Kreka

Last updated
Kreka
Wife of Attila.jpg
Detail of Attila's wife in Mór Than's The Feast of Attila (1870)
BornUnknown location, possibly Pannonia or Greece
Noble family Attilid (by marriage)
Spouse(s) Attila
Issue
FatherUnknown
MotherUnknown

Kreka or Hereka was the wife of Attila. She was described by Eastern Roman diplomat Priscus in his account of his stay at Attila's court in 448 or 449 AD. She and Attila had three sons: Ellac, Dengizich, and Ernak, who split among themselves what remained of Attila's empire after his death in 453.

Contents

Kreka also appears in Germanic heroic legend under the name of Helche or Herka.

History

Priscus during his stay at Attila's court in 448 or 449 AD wrote "the next day I arrived at the wall of Attila's compound, carrying gifts for his wife... She had borne three children to him, of whom the eldest Ellac was ruling the Akateri and the other nations in the parts of Scythia near the Sea ." [1] He then describes the compound:

"Inside the wall there were very many buildings, some built of wooden timbers carved and fitted together with an eye for style, other made of beams cleaned, scraped to straightness and placed onto logs that formed circles. The circles, starting from the ground, rose up to a height of good proportion. This is where Attila's wife dwelt. I passed the barbarians at the door and found her lying on a soft mattress. The ground was covered with woolen felt pieces for walking on. A number of male servants were gathered round her while female servants sat on the ground opposite her, dyeing some fine linens that were to be placed over the barbarians' clothing as adornment. I approached her and, after a greeting, presented her with the gifts. I then withdrew and walked to the other buildings where Attila was spending his time. I waited for Onegesius to come out since he already set out from his compound and was inside". [1]

At the last days of his mission to Attila, Priscus and Maximinus were "invited by Kreka to dinner at the house of Adames the man who oversaw her affairs. We joined him along with some of the nation's leading men, and there we found cordiality. He greeted us with soothing words and prepared food. Each of those present, with Scythian generosity, arose and gave us each a full cup and then, after embracing and kissing the one who was drinking, received it back. After dinner, we went back to our tent and went to sleep". [2]

Kreka also appears as a character in Germanic heroic legend, where, under the name Helche or Herka, she is the wife of Attila (Etzel/Atli) and a special confidant of the hero Dietrich von Bern in the Middle High German poems Dietrichs Flucht , the Rabenschlacht and the Old Norse Thidrekssaga . She is portrayed as having just died in the Nibelungenlied . In the Eddic poem Guðrúnarkviða III , she appears as Atli's concubine. [3]

Etymology

The name is recorded in various manuscripts of Priscus as κρέκα (κreka), ἡρέκα (hereka), ἡρέκαν (herekan), and ᾽᾽ἠρέκαν᾽᾽ (erekan). [4] [5] Some copyists dropped the ending -v (-n). [4]

On the basis of the later Germanic forms of the name (Herche, Helche, Herkja, and Erka), Otto J. Maenchen-Helfen argues that the forms beginning with eta rather than kappa are original. [4] He argued in favor of Willy Bang Kaup's etymology, by which it derives from Turkic *arï(y)-qan (the pure princess), (cf. Karakalpaks name Aruvkhan (aruv, "pure")). [4]

Pavel Poucha derived Kreka or Hreka from Mongolian appellation gergei (wife), [4] [6] a derivation also supported by Omeljan Pritsak. [7]

It has also been proposed that the name may be Gothic, meaning "Greek woman". [4] [8]

A common Hungarian first name, Réka originates from this name. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huns</span> Extinct nomadic people in Eurasia (4th–6th centuries)

The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part of Scythia at the time; the Huns' arrival to Europe is associated with the migration westward of an Iranian people, the Alans. By 370 AD, the Huns had arrived on the Volga, and by 430, they had established a vast, if short-lived, dominion in Europe, conquering the Goths and many other Germanic peoples living outside of Roman borders and causing many others to flee into Roman territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bleda</span> Chieftain of the Huns (co-rulership)

Bleda was a Hunnic ruler, the brother of Attila the Hun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onegesius</span>

Onegesius was a powerful Hunnic logades (minister) who supposedly held power second only to Attila the Hun. According to Priscus he "seated on a chair to the right of the king" i.e. Attila.

The Hunnic language, or Hunnish, was the language spoken by Huns in the Hunnic Empire, a heterogeneous, multi-ethnic tribal confederation which invaded Eastern and Central Europe, and ruled most of Pannonian Eastern Europe, during the 4th and 5th centuries CE. A variety of languages were spoken within the Hun Empire. A contemporary report by Priscus has that Hunnish was spoken alongside Gothic and the languages of other tribes subjugated by the Huns.

Mundzuk was a Hunnic chieftain, brother of the Hunnic rulers Octar and Rugila, and father of Bleda and Attila by an unknown consort. Jordanes in Getica recounts "For this Attila was the son of Mundzucus, whose brothers were Octar and Ruas, who were supposed to have been kings before Attila, although not altogether of the same [territories] as he".

Attila is a popular masculine name in Central and Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe and Western Asia. Primarily in Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria and Chuvashia. Attila is the most used version in Hungary, however another version of Attila is Atilla and Etele, the female equivalent of which is Etelka. Attila is used as Atilla in Turkish.

Ernak was the last known ruler of the Huns, and the third son of Attila. After Attila's death in 453 AD, his Empire crumbled and its remains were ruled by his three sons, Ellac, Dengizich and Ernak. He succeeded his older brother Ellac in 454 AD, and probably ruled simultaneously over Huns in dual kingship with his brother Dengizich, but in separate divisions in separate lands.

Rugila or Ruga, was a ruler who was a major factor in the Huns' early victories over the Roman Empire. He served as an important forerunner with his brother Octar, with whom he initially ruled in dual kingship, possibly a geographical division where Rugila ruled over Eastern Huns while Octar over Western Huns, during the 5th century AD.

Dengizich, was a Hunnic ruler and son of Attila. After Attila's death in 453 AD, his Empire crumbled and its remains were ruled by his three sons, Ellac, Dengizich and Ernak. He succeeded his older brother Ellac in 454 AD, and probably ruled simultaneously over the Huns in dual kingship with his brother Ernak, but separate divisions in separate lands.

Charaton was one of the first kings of the Huns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uldin</span> Chieftain of the Huns

Uldin, also spelled Huldin is the first ruler of the Huns whose historicity is undisputed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellac</span> King of the Huns (co-rulership)

Ellac was the oldest son of Attila (434–453) and Kreka. After Attila's death in 453 AD, his Empire crumbled and its remains were ruled by his three sons, Ellac, Dengizich and Ernak. He ruled shortly, and died at the Battle of Nedao in 454 AD. Ellac was succeeded by two of the three brothers, Dengizich and Ernak.

Octar or Ouptaros was a Hunnic ruler. He ruled in dual kingship with his brother Rugila, possibly with a geographical division, ruling the Western Huns while his brother ruled the Eastern Huns.

By the name Edeko are considered three contemporaneous historical figures, whom many scholars identify as one:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balamber</span> Hun chieftain

Balamber was ostensibly a chieftain of the Huns, mentioned by Jordanes in his Getica. Jordanes simply called him "king of the Huns" and writes the story of Balamber crushing the tribes of the Ostrogoths in the 370s; somewhere between 370 and more probably 376 AD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laudaricus</span>

Laudaricus was a prominent Hunnic chieftain and general active in the first half of the 5th century.

The history of the Huns spans the time from before their first secure recorded appearance in Europe around 370 AD to after the disintegration of their empire around 469. The Huns likely entered Western Asia shortly before 370 from Central Asia: they first conquered the Goths and the Alans, pushing a number of tribes to seek refuge within the Roman Empire. In the following years, the Huns conquered most of the Germanic and Scythian tribes outside of the borders of the Roman Empire. They also launched invasions of both the Asian provinces of Rome and the Sasanian Empire in 375. Under Uldin, the first Hunnic ruler named in contemporary sources, the Huns launched a first unsuccessful large-scale raid into the Eastern Roman Empire in Europe in 408. From the 420s, the Huns were led by the brothers Octar and Ruga, who both cooperated with and threatened the Romans. Upon Ruga's death in 435, his nephews Bleda and Attila became the new rulers of the Huns, and launched a successful raid into the Eastern Roman Empire before making peace and securing an annual tribute and trading raids under the Treaty of Margus. Attila appears to have killed his brother and became sole ruler of the Huns in 445. He would go on to rule for the next eight years, launching a devastating raid on the Eastern Roman Empire in 447, followed by an invasion of Gaul in 451. Attila is traditionally held to have been defeated in Gaul at the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields, however some scholars hold the battle to have been a draw or Hunnic victory. The following year, the Huns invaded Italy and encountered no serious resistance before turning back.

Basich or Basikh was a Hun military commander who co-led an invasion of Persia in 395 AD together with Kursich.

Adamis was a Hun manager and steward. He was mentioned by Priscus in his 448/449 account of the Hunnish court.

Eskam was Hun living in 5th-century Pannonia, then under the Hunnic Empire. He was possibly a shaman. His daughter was one of the numerous wives of Attila the Hun.

References

  1. 1 2 Given 2015, p. 67.
  2. ↑ Given 2015, p. 77.
  3. ↑ Gillespie 1973, pp. 66–67.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Maenchen-Helfen 1973, p. 408.
  5. ↑ Pritsak 1982, p. 457.
  6. ↑ Pritsak 1982, p. 458.
  7. ↑ Pritsak 1982, pp. 458–459.
  8. ↑ Gillespie 1973, p. 67.
  9. ↑ János Ladó – Ágnes Bíró: Magyar utónévkönyv. Budapest: Vince. 2005. ISBN   9639069728

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.