Strenghtening European Traditional Sports

conference regio South-EastDatum: 03.04.2015 - 03.06.2015.

Hungary

István Bali:  

Tradition preserving folk and sport games in

Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County

NOWADAYS• Nowadays we have been richer by many

matters, which make our life more comfort-able:for example computer, exotic travels and products supplied from various parts of the world

• New kinds of sport were created: aerobic, surf and snowboard, but we could list further.

• At the same time, the human life has been poorer by many matters.

• Every day a species of plant or animal dies out.

NOWADAYS

• The peoples’ games also belong to endangered examples of human culture, which are common treasures of children and adults.

• The representatives of the youngest generation rather play on computers or on “smart phones” and do not play such gamesthat played by their parents or grand-parents

NOWADAYS• However, a monitor is not able to substitute

excitement, pleasure and experience of physical and social employment as a ball game, running competition, clevernesscompetition, stilts competition or a rope pulling.

A LITTLE GAME HISTORY

• One part of historic games changed to specific folk games.

• The folk games directly preserve cus-tomsof a land, region.

• Games of regions’ inhabitants represent

those popular customs, which were createdand changed by local people from ge-neration to generation.

In Hungary• In the 15-16th century, on fair-and celebration

occasions, at dedication of guildsmen, in the North Hungarian cities, the Christmas combat and carnival tilting of journeymen were introduced.

• After Turkish occupation was ceased, these oneswere replaced by more peaceful games; such were funny gooseneck breaking competi-tion, traces running, leap frog, hammer throwing, wheel rolling, barrel lifting, target practice and rope pulling, which connected to local dedica-tionevents

In Hungary• Inhabitants of a village preserved pas-

toral games with specific adherence to and love (swineherd, hoofing, goating, etc.)

• These games indicated the arrival of spring, celebrations before and after seasonal jobs.

In Hungary• The villages created a rewarding system for the

best youngsters in running, wrestling and tree climbing.

• Among these competitions, probably the most important was the annually repeated competi-tion for the title of lad judge and bailiff.

• Since these ones were organised on the occa-sion of Whitsun holidays, these were also called “passing glory”.

In Hungary• István Szabó’s book titled “Ossete boy games”

makes connection between the combat games of Os-sete boys, lads living in Caucasus requiring power, clev-erness, braveness (they are relatives of Jazigian people, Alan archers, grandchildren of Persian peoples)

and our combat games done in Jászság, Kunság and Hajdúság.

Hungary and Europe• Also, we have to speak about deviation

of European and domestic development.• Smaller part of these games was already provided

with rules by the ruling class in feudalism, if these ones were the entertainment forms of court

– and knight life. • Most of them – mainly those, which were not

supported by nobility – were later created and changed by bourgeoisie to their taste, and at the same time established rules of the games and organisational frames.

• This process happened much earlier in the more developed western countries than in our country, and modern sports had already been created there for the time, when the bourgeois transformation was completed here as basic condition.

Hungary and Europe• However, the above-mentioned

does not mean that tax-paying peasants did not create their competitive entertainment forms in the centuries of feudalism, but based on early written sources the peasant entertainment was not only consisted of cleverness competitions related to trades,

but many such games were also spread, which only had function of fun and entertainment (ball games, skating, wrestling and caper.

Hungary and Europe• However, the above-mentioned does not mean

that tax-paying peasants did not create their competitive entertainment forms in the centuries of

feudalism, but based on early written sources the peasant entertainment was not only consisted of

cleverness competitions related to trades, but many such games were also spread, which only had function

of fun and entertainment (ball games, skating, wrest-ling

and caper.

Hungary and Europe• Beginning from the 1900s the local sport games

could not compete the emerging modern sport games, which were played uniformly everywhere.

• The uniform rules of games are such international requirement, by which an unwritten rule of renewable

versions of occasional games gets in the background

Thank you for your attention!