Erika G. Kisvarsányi – In the Light of the Moon

I am an ancient Hungarian pagan
Thundering along on horseback, with my sword held high
With intense devotion to forgiving Mother Earth, Mother Sun
I praise the spirit of the Universe

I am a disciple of Istvan
Thundering along on horseback, with my sword at my side
Building a nation
I carve out my place in the arms of the Carpathian Mountains

I am a woman from Eger
With my sword in my hand
Fighting against Turkish invaders
I endure for one-hundred and fifty years

I am a freedom fighter of ‘48
Protecting the Hungarian crown with my sword
My enemy was once my friend
I stand alone in the vast world

I am the vanquished of World War I
My sword is shattered
My ancient homeland is dismembered
Two thirds of my spirit flows away in blood

I am a Hungarian of ‘45
My sword is useless
I see my country mutilated
Nearly swept away by Fate

I am a refugee of ‘56
My sword is now mind and energy
Scattering across new worlds
I live lives in new lands

Now, today, I am an ancient Hungarian pagan
In spirit, I am thundering along on horseback with my sword raised
I was born in a foreign land but in my blood, the blood of the ancients’ flow
And together we dance beneath the Moon

NOTE: In the Light of the Moon was translated from the original Hungarian by the author.


Erika Kisvarsányi
Erika G. Kisvarsányi was born in Rolla, Missouri, in 1964. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the University of Missouri-Rolla, and two Master’s degrees from the University of Florida, one in physics and the other in science education. She is currently teaching physics and mathematics at a local community college in Gainesville, Florida. Her hobbies include languages, travel, sports, and attending performing arts events.

Erika Kisvarsányi is the daughter of Éva Kisvarsányi.

Photographs from her Father, Géza Kisvarsányi, can also be found throughout “56 Stories.”