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Birth:          ABT  820  Ukraine
Death:          ABT  895 

Notes
chosen as best of 7 Magyr nomad princes to be chief and to have the honor of being 
sacrificed before they set out for Europe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81lmos
Álmos (Hungarian pronunciation: ['a?lmo?]), also Almos[1] or Almus,[2] (c. 820–c. 895) 
was – according to the uniform account of Hungarian chronicles – the first head of the 
"loose federation"[3] of the Hungarian tribes from around 850. Whether he was the 
sacred ruler (kende) of the Hungarians, or their military leader (gyula) is subject to 
scholarly debate. He apparently accepted the Khazar khagan's suzerainty in the first 
decade of his reign, but the Hungarians acted independently of the Khazars from 
around 860. The 14th-century Illuminated Chronicle narrates that he was murdered in 
Transylvania at the beginning of the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin 
around 895.
Ancestry[edit]

Further information: Elod, Emese, and Ügyek

Anonymus, the unknown author of the Gesta Hungarorum – who wrote his "historical 
romance"[4] around 1200 or 1210[5] – states that Álmos descended "from the line"[6] 
of Attila the Hun.[7][8] A late 13th-century chronicler, Simon of Kéza wrote that Álmos 
was "of the Turul kindred".[9][8] He also wrote of Attila the Hun's banner, which bore 
"the image of the bird the Hungarians call turul"[10] – identified as either a gyrfalcon 
or a hawk.[7] A bird has an important role in the legend about Álmos's birth, which was 
preserved both by the Gesta Hungarorum and by the Illuminated Chronicle.[11] The 
legend says that Álmos's mother, already pregnant with him, dreamed of a bird of prey 
"which had the likeness of a hawk"[12] impregnating her.[13] Historians Gyula Kristó
[11] and Victor Spinei wrote that this story, which has close analogies in Turkic 
folklore, initially narrated the origin of Álmos's family from a totemic ancestor.[8]

According to the Gesta Hungarorum, Álmos was born to Emese, a daughter of "Prince 
Eunedubelian".[5] However, Kristó writes that her name, containing the old Hungarian 
word for mother (em), may have been invented by Anonymus.[5] The name of Álmos's 
father is likewise uncertain because the Hungarian chronicles preserved it in two 
variants.[5] Anonymus states that Ügyek was his name,[14] but the 14th-century 
Illuminated Chronicle says that Elod – himself the son of Ügyek – was Álmos's father.[5] 
Kristó says that both names may have been the chroniclers' inventions, since Ügyek's 
name derives from the ancient Hungarian ügy ("saint, holy") word, and Elod's name 
simply refers to an ancestor.[5] Anonymus writes that Ügyek married Emese in 819.[5] 
If this date is correct, Álmos was born around 820.[11]

Although Anonymus makes a connection between the name of Álmos and the 
Hungarian word for dream (álom), many historians, including András Róna-Tas[15] and 
Victor Spinei,[1] argue that his name is of Turkic origin. If the latter theory is correct, 
it has a meaning of "the bought one".[16] Álmos's family may have also been of Turkic 
stock, but according to Victor Spinei, a name's etymology does not always reflect its 
bearer's ethnicity.[17]


In the year of Our Lord's incarnation 819, Ügek ... took to wife in Dentumoger the 
daughter of Prince Eunedubelian, called Emese, from whom he begot a son, who was 
named Álmos. But he is called Álmos from a divine event, because when she was 
pregnant a divine vision appeared to his mother in a dream in the form of a falcon that 
seemed to come to her and impregnate her and made known to her that from her womb 
a torrent would come forth and from her loins glorious kings be generated, but that 
they would not multiply in their own land. Because a dream is called álom in the 
Hungarian language and his birth was predicted in a dream, so he was called Álmos. 
Or he was called Álmos, that is holy, because holy kings and dukes were born of his 
line.

—?Anonymus: Gesta Hungarorum[18]

Reign[edit]

Álmos, according to Gesta Hungarorum, was freely elected by the heads of the seven 
Hungarian tribes as their "leader and master".[19][20][7] Anonymus adds that to ratify 
Álmos's election, the seven chiefs "swore an oath, confirmed in pagan manner with 
their own blood spilled in a single vessel".[21][7] Anonymus says that they also 
adopted the basic principles of the government, including the hereditary right of 
Álmos's offsprings to his office and the right of his electors' descendant to have a seat 
in the prince's council.[7] According to author Pál Engel, this report of the "treaty by 
blood" (Hungarian: vérszerzodés), which reflects its authors' political philosophy rather 
than actual events, was "often presented by Hungarian historians as the very first 
manifestation of modern parliamentary thinking in Europe" up until 1945.[7]

In a sharply contrasting narrative from around 950, the Byzantine Emperor Constantine 
VII Porphyrogenitus states that instead of Álmos, his son Árpád was the first supreme 
head of the Hungarian tribes, and that Árpád's election was initiated by the Khazar 
khagan.[1][22] The emperor says the khagan sent an envoy to the "voivodes" (heads 
of the Hungarian tribes)[23] after they had been forced by the Pechenegs to leave 
their dwelling places near the Khazar Khaganate and to settle in a new territory called 
Etelköz.[22] The khagan was planning to appoint one of the voivodes named Levedi 
to lead the Hungarian tribes[1] to represent the khagan's interests.[22] Although 
Levedi refused the khagan's offer, he proposed one of his peers, Álmos or Álmos's son 
Árpád, to the proposed new position.[22][1] The khagan accepted Levedi's offer. 
Upon his initiative the Hungarians elected their first prince, but they preferred Árpád 
to his father.[24][1]

Gyula Kristó and many other historians refute Porphyrogenitus's report of the omission 
of Álmos in favor of his son, saying that the turul legend connected to Álmos's birth 
proves his role as forefather of his dynasty.[24][25] These historians say that the 
emperor's account is based on a report by one of Árpád's descendants named 
Termacsu, who emphasized by this report of Árpád's election that only those 
descending from Árpád were suitable to lead the Hungarians; other children of Álmos 
were excluded.[24] András Róna-Tas says that Constantine Porphyrogenitus preserved 
the memory of a coup d'état organized against Levedi kende by Álmos gyula, who had 
his own son Árpád elected as sacred ruler in his opponent's place.[26] A late 9th-
century Central Asian scholar, Abu Abdallah al-Jayhani – whose works were partially 
preserved in Ibn Rusta's and other Muslim authors' books – mentions the existence of 
these two high offices among the Hungarians.[27][28] He describes the kende as the 
Hungarians' sacred ruler and the gyula as their military commander.[27] Historians still 
debate which of the two offices was held by Álmos.[27][7][26]


The chagan said to [Levedi]: "We have invited you upon this account, in order that, 
since you are noble and wise and valorous and first among the [Hungarians], we may 
appoint you prince of your nation, and you may be obedient to our word and our 
command." But he, in reply, made answer to the chagan: "Your regard and purpose for 
me I highly esteem and express to you suitable thanks, but since I am not strong 
enough for this rule, I cannot obey you; on the other hand, however, there is a 
voivode other than me, called [Álmos], and he has a son called [Árpád]; let one of 
these, rather, either that [Álmos] or his son [Árpád], be made prince, and be obedient 
to your word." That chagan was pleased at this saying, and gave some of his men to 
go with him, and sent them to the [Hungarians], and after they had talked the matter 
over with the [Hungarians], the [Hungarians] preferred that [Árpád] should be prince 
rather than [Álmos] his father, for he was of superior parts and greatly admired for 
wisdom and counsel and valour, and capable of this rule; and so they made him prince 
according to the custom, or 'zakanon', of the Chazars, by lifting him upon a shield.

—?Constantine Porphyrogenitus: De Administrando Imperio[29]

Kristó says that Álmos stood at the head of the Hungarian tribal confederation from 
around 850.[16] Porphyrogenitus's narration says that he initially accepted the 
khagan's suzerainty.[27] The Hungarians apparently achieved their independence 
around 860, since the earliest reports on their plundering raids in Central Europe were 
recorded thereafter.[27] The Annals of St. Bertin mentions their incursion into Louis 
the German's realm in 862.[30] Three tribes seceding from the Khazar Khaganate, 
together known by Porphyrogenitus as "Kabaroi",[31] also joined with the Hungarians 
in the 860s or 870s.[32] Spinei says that the memory of their arrival was preserved by 
Anonymus, who mentions "the seven dukes of the Cumans" who "subjected 
themselves to Prince Álmos" at Kiev.[33][34]

Anonymus writes of a war between the Hungarians and the Kievan Rus', ending with 
the victory of the Hungarians, who were commanded by Álmos.[35] The Russian 
Primary Chronicle refers to a "Hungarian hill"[36] at Kiev in connection with the town's 
occupation by Oleg of Novgorod in 882.[35] The same chronicle mentions "a castle of 
Ol'ma" (??????? ?????) standing on the same hill.[30] George Vernadsky says that 
this fortress had been named after Álmos, but this theory has not been widely 
accepted by historians.[30]

Death[edit]

Further information: Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin

The Hungarian Conquest 

The Hungarians who lived in the westernmost parts of the Pontic steppes were 
occasionally hired by neighboring powers to intervene in their wars.[34] For instance, 
they invaded Moravia in alliance with Arnulf of East Francia in 892.[34][37] Their 
intervention in a conflict between the First Bulgarian Empire and the Byzantine Empire 
caused a joint counter-invasion by the Bulgars and Pechenegs.[38] The Hungarians 
were forced to leave the Pontic steppes and to cross the Carpathians in search of a 
new homeland around 895.[39][40]

According to the Gesta Hungarorum, the Hungarians invaded the Carpathian Basin 
under Álmos, who "appointed his son, Árpád, as leader and master"[41] of the 
Hungarian tribal federation at Ungvár (Uzhhorod, Ukraine).[42] Thereafter Anonymous 
does not mention Álmos.[42] In a contrasting report, the Illuminated Chronicle says 
that Álmos "could not enter Pannonia, for he was killed in Erdelw"[43] (Transylvania).
[27][7] Kristó says that the chronicle preserves the memory of Álmos's sacrifice 
because of the catastrophic defeat of his people by the Pechenegs.[42] If this is true, 
his ritual murder proves that Álmos was the sacred leader of the Hungarian tribal 
federation.[42][7] Róna-Tas refutes this and says that if the chronicle's report is 
reliable, Álmos became the victim of a political murder committed or initiated by his 
own son.[44] Preferring the narration of the Gesta Hungarorum to the report by the 
Illuminated Chronicle, Victor Spinei states that Álmos was not murdered in 
Transylvania, since Anonymus writes that the Hungarians bypassed this region when 
invading the Carpathian Basin.[45]

Family[edit]

No source preserved the name of Álmos's wife.[46][47] Anonymus writes that she was 
"the daughter of a certain most noble prince".[48] Álmos's only child known by name 
was Árpád, who succeeded Álmos after his death.[47] The following is a family tree 
presenting Álmos's closest relatives:[47]

Parents
____ Ogyek (ABT  796 - AFT  820)
____ Emese (ABT  800 - AFT  820)

Siblings
____ Almos (ABT  820 - ABT  895)

Marriage To ----- ----- ()
    m.  

Notes


Children by ----- ----- 
____ Arpad (ABT  845 - ABT  907)

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