In the 18th century, Banská Štiavnica stood as the foremost mining hub in Hungary, supplying nearly the entire world with silver and gold, thereby bringing immense wealth to mining entrepreneurs. However, it also harbored the largest population of mine workers, enduring harsh conditions, poverty, and hunger, with an average age ranging from 23 to 25 years. It was within this setting that the archetypal fictional character Náck was born—a good-natured, resourceful miner who, alongside his quarrelsome wife Málika and companions Handz, Hancko, and Franck, emerged as the central figure in hundreds of mining anecdotes.
he origins of these jokes extend beyond Banská Štiavnica itself to the surrounding villages of Piarg, Hodruša, Hámre, and others. Nácko belonged to everyone. These jokes reflect the challenging life of a miner—where hard work in the mine needed to be balanced with cheerfulness and wit. Nácko endured the peaks and troughs of mining in Banská Štiavnica, and jokes about him continue to be made and shared to this day. Alongside depicting various jovial and sombre situations encountered by miners at work, with family, at the pub, or at the doctor's, these jokes also feature numerous local names, or toponyms (such as Kerling, Galizon, Paradajz, Rossgrund, Resla, etc.), as well as dialect words from the Banská Štiavnica region (e.g., cimrmán, obštinoha, trotuár, forhauz, etc.), and from the mining dialect (e.g., šichta, hutman, karbidka, hunt, etc.).
The character of Nácko became integral to the performances of several entertainers known for Banská Štiavnica humor, with two particularly noteworthy figures standing out: Jozef Vášáry (1915-1973), a beloved high school professor and folk storyteller, who portrayed Nácko at various events a remarkable 1,155 times. Following him was Jozef Osvald (born 1936), a mining technician, folk storyteller, collector of mining lamps, and avid traveller. Osvald rejuvenated the "Štyavnycky" Nácko persona, adorning him with a moustache, red nose, hat, checkered shirt and trousers, a coat, a miner's apron, a pocket watch, a pipe, a bag, and a suitcase.
Nácko's jokes constitute a significant component of the intangible cultural heritage of the Banská Štiavnica region, serving as a conduit for comprehending the life and mentality of its inhabitants.
- After finishing their shift, Naco and Handz head back to the shaft elevator. Suddenly, both of their jackets go off at the same time. Handz grumbles, "Blimey, I can't see a thing!" Naco retorts, "And am I giving you a sightseeing tour?"
- As the miners sign for their payment, it's Vinck's turn. He makes three crosses. Náco, unable to write, mimics Vinck's action and mutters, "After all these years living side by side, I never knew Vinck's name is the same as mine."
- Dolo had been ill for quite some time. Upon a visit from Náco and Málika, Dolo remarks, "I feel better just seeing your wife." Náco quips, "Oh really? Wish I'd married her then!"
- Nácko, now retired, bumps into a former hutman. "How's life treating you, Nácko? Will your pension stretch till month-end?" "It should," explains Nácko, "except the month seems to have no end."
