>Because they sincerely thought that's what they were. Not because
>they wanted to hide the truth from you
Of course they didn't want to do something like that.
(Alas, was my wording so unfortunate? I didn't intend
to add such a connotation to my sentences.)
Actually, after 2-3 sentences, we anyway changed subjects.
For, those were always casual talks, never including historians
and never having the purpose to actually discuss the problem.
>I am not discarding you and blaming you of excessive patriotism
>a priori.
Don't worry, not for a second did this occur to my mind.
>Yes. But your message sounded like more than an impression, excuse
>me.
It is an impression indeed: since it is not at all based on
I dunno what sociologic survey or opinion poll or whatever. It
is based only on private casual talks on different occasions with
some average Bulgarians (older and younger) who weren't/aren't
historians.
For a comparison (I don't know how good a comparison it is,
but so be it): most Hungarians don't know either that the
famous regent of Hungary, John Hunyad, the South-East European
warlord and hero of many battles against the Ottoman Turks
was of Romanian extraction (his father immigrated to Transylvania
as a boyar from the principality of Wallachia and was rewarded
by the Hungarian king a castle and domain in the center of
Transylvania). And thus, the famous king of Hungary, Matthias
Corvinus, Hunyad's son, was half Romanian. Nor is it underlined
in average history popularizing book that the chief of the army
of Corvinus, the legendary Kinizsi Pál (Paul the Knez), was also
a Romanian (an analphabet from the province of Banate). He
is famed in Hungarian legends for his outstanding prowess in
the wars with the Turks (incl. a legendary, herculean physical
strength), as well as for his wealth (he became one
of the richest magnates of the kingdom). So, an inspiration for
later on epics, legends and fiction literature stuff in romanticist
and nationalist time periods. No wonder that many a Hungarian
is amazed to hear the "weird" assertion that such a Hungarian
hero was a simple Oláh (Vlakh) peasant at that. :-) (a Romanian
knez and/or voyvode in the Hungarian kingdom was rather a
parochial Dorfschulze than a real Ritter or a Graf.)
There are vice versa examples too: Romanians have been taught
for some generations that some medieval polit-leaders were such
and such, but a closer looking at really scientific stuff (sources
and interpretations) reveal that the claims are too far from
what one could reasonably assume to have been.
>While I appreciate the erudition and insight of individuals on
>this list and their potential capability of adding a lot to my own
>views, I am often distressed by the intellectual arrogance exercised
>by them on one another.
This might be induced because of the reduced possibilities of this
means of communication (lacking body language etc.) (So schlimm
isses aber wirklich nicht. Die kochen auch nur mit Wasser. :)
>Eva
George
(der Wlachen-Schorsch)