Károly Török

Born in Hódmezővásárhely in 1843, Károly Török was a Hungarian poet, folklore collector, and ethnographer. Reference sources consistently describe him as a figure shaped by hardship: he grew up poor, spent part of his youth working as a swineherd, and only later began formal schooling.

He completed his secondary studies relatively late, then went to Pest to study law. Biographical notes also say he worked as a tutor to the children of critic Pál Gyulai and later held a modest office job with support from Arany László. Alongside this everyday work, he gathered folk material from Csongrád County and became known for preserving local oral tradition.

Török died in his hometown in 1875. Though his life was short, his collections and literary work gave lasting value to the popular songs, stories, and customs of southern Hungary.