös kocsis/wise coachman, devilish coachman
A supernatural person with devilish personality or he has evil helpers. Related with the witch and the 'ördöngős molnár'. He can stop others' carriages with whistle or magical objects. He can fly in the air with his carriage and horses incredibly fast. He never cares about his horses although they are always sleek and healthy. They say because the 'Veressipkások' [some kind of evil gnomes in red caps] whom taking care of his horses. In other version the horses are dead horses.
In the folk belief, he is who causes the road accidents. Mostly he is a kind of assassin or hitman who kills the unwanted enemy or his personal enemy. He ties on his whip small magical objects then he swishes a big with the whip in the air and the enemy's eyes fall out and so on…
vadleány, erdei leány, éneklő kisasszony, vígleány/wildgirl, forest girl, singing miss, merry girl
In the folk belief, he is who causes the road accidents. Mostly he is a kind of assassin or hitman who kills the unwanted enemy or his personal enemy. He ties on his whip small magical objects then he swishes a big with the whip in the air and the enemy's eyes fall out and so on…
vadleány, erdei leány, éneklő kisasszony, vígleány/wildgirl, forest girl, singing miss, merry girl
It was a belief in Southern Hungary and Northern Transylvania that a wild girl lives in the forests who is stronger than any man, she has beautiful face and floor-length hair but her body covered with hair and her feet as well… [female yeti?] Has long, claw-like nails and her legs are long and narrow. If someone gets her angry she cause whirlwind what twists out the trees and ruins the houses. The Csángó people believed that witches caused the whirlwinds and storms. She can foretell the weather, if it is good weather she cries because she knows bad weather is coming and if it's bad weather she smiles because good weather is coming… ~Oh dear what a simple mind…
táltos
He was the wise high priest in ancient Hungarian religion. Similar to the shaman, but not quite the same. Could be a woman but mostly was a man. A táltos was priest, healer, aerotherapeut, ceremony master, judge and foreteller in one.
In folk belief a person became táltos by supernatural beings. A táltos is usually born with curious body signs, for example: born with extra fingers or with tooth/teeth or his behavior was strange as a child, was quiet, reserved, silent [I'm not talking about a mentally illed child]. In the 7th year [if the child was still alive and same strange] other táltos came and toke the child away to teach the ancient knowledge to him.
A táltos lives only on milk and egg [and that's why today there aren't any, they died out of lactose plethora…]. He knows everything, foretell the future, knows where to find treasures in the ground and his body is invulnerable.
varázsló/wizard
In folk belief a person became táltos by supernatural beings. A táltos is usually born with curious body signs, for example: born with extra fingers or with tooth/teeth or his behavior was strange as a child, was quiet, reserved, silent [I'm not talking about a mentally illed child]. In the 7th year [if the child was still alive and same strange] other táltos came and toke the child away to teach the ancient knowledge to him.
A táltos lives only on milk and egg [and that's why today there aren't any, they died out of lactose plethora…]. He knows everything, foretell the future, knows where to find treasures in the ground and his body is invulnerable.
varázsló/wizard
The word 'varázs' derived from the Slavish 'vražtli'. The meaning of the word is related with charming, fortune-telling and harming. Another type of witch.
In Hungarian folklore the wizard is not quite the same as the well-known - mostly good - magical person with the wand. No Harry Potters here.
tudákos, ördöngös/wiseacre, devilish
In Hungarian folklore the wizard is not quite the same as the well-known - mostly good - magical person with the wand. No Harry Potters here.
tudákos, ördöngös/wiseacre, devilish
They called on this title those whom were really pedants, knew something but the people thought that he/she has got the knowledge from the Devil otherwise how can someone knows that much things. [With reading???] In the old times most of the village people only knew the Bible [or not even that one], so they mocked everyone who were a tiny bit more literate then them… typical. In folk tales a wiseacre is usually an annoying, funny figure who knew something once but somehow he lost this knowledge against his will.
He got the knowledge on the same way as a witch at a crossroad or a fly flew into his mouth, what was the Devil himself. Needed a priest who prayed out the evil knowledge from him…
He got the knowledge on the same way as a witch at a crossroad or a fly flew into his mouth, what was the Devil himself. Needed a priest who prayed out the evil knowledge from him…
Vasorrú Bába [literally means: Iron-nosed midwife]
This is the Hungarian version for the Slavic Baba-Yaga. An evil old hag. 'Rézorrú anyó' is the same as the Vasorrú bába.
Typical type of tales with her
The hero kills the water-guarding dragon - who stole the sun, the moon and the stars - so the Vasorrú Bába punishes him ruthlessly, or at least tries to.
Another type of tale when the Vasorrú bába is the forest witch in the woods of the golden-haired little princes. Out of jealousy she turns to stone one of the princes's animals and chops up the boy. But the other prince throws a golden lock into the fire then he forces the witch to bring his brother back to life, then the animals tear the old hag into pieces…
Rézfaszú Bagoly [do not ask me to translate it literally…]
This is a dark owl-like [bagoly=owl] creature who has copper willy and likes to "rasp" careless girls... I think this is simply a folk metaphore for rapist…
He is the match of the Vasorrú bába. Perfect match indeed.
szépasszony, széphölgy/fair lady
He is the match of the Vasorrú bába. Perfect match indeed.
szépasszony, széphölgy/fair lady
She is an ambivalent character, sometimes can be good, but mostly she is bad. Her appearance is similar to a fairy, but instead of a fairy it is dangerous to meet a fair lady. They like to being in group. They dance, sing and cheer in the meadow at midnight to attract those men whom had been enchanted by their beauties. Then the poor thing must dance with them till he is dead [even if the song is the "Stayin' alive"].
They believed that the fair lady is who steals out the babies from the cradles, she brings unluckiness and she is the responsible for the venereal diseases as well…
They believed that the fair lady is who steals out the babies from the cradles, she brings unluckiness and she is the responsible for the venereal diseases as well…
garabonciás
How to say, he is like a negative form of a táltos or something like that. Almost the same: he is also was born with curious body signs and lives on milk and eggs. He is shabby looking and knocks on every door for milk or egg with a book in his hand. If someone gives him less than a full jug of milk or when someone doesn't give him anything at all he gets very angry. He starts cursing and threatening out loud. As punishment he brings ice storm or he reads out the dragon from his book and rides it above the village and the dragon damages the houses, twists out the trees.
A garabonciás takes 13 schools then he gets his magical book. With the helping of this book he can fly in the air. If he put a piece of dragon meat under his tongue he won't feel the heat of the sun.
The word 'garabonciás' is derived from a Greek word, what means necromancer, invoker. In the Middle Ages a garabonciás meant a dark person who studied in the highest and most popular schools and universities and he got the dark knowledge as well so he was called as the 'fekete iskola diákja'/pupil of the black school…
On folk festivals they call the grifters/shomen as garabonciás. They walk on long wooden sticks in a "funny" outfit and circus-like make up and amuse the little children [if not frighten them…]. I hate every clown or clown-like creatures…
A garabonciás takes 13 schools then he gets his magical book. With the helping of this book he can fly in the air. If he put a piece of dragon meat under his tongue he won't feel the heat of the sun.
The word 'garabonciás' is derived from a Greek word, what means necromancer, invoker. In the Middle Ages a garabonciás meant a dark person who studied in the highest and most popular schools and universities and he got the dark knowledge as well so he was called as the 'fekete iskola diákja'/pupil of the black school…
On folk festivals they call the grifters/shomen as garabonciás. They walk on long wooden sticks in a "funny" outfit and circus-like make up and amuse the little children [if not frighten them…]. I hate every clown or clown-like creatures…
Another supernatural being, similar to the devilish coachman, but the devilish miller is much more a positive figure. He knows how to treat animals, he can heal them by his magical methods. There is the vízi molnár/water miller as well who is the friend of every water creatures.
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Other things what relited to old Hungarian - how to say – folk occultism
Rontás/Hex or Curse
Synonymic words are the 'tétemény'/act [Southern Alföld], 'csinálmány'/doing [Transylvania], 'megcsinálás', 'bántás'/hurting, 'vesztés'/losing. The most important thing in Hungarian folk belief. A rontás can means any harmful act and the way, implement, time, place and intent can be various as well as the person who does it. They belived that just a supernatural being is able to curse someone this relentlessly.
In the old times the most important and treasured things were the family, the health, the grain and the household animals like the cows and poultries. So any harm and unluckiness what was relited to these things was to believed to an evil person or creature. But as exhaustless the human stupidity is, the list of unluckinesses "caused by an evildoer" is also very long… People always needed/need someone to blame [for even their own stupidities], even if the person is fictional… Lame.
Magical objects
Amulett/Amulet: an object with supernatural origin, like the 'mennykő' [lit. means 'heaven stone' or 'sky stone'] and the 'kígyókő'/snake stone.
The mennykő is a polished piece of stone [what was usually nothing but a pre-historical stone-axe piece or other relics they found in the ground]. They called it by many names, such as 'istenharagjakő' [god's anger stone], 'nyilakő' [lightning stone] etc… They believed there created where the lighting struck down; and after 7 years it came up onto the surface. Where they found it, the lighning never struck again and who found it will escape from the thunderbolt for good. The stone has healing power as well.
The 'kígyókő'/snake stone is a sphere or oval shaped stone blew by snakes. Its size is depents on how many snakes blew it at once. They believed that about 50-100 snakes gather together on a sunny place by the forest or in a ditch to blow/spit together a magical stone. One can hear their whistling sounds while they are spitting. Who owns a snake stone will be fortunate, never run out of money, can heal the sick animals with it etc.
So it's profitable and beneficial, let's search for one… :((((((((((((((((
An amulet was mostly a small animal or human part, or a personal handmade object made from wood or other natural materials or a combination of all these.
There are many vegetal or animal products what relited to magical traditions from time immemorial: herbs, trees, frogs, lizards, snakes, birch tree, wild rose, garlic, poppy, iron and grain legumes.
But the easiest way to curse someone if you use the person's hair, blood, piss, shadow. Or just curse the person's animal… [Skip the last one please!]
Talizmán/Talisman: magical object in folk tales, what gives supernatural powers to its master who is mostly the shiny hero of the tale. The hero who did something good deserves a magical talisman. Mostly the hero get the talisman from whom he saved or helped.
If the talisman is a varázsvessző/divining-rod or kantár/bridle, then the hero will able to the shapeshifting. If the hero seeks help from a supernatural being he just need to use the magic ring or whip or a magic whistle and the creature he called will be there immediately. The 'soha-ki-nem-fogyó erszény' [never-run-out purse] what gives sudden richness. For the fast moving there are the 'repülő láda'/flying chest or the 'hétmérföldes csizma'/7 miles long boot... etc.
So it's profitable and beneficial, let's search for one… :((((((((((((((((
An amulet was mostly a small animal or human part, or a personal handmade object made from wood or other natural materials or a combination of all these.
There are many vegetal or animal products what relited to magical traditions from time immemorial: herbs, trees, frogs, lizards, snakes, birch tree, wild rose, garlic, poppy, iron and grain legumes.
But the easiest way to curse someone if you use the person's hair, blood, piss, shadow. Or just curse the person's animal… [Skip the last one please!]
Talizmán/Talisman: magical object in folk tales, what gives supernatural powers to its master who is mostly the shiny hero of the tale. The hero who did something good deserves a magical talisman. Mostly the hero get the talisman from whom he saved or helped.
If the talisman is a varázsvessző/divining-rod or kantár/bridle, then the hero will able to the shapeshifting. If the hero seeks help from a supernatural being he just need to use the magic ring or whip or a magic whistle and the creature he called will be there immediately. The 'soha-ki-nem-fogyó erszény' [never-run-out purse] what gives sudden richness. For the fast moving there are the 'repülő láda'/flying chest or the 'hétmérföldes csizma'/7 miles long boot... etc.
Luca széke/Stool of Lucia [St. Lucia]
In Hungarian folklore Luca can be good and naughty at once. On her nameday [13 December] every occupation is forbidden what just relited to her interests [or in Christianity, what occupations she patronizes are forbidden to do on that day], otherwise she punishes cruelly…
For example
A woman baked bread on 13 December. Her newborn baby was sleeping in the cradle when Luca came and asked the woman on a strange voice: "What are you doing woman?" "I bake." "Then bake." and Luca took the baby and wanted to threw it in the furnace when the mother begged for mercy… [maybe Luca was just that gourmand… sorry bad joke…]
Another one, when a woman made her washings on that day so Luca turned her to stone.
There was a belief, if you want to know who is the witch of the village, you need to make a small wooden stool and must sit or stand on it during the Christmas midnight mass, so you will see the witch[es] by it. This will be easy because witches wear big stags or horns or feathers on their heads and they usually stand with back to the altar. They will know if someone see them [by the stool] so the stool maker must hurry home after the mass because he/she will be followed. Better to spread poppyseeds on the road. The witches will be busy with the seeds so the person can arrive home safely. When the person is home the stool must be burned.
They started making the stool strictly 13 days before Christmas Eve. This stool is a very simple thing and every day one just can make 1 move on it at once. It must takes 13 days to be ready otherwise it will not work. Maybe that's why they never found witches in the church, they were to slow or too fast at the stool making…
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"Interesting"
In the 12th episode of Salem Tv series [what was really boring to me…] some of the witches are - trying - to speak Hungarian among each other, they use it as the language of the Hell…
I know that America doesn't like Hungary much, but that my beloved language as an evil one is a little bit hurt… or this is still just a cliché after Mr Lugosi, that this language is the symbol of the dark side because of Lugosi's Dracula role, I don't know but… ~Hmm
A Museum
Under 8 Leonardo da Vinci street [district VIII] on Budapest, you can find a small private museum about witches, witchcraft, folk healing etc. The owner is a nice lady and self-described witch who came from an old witchy village somewhere from Southern Alföld, were – according to her – the magical happenings were everyday things as well as the blood-freezer tales. She is the granddaughter of an old witchy lady as well [who was famous in that village], so knows the topic from A-to-Z. She was very kind and told us many stories about the old superstitious world she grew up. She is really into this dark folklore although she freaked out from my poisonus octopus tattoo… I never forget that face. Hahaha Poor thing. She wasn't the first one anyway. I just don't know why, octopuses are clever, shy and nice. Ok the blue-ringed one not that much, but this is just a tattoo, my soul is gentle... *cough* [gentle as a buzzsaw]
I know that America doesn't like Hungary much, but that my beloved language as an evil one is a little bit hurt… or this is still just a cliché after Mr Lugosi, that this language is the symbol of the dark side because of Lugosi's Dracula role, I don't know but… ~Hmm
A Museum
Under 8 Leonardo da Vinci street [district VIII] on Budapest, you can find a small private museum about witches, witchcraft, folk healing etc. The owner is a nice lady and self-described witch who came from an old witchy village somewhere from Southern Alföld, were – according to her – the magical happenings were everyday things as well as the blood-freezer tales. She is the granddaughter of an old witchy lady as well [who was famous in that village], so knows the topic from A-to-Z. She was very kind and told us many stories about the old superstitious world she grew up. She is really into this dark folklore although she freaked out from my poisonus octopus tattoo… I never forget that face. Hahaha Poor thing. She wasn't the first one anyway. I just don't know why, octopuses are clever, shy and nice. Ok the blue-ringed one not that much, but this is just a tattoo, my soul is gentle... *cough* [gentle as a buzzsaw]
I was only once in that museum and with one of my friend who has coal black hair. So this witchy lady were collecting locks if someone wants to give her one, she desplays them as a remembering. Of course we were that crazy to give her a lock, so there are a black and a red locks somewhere on her shelf… if she didn't burn mine immediately after I left because of the octopus incident… Damn she cursed me. That's why I have worse and worse jobs! Hahaha
Ps.: What you have seen on the pictures is my home[made] altar I like to meditate at occasionally. I'm not doing the hocus-pocus I just meditate and burn wishes - for myself - into the unknown, maybe some of them will come true… or not [as usual]. The stags symbolize Artemis, the raven feathers, Apollo and the stone, Gaia. They are my inspirators [beside Buddha of course], but not as gods, just what they are representing; shortly independent woman, self-expression, nature. I'm not adoring, worshipping, following any god or priest or prophet or imaginary being or whatever else anymore… My soul is free at last and now my only spiritual guide is the Art.
The End. ◟(✿-‿-)◞
Don't forget!
"…the magic is in Life itself, not just in some ancient book or secret spell…"
"…the magic is in Life itself, not just in some ancient book or secret spell…"
Lady Isadora
Source: as always, Magyar Néprajzi Lexikon/Hungarian Ethnographic Dictionary, multkor.hu [historical portal] or from head
Good Day!/Szép napot! ✌
Good Day!/Szép napot! ✌
