Reading is worthwhile both before and after the journey. We have gathered the books that offer the most for understanding the churches, shrines and pilgrimage traditions of Székely Land – from 19th-century classics to the latest research. (Most of them are available in Hungarian.)
Classic works on Székely Land
Balázs Orbán
A Székelyföld leírása (The Description of Székely Land)
Vols I–VI · Pest, 1868–1873
The six-volume magnum opus of “the greatest Székely” travels through the Székely seats settlement by settlement, from historical, archaeological, natural-history and ethnographic perspectives. Churches, castles, shrines and traditions – still the essential work for getting to know the region.
Elek Benkő
A középkori Székelyföld (Medieval Székely Land)
Vols I–II · Institute of Archaeology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, 2013
An archaeological and historical survey of the settlements, churches and material heritage of medieval Székely Land – background to the fortified churches and murals.
Csíksomlyó and the pilgrimage
Árpád Daczó (Fr Lukács OFM)
Csíksomlyó titka (The Secret of Csíksomlyó). Marian devotion in folk tradition
Pallas-Akadémia, Csíkszereda, 2000
A Franciscan friar's collection and interpretation of the traditions, prayers and symbols of popular Marian devotion, in the light of the Csíksomlyó pilgrimage.
Árpád Daczó (Fr Lukács OFM)
Csíksomlyó ragyogása (The Radiance of Csíksomlyó)
Pallas-Akadémia, Csíkszereda, 2010
The author's second book on Csíksomlyó, about the tradition of awaiting the sunrise linked to the Whitsun pilgrimage and the light symbolism of the shrine.
Tamás Mohay
A csíksomlyói pünkösdi búcsújárás (The Whitsun Pilgrimage of Csíksomlyó). History, origin, tradition
L’Harmattan, Budapest, 2009
An ethnographer's monograph on the history and origin legend of the pilgrimage: using source criticism, it shows how today's form of the Whitsun pilgrimage developed.
Tamás Mohay
A csíksomlyói kegyhely és búcsújárás (The Shrine and Pilgrimage of Csíksomlyó). Dictatorship, regime change, modernisation
L’Harmattan, Budapest, 2023
The author's newer volume follows the history of the shrine and the pilgrimage from the second half of the 20th century to the present: from the years of dictatorship through the change of regime to today's mass pilgrimage.
Churches, murals, painted ceilings
Gyula László
A Szent László-legenda középkori falképei (Medieval Murals of the St Ladislaus Legend)
Budapest, 1993
The archaeologist-historian's overview of the medieval murals depicting the legend of the knight-king – a key to understanding the cycles in the churches of Székely Land.
József Lángi – Ferenc Mihály
Erdélyi falképek és festett faberendezések (Murals and Painted Wooden Furnishings in Transylvania)
Vol. 1: National Centre for Monument Restoration, Budapest, 2002
A richly illustrated, multi-volume catalogue by restorers of the murals and painted wooden furnishings of Transylvania, including coffered ceilings – with hundreds of colour photographs.
László Dávid
A középkori Udvarhelyszék művészeti emlékei (Art Monuments of Medieval Udvarhelyszék)
Kriterion, Bucharest, 1981
A study of the medieval churches and art monuments of Udvarhelyszék – useful background for visiting, for example, the churches of Székelyderzs or Énlaka.
The books are available in libraries, second-hand bookshops and from the publishers. Would you like to recommend another book? Write to us on the Contact page!
