Palóc
The Palóc are a subgroup of Hungarians in Northern Hungary and southern Slovakia. While the Palóc have retained distinctive traditions, including a very apparent dialect of Hungarian, the Palóc are also ethnic Hungarians by general consensus. Although their origins are unclear, the Palóc seem to have some sort of connections with the Khazar, Avar, Kabar, Pechenegs, and Cuman tribes. The writings of Kálmán Mikszáth gave new prominence to the people in 1882 with his work The Good People of Palóc. The Palóc village of Hollókő was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Avar Origin
According to Bakó Ferenc ethnographer and museologist, the Palóc people are the direct descendants of the Pannonian Avars and some Székely and Khazar fractions.
In his four-volume monograph ( A Palócok/The Palóc People 1989), he paid a lot of attention to the pre-Hungarian Conquest origin of the Palóc people. His theory is supported by the Palóc folk legend, the "Palóc Herceg" ("Palóc Prince") and the traditions of the people from the Göcsej region. He found evidence for this theory in late Avar cemeteries, and many place name which has Avar origin also support his theory.[1]
According to Magyar Adorján historian and ethnographer the Avars and early Palócs has identical folk symbolism with the same central elements as the “sun cross” or the circle “variga” or “vár” wich had the same meaning in both folklore. He thinks that these symbols are the most interesting because in this region there is no other population wich used these motives. In his books he brings evidences from the Avar and Palóc folklore for the Avar Palóc continuity.[2]
According to Fay Elek ethnographer the famous Palóc tradition the Májfa installation has an Avar origin as well, he found evidence that the Avars had a very similar ritual with similar meaning, on the other hand, a similar tradition cannot be found among other ethnic groups in the region, till the early 16th century when it’s become popular all over the region.
Etymology
The Cumans (and some other nomadic/Turkic people) were called Polovtsy (Polovci/Plavci in Slovak) in Slav sources. The Palóc word originates from the Slavic Polovets.[3] Although similar to the Hungarians in origins and culture, they were considered distinct groups by the Turks[citation needed]. The first written record of the word "palóc" as the name of a people appears in the Mezőkövesd register in 1784.
See also
References
- ^ Bakó, Ferenc. A Palócok. Bakó Ferenc.
- ^ Magyar, Adorján. Ős Magyar Rovásírás (in Hungarian). Nemzeti Örökség Kiadó.
- ^ Andrew Bell-Fialkoff, The Role of Migration in the History of the Eurasian Steppe: Sedentary Civilization vs. 'Barbarian' and Nomad, Palgrave Macmillan, 2000, p. 247
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