Middle Ages & Early Modern Times
The Slovene Raba Region belonged to
the Hungarian dominion, which became a part of Zala
County and Vas
County (1091) and of the dioceses of Zagreb (1094) and
Gyõr (1176) respectively only towards the end of the 11th century. The
Slovene population group based in Vas
County and belonging to
the diocese of Gyõr was called “Tótság”
by the Catholic Church. At first the Hungarians appointed all the Slovenes
living within the Carpathians basin as “tót/tótok”. Later only the ones who called
themselves “Slovensko”
were denominated as “tót/tótok”.
Among these were the Slovenes and the Slovaks. Until the end of the 16th
century also the Slavonian Croatians were called “tót/tótok”.
The first documented data
In 1183 the city of Szentgotthárd
was documented by name for the first time, together with the foundation of the
Cistercian abbey. In this city the Hungarian King Béla III founded an
abbey in order to cover the scarcely populated region with buildings and to
settle new employees. The Slovene settlements in the Szentgotthárd
region still existing today were founded by the estate of the Cistercian abbey
and by the Slovenes who had already been living and settled down there. The
Slovene localities, which were considered bond-slave settlements of the
Cistercian abbey, and of the squire families Széchy, Nádasdy und
Battyányi, were documented for the first time between the 13th and 16th
century: Rábatótfalu as Sclavorum (1221), Szakonyfalu as
Zakonfalua and Apátistvánfalva as Estevanfalva (1350).
Furthermore Felsõ- and Alsószölnök (1378),
Ritkaháza and Permise (Kétvölgy) (1387) and Orfalu (1538).
Reformation and Counter
Reformation
In the 16th and 17th century the doctrine of Reformation also reached the
squires of the Slovenes from the Raba Region. Consequently their bond-slaves
had to convert first to Calvinism, later to Evangelism as well. In 1698 it was
held constant that of the 600 inhabitants of Felsõszölnök 413
were Evangelics and 187 Catholics. The Catholics attended church in
Čepinci (Slovenia).
The Evangelic inhabitants of the Raba Region belonged to the churches of
Felsõszölnök, Dolinci (Slovenia) and Szentgotthárd.
The parsonage of Felsõszölnök owned farmland, grasslands and
vineyards as well as five bond-slaves (Hung. zseller), who served the
parsonage. In Felsõszölnök the weaving industry and the
pottery industry were prevalent at that time. The names of the parishioners
were, amongst others, Horváth, Szukits, Metlitz, Gecsék, Czigut,
Gubics and Hampó. Mihály Medvedovics, the former priest of
Felsõszölnök, converted to Catholicism in 1629 and thus he was
appointed earl by the squire Ádam Battyányi in 1630. In 1634
Ádam Battyányi decreed that if the Protestant clericalists on his
estates did not convert to Catholicism they had to leave his possessions within
two weeks. Recatholisation was not accomplished from day to another since
amongst others the new religion offered the Slovene bond-slaves a possibility
to acquire their mother tongue in spoken and written. However, towards the end
of the 17th century most of the Slovene bond-slaves living in the Raba Region
returned to Catholic faith together with their squires Ádám
Battyányi, Ferenc Nádasdy and Péter Széczy. Due to
the enactment, which had been decreed in the parliamentary assembly in Sopron (1681), the
Evangelic and Calvinistic believers were only allowed to follow their beliefs
in prescribed places. What is more, only books destined for religious use were
permitted. In 1717, the Battyányi family reseized the churches, which
were inaugurated in a Catholic ceremony.
Ottoman time
The Ottomans appeared in the Raba Region simultaneously with the start of
Reformation. Ottoman leader Ibrahim Damad occupied the city of Nagykanizsa, which constituted the nearest
and highly important fortress, on October 20, 1600. On Christmas Day 1640 an
Ottoman troop coming from Nagykanizsa invaded Felsõszölnök.
Since then the local bond-slaves not only had to pay tributes to their squire Ádám
Battyányi, but also to the Ottoman occupiers. The Ottomans announced
that if the inhabitants of Felsõszölnök did not submit to them
within two weeks, their whole village would be destroyed. The inhabitants wrote
a letter to Ádám Battyányi asking him for advice. In 1641,
the latter consulted his brother-in-law, László Csáky, who
was living in Szentgotthárd, and he was told that he should not consider
submission. Csáky mentioned the locality Apátistvánfalva.
Even though the inhabitants submitted out of fear (in 1622) the village was
levelled by the Ottomans. According to Lászlo Csáky
Felsõszölnök was better off not submitting, if they did, then
the inhabitants of the Raba Region of German origin and consequently the whole
Raba Region would have followed suit. Ádám Battyányi also asked
the author Miklós Zrínyi, his second-grade cousin for advice. In
1648, the latter advised him to battle against the Ottomans. In 1664, in the
Battle of Szentgotthárd the Ottomans advanced to
Felsõszölnök. The village was almost completely devastated.
Many impoverished inhabitants fled into neighbouring Styria. The battle against
the Ottomans in Szentgotthárd lives on in the tales of the Slovenes from
the Raba Region. In these narratives real and misty-eyed events mix.
Furthermore most historical knowledge about this very battle is far from being
complete. However, it is an accepted fact that the Ottoman sultan who was said
to be a protagonist of this battle, did not participate in it. In addition, the
Ottoman troop leader Ahmed Köprülü was not killed in this
battle, as it is often claimed. It is correct however that Pascha Ismail, the
brother-in-law of the sultan, died in the Battle of Szentgotthárd.
Radetzky, who according to the tales fooled the Ottoman troops in this battle,
was born about a hundred years later and was the commander-in-chief of the
Austrian army during the Napoleonic Wars in northern Italy. According to the tales, the
Hungarian troops were positioned on a hill in Mogersdorf (Austria), not
far away from Szentgotthárd.
It was said that Radetzky was at the foot of this hill devising the plan to
split up the Hungarian troops in two parts and thus fooling the Ottomans. On
the hill the soldiers started a fire and in order to simulate a bigger amount
of soldiers, they kept running around the same fireplace. The Ottomans should
believe that the Hungarian troop was attacking them coming from the hill. One
said that whilst the attack the third cannonball had hit the tent of the sultan
and had killed him. Before the battle the sultan was quoted as saying that he
would not surrender as long as the fried cock on his plate would not start
crowing. At that moment the cock began to crow and the sultan was hit mortally
by the cannonball. The Ottoman soldiers started panicking and fleeing.
According to the tales the battle caused so many dead people that the river
Raba turned red due to all the blood that had been shed. Still today one
section of this river is still called “Holt-Rába/Dead Raba”. Because of the great number
of slain bodies lying in this river one said that this section of the river had
cloven his way in a different direction. Before the battle the sultan was
quoted as saying that soon his horse would be eating and drinking from the lap
and the bust of Virgin Mary (in today's Mariazell, Austria). Still today, the
place of pilgrimage in Mariazell is still visited by numerous inhabitants of
Felsõszölnök. Between Felsõszölnök and
Alsószölnök, on a bank, there is a well, in which the woman of
the sultan had thrown an assey-balance on the run. And still today, on August 1
people commemorate the battle against the Ottomans in Szentgotthárd and
they arrange a run from Szentgotthárd on the hill near Mogersdorf, on
which stands a large cross. At that time, however also the Kuruc troops (revolutionaries
against Habsburg) of Rákóczi and the Labanc troops (who were
loyal to Habsburg) were wreaking havoc within the Slovene Raba Region.
Rákóczi's Kuruc troops defeated the Austrian-imperial army in
Szentgotthárd.
The escape to Somogy County
In the 17th and 18th century numerous Slovene families from Vas County
settled down in Somogy
County. According to some
results of the latest research three country districts (Csurgó,
Nagyatád, Marcali), in which sixteen Slovene settlements emerged, are
known. The Slovenes came to Somogy
County in two waves: The
first was caused by Ottoman attacks around 1600 and the second took place in
the 18th century due to their Protestant belief. In most cases the Slovenes who
had been immigrating to Somogy
County could be assimilated
within the local Hungarian surroundings. Today only few indications, which are
evocative of the Slovenes in Somogy
County, still exist.
Among them are the preparation of the food and the liveries. The most relevant
common motive is apparent in the wedding custom in Tarany. Also the Slovenes
from the Raba and those from the Mura Region know the “guest
caller” at weddings. Both in Tarany and in the Raba Region the guest
caller is dressed in a robe decorated with knitting. In addition, he carries
along a stick that has a hedgehog fur wrapped round its bottom. Also the
customs at the deathbed, the laying out and funerals are similar. Furthermore
the descendants of the Slovenes in Somogy
County do not exert
either the typical Hungarian Easter Monday custom, in which men and boys douse
women and girls with Eau de Cologne. Whereas the Slovenes from the Raba Region
still maintain their language and culture, the knowledge of the inhabitants of
Tarany about their ancestors is constantly decreasing. In the population census
in 2001 only 44 people avowed themselves Slovenes within the whole Somogy County.
Translated from German into English: Joël Gerber
The German text is based on: Mukics
Mária, „A Magyarországi Szlovének“;
Press Publica, (2003)