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Gesta Hungarorum may also refer to Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum, written by Simon of Kéza.
The first page of the manuscript
Statue of the anonymous author at Vajdahunyad Castle

Gesta Hungarorum (Latin for The Deeds of the Hungarians), is a record of early Hungarian history written by an unknown author, who is often cited simply as Anonymous. He describes himself as a "faithful servant of King Bela", although there are more than one King Bela who could be meant, most probably was King Bela III (1172-1196). Gesta Hungarorum is preserved in a manuscript from around 1200.

The chronicle was written as a literary work based on similar western chronicles which were then fashionable. The author defines all local ruling families of the Kingdom of Hungary as descendants of the ruling Árpáds or at least of their allies, and aims to glorify the merits of the Árpáds with respect to the Magyar occupation of the Transylvanian Carpathian basin in the tenth century.

Although it is a historical manuscript written under the Hungarians Kings tutelage, some Hungarian historians considered it as simply inventions (by the author or by his predecessors). Some of the work can be recognized as directly based on earlier sources that narrate the history of the Magyar peoples invading the Carpathian basin.

Gesta Hungarorum's main subject of controversy concerns the mentioning of the existence of the local rulers Gelou, Glad and Menumorut in Transylvania at the arrival of the Magyars in the tenth century (see Origin of Romanians). The very existence of these three dukedoms mainly inhabited by Vlachs and Slavs is sustained by many Romanian, Hungarian, Serbian historians and denied by some others (Hungarian, Slovak). The main arguments against their existence is the presence of provably wrong information in some other parts of the Gesta, and the fact that Gesta Hungarorum mentions Cumans among the peoples who lived in Transylvania at that time, whereas the Cumans actually arrived there 150 years after the Hungarians. There is opposing opinion which claims that the author of the Gesta actually confuses Cumans with Pechenegs, who spoke a similar language to that of the Cumanians and lived in approximately the same territory before Hungarians.

Hypotheses about the identity of the mysterious author "Magister P" include:

  • The notary (chancellor) of King Béla III of Hungary (1172-1196) - today this is the generally accepted author.
  • The chancellor of King Béla II of Hungary (1131-1141), a certain Petrus who was in 1124 the chancellor of the previous king Stephen II.
  • Péter Pósa, bishop of Bosnia.

The Gesta Hungarorumwas written probably between 1196 and 1220, but some scholars claim that its anonymous author (referred to as Anonymous in modern works) wrote his gesta earlier in the 12th century. 1 Its factual accuracy is also highly disputed by modern scholars.1

  • Those who dispute the credibility of the gesta point out that the author probably had no information (apart from some familial and tribal legends) regarding the actual circumstances of the conquest.12 Thus he invented enemies and rivals for his heroes to vanquish; he rather casually borrowed the names of rivers (Laborc), mountains (Tarcal, and Zobor), and castles (Gyalu) to conjure up knights and chieftains (e.g., the Bulgarian Laborcy, the Cuman Turzol, the Czech Zobur, and the Vlach Gelou) who are not mentioned in other primary sources.12 They also emphasize that Anonymus obviously had no knowledge of the settlers' real enemies (e.g., Svatopluk II, Emperor Arnulf I, the Bulgar Tzar Simeon); of the settlers' actual adversaries, which included the Moravians, Slovenes, Karantans, Franks, and Bavarians, he knew only of the Bulgarians.12 Thus he arbitrarily counted among the Hungarians' opponents the Czechs, who at the time lived exclusively in the Czech Basin; the Cumanians, who moved to Europe only in the 11th century; and the Vlachs which suggest that his choices reflect the ethnic and political realities of the 12th century.12
  • Those who accept the credibility of the gesta point out that it is the earliest preserved Hungarian chronicle and thus it must have based on earlier Hungarian gestas, and therefore its factual accuracy is likely high.3 They also point out that the gesta was written at least 130 years before the Chronicon Pictum. They emphasize that Anonymous uses many Greek sayings which suggest that he was one of the few Hungarian authors who knew Greek, and thus he could base much of his work on earlier Byzantine sources4. They also claim that the author of the gesta simply confused the Cumans with the Pechenegs.3

Contents

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Kristó, Pál (Editor); Makk, Ferenc (Editor) (1994). Korai Magyar Történeti Lexikon (9-14. század) (Encyclopedia of the Early Hungarian History - 9-14th centuries). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó. p.753. ISBN 963 05 6722 9, http://www.antikva.hu/onan/reszletek.jsp?katalogusid=154657. 
  2. ^ a b c d Köpeczi, Béla (General Editor) (1994). History of Transylvania. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó. ISBN 963 05 6703 2, http://mek.oszk.hu/03400/03407/html/. 
  3. ^ a b Neagu Djuvara, O SCURTĂ ISTORIE A ROMÂNILOR POVESTITĂ CELOR TINERI, 2003, p. 20
  4. ^ . p.300-302. 

Literature

  • Neagu Djuvara. O scurtă istorie a românilor, povestită celor tineri. Bucharest, 2002.

See also

Wikisource
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External links

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