The Evolution of Servile Peasants in Hungary and in Catalonia: A comparison

Abstract

Both Catalonia and Hungary experienced major peasant uprisings at the end of the Middle Ages. The Hungarian Revolt of 1514 was suppressed by the nobility while the Catalan peasants succeeded in throwing off servitude in 1486. Despite this fundamental difference, there are certain ideological similarities between Hungary and Catalonia, particularly with regard to the ideological justifications for servitude and attacks against it.
The background to this ideological conflict goes back to the late thirteenth century when historical myths of foundation were elaborated in both countries based on the French Pseudo-Turpin cycle. In Catalonia, the Carolingian era provided a suitable background to explaining the privileges of nobles and the subordination of the peasantry based on courage and cowardice aganist the Muslim enemy. In Hungary, a similar test of bravery placed in early times explained why nobles dominated over the peasantry, but the historical context was now the supposed Hunnish ancestors of the Magyars. In both instances literary forms were taken over by historians and jurists to explain and justify servitude. We also have some idea from the late Middle Ages of how these assertations were answered by advocates of the rebellious peasantry.