Researching monsters and folklore comes in many different forms depending on one’s background. Some people focus on hearing oral stories that have been passed down from generation to generation. Others focus on researching media that the monsters are characters or symbols in. The final way is to hunt for monsters in the wild, documenting statues and artwork that represents fictional creatures.
Over the previous year, I have done a mixture of all three.
For oral and traditional stories, I connected with a local storyteller and folklorist Csenge Virag Zalka who has not only been an incredible source of Hungarian stories but also an incredible friend. She and I connected long before I came to Hungary while I was working on my Fulbright application. Through her, I have learned about the Sárkány (the Hungarian word for dragon) and the less-heard-of winged wolf. She also gave me a tour of the Hungarian National History Museum and explained a lot of information and context that wasn’t available in English.
Next, I have started watching a series of animated Hungarian folktales to see how creatures are depicted. The art style is very bright and cheerful, even if the story has sad elements.
