by Tara Lotstein
Published in the following volume:
Congressus XI Internationalis Fenno-Ugristarum
Piliscsaba 2011
Pars VIII: Dissertationes sectionum: Literatura, archeologia et historica
Pages 115-119
Originally presented at the following conference:
Congressus XI Internationalis Fenno-Ugristarum (CIFU11)
Piliscsaba, Hungary
August 9-14, 2010
In this paper, I would like to show how Nándor Pogány’s Hungarian fairytale Argyilus and the Fairy Ilona, contains the... more
In this paper, I would like to show how Nándor Pogány’s Hungarian fairytale Argyilus and the Fairy Ilona, contains the largest amount of references to Finno-Ugric mythology than any of the other tales in his work Magyar Fairy Tales from Old Hungarian Legends. The strong Finno-Ugric mythological references in the fairytale can be substantiated by the following publications: for example, Géza Róheim’s Hungarian and Vogul Mythology, Mihály Hoppál and Juha Pentikäinen’s Uralic Mythology and Folklore, and Arnold Ipolyi’s Magyar Mythologia. Each portrays different elements of Finno-Ugric mythology which is clearly and continuously illustrated throughout the fairytale.
The beliefs of Finno-Ugric peoples in Russia, Hungarian mythology, and the Árpád influence make this tale unique. Each is important in its own right but when applied to the fairy tale, the story is changed from a children’s bedtime story to one which leaves this writer asking, “Why is there an abundance of Finno-Ugric mythology in this one particular story?” and two, “What makes an adult concept understandable and accessible for children?”
The Finno-Ugric mythology alluded to in Argyilus and the Fairy Ilona is a direct account of a day in the life of a Siberian shaman, and how central a role he plays to Siberian peoples. When specific elements of his role are retold, they are described in such a way so they will appeal to children, though unbeknownst to them at the time.
Argyilus and the Fairy Ilona is comprised of many distinctive elements: the Finno-Ugric mythology, Hungarian mythology, and the Árpád influence. When viewed independently of one another each adds invaluable color to the story. Though intertwined within the fairy tale, one may see how the different elements of each retain their individuality. In the above sources one may find elements of what these individualities are, see how they are preserved in the story, and see how each example, in its own way, plays a defining role over the course of the fairy tale.
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