In the footsteps of fairies
The Rye Island, also called Kukkónia, offers many treasures. Its rich traditions and priceless values have remained hidden for a long time. One or two generations are lost: in the current, accelerating world, the elderly are not given the chance to pass their ancient knowledge on. The crafts passed on from father to son, the stories inherited on winter evenings, are forgotten. Traditions become unified and roots are loosened.
In our series, we set out to explore Rye Island. We unravel its mysteries, listen to its ancient tales, so that we ARE PROUD OF IT AGAIN! Our companion is ethnologist Iván Nagy, curator of the Rye Island Museum in Dunaszerdahely. This time we talked about the rich heritage of Kukkonia, the fairies who inhabited the mysterious waters, and the bagpipes who befriended the devil.
- Can you please share what sources and phenomena the folklore of Rye Island is built on?
- Folk traditions were developed in harmony with the environment. Ancient people sought explanations for natural phenomena, and this swampy, marshy, impassable region of Kukkónia, torn apart by river branches, provided ground for many inexplicable phenomena. Folk etymology traces the name of Rye Island itself to its UNDISCOVERABLE character. It is widely believed that in case of danger, the enemy was attracted to the vast swampy fields, and those who were not familiar with the region, indeed perished. The natural and road conditions of the so-called Aranykert (Golden Garden) are also preserved by the phrase Rye Island luck. As long time ago Rye Island was not a single island, but rather an archipelago encircled by the winding, twining branches of the Danube, it was very difficult travelers to get from its one end to the other. Those were the ones said to have had Rye Island luck who upon crossing one water barrier found an empty flat boat or ferry to cross the next riverbed.
- Rye Island was also called Golden Garden because its waters were inhabited by golden-haired fairies.
- Wonderful stories have survived, sharing that the fairies having lived around were benevolent, helpful, and cheerful creatures. If needed, they helped fishermen, or simply led the shepherds' lost animals out of the swamp.
Folk tradition also derives the gold found in the Danube from the fairies: when combing their hair, the golden hairbreadth stuck in the comb, and the gold-dust of it were sprinkled into the river. The most famous of them was their queen, the beautiful Tündér Ilona (Fairy Helen), who lived in the Fairy Lake, but often swam in the waters of the Danube in the form of a swan. Indigenous people often thought to hear the songs of fairies from the reeds. Once, however, a lad spies on Fairy Helen as she is bathing. Moreover, while the fairy was swimming, the lad stole her clothes. Ilona Tündér got very angry and moved out of the Golden Garden along with her fellow fairies. However, her niece, Lily, has remained among us in the form of a water lily. In the original Hungarian version the niece is called Rózsika (Rose) and the plant tündérrózsa, ’fairy rose’, (Nymphaea alba).
- Fear of various diseases or abuses has determined the daily lives of those who lived in the region. Who were the healers in the Golden Garden?
- In Rye Island, the figure of the táltos (shaman) and the tudós pásztor scholar-pastor, a knowledgable shepherd mixes interestingly. The difference between the two is that the shaman received the knowledge ready (and could only stay alive if the circumstances of his birth remained a secret) while the shepherd had to obtain it during his life. They both used their power for good, however, above all for healing. In order for someone to be the possessor of extraordinary knowledge, he or she had to stand various trials or be present when a healer died. As shepherds lived in seclusion, with their animals, their were able to observe their behavior and habits. Their observations enabled them to heal both animals and humans. He was also admired for the way he MASTERED the herd with his dog and whip, or even his mere gaze.
- We may then conclude that Rye Island people populated the world with benevolent beings ...
- Witches who practiced black magic and abused both humans and animals were also apparent. A witch could be a woman, but more often a man, and similarly to scholar-pastors, a witch had to gain his or her knowledge by learning. Witches had special characteristics like unibrows (grown-together eyebrows), and they also liked to hide in animal skins. They often appeared in the shape of dogs, cats, or even frogs. The garabonciás diák (in western Europe often referred to as a Goliard) was considered the son of the witch, who also obtained his science from devil. He walked around the region in poor, ragged clothes, begging. Those who helped him or gave him food, were rewarded by him. In case of rejection, however, he stirred devastating winds, hail, thunder, and an eradicating shower. On the lands surrounding villages, a strange fire used to brake out at nights, which people called tüzesember (fire-man) here. This bouncing, dancing light was most probably caused by the ignition of vapours and gases of the surrounding swamps, yet according to folklore, these fire-men appeared on earth as a punishment after death (they have nothing to do with fire fighters).
- The healing power of bagpipes has been mentioned earlier. How could someone become a bagpiper?
- Not many people are aware of the fact that Rye Islanders were the most famous bagpipers! The bagpipe is one of our ancient musical instruments which was also used for signaling. The shepherd marched with his animals every morning, accompanied by bagpipe music. Like the earlier mentioned scholarly shepherd, the piper also had to solve tasks. For example, he had to eat a bumblebee or sign a book, meaning he had made an agreement with the devil. The text of a bagpipe folk song collected in Balony also refers to this belief as follows: He who wants to be a bagpiper must go to hell. There, too, he will blow and blow, that he is the devils’ lord. The bagpipes were an essential tool of the Dőre marches, moreover three-day bagpipe celebrations were held at the end of the carnival all around Rye Island. For this event, a bagpiper would decorate and even re-skin his instrument. He made his horn hose from carefully tanned DOG SKIN. By attaching mirrors to the musical instrument pipers intended to resist the evil. On such occasions, the instrument was not blown by hand but rather by legs, while the musician could also be drinking some good kind of pálinka (local brandy). He inhaled the steam of alcohol into his bagpipe, thus disinfecting it. The bagpipe was an amusing instrument, and the text of the bagpipe songs was, in many cases, obscene. Regardless to this, bagpipers were also admitted to the church, and bagpipe songs were an essential part of the Christmas period. The people of Rye Island were even accompanied by bagpipes when greeting the newborn baby Jesus!
