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By T. Herbert
Moldavia was a historical area of eastern Romania east of Transylvania on the lower reaches of the Danube River. Part of the Roman province of Dacia, it became a principality in the 14th century. Following continual attacks and often virtually controlled by various other powers, it became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1504. Eventually, in 1859, Moldavia united with its neighbour Walachia to form the nucleus of modern Romania. The Term “Csángó” is the official, as well as the popular name for Hungarians living in Moldavia. The origins of the name though are obscure, but many scholars believed it has its roots in the verb csáng, meaning to ramble, wander, or rove. If this theory is correct the name obviously refers to the migratory character of the Csango’s. The name Csángó is now used to describe a group of people whose identity is based on the Roman Catholic religion and who speak the ancient Hungarian language. The word has also come to have insulting, disparaging implications of inbreeding, imperfection and degeneracy. Csángó culture is very rich, preserving many linguistic peculiarities, a wealth of ancient customs and a great diversity of folk traditions. Sadly this fertile culture is on the brink of extinction. No one knows when the first Hungarians came to the area. However the first recorded migration of Hungarians to the area is in the 13th century, before either Romania or Moldavia existed when the area was called Cumania. Some think that the Csángó are the last remaining ancestors of the Cumanians, but this view is not generally subscribed to by academics. The most widely accepted theory is that the Moldavian Hungarians arrived from the West to their present settlements some time in the 13th century, as part of a Hungarian imperial policy. They were placed there to control and defend the eastern frontier of Hungary; bordering along the River Siret. In the first half of the 14th century it became a principality, taking its name from the River Moldolvo. It was founded by a group of Vlachs led by the legendary Dragos, emigrating southwards from the Hungarian controlled Carpathian Mountains, eventually achieving independence under Prince Bogdan. Moldavia successfully resisted pressures from Hungary and Poland over the years, and under Stephen IV ‘the Great’(1457-1504), even managed to defend its independence against the Turks. During this relatively peaceful time in the 15th century the number of Moldavian Hungarians in the area increased by migrating Transylvanian’s who, driven from their homelands during the religious Hussite wars, arrived in their thousands. By the end of the 15th century, there was a population of about 20,000-25,000 Hungarians there, being the largest non-Romanian population in Moldavia. They occupied the wide and fertile flats of the river Siret, mainly around the deltas of its western tributaries. At this time, the Hungarian territories were enclosed villages, joined together by unbroken lines of dwellings, with towns established in places of economic, and military importance. The villagers were free tenants, earning their living mainly from cultivation, and as such, the communities paid corporate taxes directly to the Hungarian authorities, without the intervention of the Moldavian nobility (boyars). During the Middle Ages, the inhabitants of the free villages in Moldavia were called “răze'i”, which derives from the Hungarian “részes” (share-farmer). This system has survived to the present day in some villages. During the 15th and 16th century, the development of the commercial activities of the villagers created a rich and lively urban life in Moldavia. However, the peace and tranquility of this way of life was abruptly ended in the late 16th century when the area came under threat from the Moguls and the Ottoman Turks. By and by, in 1526 the Ottoman’s attacked and defeated the Hungarians at the battle of Mohács leading to more than 300 years of Ottoman/Turkish rule in Hungary. Before the Mohács catastrophe the Moldavian Hungarians were vital to imperial policy, and had enjoyed the security provided by a powerful, centralised Hungarian Kingdom. After the conquest, without the protection of the sovereign, many were killed and others fled westwards deeper into Transylvania. When the bloodshed was over, those that had decided to stay and defend their homes and farms found it increasingly difficult to maintain their customs and their identity. As with ethnic minorities the world over, maintaining their identity is a struggle, and the descendants the Csángó’s are still struggling keep their ancient language and customs alive today. Under the Turks, Moldavia was transformed into a strongly fortified border region, and the Turkish rulers successfully defended its borders until the 18th century. Growing Russian influence in the 18th century made the area a source of contention between the Turks and the Russians, and in 1774 Moldavia was placed under Russian proctorship, whilst continuing to have Turkish suzerainty. This state of affairs continued until 1859, when the ruling assembly of Moldavia, voted to unite with Walachia under Prince Alexandru Ion Cuza. This unity formed the single state of Romania; however, the unity was formally delayed until 1861. Currently there are about 250,000 Csángó's living in Moldavia and roughly half of them are involved in keeping their language and culture alive. In 1990 they established the ‘Federation of Moldavian Csango-Hungarians’ (FMCH), to represent them and to further their aspiration as an ethnic group, within the framework of the ‘Democratic Federation of Hungarians in Romania’. The main aims initially of the FMCH are to promote their demand for the use of the Hungarian language in religious worship, and for the education of their children in their mother tongue. Since the inception of the federation ten years ago, to date, neither of these aims has been realised. Most Csángó's are simple peasant people whose links with their ethnic roots have been maintained through their ancient folklore and traditions. Their national costume has been handed down through the centuries; woven in the traditional way and richly embroidered using ancient time-honoured methods. The folk songs, ballads, music, and the distinctive system of dancing of the Csángó's are unique. Unique because as well as maintaining the ancient traditions of their ancestors, they have embraced many characteristics of the folklore of the neighbouring Romanian villages.
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