Relationships between orality and literacy in Old Hungarian

Abstract

The purpose of the present paper is to discuss a topic for which extant Hungarian manuscripts from the 11th–13th centuries cannot give much guidance at first glance, but comprehensive works and specialized papers from a variety of scientific disciplines could provide a good starting point. The first question that arises is related to the beginnings of Hungarian literacy. It is important to note that a Hungarian writing system of steppe-based origin – the so-called Old Hungarian script – existed before the adaptation of the Latin alphabet, since the 10th century. This system is preserved in the form of runic inscriptions in Transylvanian churches. An essential question on the language use of the Middle Ages is the inseparable relation between Hungarian orality and Latin literacy. This duplicity was especially present in charter writing, where the isolated use of Hungarian toponyms in charters written in Latin required some unique solutions. Regarding the oldest texts written in Hungarian (Funeral Sermon, Lamentations of Mary), a key element is the fact that these texts were not translations but adaptations of their Latin originals, pointing to a long practice of oral interpreting. The impact of the Lamentations of Mary persisted on the level of orality for centuries, in the form of archaic folk prayers.