Diary entry written by our cherished collaborator, Mariëlle van Luijk.
Even though I am an adult now, I can still vividly remember the many evenings when I watched the beautifully animated Hungarian folktales, called “magyar népmesék.”
These tales consist more or less of some key elements such as a brave girl, a witch or a devil, and a long journey about overcoming hardships. Sometimes these stories even intertwine with real life, such as the legend of the Matyó embroidery.
Once upon a time, in a land far away, across the mountains made from glass, there was a young girl. She lived in great happiness and was very much in love with her beloved fiancé, until the Devil suddenly stole him away from her. The young maiden immediately fell into a deep despair, she cried, fell on her knees and pleaded with the Devil to undo his decision. But the Devil, who was very sly, told her that he would return the young man on one condition: she would have to give him the most beautiful flowers that the meadows had to offer. This wouldn't have been a problem, had it not been the dead of winter. The young maiden desperately scraped away at the icy ground, but to no avail: she didn't find a single flower. Then she suddenly had a clear vision of how she could fulfill the devil’s wish. She collected all of the colourful thread that she could find in the village and worked tirelessly day and night, embroidering the flowers of spring onto an apron. She then took this apron adorned with roses, tulips and branches to the Devil. Surprised by the girl’s shrewdness, the Devil was pleased and in exchange for this colorful work he returned the young man to her.
Young woman in Mezőkövesd Matyó festive attire, wearing a “szűcsös surc.”
The picture was taken by Farkas-Mohi Balázs.
A young woman from Mezőkövesd in festive attire, the unusual headpiece is called “csavarítós kendő” and is often used to represent the Mezőkövesd matyó culture.
The picture was taken by Farkas-Mohi Balázs.
Closeup of the Voriagh "Rózsa" apron.
The Rosza apron.