#osmagyar vallas

[tulip-and-turul]

Personal Holiday Calendar: Winter

The holidays I celebrate are from both Norse and Hungarian traditions. The year is divided into Winter (winter + spring) and Summer (summer + autumn).

Winternights

The Saturday between 11Oct and 17Oct

Celebrates the bounty of the harvest and honors Freya and the fertility and protective spirits called Disir (often seen as our female ancestors). Give glory to Freya and pour a libation of ale, milk, or mead into the soil as an offering to the Disir and the Earth itself.

Feast of the Dead

Late October to early November

Mixture of Halloween and more solemn ancestor veneration. Focuses on the return of ancestors and other spirits. End of the growing season.

Harvest Celebrations

Late November

Several family-oriented days (including the US Thanksgiving) centering around gratitude for the last of the harvest. At this point, native plant species are dormant for the winter and migratory birds have passed.

Green Sunday

1st week of December

Copper Sunday

2nd week of December

Silver Sunday

3rd week of December

Gold Sunday

4th week of December

Mini-celebrations in anticipation of Karascunt and the Rough Nights. Reference Hadúr, Szélkirály, and Napkirály.

Karascunt

Winter solstice

Festival full of fire, drink, and merriment to celebrate Csodaszarvas carrying the sun over the river to begin the year anew and overcome the darkness.

Bertchten Day

January 5/6

End of the Rough Nights and start of the new year. The sun overcomes the darkness and the light continues to grow in strength. Also known as the 12th Night. Honors Lutzl, though she is associated with all 12 of the Rough Nights.

Day of the Bear/Barri

February 2

Midwinter celebration in anticipation of the season's end. The Bear awakes and brings the first hints of life and hope. Spring cleaning and purification, and winter expulsion begins. Honors Szélkirály.

Fertility festival, the time to plant seeds indoors. Celebrate the wooing of Gerd by Ingvi Freyr.

Zöldágjárás

Mid-late March

Initial bits of greenery brought inside to continue the purification process. Boughs of greenery are formed into arches and wreaths, and boys splash water on girls, and birds migrate back at this time.

Spring Equinox

March 20

Beginning of the season of rebirth. Today we honor Frigg, Freyja, and Nerthus with a blót and a feast. Pour a libation and celebrate the rebirth of nature.

Walpurgisnacht

April 30

Reflect on Freya, Hel, Ördög and Frigga as the repository of the glorious dead. Winter expulsion ends, compelling ghosts and ancestors back to sleep. Most migratory birds have returned and begun their breeding season.

[mountain-laurel-hemlock]

me: why can't you just give me a straight answer

Napkirály, about to answer: well

Hadúr, from the next room: BECAUSE HE ISN'T

Hadúr, entering the room: straight, that is

Hadúr, clearly very pleased with himself: eyyyy

Napkirály, winking: eyyyyyy damn right

me: ........

me: I FUCKING SWEAR YOU TWO

me: *screeching*

[greenthey]

Boldogasszony, this honey is for you

Make my life sweet, and wealthy too

Help me see the wealth within

As my life I weave and spin

Morning offering to Boldogasszony, the magyar Mother Earth goddess. Last night I had a good chat with her. About wealth, and how I need to stop basing my perception of abundance on the lie of capitalism. Instead, she pointed to the abundance and beauty of the nature around me, and how I can lead others to it. Bless you, Blessed Woman 🐝

[thepaganstudygrouppage]

Do you know anything about the Hungarian Pantheon? It's incredibly hard to find information on.

Wiki says that Hungarian neopaganism, which is attempting to reconstruct the native religion, is called Ősmagyar Vallás, and this is its article on Hungarian mythology.  Usually Wiki is good for getting an overall summary before checking out its actual references at the end, but the references for both the myth and neopagan articles are suspiciously few.

Keeping in mind that I know nothing about Ősmagyar Vallás, here’s a .org site that seems promising, albeit trapped in the early 2000s aesthetic, and which has links to additional Hungarian-language sites.  Google Scholar will bring up a few articles if you search “Hungarian mythology”; I didn’t see much on Academia.edu.  Folklore is always important because it can show how everyday people demonstrated their beliefs and culture in everyday actions.

I would guess, and I may be completely wrong so take this with a grain of salt, that you’d find Nordic and Celtic influences in the west (Austria had the proto-Celtic Hallstatt culture thing going on) and Slavic ones in the east.

- mountain hound

Along the River is the blog of a reconstructionist focusing on South Germanic/Austrian and Hungarian cultures.

- Heathen Chinese

before asking | faq+tags | resource blog

[birches-and-hawks]

I recently started posting about hungarian paganism, I'll try to post more regularly in the future but I have my posts tagged a hungarian paganism so if you want you can go take a look on my blog. A book I greatly recommend is by Diószegi Vilmos, it's in hungarian but if you don't want to get that, I'm making posts about it in both hungarian and english. @pagan-from-the-carpathians also has some great posts about the topic so I think you should definitely check out their posts

Hope this helps!

research time!

anyone have anything about Ősmagyar Vallás or táltos? it’s time to satisfy the overwhelming urge to learn more about my ancestors’ faith and the reconstruction of said faith….preferably in English.

[mountain-laurel-hemlock]

Boldog Asszony

“In Hungarian mythology the goddess Boldog Asszony is the goddess associated with birth, fertility and harvests.���

source

[greenthey]

One worrying thing I've found while researching Hungarian neopaganism is the connections some groups have with the far right and nationalism. The idea is that other ethnic groups in Hungary are "eroding" Magyar culture.

Can I just say NO??? As someone who was raised without my Magyar culture because my ancestors came to America and assimilated, the enemy has ALWAYS been white monoculture. Are migrants and refugees pressuring you to conform and lose your traditions?? No!! They are peacefully practicing their own cultures, which you should take as a MODEL for how to preserve yours.

The call has always been coming from inside the house. The biggest enemy to white people is whiteness. The false loyalty to a lack of culture, to capitalism, to maintaining a hierarchy and power over others. That all has to end for our own heritages to breathe again.

So anyway if you see me share anything linked to a far right or nationalist group, please let me know as it is not my intent to give these people any more oxygen.

[greenthey]

How I see Boldogasszony, the Blessed Lady of Ősmagyar vallás (Hungarian paganism)

[greenthey]

Boldogasszony Masterpost

Everything I could find on Hungarian goddess Boldogasszony (BOL-de-vahs-oyn), cobbled together from various sources (some more trustworthy than others) and personal gnosis.

Number: 7

Colors: blue, red, pink, white, black

Themes: joy, abundance, harvest, fertility, birth, death, love, devotion, protection, winter

Symbols: hearts, rivers (and water), flowers (notably snowdrops, tulips, lilies), flame, blood, milk, gold

Offerings: milk, fruit, pastry, palinka, wine, water

Day: Tuesday (it is recommended not to do laundry or anything that pollutes water on her day)

Holy Days: Winter Solstice and feast days (more info below)

Boldogasszony, syncretized with Mother Mary, is the patron saint of Hungary. (Encyclopedia Britannica). But what do we know about the pre-Christian goddess?

Her name is usually translated as "Blessed Lady."

Boldog Asszony literally means ‘Happy Woman.’ Asszony, translated as ‘woman,’ possesses an extra nuance: Asszony indicates a relationship so close and intimate that, though not a physical blood relative, it is impossible to conceive of having a wedding or funeral without Her. That’s the gist of Boldog Asszony, presiding spirit of life cycles, especially births and weddings.

- Juika Illes, Encyclopedia of Spirits (via)

She may have originated as an Earth goddess.

Ő a kapuja életnek-halálnak, Ő a Föld, melyből minden földi élet sarjad és Ő az, aki befogadja a már nem használt testet, hogy újra születhessen általa. Óvja, védi a föld teremtményeit.

She is the gate of life and death, She is the Earth, from which all earthly life springs, and She is the one who receives the body that is no longer used so that it can be reborn through her. She protects the creatures of the earth.

- B Klári, "7 Feasts of Boldogasszony"

She is also sometimes referred to as Nagyboldogasszony and her seven daughters as Kisboldogasszony (big vs little Boldogasszony.) Are they the fae and she, their mother?

The Hungarian Christian Universalist page Az igaz tudás és szeretet hívei ("Adherents of true knowledge and love") describes an early religion called Büün or Boldogasszony Faith, the full details which I will eventually translate, where the female aspect of God is called Ukko, possibly similar to the Altaic goddess Akka. Both names simply mean "mother."

Feast Days

Boldogasszony (as Mother Mary) is officially celebrated on 7 feast days throughout the year in Hungary. These may have originally been linked to cycles of nature and agriculture.

Földtiltó Boldogasszony (Feast of the Immaculate Conception, literally "Our Lady of Land Blocking") - December 8th.

Gyertyszentelö Boldogasszony (Candlemas) - February 2nd.

Gyümölcsoltó Boldogasszony ("Our Lady of Bearing Fruit") - March 25th.

Sarlós Boldogasszony (Visit of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth) - July 2nd.

Nagyboldogasszony (Great Boldogasszony) - August 15th.

Kisboldogasszony (Small Boldogasszony) – September 8th.

Olbasós Boldogasszony (Our Lady of the Rosary) - October 7th.

Along with on the following days:

Kármelhegyi Boldogasszony (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) - July 16th.

Havi Boldogasszony (Our Lady of the Snows) - August 5th.

Hétfájdalmú Boldogasszony (Our Lady of Seven Pains) - September 15th.

Fogolyszabadító Boldogasszony (Our Lady of Prisoners' Liberation) - September 31st.

Magyarok Nagyasszonya (Our Lady of Hungary) - October 8th.

Source: B Klári, "7 Feasts of Boldogasszony"

Ritual

Hungarian Native Faith Ceremony in Hungary, at the Temple of the Seven Images of the Mother of God.* Cc Laszlo Koppany

Boldogasszony may have been considered a "birth fairy" whose wrath could be incurred if new parents failed to call on her. She is also called upon for weddings.

Hungarian wedding festivals often take place in winter, after the harvest season and meat preparation. The traditions here are laden with magic we can ‘borrow’ for building strong personal relationships, asking for Boldogasszony’s blessing by having a cup of milk present at any activity. For example, cutting a rope that is attached to your home symbolizes your release from the old ways and freedom to enter into commitment. Stepping across birch wood purifies intentions and ensures a fertile, happy union.

Lighting a torch (or candle) represent vigilant devotion in a relationship. Do this at the time of your engagement, as you recite vows, or as you both enter a new residence for the first time so that commitment will stay with you. Wherever you are, eating off each other’s plates and drinking from one cup deepens harmony (include a milk product like cheese). Finally, dancing with kitchen utensils ensures that the home fire will always stay warm.”

- Patricia Telesco, “365 Goddess: a daily guide to the magic and inspiration of the goddess” (via)

I will continue to add more information and links to this post as I learn more. 💦🍑🌷

*Unfortunately some Hungarian neopagan groups align themselves with far right and nationalist movements. I do not endorse them or stand with them in any way, as I do not believe ethnic identity or faith should ever be used to oppress others. Migrants and refugees from the global South aren't the ones "eroding" Magyar culture. White monoculture has always been the greatest enemy to all European cultures and faiths.

Let us remove the chains of white supremacy so we can coexist in love with our fellow humans and the land, as Boldogasszony intended ❤️‍🔥

[greenthey]

Conversations with a Táltos

For a long time, I didn't practice anything related to my Magyar ancestry because there is so little information about their pre-Christian religious practices. But recently I remembered I'm a witch experienced in trance, and I can ask for myself!

I made contact with an ancestor. His name, he has said, is private, though he has allowed me to share this image from my journal for the sake of continuing the knowledge of his practice, which he didn't get to share with his own children as the demon of Christian monoculture swept over the land.

Táltos knowledge below the cut. Please ask your own guides and ancestors if this is for you before using it.

I acknowledge that this is my personal gnosis, interpreted through a 21st century American mind. My táltos was also only one person living at the tail end of paganism being openly practiced in Hungary. (Before modern revival.)

My táltos's main job was to travel from village to village, going into trance to accomplish various tasks. This usually involved riding a giant eagle into the Upper World where he fought demons. (With a sword? Or perhaps he became the eagle and used his beak and claws)

The demons could represent many things-- disease in humans and crops, foul weather. Anything that made life difficult for humans, he could battle using trance.

I believe this involved drumming, although he didn't show me a drum so more research is needed. He did tell me a chant to enter trance:

Huld,

Huldulok

Which I believe translates to "Sleep, I am falling"? Which is funny to me because it calls to mind a 20th century hypnotist saying "You are getting very verry sleeeeeepy" - Magyar speakers, please correct me if I'm wrong.

While using this chant, he showed energy descending through the centers of the body which looked like gems. I was surprised by how similar this all was to grounding processes I'm already familiar with. Simpler, even.

A surprising learning I got from him was that he could not imagine doing what he did in the modern world with all the distractions. He was impressed with me? Which was humbling because he got to actually do this as a job. He was respected. And I have to squish my practice in around my underpaying, emotionally humiliating job. He reminded me that what we do as pagan ritual practitioners isn't insignificant. It's a huge sacrifice of our time and energy, and we are so holy.

At the end of my first meditation with him, he sat me by a fire where I went through some kind of initiation. There also stood Boldogasszony, the Blessed Lady who seems to have represented Mother Earth and, after Christianization, the Virgin Mary. I will share more once I am able to spend time with her.

To end on a fun note, the táltos was very impressed with the lavender essential oils I had used. He took the scent as a rare and valuable gift, and I think he appreciates it as a vehicle for trance. Might be useful for others communing with similar ancestors? 💜

[mountain-laurel-hemlock]

Making paprikás csirke and langos for dinner tonight. Partly because I need comfort food and partly because I sense the Magyar want some.

[mountain-laurel-hemlock]

Myth moodboards || Hungarian Myths and Folktales (1/?) - Creation

The eternal sea's waves are waving, and rolling. Their waves are rocking and their foam is hissing. There is no earth yet anywhere, but in the immeasurable heights, above in his golden house, sits the great heavenly father on his golden throne.  

He is the old, white haired and white bearded god of eternity. On his black robes there are thousands of sparkling stars. Besides him sits his wife, the Great Heavenly mother. On her white robes (palast) there are thousands of sparkling stars. She is the ancient material of which everything is made. They have existed from eternity in the past and will exist for all eternity to come.  

In front of them stands their beautiful golden sunbeam haired son, the sun god Magyar. The boy asks from his father: "when shall we create the world of the humans my dear father?".

x

[mountain-laurel-hemlock]

research time!

anyone have anything about Ősmagyar Vallás or táltos? it’s time to satisfy the overwhelming urge to learn more about my ancestors’ faith and the reconstruction of said faith....preferably in English.