Ephemeris 2023

Reflections on the Revolutionary Activities of László Iván Kovács

Tanulmány (study): itt

Szerző (author)

István Galambos

Cím (title)

Reflections on the Revolutionary Activities of László Iván Kovács

Hivatkozás (references)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.53644/EH.2022.2.59

Absztrakt (abstract)

László Iván Kovács, commander of Corvin passage between 25th of October of 1956 and 1st of November and then second-in-command until 4th of November, was one of the legendary figures of the Hungarian revolution of 1956. He proved to be an able commander, who did not forget humanity even while fighting. He transferred wounded Soviet soldiers to the Soviet Headquarters. He forbade arbitrary punishment even against suspected of being members of the ÁVH.2 He wanted to preserve the purity of the revolution. He consistently stood up for the independence of Hungary, for a multiparty political system, for free elections and for the removal of Soviet troops he was willing to accept the government of Imre Nagy until the next elections. László Iván Kovács’s activities after the 4th of November were perhaps as significant during the revolution of 1956. During the revolution, he planned to rescue the Minister of Defence, Pál Maléter. László Iván Kovács founded the Turul party. He planned to establish a new revolutionary national army. He embraced the idea of Hungary as a democracy based on an independent and multi-party political system. These ideas weighed as heavily in the eyes of his interrogators and judges as his armed activities during the revolution. He set an example both during and after the struggle. His execution made him a martyr of the revolution.

Kulcsszavak (keywords)

Communism, Corvin passage, Hungarian revolution of 1956, László Iván Kovács

New Runiform Inscription from Dombó

Tanulmány (study): itt

Szerző (author)

Bence Fehér

Cím (title)

New Runiform Inscription from Dombó

Hivatkozás (references)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.53644/EH.2022.2.43

Absztrakt (abstract)

Until now, medieval Hungarian runiform inscriptions were known almost exclusively from the Szekler land. The article discusses an inscription on a pilaster of the medieval abbey of Dombó (Szerém County) from the end of the 11th c., which was found in Bánmonostor. It is dubious whether the inscription is contemporaneous with the pilaster or whether it is a graffito from the 12th–14th centuries, or possibly from a secondary usage (15th c. – beginning of the 16th c.). It contains the following letter sequence in a mirrored Hungarian runiform script: ZBTÜT IRVN (or IRVK1) ++D (or ++ †). The first word is certainly ez betűt ‘that writing (Acc.)’. The second one is a conjugated form of the verb ír ‘write’, but it can be interpreted in three ways, according to the deciphering of the last character; it is probable in an archaic and perhaps unusually formed aoristos tense. The third one contains unidentifiable characters; it must refer to the writing person(s) – either with two maker’s marks and a cross, or with a threeletters name that we cannot read. The inscription, based on the forms of the words, was certainly made later, after the 11th c. It was most probably cut in during the existence of the Romanesque abbey; simpler possible interpretations of the second word suggest a 12th or 13th c. date.

Kulcsszavak (keywords)

runiform inscription, Dombó abbey, Szerém County, mirrored script, pilaster

Promotion of Multilingualism and Preservation of the Hungarian Language in the Cyberspace

Tanulmány (study): itt

Szerző (author)

Zoltán Bódi

Cím (title)

Promotion of Multilingualism and Preservation of the Hungarian Language in the Cyberspace

Hivatkozás (references)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.53644/EH.2022.2.27

Absztrakt (abstract)

Globalization will cause 50-90% of the spoken languages to disappear in the next 100 years. This paper gives a report about the Hungarian language, which is also a minority language and many speakers of the Hungarian language are in bilingual and multilingual situation. Preserving the Hungarian language and culture in the multilingual world requires a special language policy. New factors will be added to the UNESCO’s Major Evaluative Factors of Language Vitality, and the actions taken in Hungary to promote multilingualism and preserve the Hungarian language will be described. Special emphasis will be given to the multilingual cyberspace.

Kulcsszavak (keywords)

multilingualism, language policy, digitalization, language preference, globalization, language attitudes

Short History of the so-called Kossuth Coat of Arms after 1945

Tanulmány (study): itt

Szerző (author)

Zoltán Máté Albert

Cím (title)

Short History of the so-called Kossuth Coat of Arms after 1945

Hivatkozás (references)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.53644/EH.2022.2.5

Absztrakt (abstract)

One of the historical forms of the Hungarian coat of arms called the ‘Kossuth coat of arms’ raises a number of questions. Perhaps the most important is the complex problem
of the relationship between this symbol and the republican form of government. This coat of arms was named after Lajos Kossuth, who was the Governor-President of Hungary after the dethronement of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine (14 April 1849). Despite of the use of crownless coats of arms by the Hungarian leadership after April 1849, the change of form of government was not proclaimed. After the Second World War, the ‘republican’ interpretation of the crownless coat of arms became widespread. Hungary officially became a republic on 1 February 1946, but there was no coat of arms regulation. Zoltán Tildy, who was President of the Republic of Hungary, started to use the so-called Kossuth coat of arms. Over time, this practice became customary. After the total establishment of communist power, a new constitution was adopted, which included a new coat of arms. This symbol, however, marked a break with the Hungarian traditions.