Égig éro fa
Encyclopedia
The world tree is a typical element of Hungarian folk art and folk tales and a distinct folk tale type. In Hungarian it has several other descriptive names like "Égig érő fa" (the tree reaching into the sky), "tetejetlen fa" (tree without a top), "életfa" (life tree).
Several of these tales have versions in the Transylvania
n, German
, Romanian
, Roma, Serbian
, Croatian
, Bulgarian
, Turkish
and other cultures in Asia, but the origin of the Hungarian tales goes back to the táltos traditions of Hungarians
. The táltosok are the humans who are entitled to climb up the égig érő fa and wander in the seven or nine layers of the sky.
One version of these tales is about the "small swineherd" (in Hungarian kiskondás) who climbs up the tree to save the princess who is held captive by a dragon (Világhírű Szép Miklós tale). The tree is a frequent element of funny tales, in which for example a gypsy climbs up into the heaven and then down into the hell.
The world tree often grows out of a reindeer or a horse. It often carries among its branches the Sun
and the Moon
. This latter concept is typical of Uralic and Siberian peoples. The tree often stands on the world mountain, with its top in the sky and roots in the hell
, where snakes and toads live. In the tales often birds sit on the tree, like eagles, hawks or the mythical Hungarian bird, the turul
.
Several of these tales have versions in the Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
n, German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, Romanian
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
, Roma, Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
, Bulgarian
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
, Turkish
Turkish folklore
The tradition of folklore—folktales, jokes, legends, and the like—in the Turkish language is very rich, and is incorporated into everyday life and events.-Nasreddin Hoca:...
and other cultures in Asia, but the origin of the Hungarian tales goes back to the táltos traditions of Hungarians
Shamanistic remnants in Hungarian folklore
Comparative methods used in analysing ethnographic data of Hungarian folktales, and some historical sources reveal that some features of Hungarian folklore are remnants of shamanistic beliefs, maintained from the deep past, or possibly borrowed from Turkic peoples with whom Hungarians used to live...
. The táltosok are the humans who are entitled to climb up the égig érő fa and wander in the seven or nine layers of the sky.
One version of these tales is about the "small swineherd" (in Hungarian kiskondás) who climbs up the tree to save the princess who is held captive by a dragon (Világhírű Szép Miklós tale). The tree is a frequent element of funny tales, in which for example a gypsy climbs up into the heaven and then down into the hell.
The world tree often grows out of a reindeer or a horse. It often carries among its branches the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
and the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. This latter concept is typical of Uralic and Siberian peoples. The tree often stands on the world mountain, with its top in the sky and roots in the hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, where snakes and toads live. In the tales often birds sit on the tree, like eagles, hawks or the mythical Hungarian bird, the turul
Turul
The Turul is the most important bird in the origin myth of the Magyars .It is a divine messenger, and perches on top of the tree of life along with the other spirits of unborn children in the form of birds...
.