Peril of Sziget
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''The Siege of Sziget'' or ''The Peril of Sziget'' ( hu, Szigeti veszedelem, la, Obsidio Szigetiana, hr, Opsada Sigeta) is a Hungarian
epic poem An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. ...
in fifteen parts, written by
Miklós Zrínyi Miklós Zrínyi ( hr, Nikola Zrinski, hu, Zrínyi Miklós; 5 January 1620 – 18 November 1664) was a Croatian and Hungarian military leader, statesman and poet. He was a member of the House of Zrinski, a Croatian- Hungarian noble family. ...
in 1647 and published in 1651, about the final battle of his great-grandfather
Nikola IV Zrinski Nikola IV Zrinski or Miklós IV Zrínyi ( hu, Zrínyi Miklós, ; 1507/1508 – 7 September 1566), also commonly known as Nikola Šubić Zrinski (), was a Croatian nobleman and general, Ban of Croatia from 1542 until 1556, royal master of the tr ...
(also Miklós Zrínyi in Hungarian) against the Ottomans in 1566. The poem recounts in epic fashion the
Battle of Szigetvár A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
, in which a vastly outnumbered
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
n- Hungarian army tried to resist a Turkish invasion. The battle concluded when Captain Zrinski's forces, having been greatly depleted, left the fortress walls in a famous onslaught. Approximately four hundred troops forayed into the Turkish camp. The epic concludes with Zrinski killing Sultan Suleiman I, before being gunned down by janissaries. Being in the epic tradition, specifically modeled on the
Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Odys ...
and the Gerusalemme Liberata, it opens with an invocation of a
muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
(in this case, the
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
), and often features supernatural elements; Cupid even appears in Part XII. Zrinski is several times compared to
Hector In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...
in the text.
Kenneth Clark Kenneth Mackenzie Clark, Baron Clark (13 July 1903 – 21 May 1983) was a British art historian, museum director, and broadcaster. After running two important art galleries in the 1930s and 1940s, he came to wider public notice on television ...
's renowned history ''Civilisation'' lists the ''Szigeti veszedelem'' as one of the major literary achievements of the 17th century. While John Milton's '' Paradise Lost'' is often credited as resurrecting the classical epic, it was published in 1667, a full sixteen years after the ''Veszedelem''.
Petar Zrinski Petar IV Zrinski ( hu, Zrínyi Péter) (6 June 1621 – 30 April 1671) was Ban of Croatia (Viceroy) from 1665 to 1670, general and a writer. A member of the Zrinski noble family, he was noted for his role in the attempted Croatian-Hungarian Mag ...
, the author's brother, published a Croatian version of the epic in 1652. The first English translation was published in 2011.


Title

The book is today best known under its long-standing Hungarian title, ''Szigeti veszedelem'', literally "The ''Peril'' of Sziget." Zrinski's original Latin title, however, was ''Obsidionis Szigetianae'', literally "The ''Siege'' of Sziget." This discrepancy is explained by the fact that 17th-century Hungarian had no distinct word for "siege:" (the paucity of contemporary Hungarian vocabulary is, in fact, lamented by Zrinski in the epic's foreword) the modern-day "ostrom" ("siege") was taken from the German ''sturm'' at some later date, at which point "veszedelem" took on the exclusive meaning of "peril," thereby changing the apparent meaning of the title. The English translation was released as ''The Siege of Sziget'', from the original Latin rather than the later Hungarian.


Summary


Prologue

The book begins with a short introduction in prose. The author first sets out to place his text in the tradition of Homer and Virgil. Though he declares that his work is not comparable to theirs, they were poets first and foremost, and he is a warrior who only has a little spare time to devote to literature. He also states that he has not once proofread the epic. He then goes on to make a short explanation of the work, stating first that he has mixed legend and history, and that the distinction should be obvious to the discerning reader. He recounts how he researched the death of Sultan Suleiman, and that it is his considered opinion, based on historical consensus, that the Sultan died at Zrinski's hand. Furthermore, he defends his use of romance as a theme, saying that he himself has been afflicted by love in the past, and that even Mars pined for Venus.


Parts I–II

The story begins in heaven, describing God's anger at the Hungarians for having abandoned their faith. He decides to send
Archangel Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
into hell to awaken
Alecto Alecto ( grc, Ἀληκτώ, Alēktṓ, the implacable or unceasing anger) is one of the Erinyes (Furies) in Greek mythology. Family and description According to Hesiod, Alecto was the daughter of Gaea fertilized by the blood spilled from U ...
, a fury, to be sent into the heart of Sultan Suleiman. Alecto appears in a dream to the sultan, posing as his father, and goading him to make war on the Hungarians. Suleiman awakens and immediately begins to assemble his armies and best soldiers from far and wide, including the sorcerer Alderan, the immensely strong Demirham, and the famed
Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...
Deliman. Deliman is in love with the sultan's daughter Cumilla, who is however betrothed to another. At the same time, Captain Nikola Zrinski implores God to take his life before he grows old and feeble. God hears his prayer and sees his piety, and promises him that he will not only fulfill his wish, but also give him the ultimate reward of
martyrdom A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
. In a major act of
foreshadowing Foreshadowing is a narrative device in which a storyteller gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story. Foreshadowing often appears at the beginning of a story, and it helps develop or subvert the audience's expectations about upco ...
, God decrees that Zrinski will be rewarded for his devotion by dying in the upcoming battle, but not before taking the life of the sultan.


Parts III–V

As the Turkish invasion force marches towards their destination of
Eger Eger ( , ; ; also known by other alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, baroque bui ...
, Suleiman dispatches a basha to Bosnia. He is ambushed by on the way by Zrinski's men and utterly defeated by. The unexpected loss convinces the sultan to divert towards Szigetvár instead. This serves primarily as an illustration of God's will, as he moves Suleiman to change his original plans to fulfill God's greater plan. In Part IV, some commotion in the Turkish camp during the night leads to the misapprehension that Zrinski has attacked. Two hastily scrambled Turkish forces mistakenly do battle against each other, leading to major Turkish losses. Zrinski meanwhile assembles his forces, leading to another litany of heroes. The chief protagonist amongst these is Deli Vid, an apparent Turkish convert who fights alongside the Hungarians. Zrinski, expecting that he will die in the upcoming battle, sends off his young son, the poet's grandfather, to the safety of the emperor's court. Szigetvár now awaits the siege.


Parts VI–XIII

The battle of Szigetvár begins in earnest. A Turkish expeditionary force is brutally crushed by Zrinski and his men, most notably Deli Vid. On the next day of the battle, with the arrival of the Sultan's army, Demirham and Deli Vid do battle, but neither is able to gain the upper hand. They agree to meet the next day, which again leads to a stalemate. In one sub-plot, two Croatian soldiers try to covertly break through the enemy lines by night to deliver a message to the emperor. They inflict grievous casualties on the Turkish forces, including killing the sultan's high priest, Kadilsker. They are eventually discovered and killed. Part XII tells of the illicit romance between Deliman and Cumilla. This canto combines themes of romance, eroticism, and death. They have several liaisons, and both characters are presented in a negative light. In the end, Cumilla is accidentally poisoned and Deliman, goes mad with grief for several days, killing hundreds of Turks. In contrast to this is Deli Vid and his bedouin wife Barbala. In Part XIII, after Vid has been captured by the Turks during a battle, his wife, who does not even speak Hungarian, dons his armor and rides into the camp to effect his (successful) rescue. The Turks suffer grievous losses the entire time, and finally the sultan decides to decamp. In Part XIV, Zrinski, having nearly exhausted his own men, sends a final letter of farewell to his son and to the emperor. In another act of divine intervention, the carrier pigeon bearing the letter is intercepted by a hawk, and the letter falls into the camp. Realizing from the letter the defenders' desperate situation, the sultan decides to finish the battle. This is again an illustration of God's will, as He desires both that the Sultan should die and that Zrinski should have his promised martyrdom.


Parts XIV–XV

The seer Alderan is entrusted with planning the final assault. He takes several captive Hungarian youths into a forest clearing, where he slaughters them and paints arcane circles with their blood. Opening a portal to hell, he summons forth a demonic army to attack Szigetvár. Although the fiends are reluctant to come, Alderan prevails upon them after threatening to invoke the name of Christ. After a lengthy description of the infernal hordes, which figures from Greek mythology, the ;ast to arrive is
Ali ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...
, who informs Alderan that
Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد;  570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
's sword has been broken, and that both he and Muhammad are now are eternally tormented in hell. Ali then drags Alderan down to hell in exchange for the help he has received. In heaven, God sees the progression of the battle, and sends
Archangel Gabriel In Abrahamic religions ( Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ ...
with an angelic host to fight the demonic onslaught. With the supernatural battle swirling around him, Zrinski instructs his men to take one final charge out of the fortress. Not needing to protect a path of retreat, the small battalion does massive damage to the Turkish forces. In the fracas, Zrinski spots Suleiman and beheads him. Demirham and Deli Vid meet one last time and each kills the other. Not daring to approach the Hungarians, janissaries open fire, and Zrinski with his band of heroes is gunned down, completing the prophecy. Each soul is taken up by an angel to heaven, with Gabriel escorting Zrinski personally.


Epilogue

There is a five-line epilogue, which is the only section of the work which breaks the quatrain mold. It is a short prayer to God, recapping Zrinski's devotion and martyrdom, and asking for favor on behalf of the poet himself by virtue of the elder Zrinski's merits.


Influences and translations

Zrinski acknowledged, in his prologue, emulating
Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
, specifically the ''
Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Odys ...
''. Italian Baroque poets
Torquato Tasso Torquato Tasso ( , also , ; 11 March 154425 April 1595) was an Italian poet of the 16th century, known for his 1591 poem ''Gerusalemme liberata'' ( Jerusalem Delivered), in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between ...
and
Giambattista Marino Giovanni Battista was a common Italian given name (see Battista for those with the surname) in the 16th-18th centuries. It refers to "John the Baptist" in English, the French equivalent is "Jean-Baptiste". Common nicknames include Giambattista, Gi ...
were also clearly a great source of inspiration. The Croatian poet Brne Karnarutić of
Zadar Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ser ...
wrote '' Vazetje Sigeta grada'' ("The Conquest of the City of Sziget") sometime before 1573, but was posthumously published in 1584. This first
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
n epic dealing with national history, itself inspired by Marulić's ''
Judita ''Judita'' (Judith) is one of the most important Croatian literary works, an epic poem written by the "father of Croatian literature" Marko Marulić in 1501. Editions The work was finished on April 22, 1501, and was published three times durin ...
'', was used by Zrinski in his epic. However, the epic "remains profoundly original and Hungarian". Five translations are known to have been completed. The work was immediately translated into Croatian by Miklós's brother
Petar Zrinski Petar IV Zrinski ( hu, Zrínyi Péter) (6 June 1621 – 30 April 1671) was Ban of Croatia (Viceroy) from 1665 to 1670, general and a writer. A member of the Zrinski noble family, he was noted for his role in the attempted Croatian-Hungarian Mag ...
, who is mentioned in the fourteenth chapter of the epic, under the title of ''Opsida Sigecka''. This version's first 1652 printing also proved to be its last for a long period of time as the only known extant copy was in the Croatian central library in
Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...
, until it was released by Matica hrvatska in 2016. A German and Italian translations were produced in the late 1800s and 1908 respectively. A new German translation was published in Budapest in 1944; the translator, Árpád Guilleaume, was an officer in the Hungarian military, and his work was suppressed by the subsequent Communist regime. An English translation was published in Washington, DC in 2011 by László Kőrössy, and is still currently in print. In 2015, a French translation of the complete poem by Jean-Louis Vallin, rendering the Hungarian meter into French alexandrine, was published at the Presses Universitaires du Septentrion in a bilingual edition.


Legacy

According to
Encyclopædia Britannica Online An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into article ...
, it is "the first epic poem in Hungarian literature" and "one of the major works of Hungarian literature". Compared to the Hungarian poem which is an exception and important literary work in Hungarian literature, the Croatian variation fits the Croatian literature tradition and it is not one of its finest works.
Kenneth Clark Kenneth Mackenzie Clark, Baron Clark (13 July 1903 – 21 May 1983) was a British art historian, museum director, and broadcaster. After running two important art galleries in the 1930s and 1940s, he came to wider public notice on television ...
's renowned history ''Civilisation'' lists the ''Szigeti veszedelem'' as one of the major literary achievements of the 17th century. While John Milton's '' Paradise Lost'' is often credited as resurrecting the classical epic, it was published in 1667, a full sixteen years after the ''Veszedelem''.


See also

* ''Nikola Šubić Zrinski'' (opera)


References


External links


Full text (in Hungarian)
{{Authority control Hungarian poetry Epic poems in Hungarian 1647 books