Hungarian Classical Ballads
And their Folklore

This 1967 book was the first comprehensive study of the Hungarian material in any major European language.

Ninon A. M. Leader (Author)

9780521157865, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 14 April 2011

380 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.1 cm, 0.56 kg

Although Hungarian ballads were first collected about a hundred years before this book was first published in 1967, they have remained largely unknown to Western scholars. This was the first comprehensive study of the Hungarian material in any major European language. Dr Leader provides an analytic description and full English text of the main Hungarian classical ballads with their published versions. She examines their characteristics, analyses their themes, motifs and underlying folk beliefs, and relates them to ballads of other countries, particularly England and Scotland. This pioneer work suggested fresh interpretations and solutions to the problems of Hungarian ballad scholarship and enlarged the study of international ballads by making the Magyar material available in translation. It had repercussions on a wide range of folklore studies and on the comparative study of European literatures, to which the oral narrative traditions serve as important groundwork.

Preface
Map of Hungary
1. A general introduction to Hungarian Balladry
2. The bards
Part 1. The Discussion of the Main Hungarian Classical Ballads: 3. Magic ballads: i. 'Clement Mason'
ii. 'The Miraculous Dead'
4. Christian legendary ballads: i. 'The Fair Maid Julia'
ii. 'The Three Orphans'
5. Ballads of love and intrigue: i. 'The Two Royal Children'
ii. 'Anna Molnár'
iii. 'Kate Kádár'
iv. 'The Daughter of the Cruel King'
v. 'The Maid who was Sold'
vi. 'The Dishonoured Maiden'
vii. 'Anna Betlen'
viii. 'Barcsai'
ix. 'Balthasar Bátori'
Part 2. The Discussion of the Main Hungarian Classical Ballads: 6. Ballads of love and intrigue (cont.): i. 'The Asp'
ii. 'The Maid and her Goose'
iii. 'Szilágyi and Hagymási'
iv. 'The Maid who was Cursed'
v. 'Thomas Magyarósi'
vi. 'The Girl who was Ravished by the Turks' (I)
vii. 'The Girl who was Ravished by the Turks' (II)
viii. 'The Great Mountain Robber'
ix. 'Little Sophie Kálnoki'
x. 'Fair Anna Bíro'
xi. 'Ladislav Fletcher'
xii. 'The Prince and the Princess'
xiii. 'The Girl who was Danced to Death'
7. Ballads of family conflict: i. 'Ilona Budai' or 'The Cruel Mother'
ii. 'Beautiful Kate Bán'
iii. 'Lady Albert Nagy-Bihal' or 'The Mother of the Rich Woman'
iv. 'The Brother and Sister who had been Imprisoned by the Turks'
v. 'Merika' or 'The Daughter-in-law who was Burned to Death'
vi. 'Poisoned John'
8. Considerations by way of conclusion
Appendices
Selected bibliography
Motif index
Index of ballad titles.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: general [DSB]