Susan Tomory

THE CATALANS

Sometimes we have to rely on the secret stirrings of our souls while looking for relatives of our nation, which has been declared for centuries as having no relationships with anyone on this Earth. When our soul gives us a hint, we have to follow it up even though science tells us that a particular nation belongs to another culture, another language group.

The Hungarian soul is enlivened by the ideals of God – Country – Freedom and if it finds these in another nation, it feels a relationship, a brotherhood. The Catalans, according to science, belong to the Indo-European group of cultures and languages. Their national symbol, their flag, was noted from 1112 A.D. on, but by then, they already had a fully developed culture and language. Of the sixteen ethnic groups living within the borders of Spain, three speak separate languages: the Catalan, the Basque and the Galician.

In recent times, we find the struggle for a new Catalan Constitution, better yet, a modification of the Catalan Constitution. Regrettably, my computer digested the text of the early Catalan constitution and I am not able to retrieve it at this moment. I remember only a few thoughts from this constitution: it reminds the person who is elevated to the highest post in the country that he gets his power from the people, that he is not better than anyone else, and the people who placed him into this position can also remove him. Such thoughts reminded me of the ancient constitution of the Székely (Sicul) people where every Székely is a nobleman with special rights, which remain with him as long as he lives, even outside of his home country.

The answer to the question of who is a Catalan is: anyone who wants to be a Catalan and not just someone who was born in their country. Every Catalan speaks Spanish, but in their private lives – at home, in stores, public places – they speak their own language and they did so during the years when the use of their language was forbidden. The official language of Andorra is Catalan; it is also spoken in Southern France and in some regions of Italy that were occupied by the Catalans during the Middle Ages. The European Union recently accepted the Catalan language as Barcelona’s official language, even though this does not allow the people to sign a contract. According to estimates, about eleven million people speak the Catalan language.

The cultural symbols of the Catalans are the following: their National Anthem, their national saint, St. George, their national holiday, September 11 and their flag. Presently the Catalan government is trying to receive permission to use the „cat” syllable on the Internet instead of the „es”. It is believed that the Catalan flag is the oldest European flag – of course nobody has thought of mentioning the red-striped flag of the Árpáds.

The Scottish flag was used from 736 to 1286 AD.

Occitania’s Toulouse Cross flag originated in 736 and remained accepted until 1286.

Portugal’s flag has been known since 1133.

Austria’s flag has been used since 1191, even though I did not find any history of the acceptance of this flag.

Denmark’s flag originated in 1219

England’s flag is from 1249

There are four horizontal red stripes and five yellow stripes on the Catalan National Flag.

Their National Anthem, sung to the melody of the Els Segardors, talks about the preservation of their independence. The first lines talk about lifting their sickle against the invaders and also to harvest their golden corn. This is the second point which reminds us of the Székely (Sicul) people in connection with Catalonia. The Székely’s national symbol was also the sickle which they call szike (pronounced sike). This is documented on a Neolithic statue excavated in Hungary at Tűzköves where a man rests his sickle on his shoulders; his attire is decorated with the symbolic zig-zag lines of the Székelys. The reciprocal of the first syllable of Catalan also belongs into this Székely Sz-K word-group along with Székely – szike, the reciprocal kat and kaszabol (to cut down)

The task of further research awaits researchers of the future.

(Score of Els Segadors.

TEXT OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

Triumphant, Catalonia,
Will once again be rich and full!
We must not be the prey
Of those proud and arrogant invaders!
Let us swing the sickle!
Let us swing the sickle, defenders of our land!
Let us swing the sickle!
Now is the moment, oh reapers!
Now is the moment, to be alert!
Awaiting the arrival of another June
Let us sharpen our tools!
(Chorus)
May our enemy tremble
On seeing our noble flag:
Just as we reap the golden corn,
May we also cut free of the chains!
(Chorus))

Literature:

Beverly Leetch, Modern Languages Towson University.