The betyárs (
Hungarian: ''betyár'' (singular) or ''betyárok'' (plural)) were the
highwaymen
A highwayman was a robber who stole from travellers. This type of thief usually travelled and robbed by horse as compared to a footpad who travelled and robbed on foot; mounted highwaymen were widely considered to be socially superior to foo ...
of the 19th century
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
. The "betyár" word is the Hungarian version of "Social Bandit".
[Shingo Minamizuka]
A social bandit in nineteenth century Hungary: Rózsa Sándor
East European Monographs, 2008, p. 1 (The word itself is of
Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish (, ; ) was the standardized register of the Turkish language in the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extensively, in all aspects, from Arabic and Persian. It was written in the Ottoman Turkish alphabet. ...
origin:''"bekar"'' means 'bachelor' or 'unmarried man' in
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
* Something related to Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire
* The w ...
.)
Several betyárs have become legendary figures who in the public mind fought for social justice. The most famous Hungarian betyárs were
Sándor Rózsa
Sándor Rózsa (July 10, 1813 – November 22, 1878) was a Hungarian outlaw (in Hungarian: ''betyár'') from the Great Hungarian Plain. He is the best-known Hungarian highwayman; his life inspired numerous writers, notably Zsigmond Móricz and ...
from the
Great Hungarian Plain
The Great Hungarian Plain (also known as Alföld or Great Alföld, or ) is a plain occupying the majority of the modern territory of Hungary. It is the largest part of the wider Pannonian Plain (however, the Great Hungarian Plain was not par ...
,
Jóska Sobri
Jóska Sobri or Jóska Zsubri (born József Pap;Magyar Filmtudományi Intézet és Filmarchivum, Magyar Filmintézet, Magyar Nemzeti FilmarchívumFilmévkönyv 2002, p. 54 1810 – 17 February 1837) was a Hungarian bandit. He became a legendary ...
, Jóska Savanyú from
Bakony
Bakony () is a mountainous region in Transdanubia, Hungary. It forms the largest part of the Transdanubian Mountains. It is located north of Lake Balaton and lies almost entirely in Veszprém county.
The Bakony is divided into the Northern and ...
and Márton Vidróczky from
Mátra
The Mátra () is a mountain range in northern Hungary, between the towns Gyöngyös and Eger. The country's highest peak, Kékestető (1014 m), belongs to this mountain range.
Formation Pre-volcanic formations
The formation of the Mátra ...
.
Lviv Batayr's culture ("батяр" (batiar)- ukrainian ) in the west part of Ukraine (Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpatia, Ternopil oblast) was spread during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Hungarian folktale tradition
Until the 1830s they were mainly regarded as criminals, but an increasing public appetite for betyár songs, ballads and stories gradually gave a romantic image to these armed and usually mounted robbers.
Rózsa is only the foremost of many Hungarian outlaw heroes, or betyárs, who appear in Hungarian history and folklore.
[Graham Seal]
Outlaw Heroes in Myth and History
Anthem Press, 2011, p. 79 There is a far-flung Hungarian folktale tradition featuring a large number of local Robin Hoods.
Famous betyárs
*
Juraj Jánošík
Juraj Jánošík (first name also ''Juro'' or ''Jurko'', ; ''Hungarian: Jánosik György'', baptised 25 January 1688, died 17 March 1713) was a Slovak highwayman. Jánošík has been the main character of many Slovak novels, poems, and films. ...
(1688-1713)
*
Sándor Rózsa
Sándor Rózsa (July 10, 1813 – November 22, 1878) was a Hungarian outlaw (in Hungarian: ''betyár'') from the Great Hungarian Plain. He is the best-known Hungarian highwayman; his life inspired numerous writers, notably Zsigmond Móricz and ...
(1813-1877)
* Jóska Savanyú
*Szűts György
*Szűcs (from aba)
*
Jóska Sobri
Jóska Sobri or Jóska Zsubri (born József Pap;Magyar Filmtudományi Intézet és Filmarchivum, Magyar Filmintézet, Magyar Nemzeti FilmarchívumFilmévkönyv 2002, p. 54 1810 – 17 February 1837) was a Hungarian bandit. He became a legendary ...
(1810-1837)
*
Márton Vidróczki Marton or Márton can be both a given name and a surname. The Hungarian name Márton is the Hungarian-language form of the Latin name Martinus. Female counterpart of the given name: Martina (given name).
Given name
* Márton Balázs (1929–2016 ...
* Martin "Marci" Káposztás
* Sofia Táčiková
See also
*
Csikós
The ''csikós'' (, singular) is a horse-mounted herdsman of Hungary. The csikós tradition is closely associated with the Hungarian '' puszta'', the temperate grasslands of the Great Hungarian Plain, which encompasses the largest stretche ...
*
Gulyás (herdsman)
The gulyás () is the traditional mounted cattle-herdsman of Hungary. The gulyás tradition is associated with the Hungarian puszta and with the Hungarian Grey cattle, Hungarian Grey or Hungarian Steppe breed of Podolian cattle, Podolic cattle, , ...
*
Hajduk (soldiers)
A hajduk (, plural of ) is a type of irregular infantry found in Central, Eastern, and parts of Southeast Europe from the late 16th to mid 19th centuries, especially from Hajdú-Bihar county. They have reputations ranging from bandits to ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Betyars
Outlaws
19th century in Hungary