A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 47. (Nyíregyháza, 2005)

Régészet - János Makkay: The Miracle Stag in Ancient Greek mythical stories and their Indo-Iranian counterparts

Makkay János As a matter of fact, the Hunnic Heritage and the Attila Belief served as the basis for the national identity of the Mediaeval Hungarians, led by the ruling class of Arpádian (Turkic, or if somebody wants, Hunnic) origin. This Hunnic tradition originally was the tribal memory of the Árpádians as a people of Turkic origin, but during the four centuries of their rule (i.e. between 896 and 1301) it became the common belief of the Hungarians. Similarly, nobody wants to dispute and deny, that fully gallicized Norman Conquerors had become English kings. It is also quite sure, that the cultic role of the drinking horn or tuba (a metal, glass or horn tube) also belongs to similar, traditional, 'Hunnic' lines. This belief was in general currency during the whole Arpádian Age, and enjoyed special popularity. The sacral role of the horn (sometimes as a drinking horn) was mentioned by the Illuminated Chronicle, telling the famous story about Árpád, the founder of the Arpádian dynasty (SRH. I. 288.), and, at the same time, historic sources testify to the emblematic use of drinking horns (as a power symbol) by both Saint Stephen and Saint Ladislas, kings of Hungary in the 11

,h Century (MAKKAY 2004A. 22-25.). Curiously enough, their silver drinking horns have their exact parallels only in finds found in Early and Late Avari an princely tombs, dating from the one and half centuries between the burial of Khagan Kuvrat (around 660 AD) and the Late Avarian Period (MAKKAY 2004A. 23-24., with further literature). The Avarian periods between 567 and 803 represent the rule of Hunnic ([a]var-chunny = early Avarians) and Onogur-Hunnic leading tribes in the Carpathian Basin, as mentioned above. The same can be said - I am quite sure - about the organic survival of the belief in, and the story of, the Miracle Stag during the 9-14. Centuries. Both St. Stephen and St. Ladislas were connected with mythic stories, when they were led to several places by a miracle stag (or hind?), and Ladislas decided to erect Christian churches on such places. Some written sources, discovered relatively late (and published in the fifties of the last century), disclosed new informations on such foundations of both St. Stephen and St. Ladislas (MEZEY 1975.).

7 St. Stephen founded an archipresbitery in the southern part of modern Budapest (insula Chuth = insula Háros), and it was dedicated to St. Eustach, patron saint of hunters. The logical conclusion of L. Mezey was, that King Stephen decided to dedicate this church to St. Eustach, because he had been influenced by the myth of origin of his own - Arpádian - family. 20

,h Century comparisons and interpretations It is easy to understand, why Hungarian historians, linguists and archaeologists, first of all J. Berze Nagy and Gy. Moravcsik (MORAVCSIK 191^. BERZE NAGY 1927. I

—II.)» an

d also C. Pschmadt (PSCHMADT 1911.), studied every possible questions of the Miracle Stag, going into the smallest details of Greek, Byzantine and Latin sources, especially of Pindar (Pindaros: 01.111:5, and Scholiast on Find. Ol. 111:46.b.) and Apollodorus (Apollodorus: Bibl. II.v.3., FRAZIIR 1954:11. 191., Cf. Hyginus 205.). The original version of the story was probably kept by Pindar, a hero pursues a hind (the Goddess Artemis) across rivers and the sea, and finally they fall in love on the Island of the Blessed. These scholars thoroughly studied every details, with one single and curious exception. This exception shall be the main topic of this paper. Pschmadt also investigated the description of a hind wearing golden antlers, which, of course, is against nature. By Apollodorus, the hind is described as // Kepuvizig éXaxpoq, and the word Kspovfrig would go back an original Kepovhig which, according to Pschmadt, would reflect a Grecisized variant 7 For more details, see the Hungarian variant of this paper (MAKKAY 2005B.). 10