Wales-loving Hungarians try their hand at Cornish for St Piran’s Day

Welsh culture fans in Hungary have celebrated St Piran’s Day with a video message to Cornwall this morning – recorded in Cornish and Hungarian.

The video, revealed earlier today by Welsh-Hungarian cultural initiative Magyar Cymru, was produced with the help of Celtic culture enthusiasts from Hungarian online community ‘Keltaklub’.

It features several lines in the Cornish language – a nod to Cornwall’s distinct identity and rich cultural heritage, which are of particular interest to Kernow fans in the central European country.

Magyar Cymru has already formed strong links with Wales, including projecting the Welsh flag on a Hungarian castle for St David’s Day this year.

Last year they also published a map of Hungary with the place names translated into Welsh.

Throughout the day, Magyar Cymru’s blog and social channels will showcase Cornwall and its culture to Hungarian readers, with contributions from writer Bíborka Farkas, whose recent novel ‘Druidaösvény’ introduces ancient Cornwall to a Hungarian audience.

Magyar Cymru founder Balint Brunner, who co-ordinated the video, said: “We’ve been building cultural ‘bridges’ between Hungary and Wales for years, and so we felt St Piran’s Day was the perfect opportunity to recognise and showcase Cornwall’s fascinating culture and beautiful language too.

“To do this, we joined forces with Keltaklub to reach out to our Cornish friends and celebrate this special day with them – while giving Kernowek a go!”

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Hungarian writer Bíborka Farkas, admin of Facebook community ‘Keltaklub’, added: “I’m a huge admirer of Celtic cultures – and Kernow is no exception! I’m especially pleased to see that this incredible language still forms an important part of Cornish identity today.

“All my respect to those determined to protect, embrace and use this wonderful gift – and I’m glad I have had the opportunity to learn a few words myself!”

Other content on Magyar Cymru’s channels will include basic Cornish phrases for Hungarian speakers, an introduction to Cornish music, as well as showcasing academics who have built links between Cornwall and Hungary.

They include fluent Cornish speaker Siarl Ferdinand – a recognised researcher in the field of Cornish language education who resides in the Hungarian city of Hódmezővásárhely – as well as a Hungarian academic who dedicated her PhD studies to Cornish language revival.

The St Piran’s Day surprise follows the Welsh-Hungarian Cultural Association’s inaugural Wales Week Hungary programme – held in honour of the Welsh St David’s Day.

Alongside virtual performances and a premiere of a piece composed specially for the occasion, the remote Bréda Castle near Kunágota – branded Hungary’s “Welshest” village – was lit up in the colours of the Welsh flag as Wales-loving residents celebrated their growing friendship with Wales.