Magyar one
26 Apr 2011
Language / Poland in different languages? [74]
This is an interesting thread. However, I beleive I can bring this discussion to an informed conclusion.
The term "besermyans" is probably a corruption of the Hungarian word "Besenyo" which means Pechenegs or in Russian/Polish PATZINAKS.
These people were not Finno -Ugric but were Kipchak Turkic speakers who lived to the east of the Magyars (Hungarians) before the Hungarians entered the Danubian Plain which eventually became Hungary. These Pechenegs were a constant source of conflict with the Hungarians and their raid and depredations led the Magyars to continue to move westward in the 8-10th century. They settled to the east of the Magyars and maintained a tribal confedracy. At times their soldiers served as mercenaries for Kiev, the Byzantine empire, the Bulgarian state and at times warred against each of these powers. Their power, which was formidable was broken decisively by the Byzantines, Cumans and Magyars at the battle of Levounion (?) sometimes in the 10 th century. They suffered a series of military reversals and were finally literally exterminated as a people about 75 years later again by the Byzantines, Cumans and Hungarians. At about the time of their initial decline some Pechengs adopted Islam and tried to force that faith on the pagan Pechenegs, which lead to a civil war and further weakened them.
At the very last, large numbers of Pecheneg refugees were allowed to serve as border guards for the nascent Hungarian kingdom and they were assimilated into the Hungarian people. Today there are still Turkic place names in Hungary and there are many people with the last name Besenye denoting a Pecheneg antecedent.
This is an interesting thread. However, I beleive I can bring this discussion to an informed conclusion.
The term "besermyans" is probably a corruption of the Hungarian word "Besenyo" which means Pechenegs or in Russian/Polish PATZINAKS.
These people were not Finno -Ugric but were Kipchak Turkic speakers who lived to the east of the Magyars (Hungarians) before the Hungarians entered the Danubian Plain which eventually became Hungary. These Pechenegs were a constant source of conflict with the Hungarians and their raid and depredations led the Magyars to continue to move westward in the 8-10th century. They settled to the east of the Magyars and maintained a tribal confedracy. At times their soldiers served as mercenaries for Kiev, the Byzantine empire, the Bulgarian state and at times warred against each of these powers. Their power, which was formidable was broken decisively by the Byzantines, Cumans and Magyars at the battle of Levounion (?) sometimes in the 10 th century. They suffered a series of military reversals and were finally literally exterminated as a people about 75 years later again by the Byzantines, Cumans and Hungarians. At about the time of their initial decline some Pechengs adopted Islam and tried to force that faith on the pagan Pechenegs, which lead to a civil war and further weakened them.
At the very last, large numbers of Pecheneg refugees were allowed to serve as border guards for the nascent Hungarian kingdom and they were assimilated into the Hungarian people. Today there are still Turkic place names in Hungary and there are many people with the last name Besenye denoting a Pecheneg antecedent.