Primary sourceBook1845 (written 1844)

János vitéz

Sándor Petőfi · 1845 (written 1844)

Petőfi's epic folk-tale poem 'John the Valiant', first published in 1845, which made him famous as a national poet.

This folk-tale epic by Petőfi established his early fame as a poet before his role in the 1848 revolution.

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Front cover of the first edition of János Vitéz by Sándor Petőfi. Title reads 'JÁNOS VITÉZ, Irta PETŐFI SÁNDOR, Ára 40 kr. p.p.' with a drawing of a hussar on a rearing white horse, with a village and river in the background. Printer's line at bottom: 'Nyomt. Gumm Vnél, Pesten'. — Sándor Petőfi, 'János vitéz', first edition, 1845. Illustration by Vince Grimm.

About this source

What it is

'János vitéz' ('John the Valiant') is a long narrative poem written by Sándor Petőfi in 1844, made up of 370 four-line stanzas across 27 chapters. The cover shown here is from its first edition, illustrated by Vince Grimm.

Why it matters

The poem tells the adventures of a shepherd boy, Kukoricza Jancsi, drawing on Hungarian folk tale and song as well as Homer's Odyssey. Its huge popularity helped establish Petőfi as a leading voice of Hungarian literature before he became known as a revolutionary. It later inspired an operetta and Hungary's first animated feature film.

Look closer

Why might Petőfi have chosen a simple shepherd as his hero rather than a noble or soldier?
What does the cover illustration suggest about the story's tone and audience?
How might a story that borrows from both folk tales and classical epic appeal to different kinds of readers?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Sándor Petőfi on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.