Folk music and folk dance together with poetry are considered to be the three major modes of expression of Hungarian traditional culture. Their quasi total intertwining characterizes Hungarian artistic expression. Current trends to preservation and revitalization of this culture date back to the end of the 17th and to the beginning of the 19th century, the starting point of folkloristic studies. This article gives a retrospective survey of these studies, from the numerous collecting campaigns undertaken by folklorists to the studies carried out by researchers remained faithful to a continuity.