Who are a "Hunza"?
This is a little help from our friends to understand Hunza in english.
ˇHome of the archer" - or who are the Hunza?
"Az íjasok hazája" - avagy kik a hunzák?
HOL ÉLNEK ÉS MIÉRT HUN-zák? / Where do they live and why they are called HUN-za?
This is the name of the white huns, relatives of Atilla's huns, and they consider themselves, too, the descendants of the huns. They live among the Himalayas in closed valleys; the settlements are quite difficult to reach, the only routes lead through high passes. The Hunza valley is on the borders of China, Tadjikistan and Pakistan. The desturctive effects of civilization have not reached them - yet.
Origins of their name: "HUN + ZA" in Tibetan means "quarters of the Hun". In "Burusaskian" (the hunza language) "húnts" means (visszacsapó íj), that is "Home of the archer"
HÁNYAN VANNAK? / How many are they?
It is a population of only about 14000 people.
MIÉRT ÉRDEKESEK ŐK MÉG SZÁMUNKRA? / Why are they interesting for us?
The Nagar and the neighbouring Hunzakut peoples speak the same language and there is blood relationship between them.
Their highest peak is a sacred place, its name is "Ultar mountain" (Ultar is pronounced correctly with an "O" at the beginning, "oltár" = altar) and is more then 7000 meters high. Fairies are said to live there. There are legends/proofs about two kingdoms of Nagar and that of Hunza. Names of towns that resemble Hungarian are, for example, HON (only blood-relative families are allowed to live there), HURU, NAGAR, BABA, SUMAYAR etc.
The people of the Hunza Valley do not look Pakistani at all. T. Aima and Shamila smile happily for the camera. Karimabad, Pakistan (9/99).
MŰVÉSZET HAGYOMÁNY / Arts and traditions
ORNAMENTIKA / ornamental art
The sign for the Hunza is a stylized tulip, that is often interpreted as a bow/arch. Strange though, that tulips can not be fount in this area, the closest it grows is at the Uyghur lands - quite a distance from here. Uyghurs are also said to be genetically relatives of us, Hungarians.
Csáji and his team found motifs resembling to "life-tree" and antlers in Ghanes. Besides horse and deer motifs they also found motifs of birds - they found no trace of other animals in their art.
Another characteristic motif-group on vertical carved columns is the deer transforming into a life-tree. Regular sun-sign of theirs is a six-petalled flower enclosed in a circle.
They show the newborn baby to the skies on a horse rite.
TÁNC / Dance
Women dance in a closed circle while men dance in an open form. The dances of the latter resemble to "legényes" and "verbunkos", both are typical Hungarian new style men's dances. Similar dances can be found in Western Nepal and in Uyghur.
DALLAMVILÁG / Tunes
Descending pentaton tunes
ÜNNEP / Holiday, festous event
December 21, Winter Solstice: everyone brings a flame from the home-fireplace to the huge central bonfire, this is how they drive the evil spirits away.
NYELV-kedvcsináló / Language
Csáji László Koppány is not a linguist but discovered a surprising thing about Hunza and Hungarian languages.
... The local guard was the first person to be happy about seeing us just because we were Hungarians. Had he heard about Hungarians? Yes, said he, American scientist John Mark told them that the Hunza were descendatns of the white hun and thus they were relatives of the Hungarians. He asked if we could pronounce the "c" and "a" sounds as they believed there was no one else besides them who could. We only said "cicamica" - and he was convinced. (excerpt from, Csáji's book, page 59)
In Burusaski 'iírum dumánum' = festous celebrations (birth-death-wedding etc.) might have a connection with Hungarian "dínom-dánom" having the same meaning
Names of places: Verthun- völgy, Morkhun-falu, Zoodkhun falu. "Hun, khun" means home, homeland.
House in their language is "há", but quite a few of them live in "jurta"-tents.
