During three centuries, the citizens of Hungary have celebrated the Day of the National Anthem, named “Himnusz”, on January 22. On the same day, it is marked the Hungarian Culture Day, IPN reports, quoting the Ambassador of Hungary to Moldova Mátyás Szilagyi.
The history of the Hungarian anthem started in 1823, in a period that the Hungarian people called the ‘reform epoch’. Ambassador Mátyás Szilagyi said that this period in which the national anthem was written was full of hope and optimism, while its spirit was transposed to the anthem’s verses.
The text of Hungary’s national anthem was written by Hungarian poet Ferenc Kolcsey, while music was composed by Ferenc Erkel.
Mátyás Szilagyi said the national anthem was translated into several languages starting with the 19th century, including into Romanian and Russian. As in other Christian countries, the anthem was initially a catholic church song. Afterward, there was a reformed religious anthem written after the great reforming and protestant waves. A relevant fact is that both of the anthems are sung in the communities of the faithful. The official national anthem was included in the books of psalms together with the church anthem and continues to be played at religious ceremonies. Even if it wasn’t written by a church representative, the anthem became a prayer, while its first verse starts with a profound religious message – “God, bless the Hungarians”.
“The reform epoch, which started in 1823 with the first reforming assembly and lasted until the revolution of 1848, was characterized by very important works in science and art. This epoch was marked by the national renaissance spirit of the Hungarians who had been part of the Hapsburg Empire until then. The anthem reflects the views of the whole Hungarian nation on territorial independence and a powerful integration character of the nation results from here. It was a very important epoch from political viewpoint,” stated the ambassador.
The anthem was played in several ways. A modern, more rhythmic and shorter version appeared recently. The ambassador said this version started to be used because of sports competitions, where the time allotted for singing the national anthem is short. But the text remained unchanged.
The diplomat underlined that unlike the anthems of other peoples, the tone of the national anthem of Hungary is not combative, as of a military march. On the contrary, it is melodic and melancholic. “Music critics said the tone of the national anthem coincides with the national spirit, which is melancholic and less combative. Moreover, the anthem’s text is a trip back to Hungary’s history, which not always was combative,” said Mátyás Szilagyi.
The anthem’s text that conveys a powerful religious message also describes a significant part of Hungary’s history, namely the battles fought and the defeats suffered. “Our anthem has a significant artistic value that shows all the views of the Hungarian people. It also has a historical value,” added Mátyás Szilagyi.
The church anthem of Hungary entitled “Szozat” was included in the book of Roman-Catholic songs “Hozsanna” and starts with the verses “Be always faithful to the motherland, you, Hungarian”. It enjoys almost the same legal and social status as the national anthem “Himnusz”, through the Constitution of Hungary.
