"Király, pásztor és nyáj egy legyen!" : az uralkodócsalád reprezentációja az 1867-1918 közötti magyar populáris olvasmányokban és hatásuk a szóbeli hagyományokra

The Hungarian folklore on Habsburg family members is rich and varied. In particular many historical legends, anecdotes and memoratstell of rulers and their family members. Queen Elisabeth, Rudolf the heir apparent and even Francis Joseph appear as positive figures. In her study the author traces the role played in the origin and shaping of these narratives by propaganda popularising the royal family and popularreading matter intended for the general public. After 1867 not only the Austrian court but also Hungarian elite and political circles in favour of a compromise urged the publication of materials portraying Francis Joseph as a ruler working tirelessly in the interest of his peoples, including the Hungarians. The authors of popular reading matter strove to reconcile loyalty to the king and national self-esteem. Stories popularising the ruling family appeared in the following publication types: •Textbooks and teaching aids, guides to the organisation of school celebrations •Commemorative albums– decorative albums published on special occasions for individual members of the ruling family (marriage, marriage anniversary, death,etc.) •Almanacs •Cheap popular literature •Collections of anecdotes •Press publications The influence of these reading materials can be observed in the Hungarian-language Habsburg folklore. However the commonest and most varied types of narratives about the royal family found in oral tradition cannot be traced back directly to the influence of the written and visual sources of propaganda, the popular reading matter. The author aims to show that the oral traditions on the Habsburg family were shaped by historical reality, the narrators’ direct experience, 38imagination, their reading, their propagandistic aims, and not least of all by the laws of folklore, its motifs, narrative and hero types