Mattie the Goose-boy
Encyclopedia
Mattie the Goose-boy, or Lúdas Matyi, is a Hungarian
epic poem written by Mihály Fazekas
(1766–1828) in 1804 and first released in 1817. It is based on a folk-tale of unknown origins. Most film adaptations place the story to the beginning of the 19th century, however based on hints in the poem, as well as the word "ludas" also being used to depict someone suspected of a crime already in the Tripartitum, the original story can be placed at least to the early 16th century.
, that he will repay the punishment three times to the lord.
for himself. The construction goes on very slowly, because of the lack of carpenters. Matyi identifies this and dresses as an Italian
architect-maestro, than he visits the construction site. Matyi lures the lord and his servants to the nearby forest to gather wood for the structure. He orders all the servants and guards to harvest the forest, he then lures Döbröghy away, ties him to a tree with a rope, and beats him the first time.
battlefield medic. He is brought to the lord and ordered to cure him. He sends the whole folk of the castle out to the nearby field to collect some special herbs. Certainly, he needs fictional plants, but he uses the silliness of the soldiers. While everybody is out harvesting, Matyi gives Döbröghy the second revenge. After that he frees the geese of the village, which formerly were imprisoned by the lord.
advice to the lords of Hungary, not to penalize the peasants needlessly. It also emphasizes the intelligence
of the poor.
Much later the communist government created movies of the story and emphasized the superiority of the workers and the poor.
The tale is a bent mirror
to the Hungarian society.
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
epic poem written by Mihály Fazekas
Mihály Fazekas
Mihály Fazekas was a Hungarian writer from Debrecen. He was an army private for seven years before being commissioned as a Hussar officer. As a hobby, Fazekas studied the natural sciences and wrote poetry...
(1766–1828) in 1804 and first released in 1817. It is based on a folk-tale of unknown origins. Most film adaptations place the story to the beginning of the 19th century, however based on hints in the poem, as well as the word "ludas" also being used to depict someone suspected of a crime already in the Tripartitum, the original story can be placed at least to the early 16th century.
Prologue
In the beginning, Matyi, who is a young peasant boy, is trying to sell his geese at the market. Trouble ensues when the local lord, Dániel Döbröghy, proclaims the geese belong to him. Lord Döbröghy orders his servants to punish Matyi with 50 lashes to his back. Matyi makes a vow to get vengeanceRevenge
Revenge is a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. It is also called payback, retribution, retaliation or vengeance; it may be characterized, justly or unjustly, as a form of justice.-Function in society:Some societies believe that the...
, that he will repay the punishment three times to the lord.
The first repayment
Three years after Matyi's punished, Döbröghy begins building a castleCastle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
for himself. The construction goes on very slowly, because of the lack of carpenters. Matyi identifies this and dresses as an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
architect-maestro, than he visits the construction site. Matyi lures the lord and his servants to the nearby forest to gather wood for the structure. He orders all the servants and guards to harvest the forest, he then lures Döbröghy away, ties him to a tree with a rope, and beats him the first time.
The second repayment
After being thrashed, Dániel Döbröghy is being cured in his fancy new castle. He orders his soldiers to get him a real doctor, because his wound isn't getting better. The servant go to seek a doctor. Matyi knows about the plan and he dresses as a GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
battlefield medic. He is brought to the lord and ordered to cure him. He sends the whole folk of the castle out to the nearby field to collect some special herbs. Certainly, he needs fictional plants, but he uses the silliness of the soldiers. While everybody is out harvesting, Matyi gives Döbröghy the second revenge. After that he frees the geese of the village, which formerly were imprisoned by the lord.
The third repayment
It's now winter and the date of the yearly market. Döbröghy knows that Matyi will surely repay the punishment, so he orders his servants to search to whole market for suspicious people. They don't find anything because Matyi now doesn't wear any disguise. He makes an alliance with a local horse rider boy. The boy lures the whole army away, because they think that they're chasing the real Ludas Matyi. But they make a mistake, because the real one stays at the place and finds Döbröghy. The lord now publicly gets his last third of punishment.Edification
The poem was an ironicIrony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
advice to the lords of Hungary, not to penalize the peasants needlessly. It also emphasizes the intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
of the poor.
Importance
Lúdas Matyi was the first folk hero in Hungarian literature who is victorious over his lord. The poem represented the relationship between nobility and the folk as well, and it emphasized the problems of the Hungarian agro-society in the late 18th century.Much later the communist government created movies of the story and emphasized the superiority of the workers and the poor.
The tale is a bent mirror
Mirror
A mirror is an object that reflects light or sound in a way that preserves much of its original quality prior to its contact with the mirror. Some mirrors also filter out some wavelengths, while preserving other wavelengths in the reflection...
to the Hungarian society.
Lúdas Matyi in the media
- 1867-1872 - A paper with the title: Ludas Matyi - The entertaining pictured newspaperNewspaperA newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
of the Hungarian folk. The author, Károly Mészáros, was imprisoned for 10 years for showing Franz Joseph as the Crucified JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. - 1922 - The first Lúdas Matyi film, directed by Alfréd DeésyAlfréd DeésyAlfréd Deésy was a Hungarian film director, screenwriter and actor. He directed 77 films between 1915 and 1947...
. - 1949 - Lúdas Matyi film, directed by Kálmán Nádasdy and László RanódyLászló RanódyLászló Ranódy was an Hungarian film director. He directed 18 films between 1950 and 1980.-External links:...
. Starring: Imre SoósImre SoósImre Soós was a Hungarian actor, mostly known for his roles in communist Propaganda films during the 1950s. He played the leading role in the 1956 movie Körhinta.-Early years:...
. - 1945-1992 - The weekly paper Ludas Matyi was the only authorized Hungarian satiric paper during the communist era. Lúdas Matyi used irony and satire to portray the dictatorshipDictatorshipA dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
and Hungarian society with all of its participants. The paper was extremely popular, and sold a record number of about 650,000 papers. It was allowed to publish surprisingly frank caricatures of politicians, military leaders and society, but was suspended between 25 October 1956 and 21 February 1957 during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and its aftermath.
- Ludas Matyi notably included a "Down with Bureaucracy" feature with unusually sharp criticism of the system. Its outlook on foreign affairs was biased towards the Soviet view but was aimed towards humor rather than shrill propaganda. It included an ongoing weekly dialog between two opposing soldiers, the wise and humane "Ivan" and the hapless "Joe".
- The magazine also commented on the emerging sexual revolution with a mixture of sexist satire (the "Jucika" cartoon series being the notable example) and more balanced gender-equality advocacy.
- 1977 - Mattie the Goose-boyMattie the Goose-boy (film)Mattie the Goose-boy is a 1977 Hungarian animated film directed by Attila Dargay. It is based on the eponymous poem, written in 1804 by Mihály Fazekas.-Cast:* András Kern as Mattie the goose-boy* Péter Geszti as young Mattie the goose-boy...
, an animated film by Attila DargayAttila DargayAttila Dargay was an animator from Hungary. He was born in Mezőnyék.-Life:He finished his academic studies in 1948. He worked at Hungary's National Theatre as scenery painter; then he became an animated-film director in 1957. His films are popular among both children and adults...
External links
- Ludas Matyi newspaper
- Ferenc László: The history of Lúdas Matyi
- Ferenc László: The history of Lúdas Matyi Part 2