Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Szekler Anthem Becomes Part of "Hungarian National Values"

Szekler Anthem Becomes Part of "Hungarian National Values"

The Hungaricum Committee has decided to include the Szekler Anthem in the list of Hungarian National Values, thereby increasing the number of Transylvanian national heritage values to six. This means that the anthem could even become a Hungaricum later.

The list of Hungarian National Values (Magyar Értéktár) is a collection of municipal, regional, county, and sectoral value directories, as well as the value directories of communities abroad. When something becomes part of it, it does not mean that it also becomes a Hungaricum. However, the Hungaricum Committee selects the most narrowly defined Hungaricums from the list, which are then included in the Collection of Hungaricums. And some seem to think that the anthem has a place in the collection.

The “Székely himnusz” (“Székely Anthem”) is a 1921 poem adopted by the Szekler National Council as the anthem of the Székely Land on September 5, 2009. The lyrics were written by György Csanády and the music for it was composed by Kálmán Mihalik. The composers’ intention was not to create a real hymn for the Szekler people; it was originally an insert song from a mystery play performed in Budapest, titled “Bujdosó ének,” and it did not appear in print until 1940. Over the decades, however, it has become an expression of the Hungarian sense of belonging, and although it was on the list of banned songs in Romania and Hungary until 1989, the authorities were unable to stop its spread. Today, it has become a well-known and popular song, and since 2009 it has been the official anthem of Székely Land (or Szeklerland, or, in Hungarian, Székelyföld).

Only the first stanza and the refrain are part of the anthem:

Who knoweth where, O where our destiny shall be?
On this rough road amid the darkest night
Lead on thy nation, O lead on to victory,
Csaba our Prince, on paths of heavenly light.

Refrain:
Pounded and crushed upon the rocks, the Székely few
By nations’ strife and battle’s deepest flood
Our drownéd heads, by countless tides were drenched through
Let Transylvania fall not, O Our God!

(Poetic English variant by H.W. Morrison)


“The Szekler anthem is an integral part of our everyday life, and we often do not even realize its value.[…] In the context of the upcoming census, it is especially important to understand that we are all Hungarians from Transylvania, and our diverse regional identities – including Szekler – only make us stronger as a community. I hope it will soon become a Hungaricum!” Csilla Hegedüs, President of the Transylvanian Hungarian Heritage Committee said.

“The Szekler anthem – along with the coat of arms and the flag – is now an inescapable symbol of our regional identity. Its origins and afterlife are legendary, it has survived regimes and fashions, and it has emerged ever stronger as a symbol of the Szekler people’s will to live.

"It is a national treasure, and its place is even among the Hungaricums,”


said Sándor Tamás, President of the Kovászna (Covasna) County Council, who submitted the proposal.

The other Szekler values that are also on the list are the art colony of Nagybánya, the Statue of Liberty in Arad, the life’s work of Kós Károly, the built heritage of Torockó, and the Law of Religious Freedom.

You can listen to the Szekler Anthem below:


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×