vértanú

Vértanú is a Hungarian term meaning "martyr." It refers to a person who dies or endures persecution because of their religious faith, political convictions, or other deeply held beliefs, and who is regarded as a witness to their cause through the manner of their death. The word is formed from vér, meaning blood, and tanú, meaning witness, reflecting the idea of a witness sealed by blood.

In religious contexts, vértanú often denotes Christians who were killed for their faith and are recognized as martyrs by liturgical tradition. Some may be canonized as saints. The term is also used in secular discourse to describe people who suffered or were killed for their beliefs during political oppression, persecution, or acts of resistance; in these contexts it is usually honorific and retrospective rather than a formal title.

Hungarian usage distinguishes between the broader sense of a faithful person who has sacrificed for a cause and the more specific sense of a saintly martyr recognized by church authorities. In everyday language, vértanú may describe individuals widely regarded as having sacrificed their lives for freedom, justice, or faith, even if they did not undergo formal canonization. The concept has historical resonance in Hungary’s religious and political history, where communities remember and honor vértanúk as witnesses to their convictions.