Something I do around this time of year for some reason is revitalize research on my Magyar (Hungarian) ancestry. I find myself searching for fragments of pre-Christian Magyar beliefs, culture, and everyday life. Along the journey this year, I came across a beautiful Magyar house prayer called the Házi Áldás:
“Hol hit, ott szeretet. Hol szeretet, ott béke. Hol béke, ott áldás. Hol áldás, ott Isten. Hol Isten, ott szükség nincsen.”
In English, it translates to: “Where there is faith, there is love. Where there is love, there is peace. Where there is peace, there is blessing. Where there is blessing, there is God. Where God is, there is no need.”
This blessing is also in the Blue hymnal number 1043 Szekely Aldas.
The sentiment is lovely, but I have trust issues with the words Faith and God. To me, those words often feel limiting, weighted by histories of control rather than liberation. So, I felt the need to reframe this blessing to better reflect my own beliefs and weave in my love for my ancestry.
From my previous studies, I knew that the Magyar were nomads with a rich tapestry of influences—from Norse to Islamic cultures. Their spiritual practices were individualistic, rooted in personal belief rather than rigid doctrine. When Christianity became the official religion of Hungary, most Magyars didn’t resist. Instead, they simply added this new God to their existing pantheon, it was the same for the Celt/Irish. For those who were already monotheistic, it was an easy transition.
Interestingly, the Magyar word for God, Isten (pronounced “eesh-ten”), can also be understood more broadly as the Divine. With this reframing, I can honor my family’s traditions without having to give up my own beliefs.
Through meditation restructured the Házi Áldás to align with words I trust, words that hold meaning within the context of my own spiritual path:
“Hol bizalom, ott szeretet. Hol szeretet, ott béke. Hol béke, ott áldás. Hol áldás, ott Isten. Hol Isten, ott egyensúly.”
“Where there is trust, there is love. Where there is love, there is peace. Where there is peace, there is blessing. Where there is blessing, there is the Divine. Where there is the Divine, there is balance.”
This mending of the prayer feels authentic to me. It weaves together the values of my ancestors and my own journey—a balancing of old and new, of honoring tradition while embracing my personal truth.
~Candice Carver
