New elements became part of the National Inventory

2022. szeptember 22. | national inventory, new elements, intangible cultural heritage

The new heritage elements inscribed on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2022 are The Traditional Knowledge of the Hortobágy Shepherds, The Romanian Folk Dance Traditions of Méhkerék and The Tradition of Aristocratic Embroidery and its Continuation in Contemporary Embroidery Workshops.

The new heritage elements were announced at a large-scale ceremony organised by the Directorate of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Hungarian Open Air Museum in the building of the Hortobágy Nature Conservation and Gene Preservation Nonprofit Ltd. Representatives of the heritage communities received the certificate of the inscription from Máté Vincze, Deputy State Secretary for Public Collections and Cultural Development.

In the framework of the handover ceremonycommunities presented their traditions: dancers from Méhkerék performed their traditional Romanian dances, , the aristocratic-embroiderers made a chamber exhibition, the Hortobágy shepherds played music and prepared pastoral dishes.

What you need to know about the new elements:

The Traditional Knowledge of the Hortobágy Shepherds
The shepherd communities of Hortobágy have inherited and bear the memories and traditions of about two hundred shepherd dynasties through their daily work. This living heritage is passed on to the younger generations by the csikós, cattle-herdsmen (gulyás), shepherds and swineherds.
Their diversified knowledge includes herding, guarding and counting animals. They maintain knowledge about the sky and the stars, also the skills of preparing traditional pastoral dishes, and they possess knowledge of the environment, including the proper use of plants and medicinal remedies. The preparation of various dairy products, milking animals and the professional use of rennet require great skills. The complexity of the tradition is demonstrated by their typical costumes, stories, pastoral dances and songs, and the pastoral art.
The Traditional Knowledge of the Hortobágy Shepherds is safeguarded by the help of the holders of the title of the Herdsmen of Hortobágy, the local governments of the settlements in Hortobágy area, local educational and cultural institutions, NGOs and the Hortobágy Nature Conservation and Gene Preservation Nonprofit Ltd.
The traditional knowledge of the Hortobágy shepherds reflects the diversity of the nation's culture and provides an example of human creativity.

The Romanian Folk Dance Traditions of Méhkerék
The name of the village of Méhkerék is nowadays known countrywide due to the Romanian dance tradition of the village. Thanks to the relatively late modernization of the area and the closed community, the elements of folk culture and customs have been preserved in their entirety. The Romanian language, the Orthodox religion and most importantly, the local Romanian folk dance tradition form the local identity. The people of Méhkerék learn the local dances together with their families or folk dance groups, thus young and old alike dance them nowadays on holidays, family and friends' occasions. In addition, the members of the folk dance ensembles present with great success, the local folk dance treasure at various national and international venues, festivals and cultural events.
Local organisations, such as the György Nyisztor Traditional Folk Dance Ensemble and the Association for the Traditions and Culture of Méhkerék are important custodians of safeguarding of the dance tradition. The dances of Méhkérék, which belongs to the westernmost branch of Romanian dance culture, the Bihor dance dialect, are still known and practised by all generations thanks to the transmission of the tradition, local dance events and folk dance education in schools.

The Tradition of Aristocratic Embroidery and its Continuation in Contemporary Embroidery Workshops
The aristrocratic embroidery is a special Hungarian embroidery style of the mid-16th century, which was shaped by a number of historical influences. It is characterised by a specific stitching technique, fine materials, embroidery threads and a complex sample collection, incorporating Western and Eastern influences. The embroidery was used to decorate the festive textiles of the royal court, the noble and aristocratic mansions, expensive costumes for festive occasions and church liturgical textiles. The patterned embroidery on liturgical textiles associated with the religious practice of the Reformed Church was of particular importance. The value of folk embroidery was enhanced after the Second World War by the amateur folk art movement, which sought to develop folk art. This historical embroidery style was revived in the 1980s in embroidery workshops in Tokaj-Hegyalja and north-eastern Hungary: researching museum materials, redesigning original motifs, applying innovative solutions to the textiles producing today.
The researching the sample collection connecting to the aristrocatic embroidery still finds many followers in the contemporary folk craft communities and embroidery groups of the Carpathian Basin. The Folk Art Association of the Mountain Valley Masters (Hegyaljai Mesterek Népművészeti Egyesülete) is committed to safeguarding the heritage and bringing together embroidery circles in the Hungarian-speaking area.