Lúdas Matyi is an epic poem written by the Hungarian poet Mihály Fazekas, based on a folk tale. The poem tells the story of a peasant boy, Matyi, trying to sell his geese at the country fair. The local lord Döbrögi claims the geese for himself, and when Matyi protests, the lord orders his soldiers to beat him up. Matyi swears revenge: he will beat up Döbrögi three times. By using various disguises, he succeeds.
The poem was adapted to film a few times, including an 1977 Animated Adaptation from Pannonia Film Studio, directed by Hungarian cartoonist Attila Dargay. There is also a popular Audio Adaptation by György Schwajda.
Not to be confused with the satirical magaznie Ludas Matyinote , published in Hungary from 1945 to 1992, which was named after the literary character and used him as a mascot. The magazine featured the comic strip Jucika among others.
The poem and the animated film provide examples of:
- Adaptation Expansion: The animated film's plot largely follows the plot of the original poem, but it adds an extra scene where Döbrögi calls for two people to cure him of his pain due to Matyi's beating: first the local blacksmith who, due to a misunderstanding, pulls out Döbrögi's tooth, only causing him more pain; second the local medicine woman who performs several Forced Transformations on the Vice-Count.
- Aristocrats Are Evil: Döbrögi is a selfish lord who regularly abuses his subjects. His ispán (a Hungarian count)/bailiff in the animated film is also a nasty character, even when he suffers the brunt of his master's anger.
- Bad Boss: In the animated film, Döbrögi is constantly threatening his servants. In his introduction scene alone, he sentences the dim-witted loader with 105 lashes for unintentionally getting his gun damaged and intends to have two other guards lashed 50 times for letting the three rabbits he intended to shoot escape.
- Bait-and-Switch: After making two misfires in his effort to find Matyi at the market under the assumption he's disguised, the captain of Döbrögi's soldiers gazes over the crowd. His gaze sweeps past the undisguised Matyi who's standing at the front before returning to him. He then declares he's found Matyi, and the latter believes he's done for. One of the soldiers then runs over to him, only to push him out of the way and bring to the captain the dancing bear that was standing behind Matyi's back.
- Bears Are Bad News: Downplayed. The captain of Döbrögi's soldiers spots at the market a dancing bear and believes it to be Matyi in disguise. He then attempts to force the "disguise" off while ignoring the warnings of the bear's owner. The bear is docile and endures the manhandling for several seconds until it gets angry and throws the captain in the air. It then roars at the other soldiers who run off and looks quite pleased with itself as its owner hugs it.
- Best Served Cold: Döbrögi takes Matyi's geese and beats him up when he's a child. He returns a decade later to return the beating.
- Bewitched Amphibians: The witch turns the Vice-Count into five frogs by mistake.
- Delayed Reaction: When Döbrögi threatens the Vice-Count with execution if he doesn't find him a doctor, the Vice-Count rides out with all the men in the castle to search. He's in such a panic, that they ride right pass Matyi's cart, which has a large sign saying "Doctor", making Matyi look after them in confusion. A few seconds later the Vice-Count yells an order to stop, and asks his troops.Did you all see, what I just saw?
- Disproportionate Retribution: In the animated film, Döbrögi intends to shoot three rabbits at once, so the dim-witted loader puts three bullets in his gun. This predictably results in the gun being broken, and the rabbits escape because the two guards standing over them take cover before Döbrögi can shoot. On the words of the bailiff/ispán, Döbrögi sentences the loader to be lashed 105 times, while the two guards who let the rabbits escape submit to being lashed 50 times. The incident that starts with the appearance of Matyi's goose spares the three men from the lash (at least on-screen).
- The Dreaded: After being lashed two times by Matyi, Döbrögi is so afraid of the young man's last punishment that he keeps a garrison of guards with him at all times and is willing to promise at least a hundred gold coins for his head. In fact, when Matyi shows up after the young rider lures Döbrögi's guards away in the film, Döbrögi completely panics upon seeing Matyi who only has a stick against Döbrögi's sword, which the villain drops as he tries to escape in vain.
- Egomaniac Hunter: In the animated film, Döbrögi is shown being one. He wants to shoot Matyi's goose too.
- Evil Wears Black: The main antagonist, Döbrögi, wears a black outfit in the animated film. He's even called Lord Blackheart in the English dub.
- Fat Bastard:
- Döbrögi, a gluttonous aristocrat, is much fatter than any of his subjects.
- In the animated film, the captain of the guard who lashes Matyi on Döbrögi's orders, is another obese bastard.
- Feather Fingers: The goose can make some very human-like gestures with its wings in the animated film, including picking flowers, and plucking its own feathers.
- Folk Hero: Lúdas Matyi, the clever peasant boy who gives the evil aristocrat a taste of his own medicine, has become a part of Hungarian folk tradition.
- Forced Transformation: In the animated film, the witch accidentally turns Döbrögi's second-in-command into frogs. One person into several frogs, that is.
- Green and Mean: Döbrögi's regular soldiers wear light green uniforms in the film, while the fat Mook Lieutenant wears a dark green uniform.
- Guile Hero: Matyi uses his cunning to get Döbrögi's guards away from him (sending them out to find the largest tree in the forest and to look for medical herbs), so that Döbrögi cannot defend himself.
- Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: Subverted, Döbrögi is an evil smoker with a pipe. This is in line with the setting though, since pipes were popular among Hungarian lords.
- Inept Mage: In the animated film, a witch attempts to heal Döbrögi, but messes it up. After Döbrögi shouts Burn the Witch!, she escapes the castle on a Flying Broomstick.
- Karmic Trickster: Matyi punishes Döbrögi for his greed by tricking him three times.
- Lean and Mean: Ispán/Bailiff, Döbrögi's loyal dragon in the animated film, is the thinnest of the servants. Though he's bumbling and suffers his master's wrath due to his failures, it doesn't mean he's incapable of ruthlessness of his own.
- Master of Disguise: Matyi dons several disguises during the story, including an Italian architect and a German doctor.
- Nonhuman Sidekick: In the cartoon the goose escapes from Döbrögi and joins Matyi. In the radio play he is a Talking Animal called Galiba.
- Public Domain Soundtrack: Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhasodies were used for the cartoon movie's soundtrack, most extensively Number 2.
- Rhymes on a Dime: The witch talks like this.
- Rump Roast: When the fat Mook Lieutenant makes the mistake of aggravating a dancing bear he believes to be a disguised Matyi, it throws him in the air, and he lands on his rear on a hot giant pan. This leads to a Pain-Powered Leap into a wine barrel.
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: A fairy minor and humorous one. After Matyi, disguised as a doctor is kidnapped, the donkey pulling his cart, turns around and runs off in a panic. What makes this especially funny, is that it was completely calm during the kidnapping.
- Sinister Schnoz: Ispán/Bailiff, the Lean and Mean right-hand man of Döbrögi, has a large nose.
- Surrounded by Idiots: The animated film versions of Döbrögi's men are bumbling idiots who're easily outwitted by Matyi. The Dragon Ispán/Bailiff is only a little smarter than the soldiers.
- The Tooth Hurts: In the film, a bonesetter is brought in to treat the wounds Döbrögi gained from Matyi's first lashing. It turns out he can only pull out achy teeth, and no-one tells him that's not Döbrögi's problem before he's already pulled his tooth out with tongs. After he's thrown out of the castle for his trouble, he spits his own tooth out.
- Wig, Dress, Accent: Matyi disguises himself as an Italian architect and a German doctor this way.
- Wild Goose Chase: A non-technological variant. Matyi convinces a peasant boy with a fast steed to dress up as him and shout "I am Lúdas Matyi", to get Döbrögi's guards chase after him.
- Would Hurt a Child: The plot of the story starts with a young boy getting lashed just for standing against a greedy lord.
