Székely
György Dózsa • Sándor Csoma • Áron Gábor
Total population
Estimated: 665,000 in Romania 180,000 outside Romania
Regions with significant populations
Romania (mostly in the counties of Harghita, Covasna and parts of Mureş), southern Hungary and the rest of the world
Languages
Hungarian
Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholic, with Hungarian Reformed and Unitarian minorities
Related ethnic groups
Hungarians

For the village in northeastern Hungary, see Székely (village)

The Székely (pronounced [ˈseːkɛj]) or Szekler people (Hungarian: Székely, Romanian: Secui, German: Szekler, Latin: Siculi), are a Hungarian-speaking ethnic group mostly living in the counties of Harghita, Covasna and Mureş in Romania, with a significant population also living in Tolna, Hungary. Sándor Kőrösi Csoma, also known as Alexander Csoma de Kőrös, born Csoma Sándor ( March 27, 1784 - April 11, 1842 Áron Gábor ( Bereck, 27 November 1814 - Kökös, 2 July 1849 was a Hungarian Artillery officer and national hero of the 1848-49 Hungarian Revolution Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Harghita (har'gita Judeţul Harghita Hargita megye is a county ( Judeţ) in the center of Romania, in eastern Transylvania, with the county seat Covasna or Kovászna (Covasna Hungarian: Kovászna, German: Kowasna) is a town in Covasna county, Transylvania Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. The Roman-Catholic Church (Biserica Romano-Catolică din România in Romania is a Latin Church Christian church part of the worldwide Catholic Church The Reformed Church in Romania (Romániai Református Egyház Biserica Reformată din România is the organization of the Calvinist church in Romania. The Unitarian Church of Transylvania (Erdélyi Unitárius Egyház Romanian: Biserica Unitariană din Transilvania) is a church of the Unitarian denomination Hungarians (or Magyars, magyarok are an Ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary. Székely is a Village in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county in the Northern Great Plain Region of eastern Hungary. This article deals with the Phonology and the Phonetics of the Hungarian language. Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. Harghita (har'gita Judeţul Harghita Hargita megye is a county ( Judeţ) in the center of Romania, in eastern Transylvania, with the county seat Covasna (ko'vasna Kovászna is a county ( Judeţ) of Romania, in Transylvania, with the capital city at Sfântu Gheorghe. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Based on official 2002 Romanian census numbers,^[1] approximately 1,434,000^[2] ethnic-Hungarians live in Romania, mostly in Transylvania. Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian Of these, about 665,000 live in the counties of Harghita, Covasna and parts of Mureş with a Székely majority. Harghita (har'gita Judeţul Harghita Hargita megye is a county ( Judeţ) in the center of Romania, in eastern Transylvania, with the county seat Covasna or Kovászna (Covasna Hungarian: Kovászna, German: Kowasna) is a town in Covasna county, Transylvania The Székely therefore account for a significant part (45%) of the Hungarian minority in Romania. The Hungarian minority of Romania is the largest ethnic minority in Romania consisting of 1434377 people and making up 6 When given the choice on the Romanian census between ethnically identifying as "Székely" or "Hungarian," the overwhelming majority of Székely choose the latter. Note that they were not allowed to choose both of them. Therefore, on the 2002 Romanian census only 150 persons declared their ethnicity as "Székely". See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.

Aranyosszék exclave

There are about 10,000–15,000 Székely living in the former territory of Aranyosszék. Aranyosszék (Sedes Aurata Scaunul Arieşului was the seat (territorial administrative unit of the Transylvanian Székelys living in the Valley of the Examples of Székely villages there include Felsőszentmihály (today part of Mihai Viteazu Commune), or Felvinc (part of Unirea Commune). Mihai Viteazu (older name Sânmihaiu, Szentmihály is a commune in Cluj County, Romania. Mihai Viteazu (older name Sânmihaiu, Szentmihály is a commune in Cluj County, Romania. Unirea, previously Vinţu de Sus (Felvinc Oberwinz is a commune and a village located in the north-east of the Alba County, Romania. Unirea, previously Vinţu de Sus (Felvinc Oberwinz is a commune and a village located in the north-east of the Alba County, Romania. Unlike other parts of the historical Székely Land, the territory has a mixed Romanian-Hungarian population.

History

Main article: History of the Székely people

Székely people in the Kingdom of Hungary

The Székely were considered the finest warriors of medieval Transylvania. Origins Myths At the end of the 13th century in a chronicle called Gesta Hungarorum, the notary of Hungarian King Béla explained his beliefs about the conquest They were part of the Unio Trium Nationum ("Union of Three Nations") a coalition of the three Transylvanian Estates, the other two nations being the (also predominantly Hungarian) nobility and the Saxon (that is, ethnic German) burghers. Unio Trium Nationum ( Latin for "Union of the Three Nations" was a pact of mutual aid formed in 1438 by three Estates of Transylvania: the (largely The Estates of the realm were the broad divisions of society usually distinguishing Nobility, Clergy, and Commoners recognized in the Middle Ages The Transylvanian Saxons (Siebenbürger Sachsen Erdélyi szászok Saşi are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania (Siebenbürgen from the 12th This article is about the German diaspora See Germans for the German ethnicity in general These three nations ruled Transylvania, usually in harmony though sometimes in conflict with one another. During the Long War, the Székely formed an alliance with Prince Michael the Brave of Wallachia against the army of Andrew Cardinal Báthory, recently appointed Prince of Transylvania. For other conflicts called the Long War see Long War. The Long War or Thirteen Years' War ( July 29, 1593 - Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul Vitéz Mihály 1558 - 9 August 1601) was the Prince of Wallachia (1593-1601 of Transylvania This article is about the region in what is now Southern Romania Andrew Báthory (Báthory András or Báthory Endre; 1562 or 1566 &ndash November 3, 1599) was a Hungarian Roman Catholic Cardinal Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian

Controversy about origins

The Székely have historically claimed descent from Attila's Huns, and feel that they played a special role in shaping Hungary. After the Magyar tribes settled in Pannonia, they believed that they had special rights to that land as an inheritance from Attila. Székely people adhere proudly to their Hungarian identity.

A "Székely gate"

While the idea of Székely descent from the Huns remains an important part of Székely tradition and folk culture, the theory has lost scholarly currency in the twentieth century. Theories have been advanced suggesting Avar, Gepid, or Turkic ancestry, and some have dated their presence in the Eastern Carpathians as early as the fifth century. The Caucasian Avars are a modern people of Caucasus, mainly of Dagestan. The Gepids (Gepidae Gifðas ( Beowulf, Widsith) - possibly from * Gibiðos, "givers" or gepanta, see below were The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians (Carpaţi Czech, Polish and Slovak: Karpaty; Ukrainian: Карпати A small number of scholars believe that they are related to Scythians who might have joined the Magyars on their trek westward and assimilated into the proto-Hungarian culture. The Scythians or Scyths (Σκύθες Σκύθοι were an Iranian speaking people of horse-riding Nomadic pastoralists who dominated the Pontic Some have also suggested the Székely are simply Magyars, like other Hungarians; according to this theory, their strongly distinguishable cultural differences stem from centuries of relative isolation in the mountains. Hungarians (or Magyars, magyarok are an Ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary. Some scholars believe in a two-fold Hungarian migration of Transylvania and the Pannonian Plain, one prior to the main Magyar conquest of the Pannonian Plain in 896. The Pannonian Plain is a large Plain in Central Europe that remained when the Pliocene Pannonian Sea dried out Events By Place Europe The Bulgarians under Simeon I, defeat the Byzantine Empire at Bulgarophygon According to this theory, the Székely are a Hungarian group that settled in Transylvania during this first migration.

Symbols

The Székely Sun and Moon

The Sun and Moon are the symbols of the Székely, as can also be seen in the coat of arms of Transylvania and on the Romanian national coat of arms. Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian The Sun and Moon symbols represented proto-Hungarian gods, but after the Hungarians became Christians in the eleventh century, their importance became purely visual and symbolic. Their religious significance was lost. The Székely have largely succeeded in preserving their traditions to an extent unusual even in Central and Eastern Europe. The most comprehensive description of the Székely Land and traditions was written between 1859-1868 by Balázs Orbán in his Description of Székely land. Balázs Orbán (1829 in Lengyelfalva, Transylvania - 1890 in Budapest) was a Hungarian writer historian and politician A Székelyföld leírása ( Description of Székely Land) is a book written by Orbán Balázs, first published in 1868 in Budapest Hungary

Population by county

Székely pottery (stove tile)

The Székely live mainly in Harghita, Covasna and Mureş counties. They form a majority of the population in the counties of Covasna and Harghita.

The relatively small and isolated Székely population on the border of Cluj and Alba counties (former Aranyosszék) assimilated more significantly during the 20th century than inhabitants of the compact Székely areas. Cluj may refer to Cluj County, Romania Cluj-Napoca, county seat of Cluj County named Cluj until 1974 CFR Cluj, a Romanian Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name (ˈalˠ̪əpə for Scotland. Aranyosszék (Sedes Aurata Scaunul Arieşului was the seat (territorial administrative unit of the Transylvanian Székelys living in the Valley of the They can be estimated to be less than 20,000 today.

The Székelys of Bukovina form a culturally separate group with its own history. The Székelys of Bukovina are a minor Hungarian Ethnic group with a special history

Autonomy

Ethnic map of Harghita, Covasna, and Mureş based on the 2002 data, showing areas with Hungarian (Székely) majority

Ever since the abolition of the Hungarian Autonomous Province by the Ceauşescu regime in 1968, some of the Székely have pressed for their autonomy to be restored. The Hungarian Autonomous Province ( Romanian: Regiunea Autonomă Maghiară, Hungarian: Magyar Autonóm Tartomány) was an autonomous region in Nicolae Ceauşescu (nikoˈlaje tʃauˈʃesku (January 26 1918 – December 25 1989 was the communist dictator of Romania from 1965 until December 1989 when a revolution Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Several proposals have been discussed within the Székely Hungarian community and by the Romanian majority. One of the Székely autonomy initiatives is based on the model of the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia. The Székely Land is a region of central Romania According to official data from the Romania's 2002 census 668471 persons in Mureş, Harghita An autonomous community is a first-level political division of the Kingdom of Spain, established in accordance with the Spanish Constitution. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. ^[3] A major peaceful demonstration was held in 2006 in favor of autonomy [1].

Fiction

In Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, the eponymous vampire count regards himself as a Székely, and very explicitly presents them as a separate nation from the Hungarians. Abraham "Bram" Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912 was an Irish writer of novels and short stories who is best known today for his 1897 horror Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, featuring as its primary Antagonist the vampire Count Dracula. Vampires are mythological or folkloric revenants who subsist by feeding on the blood of the living He describes a history for his people, claiming a descent both from the Huns and also from an "Ugric tribe from Iceland". Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( He even goes so far as to claim that "after the battle of Mohacs, we threw off the Hungarian yoke". The Battle of Mohács (mohácsi csata or mohácsi vész/Bane of Mohács; Schlacht bei Mohács Mohačka bitka Мохачка битка/Mohačka bitka Bitka pri Moháči However, this version of Székely history owes far more to the imagination of Bram Stoker than to any historical fact. The historical Vlad III Dracula was actually a Vlach leader of Wallachia. Vlachs is a blanket term covering several modern Latin peoples descending from the Latinised population in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe This article is about the region in what is now Southern Romania

Far more accurate in their depictions of the Székely are the novels of Tamási Áron, a twentieth-century writer from Farkaslaka who set universal stories of love and self-individuation against the backdrop of Székely village culture. Áron Tamási (born János Tamás; September 20, 1897 – May 26, 1966) was an Austro-Hungarian -born Hungarian Lupeni is also a city in Hunedoara County. Lupeni or Farkaslaka (Lupeni Farkaslaka is a commune in Harghita County

See also

• Hungarian minority in Romania
• List of Székely settlements
• Alexander Csoma de Kőrös (Székely origins)
• Bertalan Székely
• Edmund Bordeaux Szekely
• György (Székely) Dózsa
• Louis C.K. (surname Székely)
• Rulers of Transylvania Mózes Székely
• Székelys of Bukovina
• Székelykeve
• Székely land (Székelyföld, Terra Siculorum, Ţinutul Secuiesc)
• Old Hungarian script (Szekely runes)
• Moïse Szekely

Notes

External links

• The Székely Anthem with English and German lyrics
• Encyclopedia 1911 Article
• (Hungarian) Székely Anthem
• (Hungarian) Székely News
• (English) Minority Cultures: The Szeklers Jews
• (English) Minority Cultures: The Szeklers Tortured History
• (Hungarian) Székely history until 1848
• (English) Szekler Culture
• (English) The Szekler's eco community in Transylvania
• (English) Online booking timeshare in Szeklerland
• (English) Szeklerland news
• (English) Szekler Encyclopedia