Would I get carried away? There is no significant activity in the world in which Hungarians are not involved.
There are hundreds of different types of people living on this globe of ours.
The peoples and languages of the Earth, the complete list would be endless. I belong to a small people. Many people may not even know about us. But I am proud of this origin - the past.
The Hungarians migrated across the world. They arrived here, in the lowlands of Europe, having already known half the globe. There were few of them, they had to learn to take care of themselves in order to survive. And they brought with them - proudly - their past from the Eurasian steppe region. Large family structures of fifteen to thirty people. Their songs, their poetry. Their rich world of beliefs, respect for animal ancestors.
Hundreds of thousands of nomadic peoples disappeared in the abyss of migrations. We Hungarians somehow survived. We found our home in the middle course of the Danube. A peaceful valley where we could continue to live the pastoral life in the shadow of the Carpathians. Over time, we spread. We were scattered in "Pannonia".
Would I get carried away? There is no significant activity in the world in which Hungarians are not involved.
Starting with the creative arts. Our writers, poets, actors and filmmakers have long been at the forefront of the world. World-famous Hungarian musicians, painters, inventors and athletes are not far behind. Should I continue the list? Who does not know the names of Bartók, Kodály, Liszt or Puskás? Today it is impossible to describe the great Central and Eastern European people without them!
One more thought about the Hungarians: they did not enslave other peoples during the march. They did not become colonizers, they did not rob the poor. They let the poor live.
Not infrequently they were even given protection. Already IV. Béla also accepted the Kunis, the Saxons, and the Germans. While others expelled him, the Hungarians gave privileges to the Jews of the Middle Ages. Romanians, Slavs, Ruthenians, Serbs, Croats and Gypsies found a home among us.
It cannot be emphasized enough that we did not join the colonialists. On the contrary! The Hungarians took in those who were not recognized by their homeland. The refugees.
No matter how you look at it, it's good to be Hungarian. I am also proud that I was born Hungarian. This is the summary of this footnote.
György Ferdinandy: Hungarians (excerpt)
Featured image: Claude Truong-Ngoc / Wikimedia Commons
