Note 64 — Chapter XXIV

What is meant by a czardas, or csárdás, as it is usually spelt in the Hungarian language? It is a celebrated Hungarian dance. The Magyar peasant seldom dances anything else. The csárdás is a national dance of Hungary, as much as the sailors’ hornpipe is of England. We give the following description of the csárdás, from the interesting work of Arthur J. Patterson, “The Magyars; their Country and Institutions,” vol. i., p. 194, published by Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co. in 1859:—“Its name is the adjective form from “csárdá,” which designates a solitary public house; an institution which plays a considerable part in all romantic poems or romantic novels whose scene is laid in Hungary, as a fitting haunt for brigands, horse-thieves, gipsies, Jews, political refugees, strolling players, vagabond poets, and other melodramatic personages. The music of the csárdás is at first slow, solemn, and, I may say, melancholy. After a few bars, it becomes livelier, which character it then keeps up, occasionally becoming very fast indeed, and at last ends in a delirious whirl of confusion. The movements, of course, correspond. The dance opens with a stately promenade; then, as the music quickens, each couple take a twirl or two, and breaking away brusquely from one another, continue a series of pantomimic movements, now approaching coquettishly like parted lovers desiring reconciliation; then, as if the lady thought she had given sufficient encouragement, she retreats with rapid but measured steps, while her partner pursues, and, gradually gaining on her, again seizes her waist; they whirl swiftly round two or three times, and then, breaking away, continue the pantomime as before. What makes the csárdás unrivalled is its variety. One seldom sees the couples perform exactly the same figure at the same time.”