CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2007
| Author | Zsombor Toth |
|---|---|
| Title | The Portrait of a Young Man as a Survivor:Mihaly Cserei (1690-1697).A Case Study in Historical Anthropology |
| Summary | ABSTRACT This thesis, as a case study in historical anthropology, provides a detailed microhistorical reconstruction of eight years, in order to construe the anthropological process of rite de passage, in the life of a 17th century young man. Mihály Cserei’s youth from 1690 to 1697 coincides with a special period of quest and fight for survival. Therefore, the aim of my interpretation is to describe the mental, spiritual and ritual evolution of this young man, who from an uncertain condition and status has managed to become integrated, by marriage, in the community of married, respected men. This change of status is a rite de passage, in which two important events the betrothal and wedding (1697), as life-cycle offices, exemplify the transition from the status of unmarried, young man to adulthood, as husband and potential father (1698). The sources used for this case study consist of eight calendars containing everyday notes between 1690–1698, a list of books read by Cserei up to 1697 and the original manuscript of Cserei’s solely published work, The History of Transylvania. As for the published sources, I will rely on The History of Transylvania, because it also narrates the period of 1690-1697, which represents the range of my interest. It is almost certain that in this micro view not only his particular attitude toward transition from one status to another will be deciphered, but the evolution of his identity, and its religious, cultural and social components as well. However, the most important undertaking of this thesis is to display a convincing example illustrating the historical and anthropological complexity of the relations between mentalities, literacy and survival. |
| Supervisor | Prof.György Endre Szőnyi, Prof.Maria Craciun |
| Department | History MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2007/toth_zsombor.pdf |
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