Hunor and Magor
According to a Hungarian legend, Hunor and Magor (or Mogor ) were the ancestors of the Huns and Magyars .
This legend is about a miracle deer ( Hungarian csodaszarvas ) that the two princes Hunor and Magor try to hunt. Hunor and Magor were allegedly the sons of Nimrod and Jafet , respectively , who are said to have lived in the Crimea on the Black Sea. The deer suddenly disappears without a trace. Hunor and Magor suddenly hear heavenly chants and follow the chants until they come across a lake in which very pretty young girls bathe. The girls run away screaming, two of them are said to have been daughters of the Alan prince Dula. The princes ride after them. The four meet. Immediately passionate love ignites. Hunor then marries one, Magor the other, the descendants of Hunor are the Huns , those of the Magor are the Magyars (Hungarians). This legend was recorded in writing by the court chronicler Simon Kézai , around 1282–1283, in his Gesta Hunnorum et Hunharorum .
It cannot be proven today whether the historical Huns and Magyars were actually related to one another. The legend, however, is a collective reminder of the Hungarians' early relationships with their former Caucasian and Proto- Bulgarian- Hunnic neighbors. As an example, the Hunnic names "Attila" and "Bleda" are popular male first names in Hungary to this day. The spelling of the country's name with “H-”, which is common in numerous European languages, goes back to this (possibly erroneous) connection with the Huns, cf. German (outdated) Hungarn; French Hongrie; English Hungary.
literature
- Gabrielle Schubert: What is a Hungarian? Self-positioning through the ages. Harrasowitz, Wiesbaden 2017, p. 37
- László Veszprémy, Frank Schaer (ed.): Simonis de Kéza Gesta Hungarorum. Simon of Kéza: The Deeds of the Hungarians. Central European University Press, Budapest / New York 1999, ISBN 963-9116-31-9 (critical edition with English translation).