Aetas, 2003 (18. évfolyam)

3-4. szám - TANULMÁNYOK - William Christian Jr.–Krasznai Zoltán: A limpiasi csodás feszület és Magyarország kálváriája

CHRISTIAN, WILLIAM, JT.-KRASZNAI, ZOLTÁN The magic cross of Limpias and the sufferings of Hungary The study investigates pilgrimages to the statue of Christ at the church of Limpias, a town in Spain, afterl919. The shrine was visited in great numbers by losers of the Great War, including Hungarians. An analysis of related sources reveals how religious devotion, national traumas (revolution, the loss of parts of the country) and political commitment were intertwined: Hungarian Catholic pilgrims connected their visits with pleading for the return of the lost territories, as well as visiting the Hapsburg family in exile at the nearby town of Lekeito. The second part of the study is an analysis of the religious elements of the Trianon cult primarily as they appear in iconographical works with results confirming those coming out of the analysis of the pilgrimages: the emphasis shifts from the cult of Mary to Christ, the identification of the country's fate with Chris's sufferings as well as the intensifying political connotations of the symbols of piety. It is shown how old and new symbols and figures standing for the nation and the country meet with one another: the country, the people, the female figure of 'Hungária' as well as St. Stephen all appear as Christ. Connecting religiosity with political messages was an opportunity that did not escape the attention of contemporary commentators of public influence.

Next