Description

Sebestyén Tinódi Lantos (~1510-1556) was a Hungarian songwriter and lute player, a prominent figure in 16th-century Hungarian epic poetry.

Born into a bourgeois family, Tinódi attended school in Pécs, where he became proficient in Latin and understood musical notation. Initially, he likely pursued a military career, serving under Bálint Török. His first preserved work, "The History of Jason," was written between 1535 and 1539 in Dombóvár.

Until 1541, Tinódi resided in the court of Bálint Török in Szigetvár, where he was highly esteemed. The fall of Buda and the capture of his lord marked a turning point, transforming him into a political poet. He then settled in Kassa, started a family, and traveled to assemblies and battles, turning his experiences into verse. He composed melodies for his songs and often performed them.

His reputation reached the court of Ferdinand I, who, on August 23, 1553, elevated him to nobility for his contributions to the art of singing and creating rhythmic Hungarian histories.

Tinódi is best evaluated as a chronicler in verse, aiming for authenticity rather than artistic value. He chose the verse-singer method to reach the frontier castle warriors, particularly those who couldn't read but enjoyed sung performances. As a historian, Tinódi holds a higher place in Hungarian literature than as a poet, covering Hungary's history between 1541 and 1552. His accounts have proven accurate wherever they could be verified.

Engraver: Tamás E. Soltra