Bulcsú (chieftain)

Bulcsú
Chieftain Bulcsú as depicted in the Nádasdy Mausoleum in 1664
Harka
Reign	fl. 948–955
Predecessor	Kál
Successor	unknown
Born	early 10th century Principality of Hungary
Baptised	948 Hagia Sophia, Constantinople, Byzantine Empire
Died	15 August 955 Regensburg, Duchy of Bavaria
Nationality	Hungarian
Noble family	gens Lád
Father	Kál

Bulcsú (or Vérbulcsú; Latin: Bultzus, Greek: Βουλοσουδης "Boulosoudes" and Βουλτζους "Boultzous", Arabic: Wulǧūdī; died 15 August 955) was a Hungarian chieftain and military leader in the 10th century. He held the title of harka (Greek: karchas). Despite he was not a member of the ruling Árpád dynasty, he was one of the most important figures of the Hungarian invasions of Europe. He led military campaigns in directions to the north, west and east either in the period 930–950s.

In 948, Bulcsú visited the court of Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII, where he was received with a great pomp. Bulcsú adopted Christianity, the emperor became his godfather. He was a "guest friend of the emperor" and was awarded the title of "Roman patrician" (or patrikios).

After his army had lost the disastrous Battle of Lechfeld in 955, he was caught by the German victors and executed. The lands of his tribe laid around Lake Balaton in Transdanubia, the core area of which later formed Zala County.

Bulcsú the Sixth Captain in the center among the Seven chieftains of the Magyars (Chronicon Pictum)

Name and etymology

The reason he was called Vérbulcsú was that, having learnt of his grandfather's death at the hands of the Germans in the battle of Krimhild, he exacted vengeance by having a number of Germans roasted on a spit, and is said to have behaved with such savagery to them that he drank the blood of certain captives as though it were wine.

— Simon of Kéza: The Deeds of the Hungarians

Captain Lehel and Bulcsú front of the German Emperor (Chronicon Pictum)

Bulcsú is one of the only three Hungarian individuals from the 10th century – beside Gyula II and Taksony –, whose name is mentioned by Western (Latin), Byzantine (Greek) and Arabic sources either. Consequently, many variants of his name are known. The contemporary Constantine Porphyrogenitus' De Administrando Imperio refers to him as "Boultzous", a direct translation from Latin variant "Bultzus". His name appears as "Boulosoudes" in the late-11th-century chronicler John Skylitzes' Synopsis of Histories, which work was extracted by John Zonaras in his Extracts of History in the 12th century; Bulcsú is mentioned as "Bolosoudes" there. Among the Western sources, the near-contemporary Annales Sangallenses maiores calls Bulcsú as "Pulszi". His name is mentioned as "Bulgio" by the mid-11th-century Gesta episcoporum Cameracensium. The 16th-century Renaissance humanist historian Johannes Aventinus, who utilized lost 11th-century annals, mentions the name of Bulcsú as "Bultzko" and "Bulichizo". Latin-language works from Hungary call Bulcsú as "Bulsuu", "Bulsu" (Anonymus' Gesta Hungarorum), "Bulchu", "Werbulchu" (Simon of Kéza's Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum), "Bulchu", "Bolchu", "Werbulchw", "Uerbulchu" (Hungarian chronicle variants). The name of Bulcsú – (w)l.h.w.d.y, "Wulǧūdī" – can also be found in Kitāb al-Muqtabis fī tarīkh al-Andalus written by 11th-century Muslim author Ibn Ḥayyān.

The etymology of his name is uncertain. According to several linguists – for instance, János Melich, Zoltán Gombocz and, initially, Dezső Pais – his name is of Turkic origin, which has the same source as the Hungarian common name "búcsú" (indulgence). Both words derive from Turkic verb bos ("forgive"), thus Bulcsú is a noun form of the verb, or the noun bošug ("decree of heaven, fate, divine judgment, or command"), i.e. a direct variant of the dignity bošugčï (lit. "commander"). Other historians – e.g. Gyula Pauler – connected Bulcsú's name with the adjective "bölcs" ("wise"), while there were also assumptions that the name is a Hungarian variant of the Latin name Basilius or Blasius. Dezső Pais considered that Bulcsú was named for the purpose of predestination: since it was expected that he would succeed his father in the judicial office of harka, he had to be a man of "forgiving nature and gracious character", which is reflected in his name – though, Bulcsú later became known for his cruel nature. Later, Pais abandoned the theory of connection between Bulcsú's name and the verb bos. He, instead, argued that his name derives from the verb bulya or bulģha ("stir", "to mix"), from which the name of Bulgars originates too. Pais claimed the noun participle bulyučy ("mixer") is the direct antecedent of the chieftain's name. Byzantinist Mátyás Gyóni argued that the De Administrando Imperio wrote down an Old Hungarian name form when describing Bulcsú's name, based on hearsay. He connected his name with a Khazar dignity "bwlšcy", which appears in the 10th-century Schechter Letter. If this assumption is valid, it may also reflect Bulcsú's possible Khavar ethnicity (see below).

The name variant "Vérbulcsú" (lit. "Blood Bulcsú") first appears in the sources in the mid-13th century, when the descendants of the chieftain called themselves "de genere Werbulchu". The origin of this variant is unclear. Anonymus, who wrote his gesta in the early 13th century, already refers to Bulcsú as a "bloodthirsty man" ("vir sanguinis"). Regarding the name variant, Simon of Kéza provides a detailed account of its origin in his Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum written in the early 1280s. Accordingly, Bulcsú's grandfather was killed in the legendary battle of Krimhild between the Romans and Huns (see Nibelungenlied), and Bulcsú devoted his whole life to taking revenge on the Germans. Playing the words (spit = veru), Simon refers to the name "Vérbulcsú" in the original Latin text too. Simon describes Bulcsú as "bloodthirsty" and "warlike" with "fearless heart". Although Mark of Kalt, the author of the 14th-century Illuminated Chronicle disregarded Simon's fantastic etymology, but maintained the name variant Vérbulcsú in his work. Dezső Pais argued that the name Vérbulcsú ("vérbocsátó" - "blood provider", then "vérkeverő" – "blood mixer") reflects Bulcsú's status as harka and his possible ceremonial role in the blood oaths among the Magyar tribal chieftains.

Ancestry and title

Tebelis is dead, and it is his son Termatzous who came here recently as "friend" with Boultzous, third prince and karchas of Tourkia. The karchas Boultzous is the son of the karchas Kalis, and Kalis is a proper name, but karchas is a dignity, like gylas, which is superior to karchas.

— Constantine Porphyrogenitus: De Administrando Imperio

Bulcsú was born in the early 10th century, possibly around 910. He had at least one sibling. He was not a member of the ruling Árpád dynasty and only his father's name is known. János Belitzky considered that Bulcsú belonged to the Kér, one of the Magyar tribes, while Sándor László Tóth argued in favor of his belonging to the Tarján tribe. The contemporary De Administrando Imperio states that Bulcsú's father was Kál or Káli (Greek: καλἠ), who held the title of harka prior to Bulcsú's elevation into the position, possibly sometime in the period 910/920–930s. However, Anonymus refers to Bulcsú as the son of Bogát in his Gesta Hungarorum. Bogát (Bugat or Busac) was one of the two leaders of the 921–922 Italian campaign, alongside Tarkacsu (Dursac), Grand Prince Árpád's eldest living son. According to the widespread belief, Constantine and the Byzantine court acquired the information about the Hungarians, among other things, during Bulcsú's embassy, so the majority of historians accepted the first information as authentic. Because of his frequent appearance with the Árpáds, some historians attempted to connect Bulcsú's person to the ruling dynasty. For instance, Bálint Hóman claimed that Kál was the son of Liüntika, while István Herényi considered that Bulcsú was a descendant of chieftain Tétény through his grandfather Bogát and father Kál.

Mátyás Gyóni assumed that Kál and Bulcsú was of Khalyzian or Khavar ethnicity. These groups rebelled against the Khazar Khaganate and joined the Hungarians in the early 9th century, forming three tribes at the time of the conquest. According to András Róna-Tas, Kál then Bulcsú ruled over the joined and/or subjugated peoples, holding the title of harka. A 16th-century Hebrew chronicle from Bohemia also refers to Bulcsú as a Khalyzian. Herényi claimed that Bulcsú belonged to the Khavar tribe called Varsány which settled down in western Transdanubia and carried out border protection duties. Dezső Dümmerth also argued in favor of Bulcsú's Khavar ethnicity, which is why he later emphasized the role of the Khavars in the conquest of the homeland in the Byzantine court and hushed up the presence of Álmos during the events. Linguist Lajos Ligeti considered the Khavar background of the military leader too. György Szabados expressed doubt arguing that in the 39th chapter of the work, the fact of the defeat and expulsion of the Khavars is not downplayed.

Bulcsú's title of harka (or karchas) is a subject of historiographical debates. According to the De Administrando Imperio, it was the third most prestigious position in the Principality of Hungary, after the (grand) prince and "gylas" (gyula). Both gylas and karchas "have the rank of judge". According to György Szabados, this information reflects the statehood-nature of the Principality of Hungary and the title of harka was a hereditary position (at least in the relation of Kál and Bulcsú). According to Gyula Kristó, Bulcsú held the title at least from 942, when he was mentioned among the Hungarian chieftains by Muslim author Ibn Ḥayyān. Sándor László Tóth considered that the dignity of harka, a relatively short-lived title, was established sometime between 900 and 920 and Kál was the first office-holder, while Róna-Tas claimed that the title was originally held by Kurszán. It is possible the office was created in order to counterbalance the authority of gyula beside the grand prince. István Herényi considered that Bulcsú ruled over all subjugated people (e.g. Khavars, Székelys, Pechenegs and Kylfings) of the Hungarian tribal federation holding the title of harka, which could originally have been the gyula's deputy or sub-leader. Accordingly, Bulcsú was responsible for the protection of the principality along the western border. Dániel Bácsatyai compared the harka with the dignity tudun of the Avar Khaganate, arguing Bulcsú perhaps governed the western portions of the principality in the name of the grand prince. In this capacity, Bulcsú collected taxes from the settled agricultural (mostly Slavic) peoples.

Tribal territory

The leader of the seventh army was called Vérbulcsú. He is said to have settled at Zala around Lake Balaton.

— Simon of Kéza: The Deeds of the Hungarians

The 13th-century chronicler Simon of Kéza, who wrongfully attributed Bulcsú's activity to the time of the Hungarian conquest, states that Bulcsú seized the landholdings in Western Transdanubia, around Lake Balaton. The Illuminated Chronicle also says that Bulcsú "is said to have set up his tents near Lake Balaton". The chieftain's descendants, the Lád kindred indeed possessed lands in the region in the mid-13th century, for instance, Badacsonylábdihegy (present-day a borough of Badacsonytördemic). Although there are arguments that later chroniclers referred the Láds' possession area back to the 9–10th centuries, a block in the region that bears the name of Bulcsú's father can be identified from the place names; Instead Bulcsú, Kál (or his father) was that chieftain, who conquered the aforementioned region in the late 9th century. According to György Györffy, his summer residence was the Kál Basin, where present-day Köveskál and Mindszentkálla in Veszprém County preserved his name. A vineyard called Harka is also known in Balatonhenye, also located in the Kál Basin. Continuing west, Kál established his winter residence in present-day Dióskál (at Little Balaton), which laid near the Carolingian fort Mosaburg (Zalavár). Thereafter, Mosaburg became the seat of Kál then Bulcsú's territory. Kál's tribe advanced north along the river Zala, reaching the Rába valley along Lake Neusiedl (Fertő) and the area of Szombathely. There the village Bucsu in Vas County preserved Bulcsú's name, as Györffy considered.

There are several villages in Transylvania and Tiszántúl – for instance, Kál in Heves County – which plausibly bear the name Kál or Bulcsú (and also Bogát). According to Györffy, these are the linguistic memories of the temporary residence areas where Bulcsú's tribe initially seized during the first stage of the Hungarian conquest. According to other arguments, these could also be later name adoptions, since the name Bulcsú was relatively common in the 11–14th centuries.

The ancient and large Kolon County (antecedent to Zala and Somogy counties) was formed from Bulcsú's territory at the beginning of the 11th century. Herényi argued Bulcsú possessed the castle Kolon (near Zalakomár) too in the mid-10th century. Pechenegs, along with Khavars and Khalyzians, in the accompaniment of Bulcsú's tribe were also settled in the region, the ancestors of the Tomaj and Osl clans. Herényi considered that the future kindred in the region – for instance, Herény and Kajd arrived with Bulcsú's tribe as military auxiliaries. Bulcsú's territory was adjacent to Lehel's territory in Upper Hungary at the river Rabnitz (Répce).

Gyula Kristó criticized the method which tries to determine the residence of former tribes based on place names. Based on archaeological excavations, Kristó considered that Bulcsú's territory laid in the region between Drava and Sava, mostly the western portion of Syrmia. Ferenc Makk claimed that Bulcsú's tribe initially settled down in the region between the rivers Maros (Mureș) and Körös, and they were forced to move to Transdanubia, north of Lake Balaton after the Battle of Lechfeld by Grand Prince Taksony.

Military and diplomatic career

Early raids

According to Bálint Hóman, Bulcsú was a leading figure of the Hungarian invasions into Western Europe since the mid-930s, arguing that the 936–937 campaign follows the same route as in the 950s, indicating Bulcsú's military capabilities, which resembled the military tactics of Attila during his 451 campaign into Gaul. Nevertheless, it is definitely worth noting that all Bulcsú's involvements of pre-948 raids – except the 942 incursion into Iberia – is merely historical speculation, based on the analysis of military tactics and routes.

In late 936, the Hungarians, with the aim to force the new German king Otto I to pay them tribute, attacked Swabia and Franconia, and burnt the Fulda monastery. They then entered Saxony, but the new king's forces repel them towards Lotharingia and West Francia in February 937, when Bulcsú's army crossed the Rhine at Worms, and advanced towards Namur. There, the Hungarians seized the Abbey of Saint Basolus in Verzy, which then they used as headquarters to plunder the surrounding area, including the abbeys from Orbay, Saint Macra from Fîmes, the city of Bouvancourt. By late March 937, the Hungarians reached the city of Sens, where they burnt the Abbey of Saint Peter. At Orléans they fought a French army led by Count Ebbes de Déols, who was wounded in the battle and died afterwards. After this, the Hungarians, following the course of the Loire, crossed the whole of France until the Atlantic Ocean, then returned through the South-East, and on their way to Burgundy, they plundered the surroundings of Bourges. After July 937, the Hungarian army entered Burgundy near Dijon, harrying the Monastery of Luxeuil, then they plundered the valley of the Rhône, burnt the city of Tournus, occupied the monasteries of Saint Deicolus and Saint Marcell, but they failed to seize the monastery of Saint Appollinaris. Continuing their campaign, the Hungarians (or at least a contingent) entered Lombardy from the West in August, where Hugh of Italy asked them to go to Southern Italy to help the Byzantines. The Hungarians plundered the surroundings of Capua, and installed their camp in Campania. They sent small units to plunder the regions of Naples, Benevento, Sarno, Nola and Montecassino. The Abbey of Montecassino gave them valuable objects valuing 200 Byzantine hyperpyrons in order to ransom the captives. In contrast to Bálint Hóman, Bácsatyai rejected the concept of conscious campaign organization by Bulcsú arguing that the Hungarians improvised in France after Otto unexpectedly repulsed their attack.

Bulcsú was one of the seven leaders (amīr) who led the Hungarian raid into Iberia in the summer of 942. Arab historian Ibn Ḥayyān preserved his name as "Wulǧūdī" and he is mentioned in the third place among the leaders. Initially, the Hungarian entered the Kingdom of Italy, where Hugh, giving them 10 bushels of gold, encouraged them to attack the Caliphate of Córdoba. Bulcsú and the other chieftains, possibly under the command of Gyula II, attacked Fraxinet, then arrived in Catalonia, plundering the region, before entering the northern territories of the caliphate in mid-June 942. The Hungarians besieged Lérida for eight days then attacked Cerdaña and Huesca. On 26 June, they captured Yahya ibn Muhammad ibn al Tawil, the governor of Barbastro, and held him captive 33 days, until he was ransomed. In July, the Hungarians, running out of food and water, left Iberia. According to other opinions (e.g. György Györffy and András Róna-Tas), the seven chieftains were not the actual leaders of the military campaign, Ibn Ḥayyān was merely recording the seven chieftains of the Hungarian tribes at the time of the Hungarian raid. He was perhaps relying on a Byzantine source. Gyula Kristó argued that it is unlikely that so many high-ranking persons would have jointly led a campaign away from Hungary. Based on the context, István Elter and György Szabados emphasized that that the Muslim author lists the actual leaders of the campaign. István Herényi claimed that Bulcsú served as sub-leader behind Gyula during the 942 campaign.

Bálint Hóman also attributed the Hungarian incursions into the Byzantine Empire in 934 and 943 to Bulcsú, allied with the Pechenegs then Kievan Rus', respectively. Both times, Emperor Romanos I Lekapenos bought five-year peace, and accepted to pay a yearly tribute to the Hungarians. It is also possible that Bulcsú participated in that military campaign in 947, when Taksony and his army marched southwards on the Eastern shore of Italy, reaching Otranto and plundering Apulia for three months.

Aftermath

Archaeologist Géza Nagy argued that Koppány was the descendant of Bulcsú (thus not related to the Árpád dynasty) and his aim was to prevent the concentration of the three princely dignities (grand prince, gyula and harka) in one person. However, after Bulcsú's death, the harka position no longer appears in the sources and Szabados considered that the localization of Koppány's territory did not coincide with the area of Bulcsú. Zsoldos (Szabados 2011, 260!)

Sources

Primary sources

• Constantine Porphyrogenitus: De Administrando Imperio (Greek text edited by Gyula Moravcsik, English translation by Romillyi J. H. Jenkins) (1967). Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies. ISBN 0-88402-021-5.
• Wortley, John, ed. (2010). John Skylitzes: A Synopsis of Byzantine History, 811–1057. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-76705-7.
• Anonymus, Notary of King Béla: The Deeds of the Hungarians (Edited, Translated and Annotated by Martyn Rady and László Veszprémy) (2010). In: Rady, Martyn; Veszprémy, László; Bak, János M. (2010); Anonymus and Master Roger; CEU Press; ISBN 978-963-9776-95-1.
• Simon of Kéza: The Deeds of the Hungarians (Edited and translated by László Veszprémy and Frank Schaer with a study by Jenő Szűcs) (1999). CEU Press. ISBN 963-9116-31-9.
• Bak, János M.; Veszprémy, László; Kersken, Norbert (2018). Chronica de gestis Hungarorum e codice picto saec. XIV [The Illuminated Chronicle: Chronicle of the deeds of the Hungarians from the fourteenth-century illuminated codex]. Budapest: Central European University Press. ISBN 978-9-6338-6264-3.

Secondary sources

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