ABSTRACT
Nine communities (Heves, Vezekeny, Tarnaszentmiklos, Kiskore, Komlo, Mezotarkany, Besenyotelek, Tenk, Erdotelek) are the neighbors of Atany. There are a number of differences between these villages, to the extent that they might almost serve as illustrations of the various possibilities of historical development. As Hungarian citizens, the villagers are subject to the law of the land. The law has an especially direct influence on the life of Atany in the areas of ownership, inheritance, village administration, labor relations, and the punishment of crimes. For the Atany people, the village and the fields are the “homeland” to which they long to return when they are in strange places. The Atany “homeland” is a part of a larger fatherland, Hungary. The people of Atany are proud to call themselves Hungarians and feel deeply toward Hungary as their fatherland.
