Székelys

The Székelys or Székely (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈseːkɛj]), sometimes also referred to as Szeklers (Hungarian: Székelyek, Romanian: Secui, German: Szekler, Latin: Siculi), are a subgroup of the Hungarian people^[1] living mostly in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, Romania.^[2] A significant population descending from the Székelys of Bukovina lives in Tolna and Baranya counties in Hungary and in certain districts of Vojvodina, Serbia.

In the Middle Ages, the Székelys, along with the Saxons, played a key role in the defense of the Kingdom of Hungary against the Ottomans^[3] in their posture of guards of the eastern border. With the Treaty of Trianon of 1920, Transylvania (including Székely Land) became part of Romania, and the Székely population was a target of Romanianization efforts.^[4] In post-Cold War Romania, where the Székelys form roughly a third of the ethnic Hungarian population, members of the group have been among the most vocal of Hungarians seeking an autonomous Hungarian region in Transylvania.^[5] They were estimated to number about 860,000 in the 1970s and are officially recognized as a distinct minority group by the Romanian government^[2]

Today's Székely Land roughly correponds to the Romanian counties of Harghita, Covasna and Mureş. Based on official 2002 Romanian census numbers, 1,434,377^[6] ethnic Hungarians live in Romania, mostly in Transylvania. Of these, about 665,000 live in the counties of Harghita, Covasna and Mureş, which taken together have a Székely majority (59%). The Székelys therefore account for a significant part (45%) of the Hungarians in Romania. When given the choice on the 2002 Romanian census between ethnically identifying as Székely or as Hungarian, the overwhelming majority of Székely chose the latter. Only 532 persons declared themselves as ethnic Székely.^[7]

History

The Székelys were regarded as the finest warriors of medieval Transylvania. They were considered a distinct ethnic group (natio Siculica)^[8] and were part of the Unio Trium Nationum ("Union of Three Nations"), a coalition of three Transylvanian Estates, the other two nations being the (also predominantly Hungarian) nobility and the “Saxon” (that is, ethnic German) burghers. These three nations ruled Transylvania, usually in harmony though sometimes in conflict with one another. During the Long War, the Székelys formed an alliance with Prince Michael the Brave of Wallachia against the army of Andrew Cardinal Báthory, recently appointed Prince of Transylvania.

Origins

The origin of the Székelys has been much debated. It is now generally accepted that they are descendants of Hungarians (or of Magyarized Turkic peoples) transplanted to the eastern Carpathians to guard the frontier, their name meaning simply “frontier guards”.^[2] Their organization was historically of the Turkic type, and they are probably of at least partially Turkic stock. There is historical evidence that the Székelys were part of the Avar^[5] confederation during the so-called Dark Ages, but this does not mean that they were ethnically Avar. By the 11th century they had adopted the Hungarian language.^[5] There are various ideas about Székely ancestry:

• The Székelys have historically claimed descent from Attila's Huns^[2] (repeated in Procopius’ De bello Gothico),^[2] and believed they played a special role in shaping Hungary. Ancient legends recount that a contingent of Huns remained in Transylvania, later allying with the main Magyar army that invaded Pannonia in the ninth century.
• After the theory of Hunnic descent lost scholarly currency in the twentieth century, some scholars suggested that the Székelys were simply Magyars, like other Hungarians, transplanted in the Middle Ages to guard the frontiers. In this case, their strong cultural differences from other Hungarians stem from centuries of relative isolation in the mountains.
• Some scholars believe there was a two-fold Hungarian migration to Transylvania and the Pannonian Plain, one prior to the main Magyar conquest of the Pannonian Plain in 896. According to this theory, the Székelys are a Hungarian group that settled in Transylvania during this first migration.
• A Y-chromosome DNA study of former Bukovina Székely families shows their male genetic ancestry to be typical of southeast Europe. This study suggests the mix of DNA ancestries pre-dates formation of language differentiation in these regions.^[9]
• Other theories have suggested Avar, Gepid, or Turkic ancestry. Some historians have dated the Székely presence in the Eastern Carpathians as early as the fifth century.

Symbols

The Sun and Moon are the symbols of the Székely, and are used in the coat of arms of Transylvania and on the Romanian national coat of arms. The Sun and Moon symbols represented proto-Hungarian gods.  After the Hungarians became Christians in the 11th century, the importance of these icons became purely visual and symbolic.  Their original religious significance was lost. The Székelys have succeeded in preserving traditions to an extent unusual even in Central and Eastern Europe.  The most comprehensive description of the Székely Land and its traditions was written between 1859-1868 by Balázs Orbán in his Description of the Székely Land.

Population by county

The Székely live mainly in Harghita, Covasna and Mureş counties. They form a majority of the population in the counties of Covasna and Harghita. From the late twentieth century onward, many Székelys have migrated to Hungary, with smaller numbers establishing themselves in other European countries.

The relatively small and isolated Székely population on the border of Cluj County and Alba County (former Aranyosszék) assimilated more significantly during the 20th century than inhabitants of the more concentrated Székely areas. They are estimated to be less than 20,000 today. The Székelys of Bukovina, today settled mostly in Vojvodina and southern Hungary, form a culturally separate group with its own history.

Autonomy

There were szekely autonomous regions from 1952-1968. First the Magyar Autonomous Region was created in 1952. Ever since the abolition of the Hungarian Autonomous Province by the Ceauşescu regime in 1968, some of the Székely have pressed for their autonomy to be restored. Several proposals have been discussed within the Székely Hungarian community and by the Romanian majority. One of the Székely autonomy initiatives is based on the model of the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia.^[11] A major peaceful demonstration was held in 2006 in favor of autonomy.^[12]

Fiction

In Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, Count Dracula regards himself as a Székely, and very explicitly presents them as a separate nation from the Hungarians. He describes a history for his people, claiming a descent both from the Huns and also from an "Ugric tribe from Iceland". He even goes so far as to claim that "after the battle of Mohacs, we threw off the Hungarian yoke". However, this version of Székely history owes far more to the imagination of Bram Stoker than to any historical fact. The historical Vlad III Dracula was actually a Vlach leader of Wallachia, and Iceland was never settled by any Finno-Ugric peoples; only Vikings and Irish. However, as Bram Stoker's Dracula is never explicitly connected to the Vlach Vlad III other than the name Dracul, the fact that Dracula states he is a Székely clearly separates the historical inspiration from the fictional vampire.

Far more accurate in their depictions of the Székely are the novels of Tamási Áron, a twentieth-century writer from Farkaslaka who set universal stories of love and self-individuation against the backdrop of Székely village culture.

See also

• Hungarians in Romania
• List of Székely settlements
• Székelys of Bukovina
• Székely Land (Székelyföld, Terra Siculorum, Ţinutul Secuiesc)
• Székely Himnusz
• Old Hungarian script (Székely runes)
• Szekler National Council
• Siculicidium

Notes

External links

• Encyclopedia 1911 Article

English

• Minority Cultures: The Szeklers Tortured History

Hungarian

• Székely history until 1848