Culture Why is Hungarian women so interested in Sanskrit and Hindu culture and music

[MelaninWarlord]

The interest of Hungarians—both women and men—in Sanskrit, Hindu culture, and Indian music is deeply rooted in a unique national quest for identity. Unlike many other European nations, Hungarians (Magyars) have long looked to the East to
find their "cradle" or ancestral roots.

Here is why this connection is so strong and why it often resonates particularly with Hungarian scholars and artists.
1. The Quest for Ancestral Roots
Historically, Hungarians believe their ancestors migrated from Central Asia or the East. This created a fascination with the "Orient" as a potential homeland.

Sándor Kőrösi Csoma: A legendary Hungarian scholar who traveled to India in the 1820s on foot to find the origin of the Hungarians. Instead, he became the father of modern Tibetology and spent years in Buddhist monasteries. He is a national hero in Hungary, and his "spiritual bridge" to India remains a source of pride.

Linguistic Links: Many Hungarian linguists have explored potential (though often debated) links between the Finno-Ugric language group and Sanskrit or other Indic languages. This makes learning Sanskrit feel like an act of rediscovering a distant "family" language.

2. The Influence of Amrita Sher-Gil
One of the most famous modern symbols of this connection is Amrita Sher-Gil, often called "India's Frida Kahlo."
She was born in Budapest to a Hungarian mother and an Indian father.

Her life and art beautifully blended Hungarian folk aesthetics with Indian subjects. She remains a massive cultural icon in both countries, serving as a role model for many Hungarian women who see her as proof that the two cultures can merge seamlessly.

3. "The Last Nomads of Europe"
Hungarians often feel like cultural "outsiders" in Europe because their language and origins are so different from their Slavic, Germanic, or Romance neighbors. This often leads to a sense of Eastern Solidarity.

Folk Parallels: There are striking similarities between Hungarian folk music (especially the pentatonic scales) and North Indian classical music.
Spiritual Hunger: During the Socialist era in Hungary, interest in Eastern philosophy, Yoga, and Hinduism became a way for people to seek spiritual freedom outside of state-sanctioned ideologies.

4. Prominent Women in the Field
While the interest is nationwide, many influential women have carried this torch:
Elizabeth Brunner: A Hungarian painter who moved to India, lived in Shantiniketan (Rabindranath Tagore’s university), and spent her life painting Indian spirituality and landscapes.

Dance and Music: Budapest is home to several high-level Indian classical dance schools (Bharatanatyam and Odissi) and music conservatories. Many Hungarian women have dedicated decades to mastering these forms, viewing them as more "ancient" and "spiritually grounded" than Western contemporary styles.

Summary Table: The Indo-Hungarian Connection

Feature The Connection
Language Hungarian and Sanskrit share several "loan words" and structural quirks that fascinate linguists.

Music Both cultures use complex ornamentation and specific scales that feel "natural" to the Hungarian ear.

Philosophy The Bhagavad Gita was translated into Hungarian early on, making it a staple of the Hungarian intelligentsia.
Identity Hungarians often joke they are "the only people in Europe who can eat chili like Indians," referring to their love for spicy paprika.

It's less about a modern "trend" and more about a 200-year-old tradition of Hungarians seeing India as a long-lost spiritual cousin.

Would you like to know more about specific Hungarian artists who moved to India, or perhaps more about the linguistic similarities they find?

 

[MelaninWarlord]

It’s a fascinating overlap! For many Hungarian women, the attraction to Hindu deities isn't just about "religion" in the traditional sense; it’s about mythological resonance, feminine power, and a shared visual language.
Here is why Hindu gods and goddesses specifically strike a chord in Hungary:

1. The Power of the "Great Mother"
In Hungarian pre-Christian (pagan) history, there was a deep reverence for a figure called Boldogasszony (the Blessed Mother).
When Christianity arrived, this figure merged with the Virgin Mary, but the ancient "Divine Mother" energy remained in folk tradition.

Hinduism’s Devi (the Goddess): Hungarian women often find that Hindu goddesses like Durga or Saraswati provide a much more diverse and powerful representation of womanhood. Whether it’s the fierce protection of Kali or the artistic wisdom of Saraswati, these figures offer a "mirror" to their own multifaceted lives that more traditional European icons might lack.

2. Colorful Symbolism vs. Grey Landscapes
Historically and geographically, Hungary has gone through periods of intense grey—from the harsh winters to the brutalist architecture of the Socialist era.

Visual Feast: The vibrant, "maximalist" aesthetic of Hindu deities—the jewelry, the many arms, the bright silks—provides a profound sensory and spiritual contrast.
Symbolic Depth: In Hungarian culture, folk art is highly symbolic (tulips, birds, hearts). Learning that every attribute of a Hindu god (like Ganesha’s trunk or Shiva’s crescent moon) has a specific philosophical meaning feels very familiar to the Hungarian way of "reading" art.

3. The "Intellectual" Deity
In Hungary, there is a very high value placed on education and the arts.
Saraswati: Because she is the patron of music, language, and wisdom, she is incredibly popular among Hungarian academics and musicians.
Ganesha: As the "Remover of Obstacles," Ganesha has a pragmatic appeal. You’ll often see Ganesha statues in Hungarian homes or studios as a symbol of intellectual breakthroughs.

4. Reconnecting with "Pagan" Roots
Because Hungarians are aware that their distant ancestors were likely nomadic polytheists in Asia, many feel that the Abrahamic religions were "imposed" on them later.
Exploring Hindu gods feels like a way to "re-paganize" or reconnect with an ancient, nature-based spirituality that feels more "Magyar" (Hungarian) at its core.

The concept of Dharma and the cyclic nature of time in Hinduism often resonates more with Hungarian rural folklore than the linear "beginning and end" of Western traditions.
5. Yoga and the "Personalized" God
Hungary has one of the most vibrant Yoga scenes in Central Europe.

Most Hungarian women discover these deities through Yoga or Ayurveda.
Unlike Western religions that can feel distant or judgmental, the Hindu concept of an Ishta-Deva (a personal deity you choose to connect with) feels empowering. It allows for a personal, emotional relationship with a divine figure that fits their specific personality.

Fun Fact: The Hungarian word for "god" is Isten. Some Hungarian "ethno-linguists" love to point out its phonetic similarity to the Sanskrit word Ishvara (Lord/Supreme Being), further fueling the feeling that the two cultures are speaking the same spiritual language.

Would you like to see some examples of how Hungarian folk art and Indian iconography have been blended together by modern artists?

 

[MelaninWarlord]

I think this applies to Slavic women and white women in general, but to different degrees