The Survival of Traditional Shamanic Symbols and Myths in Modern and Contemporary Hungarian Literature

Abstract

The use of traditional themes shared by many Hungarian poets and writers of modern and contemporary times shows how the Hungarian culture, of which they are spokesmen, continue to be tied to the traditions of the original substratum.
 It’s enough to think about the theme of the initiatory journey of “Csongor és Tünde” of Mihály Vörösmarty or “János Vitéz” of Sándor Petőfi or the motif of the legendary "miraculous stag" immortalized by János Arany and again taken up by subsequent poets, including László Nagy.
 Even the conceptions connected with the sacred flora inspired poets and writers such as Dezső Kosztolányi or Gyula Illyés.
 Moreover, the figure of garabonciás, longing to learn and discover the secret, is reworked by writers and poets of Hungary and Transylvania, such as Géza Gárdonyi, Jenő Dsida, Domokos Szilágyi and A. Károly Berczeli.
 On the other hand, the link with the ancient myth, interpreted in new ways, is constant feature of the Hungarian poetry of Transilvania.