The betyárs (
Hungarian: ''betyár'' (singular) or ''betyárok'' (plural)), were the
highwaymen of the 19th century
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
. The "betyár" word is the Hungarian version of "Social Bandit".
[Shingo Minamizuka]
A social bandit in nineteenth century Hungary: Rózsa Sándor
East European Monographs, 2008, p. 1 (The word itself is of
Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish ( ota, لِسانِ عُثمانى, Lisân-ı Osmânî, ; tr, Osmanlı Türkçesi) was the standardized register of the Turkish language used by the citizens of the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extens ...
origin:''"bekar"'' means 'bachelor' or 'unmarried man' in
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
.)
Several betyárs have become legendary figures who in the public mind fought for social justice. The most famous Hungarian betyárs were
Sándor Rózsa
Sándor Rózsa (born July 10, 1813, Röszke – died November 22, 1878, Szamosújvár) was a Hungarian outlaw (in Hungarian: ''betyár'') from the Great Hungarian Plain. He is the best-known Hungarian highwayman; his life inspired numerous w ...
from the
Great Hungarian Plain,
Jóska Sobri
Jóska Sobri or Jóska Zsubri (born József Pap;Magyar Filmtudományi Intézet és Filmarchivum, Magyar Filmintézet, Magyar Nemzeti FilmarchívumFilmévkönyv 2002, p. 54 1810 – 17 February 1837) was a Hungarian bandit. He became a legendary ...
, Jóska Savanyú from
Bakony
Bakony () is a mountainous region in Transdanubia, Hungary. It forms the largest part of the Transdanubian Mountains. It is located north of Lake Balaton and lies almost entirely in Veszprém county.
The Bakony is divided into the Northern and ...
and Márton Vidróczky from
Mátra.
Lviv Batayr's culture ("батяр" (batiar)- ukrainian ) in the west part of Ukraine (Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpatia, Ternopil oblast) was spread during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Hungarian folktale tradition
Until the 1830s they were mainly regarded as criminals, but an increasing public appetite for betyár songs, ballads and stories gradually gave a romantic image to these armed and usually mounted robbers.
Rózsa is only the foremost of many Hungarian outlaw heroes, or betyárs, who appear in Hungarian history and folklore.
[Graham Seal]
Outlaw Heroes in Myth and History
Anthem Press, 2011, p. 79 There is a far-flung Hungarian folktale tradition featuring a large number of local Robin Hoods.
Famous betyárs
*
Juraj Jánošík (1688-1713)
*
Sándor Rózsa
Sándor Rózsa (born July 10, 1813, Röszke – died November 22, 1878, Szamosújvár) was a Hungarian outlaw (in Hungarian: ''betyár'') from the Great Hungarian Plain. He is the best-known Hungarian highwayman; his life inspired numerous w ...
(1813-1877)
* Jóska Savanyú
*Szűts György
*Szűcs (from aba)
*
Jóska Sobri
Jóska Sobri or Jóska Zsubri (born József Pap;Magyar Filmtudományi Intézet és Filmarchivum, Magyar Filmintézet, Magyar Nemzeti FilmarchívumFilmévkönyv 2002, p. 54 1810 – 17 February 1837) was a Hungarian bandit. He became a legendary ...
(1810-1837)
*
Márton Vidróczki
See also
*
Csikós
The csikós is the mounted horse-herdsman of Hungary. The csikós tradition is closely associated with the Hungarian ''puszta'', in recent times particularly in the environs of Debrecen and Hortobágy National Park. It is also closely linke ...
*
Gulyás (herdsman)
The gulyás is the traditional mounted cattle-herdsman of Hungary. The gulyás tradition is associated with the Hungarian puszta and with the Hungarian Grey or Hungarian Steppe breed of Podolic cattle, hu, Magyar szürke szarvasmarha, now cons ...
*
Hajduk (soldiers)
The ''hajdúk'' (singular ''hajdú'') were irregular or mercenary soldiers of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Etymology
The Hungarian term ''hajdú'' (''hajdúk'' is the plural) may derive from ''hajtó'' which meant (c ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Betyars
Outlaws
19th century in Hungary