One figure in the historical arcade is Sebestyén Tinódi Lantos, an unusual personality of sixteenth-century Hungarian literature and historiography. Bory Jenő included him among the figures of this pantheon not as a military commander or ruler, but as the singer of the Hungarian past.
During the period of Ottoman occupation, Tinódi travelled throughout the country, visiting border fortresses, military commanders and battle sites. From his experiences and research he composed historical songs in which he immortalised the most important events of his age. His works are not only literary creations, but also valuable historical sources for the period.
In Bory Jenő’s statue, Tinódi appears with a lute in his hand. The figure leans slightly forward, as if at that very moment performing his song or story for an audience. The instrument is not merely an attribute, but refers to the role the poet and chronicler played in preserving historical memory. The simplicity of the composition suits Tinódi’s person well: he appears not as a representative of power or military glory, but as an authentic recorder of the events of the past.
In 1554, Tinódi received a patent of nobility from King Ferdinand I in recognition of his work as a historian. His best-known works concern the struggles against the Turks, the defence of fortresses and military campaigns. Through his songs, the events of sixteenth-century Hungary became widely known, and played a significant role in shaping historical memory.
In the historical arcade, Tinódi represents the idea that the preservation of the national past is not only the achievement of rulers and military commanders. It was through the work of chroniclers, poets and singers of tales that the stories by which later generations came to know Hungary’s past survived.