The Battle of Kerlés () also known as the Battle of Cserhalom (), was an engagement between an army of

Pechenegs The Pechenegs () or Patzinaks, , Middle Turkic languages, Middle Turkic: , , , , , , ka, პაჭანიკი, , , ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Pečenezi, separator=/, Печенези, also known as Pecheneg Turks were a semi-nomadic Turkic peopl ...

and Ouzes commanded by OsulMedieval chronicles wrote that the invaders were

Cumans The Cumans or Kumans were a Turkic people, Turkic nomadic people from Central Asia comprising the western branch of the Cumania, Cuman–Kipchak confederation who spoke the Cuman language. They are referred to as Polovtsians (''Polovtsy'') in Ru ...

, or Cumans and

Vlachs Vlach ( ), also Wallachian and many other variants, is a term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate speakers of Eastern Romance languages living in Southeast Europe—south of the Danube (the Balkan peninsula ...

(or Romanians). Modern historians identify the invaders as Pechenegs, or Pechenegs and Ouzes. and the troops of King Solomon of Hungary and his cousins, Dukes Géza and Ladislaus, in

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

in 1068. The Pechenegs had been the dominant power of the westernmost regions of the

Eurasian steppes The Eurasian Steppe, also called the Great Steppe or The Steppes, is the vast steppe ecoregion of Eurasia in the temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands biome. It stretches through Manchuria, Mongolia, Xinjiang, Kazakhstan, Siberia, Euro ...

since around 895. However, large Pecheneg groups moved to the

Balkan Peninsula The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

at the same time as the westward migration of the Ouzes and

in the 1040s. The first recorded Pecheneg invasion of Transylvania occurred during the reign of

Stephen I of Hungary Stephen I, also known as King Saint Stephen ( ; ; ; 975 – 15 August 1038), was the last grand prince of the Hungarians between 997 and 1000 or 1001, and the first king of Hungary from 1000 or 1001 until his death in 1038. The year of his bi ...

(). In 1068, the invaders broke into Transylvania through the passes of the

Carpathian Mountains The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe and Southeast Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Ural Mountains, Urals at and the Scandinav ...

. Archaeological finds suggest that they destroyed at least three fortresses made of earth and timber, including the ones at Doboka (now Dăbâca in Romania) and Sajósárvár (present-day Șirioara). They also made a plundering raid in the Nyírség region, to the west of Transylvania. After taking much booty, they planned to leave Hungary, but the Hungarians ambushed and annihilated them at a hill near Doboka. According to a popular legend, a "Cuman" warrior tried to escape from the battlefield, taking a Hungarian girl, but Duke Ladislaus defeated and killed him in single combat.

Background

The

were the dominant power of the

Pontic steppes Pontic, from the Greek ''pontos'' (, ), or "sea", may refer to: The Black Sea Places * The Pontic colonies, on its northern shores * Pontus (region), a region on its southern shores * The Pontic–Caspian steppe, steppelands stretching from nor ...

between around 895 and 1055. Around 895, they defeated the

Magyars Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common culture, language and history. They also have a notable presence in former parts of the Kingdom of Hungary. The Hungarian language belongs to the ...

, or

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...

, forcing them to leave the steppes and settle in

Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

. About 45 years later, the

Byzantine Emperor The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...

Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (; 17 May 905 – 9 November 959) was the fourth Byzantine emperor of the Macedonian dynasty, reigning from 6 June 913 to 9 November 959. He was the son of Emperor Leo VI and his fourth wife, Zoe Karbonopsina, a ...

recorded that one of the Pecheneg "provinces"the territory dominated by one of the eight Pecheneg tribesbordered on the land controlled by the Hungarians. According to the same source, the Pechenegs' land was a four days journey" from Hungary. There are no records of enmity between the Pechenegs and the Hungarians in the . On the contrary, they jointly invaded the Byzantine Empire in 934, according to the contemporaneous Arab geographer,

Al-Masudi al-Masʿūdī (full name , ), –956, was a historian, geographer and traveler. He is sometimes referred to as the "Herodotus of the Arabs". A polymath and prolific author of over twenty works on theology, history (Islamic and universal), geo ...

The Pechenegs regularly invaded the Byzantine Empire from around 1026, suggesting a movement west from the lands east of the

Dnieper The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...

to the region of the

Lower Danube The Danube ( ; see also other names) is the second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest south into the Black Sea. A large and historically important r ...

. The Byzantine historians John Skylitzes and

George Kedrenos George Kedrenos, Cedrenus or Cedrinos (, fl. 11th century) was a Byzantine Greek historian. In the 1050s he compiled ''Synopsis historion'' (also known as ''A concise history of the world''), which spanned the time from the biblical account of cre ...

mention clashes between the Pechenegs and their eastern neighbors, the Ouzes in the 1040s. The Ouzes had been forced west across the

Volga River The Volga (, ) is the longest river in Europe and the longest endorheic basin river in the world. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchment ...

by the

. Skylitzes and Kedrenos also wrote of armed conflicts between groups of Pechenegs. After being defeated in such an intertribal conflict, two Pecheneg clans migrated to the Byzantine Empire in the early 1040s. Pressured by both the Cumans and the Rus' princes, the Ouzes moved to the Lower Danube region in 1060. The Cumans routed a Rus' force in 1061 and the united armies of the allied Rus' princes in 1068, which enabled them to take control of the western regions of the Eurasian steppes. Hungary was exposed to raids by the neighboring nomadic peoples. Coins minted for King Stephen and his successor,

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

, have been found at Torda and Kolozsvár (now Turda and

Cluj-Napoca Cluj-Napoca ( ; ), or simply Cluj ( , ), is a city in northwestern Romania. It is the second-most populous city in the country and the seat of Cluj County. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (), Budapest () and Belgrade ( ...

in Romania), and other places, showing that the nearby fortresses were in use in the first half of the . The Pechenegs made a plundering raid into Transylvania during the reign of King Stephen, according to the king's legends. The chronicle of Henry of Mügeln records the raid as occurring in 1028. Abbot Thierry of St Hubert-en-Ardenne, who wanted to travel through Hungary during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1053, was forced to return because of an "incursion of barbarians" into Hungary. Historian Jonathan Riley-Smith associates these barbarians with the Pechenegs. The invasion of the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...

which ended with the Battle of Kerlés occurred during the reign of King Solomon of Hungary. Solomon had ascended the throne with German assistance at the age of ten in 1063. His cousins, Géza, Ladislaus and Lampert, tried to dethrone him with Polish assistance, but he made peace with them, granting Géza their father's duchy which included the parts of Hungary to the east of the River

Tisza The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa (see below) is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. It was once called "the most Hungarian river" because it used to flow entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national bo ...

. Duke Géza's main residence was in the fortress of Bihar (now Biharia in Romania).

Battle

The ''

Illuminated Chronicle The ''Chronicon Pictum'' or ''Illuminated Chronicle'' (, , , also referred to as the ''Illustrated Chronicle'', ''Chronica Hungarorum'', ''Chronicon Hungarie Pictum'', ''Chronica Picta'' or ''Chronica de Gestis Hungarorum'') is a medieval illust ...

'' and other 14th- and 15th-century Hungarian chronicles preserve detailed reports of the 1068 invasion of the eastern regions of Hungary. The ''Illuminated Chronicle'' states that the commander of the invaders, Osul, was the retainer of "Gyula, Duke of the Comans".''The Hungarian Illuminated Chronicle'' (ch. 102), p. 118. On the other hand,

Simon of Kéza Simon of Kéza () was the most famous Hungarian chronicler of the 13th century. He was a priest in the royal court of king Ladislaus IV of Hungary. In 1270–1271, bearing the title "master" (''magister''), Simon was part of a diplomatic mission ...

who thought that the battle had occurred during the reign of Solomon's cousin, Ladislausrecorded that the marauders were ''Bessi'', or Pechenegs, arch-enemies of the Hungarians''Simon of Kéza: The Deeds of the Hungarians'' (ch. 2.63), p. 139. in his ''

Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum The ''Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum'Reader's encyclopedia of Eastern European literature'', 1993, Robert B. Pynsent, Sonia I. Kanikova, p. 529. (Latin: "Deeds of the Huns and Hungarians") is a medieval chronicle written mainly by Simon of K� ...

''. The '' Annales Posonienses'' also states that the marauders were Pechenegs, but misdates the battle to 1071. The invasion was misdated to 1059 in a west-Russian chronicle which identified the invaders as Cumans and

(

Romanians Romanians (, ; dated Endonym and exonym, exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group and nation native to Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. Sharing a Culture of Romania, ...

). Modern historians agree that the invaders of 1068 were Pechenegs or Pechenegs and Ouzes; in medieval Hungarian chronicles the ethnonym ''Cuni'' included all nomadic Turkic peoples. Historian István Bóna writes that the reference to "Gyula, Duke of the Comans" in the ''Illuminated Chronicle'' preserved the memory of the Pechenegs' Jula tribe who dwelt to the west of the River

Dniester The Dniester ( ) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Uk ...

. A layer of black soil and other signs of a general destruction by fire, which have been dated to King Solomon's reign, suggest that the fortresses, built of earth and timber, at Doboka, Kolozsvár and Sajósárvár were destroyed in the 1060s. Alexandru Madgearu, István Bóna and other scholars attribute the destruction of the Transylvanian fortresses to the invasion of 1068. The invaders broke into Transylvania through the passes of the

. According to historian Florin Curta, the invasion shows that the province prospered in the 1060s. The Pechenegs crossed the " Gate of Meses" and plundered the Nyírség region, reaching as far as the fortress at Bihar. After plundering much booty, they returned to Transylvania along the valley of the River

Someș The Someș () or Szamos ( or ''Samosch'') is a left tributary of the Tisza in Hungary and Romania. It has a length of (including its source river Someșul Mare), of which 50 km are in Hungary.Borgó Pass (the Tihuța Pass, now in Romania). King Solomon and his cousins, Dukes Géza and Ladislaus, gathered their troops at the fortress of Doboka to give battle to the marauders near the confluence of the Rivers Beszterce and

Sajó The Sajó ( , Hungarian) or Slaná ( Slovak) is a river in Slovakia and Hungary. Its length is 229 km, of which 110 km is in Slovakia. Its source is in the Stolica Mountains range of the Slovak Ore Mountains. It flows through the ...

(now the Bistrița and the Șieu, respectively). A scout from Marosújvár (now Ocna Mureș in Romania) informed the Hungarian army of the movements of the enemy. In an attempt to avoid the battle, the Pechenegs fled to a hill where the Hungarians annihilated them. The hill was named for the Hungarians'

battle cry A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group. Battle cries are not necessarily articulate (e.g. "Eulaliaaaa!", "Alala"..), although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religio ...

'' Kyrie eleis'', according to Bóna. The alternative name of the battle (Battle of Cserhalom) derives from the misspelling of the name by Antonio Bonfini, who wrote of "Cherhelem" instead of "Kyrie eleis".

Legend

The most famous legend of Duke Ladislauswho was

canonized Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of sa ...

as King St Ladislaustook place during the Battle of Kerlés. According to the legend, which incorporates elements of earlier Oriental tales, a "Cuman" warrior tried to escape from the battlefield, taking a beautiful girl from Nagyvárad with him. Duke Ladislaus fought a duel with the "Cuman", and despite being wounded he killed the "pagan". The legend was recorded shortly after Ladislaus's death, because it identified the girl as the daughter of the Bishop of Várad, and Ladislaus's successor, Coloman the Learned, prohibited the marriage of bishops. The legend was depicted on the walls of many churches in the Kingdom of Hungary, especially in the northern and southeastern territories (in present-day Slovakia and Romania).

References

Notes

Sources

Primary sources

*''Constantine Porphyrogenitus: De Administrando Imperio'' (Greek text edited by Gyula Moravcsik, English translation b Romillyi J. H. Jenkins) (1967). Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies. . *''John Skylitzes: A Synopsis of Byzantine History, 811–1057'' (Translated by John Wortley with Introductions by Jean-Claude Cheynet and Bernard Flusin and Notes by Jean-Claude Cheynet) (2010). Cambridge University Press. . *''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. . *''The Hungarian Illuminated Chronicle:'' Chronica de Gestis Hungarorum (Edited by Dezső Dercsényi) (1970). Corvina, Taplinger Publishing. .

Secondary sources

* * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Kerles 1068 in Europe 11th century in Hungary Kerles Conflicts in 1068 Battles involving the Pechenegs