Roka Lugas

Kolesd, Hungary

September 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw7CpYlV9BE

The story of the Róka-lugas I would like to tell the story of the Róka-lugas/lukas, which is a legend that has been spread by word of mouth in several versions, with different details. I heard it from my Grandmother, and I liked it so much that I told her the story over and over again whenever possible. Grandmother's name is Simon Julianna, she was born in Káno, Gömör county on September 20, 1906. She later lived in Kölesden under the name Kajdi Sándorné (Aunt Juliska). Her family nickname was "Anyika". He told me about the Róka-lugas, which later became popular in the Róka-lukas ("hole") version, that there was a statue of a fox there. That's why people called this place the Fox's den. The hemp was soaked in Sio and dried on the clay fox statue before processing. Once a drunken man drove his chariot into this clay fox and overturned it. When the fox fell over, it broke, and it was then revealed that its interior was hollow, "holed", which is why it was called Fox-holed after him. And what did they find in it? Chalices, made of gold and silver and rings and crosses, All kinds of valuables that people wanted to protect and wanted to leave in Kölesden. My Grandmother told me that these were the values of the Kölesdians who were carried away in the Turkish times. They made this fox because foxes and dogs are not noble animals according to the Muslim religion, and thus the Turks were forbidden to touch them. They thought that if no Turks would touch them, they could leave their valuables safe. But unfortunately none of these people came back. The whole village forgot the story. And only later did they find out what his background was. I want to capture this story. The painting based on the story does not only recall the memory of my Grandmother, because it only affects me personally, but it is a remembrance of those Hungarians who disappeared without a trace in the wider world. The history of Hungary preserves many sad events: - many people left for other countries based on false promises, - others were forced to leave their homes and countries, - and there were also abducted victims. Those who left lost not only their property, friends and family left at home, but they often fell into poverty and became undeservedly humiliated abroad. Because of their origins and principles, many of them lost their lives in a terrible period of history. Posterity often forgot them, all those who did not become famous. But this overturned fox statue with a hole still drew attention to them. The history of the Róka-lugas is not only the history of the people of Kölesdi, but also of Hungary. The painting evokes a sad moment of late realization of forgotten stories and forgotten ancestors. Personal ties to Hungary, motivations The artist's life has developed in such a way that he is at home in many places in the world, and he feels Hungary partly as his own country, he says about it like this: "My parents fled to France in 1956, so I was already born abroad, but - as can be deduced from this - it was not my choice. My ancestors lived in Hungary, and my roots are here, because as soon as we had the opportunity, we visited home, and at that time I spent a lot of time with my beloved Grandmother in Kölesden, Tolna County. As a family, we spoke Hungarian to each other even in Paris, cultivating our language skills and maintaining our identity, the lines of Attila Petőfi, Ady, and József ring in my ears, but I learned the real elegant Hungarian language and the delicious local dialects from my dear, good grandmother. Important events in Hungarian history, from the conquest to the XX. until the 20th century, they deeply touched me and the tales and legends always fascinated me, so - thanks to my grandmother - I had a special little magical world of Kölesd, where - even if I couldn't physically come - I could mentally escape from the worries and troubles of the world. It was a gift for me that cannot be replaced by any material thing, a memory that lives indelibly in me until the last beat of my heart. I would also like to give a present to Kölesd, as my great-grandfather once did during the renovation of the Reformed church at the beginning of the last century. In addition, I would like to pay tribute to the memory of my Grandmother, who told me the story of the Róka-lugas and shaped my soul with other important historical and family stories, nourished my patriotism and strengthened my belonging to the Kölesd community. With this experience and knowledge, I would like to encourage everyone to be proud of being Hungarian and to pass on this pride in a good sense to their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren! I passed on to my three children what I heard from my grandmother and taught them Hungarian.