Many people believe that folk culture only tells us of ‘general' topics that apply to us all, such as love, separation, happiness or grief. This is not the case. When, a full 100 years after the 1848 Hungarian Revolution, an extensive collection was begun with the aim of uncovering and systematising the Hungarian people's memories of the historical event, it became clear that this national matter had also deeply affected and inspired the people of the villages. More than 10,000 items were gathered together: stories, songs, proverbs and fragments of memories passed through a subjective filter. Lajos Kossuth, who became a comparable figure to Prince Rákóczi in the thoughts of the Hungarian people, naturally takes centre stage. Every Hungarian knows the melody: "Kossuth Lajos azt üzente, elfogyott a regimentje…” (‘Lajos Kossuth a message sent, that he had lost his regiment...') But surely far fewer people are aware that there are more than 100 variations of the lyrics to this popular song. It is a thrilling task to witness and reconstruct the moment of the song's birth. The Long Live Hungarian Liberty! event will make this possible with the help of some excellent memory aids: two experts in folk culture, Zoltán "Batyu” Farkas and Krisztina Benedek, will be joined by the Flaska Banda to provide the music for the ELTE Folk Dance Ensemble.



Age: 10-14 year
Presented by: Müpa Budapest