Celt and Magyar Connection and Iconic Realism: Part Two (Music)

       

                                        Celtic Uillean Pipes                                               Hungarian Duda
                                                                      (Both photos from 'Duck Duck Go' images)

A piece of music can contain iconic structures within the two variables of musical arrangement, dynamics and instrumentation. A melody contains structure in the form of rhythm, meter and pitch, arranged in various degrees of intensity.  Often, a particular arrangement will reflect the culture of a community, for example, an Irish jig or a Hungarian czardas. Eventually, this becomes an iconic structure, representing the entire culture. When one hears an Irish jig or Hungarian czardas, usually an image of the corresponding culture comes to mind, making this musical piece iconic. Both the czardas and the jig are forms of folk dances. Personally, I learned how to do the czardas as a child, attending many a wedding celebration. 

The Hungarian pitches and frequencies follow the same structure as the songs associated with the Celtic musical experience, which later had become the Hungarian czardas and Irish jig. Another common musical link between the Irish and the Hungarian is the bagpipe. In Hungary, it’s called the duda, the bag is made from goat’s skin and the instrument usually has a carved goat’s head as the chanter; in Ireland, it is the Uilleann pipes. According to historian, Winnie Czulinski: 

The Hungarian bagpipe…was rescued from near distinction by classical composers Zoltán Kodály and Béla Bartók. Look for bagpipes, too, in just about any of the other lands the ancient Celts deflowered and defamed, from Poland to Macedonia to Sicily. The most multicultural pipes of all may be the Eryri pipes, made by Goat Industries in North Wales, that manage to combine Scottish, Irish, Hungarian and Bulgarian ideas.[1]

                           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq3m_R3Lnu4 

                            (Irish Uilleann pipes) 

                            https://youtu.be/PITLPH-Yq3E?feature=shared 

                            (Hungarian duda)

The realism aspect of this example rests in the physical nature of the sound production. The sound waves of the bagpipe produce high frequencies similar to those interpreted by the human ear to emanate the human voice, singing in a specific tone. Not only do these sound waves vibrate at the same or similar frequency, but also the audience often associates the timbre of the sound source in the bagpipe with that of a strong, human voice; whereas sound waves associated with the flute symbolize either a frail human or a bird and provides the semiotic structures for realistic interpretation. 

Composers arrange musical configurations and assign instruments containing the pitch and timbre that the audience will associate with specific elements of its culture. In this way, the audience forms the association of sound to memory and interpretation ensues. This not only occurs with instrumentation, but appears in the retelling of oral stories passed down through generations of all cultures.

Therefore, to illustrate iconic realism within the musical compositions of Irish and Hungarian folksongs, we hear the same pentatonic scales, situated in similar formats, with similar meanings, yet from two cultures that many would not associate as having these elements in common.

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[1] Czulinski, Winnie. Drone On! The High History of Celtic Music. Sound and Vision, 2004.

Celt and Magyar Connection and Iconic Realism: Part One (Linguistic Elements)

Map of the Germanic Kingdoms and East Roman Empire in 486 A.D. 

Map by William Robert Shepherd (1871-1934)

Map from Google Images

From my paper, presented at the American Conference for Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana: 

In three parts, I will bring attention to the music, art, and linguistic elements that have proven to be common between the Celts and the Magyars of approximately 5-600 A.D. I will demonstrate the similarities in cultural traditions through the prism of iconic realism. For instance, found in ancient Magyar burial grounds near Budapest were weaponry, bearing the same symbolic features of those used by the Celts. This anthropological find indicates the significance of cultural rituals and artistic renderings among a group of people not usually associated with each other. That is where iconic realism enters the discussion.  The three components of this theory follow: 

1.    The artist presents a realistic icon in a work of art.

2.    The artist places the icon in a realistic setting unusual for this icon.

3.    The purpose for this placement is to make the audience aware of a need for cultural transformation.

The study of iconic realism in this presentation will demonstrate the similarities in the way that the Hungarians and Irish have struggled throughout history to maintain cultural identity. In the sense of comparison between the Magyars and the Celts, let’s look at some commonalities in a linguistic sample of both languages, hailing from the Finno-Ugraic linguistic root:

A cup of mead:  Celtic MEDUHun  MEDOS (Hungarian "mézes") 

A sunny disposition: (Irish SCOIR = szór; Irish SCORAIOCHT = Hungarian szórakozás / SORCHA

In Irish CHELL = trick, game CALAOIS = to trick, CEALG to trick, to fish, CEALA =to make something disappear, to hide; In Hungarian: csal, csel, csali

BODUA is the Celtic word for "victory" and it is possible that the incoming Hun troops were greeted with a joyful exclamation of "Bodua!" The victorious Huns were considered liberators because their society did not practice the inhuman institution of slavery of the "civilized" Romans. After the "victory" BUDA was built, the "Ancient Buda" (Ős-Buda), which we know as "Atilla's castle" (Etzilburg) from history.

The proud city of Sicambria, the Celtic city, which could have been called SICAN-BHARR before it became Latinized. This name means "Szék-bérces" in Hungarian (a 'Seat' upon a hill) - this type of word composition was also part of the Hungarian language structure; for further examples see Hegy-magas at Lake Balaton, or Becs-kerek in the Bánság. (In Irish, SUIOCHAN (Hungarian: szikán) means a seat, seating place, bench; seat as a seat of a settlement, a residence; a gathering, assembly, a court of law)

In the sense of comparison between the Magyars and the Celts, let’s look at some commonalities in a linguistic sample of both languages, hailing from the Finno-Ugraic linguistic root: 

A cup of mead:  Celtic MEDUHun  MEDOS (Hungarian "mézes") 

A sunny disposition: (Irish SCOIR = szór; Irish SCORAIOCHT = Hungarian szórakozás / SORCHA

In Irish CHELL = trick, game CALAOIS = to trick, CEALG to trick, to fish, CEALA =to make something disappear, to hide; In Hungarian: csal, csel, csali

BODUA is the Celtic word for "victory" and it is possible that the incoming Hun troops were greeted with a joyful exclamation of "Bodua!" The victorious Huns were considered liberators because their society did not practice the inhuman institution of slavery of the "civilized" Romans. After the "victory" BUDA was built, the "Ancient Buda" (Ős-Buda), which we know as "Atilla's castle" (Etzilburg) from history.

The proud city of Sicambria, the Celtic city, which could have been called SICAN-BHARR before it became Latinized. This name means "Szék-bérces" in Hungarian (a 'Seat' upon a hill) - this type of word composition was also part of the Hungarian language structure; for further examples see Hegy-magas at Lake Balaton, or Becs-kerek in the Bánság. (In Irish, SUIOCHAN (Hungarian: szikán) means a seat, seating place, bench; seat as a seat of a settlement, a residence; a gathering, assembly, a court of law)

Clearly, there is a phonetic as well as semantic correlation between some relevant terms in both the Gaelic and the Hungarian (Magyar) languages. These correlations also appear in aural structures as well.

Benny Goodman Live at Carnegie Hall, 1938 and Iconic Realism (Click onto title to hear the performance.) I'll just bet you can't sit still whilst listening to this!

(Photograph info: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic-art/243118/72265/Benny Goodman-and-members-of-his-band-1938) 

Benny Goodman and his orchestra appearing on the stage of Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1938 illustrates the theory of iconic realism. Never before had the art of jazz in America been performed in an established musical forum, where previous to this performance, only classical music had been performed. The presence of this jazz artist on this particular stage enlightened the world audience of the need for cultural affirmation of this art form. From this moment onward to the present, jazz has taken its place of honor as America's original musical genre. 

Sydney Owenson's, Florence Macarthy, and Iconic Realism through Patriotic Rhetoric

From my second book and presentation at the American Conference for Irish Studies: 

Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan) embarks on another adventure of writing a national tale centered on the title character of her novel, Florence Macarthy, A National Tale. In 1818, Irish government is now firmly established as one emanating from British rule. The British have just lost another war with the Americans, and with that loss, have endured a reduction of pride. France is in the process of rebuilding its own government, so Ireland is in a position whereby discussions with the British may be able to develop in regaining possible individual rights within the law. Owenson seizes this opportunity to enlighten her reading audience with a renewed spirit of empowerment. However, she also needs to increase her book sales among those with the economic means, so she relies on her usual technique of expressing a revolutionary consciousness through her characters’ dialogues and actions.  

Owenson sees this as an opportunity to reach into the mind-sets of the Irish and the English through the linguistic arrangement within her tales that correlate with both the Irish and British readers. She has a current reading audience now, so she uses this forum of writing national tales to demonstrate the fortitude needed to realize revolutionary reform. In her 1818 novel, Owenson’s title character, Florence Macarthy, addresses a Marquis of Dunore and boldly states: 

I never will call you my lord, till the day of judgment; that is, till all’s proved; and your lordship, the great Marquis of Dunore (which you are at the blessed moment), taking possession of your castle; for fortune, though she be portrayed to stand upon a rolling stone, as being flighty by nature, yet for the most part she helpeth such as be of courageous mind, and valiant stomach. – Did not Thomyris the Scythian queen, and the collateral ancestor of the Macarthies, by her great spirit, with a few hundred followers, bate Cyrus intirely, with many thousands? And did not --, but I will not bother your lordship with needless tediousness, only just will defy the world, from this day out, to prove that I care a testoon for you. (F.M. p. 200)

Owenson clearly demonstrates a courageous stance in the lexicon she chooses her character to use here.  The bold statement, “I never will call you my lord,” emphasizes dissolution of the feudal state, yet it focuses on the necessity for individuals to state their claims of autonomy. Furthermore, she alludes to Thomyris, the Scythian queen, to authenticate her point of view, illustrating the strength within her bloodline. In her decorous conclusion of this passage, Owenson announces through her character, “I will not bother your lordship with needless tediousness…”, utilising the use of negative phraseology, ‘will not bother’ and “needless tediousness,” along with the equally negative, yet bold verb, ‘defy’ to express very politely her defiance juxtaposed with national pride. 

This novel embodies the determination of a patriot who refuses to allow any governing entity total control over its free-thinking populace. As she moves her characters through the novel, they become stronger in their fortitude to withstand any societal or political pressures, and they overcome any weaknesses through their united allegiance to the ability of each individual to express her or himself in a way that moves humanity forward to positive transformation.  Thus, Owenson transforms her own consciousness by releasing through her characters’ dialogue and actions any anxiety, which her contemporaries may inflict in their critique of her nationalistic penchant.

F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg and Iconic Realism

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs47/f/2009/172/9/f/Doctor_T__J__Eckleburg_by_sukimd.jpg

But above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust, which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic—their irises are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose. Evidently, some wild wag of an oculist set them there to fatten his practice in the borough of Queens, and then sank down himself into eternal blindness, or forgot them and moved away. But his eyes, dimmed a little by many painless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground. (F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Chapter 2)

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg peer across the ‘dumping ground’ of American spirit. How does this exemplify my theory of iconic realism? 

1. Fitzgerald portrays eyes as the ‘windows of the soul’ of a country steeping in corruption and superficiality. 

2. Fitzgerald places these eyes on an old billboard, gazing across a field of forgotten possessions, an unusual placement of such representatives of the soul of a nation. 

3. Fitzgerald brings into focus America’s need to appreciate all members of society, maintaining a mindset to be ever vigilant of the forefathers’ intentions of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."