SZéKELY

:''For the village in northeastern Hungary, see Székely (village)''
The 'Székely' people (pronounced ) or 'Szeklers', (, , , ), are a Hungarian speaking ethnic group mostly living in the counties of Harghita, Covasna and Mureş in Romania, with a significant population also living in Tolna, Hungary. Most of the world's Székely population live in Romania and they are tightly concentrated in an area informally known as ''Székely Land'' (''Székelyföld'' in Hungarian.) Based on official 2002 Romanian census numbers,^[1] approximately 1,434,000^[2] ethnic-Hungarians live in Romania, mostly in Transylvania. Of these, about 670,000 consider themselves Székely, and mainly live in the counties of Harghita, Covasna and parts of Mureş. The Székely therefore account for a significant part (40%) of the Hungarian minority in Romania.

Contents

Aranyosszék exclave

History

Controversy about origins

Symbols

Population by county

Autonomy

Fiction

See also

Notes

External links

Aranyosszék exclave

There are about 10,000–15,000 Székely living in the former territory of Aranyosszék. Examples of Székely villages there include Felsőszentmihály (today part of Mihai Viteazu Commune), or Felvinc (part of Unirea Commune). Unlike other parts of the historical Székely Land, the territory has a mixed Romanian-Hungarian population.

History

Main articles: History of the Székely people


The Székely were considered the finest warriors of medieval Transylvania. They were part of the ''Unio Trium Nationum'' ("Union of Three Nations") a coalition of the three Transylvanian Estates, the other two nations being the (also predominantly Hungarian) nobility and the Saxon (that is, ethnic German) burghers. These three nations ruled Transylvania, usually in harmony though sometimes in conflict with one another. Romanians (known then as ''Vlachs'') constituted the fourth major ethnic group in Transylvania, but were generally excluded from political power (as were Magyar serfs, and Saxons living outside the Universitas) at that time. The Vlach peasantry nonetheless lived in relative peace with the Székely until the Romantic nationalist movements swept 19th century Europe. In fact, during the Long War, the Székely formed an alliance with Prince Michael the Brave of Wallachia against the army of Andrew Cardinal Báthory, recently appointed Prince of Transylvania.

Controversy about origins

The Székely have traced their roots all the way to Attila the Hun, and feel that they played a special role in shaping Hungary. When the Magyar tribes came into Pannonia, they believed that they had special rights to that land as an inheritance from Attila, since the Huns and Magyars were related tribes. Székely people adhere proudly to their Hungarian identity.

Theories have been advanced suggesting Avar, Gepid, or Turkic ancestry, and some have dated their presence in the Eastern Carpathians as early as the fifth century. A small number of scholars believe that they are related to Scythians who joined the Magyars on their trek westward and assimilated into the proto-Hungarian culture. Some have also suggested the Székely are simply Magyars, like other Hungarians; according to this theory, their strongly distinguishable cultural differences stem from centuries of relative isolation in the mountains. Many scholars believe in a two-fold Hungarian migration of Transylvania and the Pannonian Plain, one prior to the main Magyar conquest of the Pannonian Plain in 896. According to this theory, the Székely are a Hungarian group that settled in Transylvania during this first migration.

Symbols

The Sun and Moon are the symbols of Székelys, as can also be seen in the coat of arms of Transylvania and on the Romanian national coat of arms. The Sun and Moon symbols represented proto-Hungarian gods, but after the Hungarians became Christians in the eleventh century, their importance became purely visual and symbolic. Their religious significance was lost. The Székelys have largely succeeded in preserving their traditions to an extent unusual even in Central and Eastern Europe. The most comprehensive description of the Székely Land and traditions was written between 1859-1868 by Balázs Orbán in his ''Description of Székely land''.

Population by county

The Székely live mainly in Harghita, Covasna and Mureş counties. They form a majority of the population in the counties of Covasna and Harghita.

County	Székely	% of total population
Harghita	275,841	84.61%
Covasna	164,055	73.81%
Mureş	227,673	39.26%

The relatively small and isolated Székely population on the border of Cluj and Alba counties (''former Aranyosszék'') assimilated more significantly during the 20th century than inhabitants of the compact Székely areas. They can be estimated to be less than 20,000 today.
The Székelys of Bukovina form a culturally separate group with its own history.

Autonomy

Ever since the abolition of the Hungarian Autonomous Province by the Ceauşescu regime in 1968, some of the Székely have pressed for their autonomy to be restored. Several proposals have been discussed within the Székely Hungarian community and by the Romanian majority. One of the Székely autonomy initiatives is based on the model of the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia.^[3]
A major peaceful demonstration was held in 2006 in favor of autonomy [1].

Fiction

In Bram Stoker's novel ''Dracula'', the epononymous vampire count regards himself as a Székely, and very explicitly presents them as a separate nation from the Hungarians. He describes a history for his people, claiming a descent both from the Huns and also from an "Ugric tribe from Iceland". He even goes so far as to claim that "after the battle of Mohacs, we threw off the Hungarian yoke". However, this version of Székely history owes far more to the imagination of Bram Stoker than to any historical fact.

See also

★ Hungarian minority in Romania

★ List of Székely settlements

★ Alexander Csoma de Kőrös (Székely origins)

★ Bertalan Székely

★ Edmund Bordeaux Szekely

★ György (Székely) Dózsa

★ Louis C.K. (surname Székely)

★ Rulers of Transylvania Mózes Székely

★ Székelys of Bukovina

★ Székelykeve

★ Székely land (Terra Siculorum, Tinutul secuiesc)

★ Old Hungarian script (Szekely runes)

★ Moïse Szekely

Notes

1. Hungarians in Romania, on the site of the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania. Accessed 16 July 2006.
2. Population census of 2002 - recensamant 2002 --> rezultate --> 4. POPULATIA DUPA ETNIE
3. României îi este aplicabil modelul de autonomie al Cataloniei (''The Catalan autonomy model is applicable in Romania''), ''Gândul'', 27 May 2006

External links

★ The Székely Anthem with English and German lyrics

★ Encyclopedia 1911 Article

★ Székely Anthem

★ Székely News

★ Székely links

★ Minority Cultures: The Szeklers Jews

★ Minority Cultures: The Szeklers Tortured History

★ Székely history until 1848

★ Szekler Culture

★ The Szekler's folk art shop

★ The Szekler's eco community in Transylvania

★ Online booking timeshare in Szeklerland

★ Szeklerland news

★ Szekler Encyclopedia