Emese
Encyclopedia
Emese is a feminine Hungarian name. The name originates from an ancient Uralic
word eme, meaning mother; it is a commonly-used girls' name in Hungary today. In Hungarian historical mythology, Emese, daughter of Prince Önedbelia of Dentümoger, was the mother of High Prince Álmos
and thus the ancestress of the Árpád dynasty
, the dynasty which founded the Hungarian Kingdom. Due to a lack of reliable source material, it is difficult to separate the legends concerning Emese from her actual role as a historical person.
, is one of the earliest known tales from Hungarian history. The legend can be tentatively dated to around 860-870, and with certainty to between 820 and 997 (the birth of Álmos and the acceptance of Christianity).
In the legend, Emese, the wife of Chief Ögyek (Ügek)
, was impregnated by a turul
bird. The turul appeared to her in a dream and told her that from her womb a great river would begin, and flow out over strange lands. According to dream interpreters, this meant that she would give birth to a son who would lead his people out of their home in Levedia, and that her descendants would be glorious kings. Emese's son was named Álmos; his name derives from the Hungarian word álom, meaning dream, thus "Álmos" can be interpreted as "the Dreamt One".
The legend has several variants, namely regarding whether Emese was impregnated by the turul bird or whether she was already pregnant at the time of her dream, and whether the bird appeared to her literally or in a dream while she was asleep. Some variations of the legend may have been introduced in the 19th century during the reemergence of Hungarian nationalism at that time.
and the Chronicon Pictum
. Neither are contemporary sources, as both were written several centuries after her death (the Gesta around 1200 and the Chronicon Pictum in the 14th century). Both works freely intermingle actual historical events with legend and chivalric tales, so it is impossible to know if Emese is mentioned as legend or as an actual historical personage.
In the Gesta Hungarorum ("The Deeds of the Hungarians"), the author Anonymous writes the following;
In the original Latin:
And in English:
Emese's story is also mentioned in the Chronicon Pictum, in a somewhat shorter version;
In the original Latin:
And in English:
Uralic languages
The Uralic languages constitute a language family of some three dozen languages spoken by approximately 25 million people. The healthiest Uralic languages in terms of the number of native speakers are Hungarian, Finnish, Estonian, Mari and Udmurt...
word eme, meaning mother; it is a commonly-used girls' name in Hungary today. In Hungarian historical mythology, Emese, daughter of Prince Önedbelia of Dentümoger, was the mother of High Prince Álmos
High Prince Álmos
Álmos , the first Grand Prince of the Magyars . The Gesta Hungarorum records that his father was Ügyek, while the Chronicon Pictum mentions his father as Előd ; his mother was Emese.-Birth:The medieval chronicle recounts the story of his...
and thus the ancestress of the Árpád dynasty
Árpád dynasty
The Árpáds or Arpads was the ruling dynasty of the federation of the Hungarian tribes and of the Kingdom of Hungary . The dynasty was named after Grand Prince Árpád who was the head of the tribal federation when the Magyars occupied the Carpathian Basin, circa 895...
, the dynasty which founded the Hungarian Kingdom. Due to a lack of reliable source material, it is difficult to separate the legends concerning Emese from her actual role as a historical person.
Emese in legend
Emese's Dream, the legend concerning the conception of Prince ÁlmosHigh Prince Álmos
Álmos , the first Grand Prince of the Magyars . The Gesta Hungarorum records that his father was Ügyek, while the Chronicon Pictum mentions his father as Előd ; his mother was Emese.-Birth:The medieval chronicle recounts the story of his...
, is one of the earliest known tales from Hungarian history. The legend can be tentatively dated to around 860-870, and with certainty to between 820 and 997 (the birth of Álmos and the acceptance of Christianity).
In the legend, Emese, the wife of Chief Ögyek (Ügek)
Ügyek
Ügyek , also known as Ugek, was the legendary father of Álmos, the first High Prince of the Magyars...
, was impregnated by a turul
Turul
The Turul is the most important bird in the origin myth of the Magyars .It is a divine messenger, and perches on top of the tree of life along with the other spirits of unborn children in the form of birds...
bird. The turul appeared to her in a dream and told her that from her womb a great river would begin, and flow out over strange lands. According to dream interpreters, this meant that she would give birth to a son who would lead his people out of their home in Levedia, and that her descendants would be glorious kings. Emese's son was named Álmos; his name derives from the Hungarian word álom, meaning dream, thus "Álmos" can be interpreted as "the Dreamt One".
The legend has several variants, namely regarding whether Emese was impregnated by the turul bird or whether she was already pregnant at the time of her dream, and whether the bird appeared to her literally or in a dream while she was asleep. Some variations of the legend may have been introduced in the 19th century during the reemergence of Hungarian nationalism at that time.
Emese in written sources
Emese is mentioned in two historical works: the Gesta HungarorumGesta Hungarorum
Gesta Hungarorum is a record of early Hungarian history by an unknown author who describes himself as Anonymi Bele Regis Notarii , but is generally cited as Anonymus...
and the Chronicon Pictum
Chronicon Pictum
The Chronicon Pictum Pictum, Chronica Picta or Chronica de Gestis Hungarorum) is a medieval illustrated chronicle from the Kingdom of Hungary from the fourteenth century...
. Neither are contemporary sources, as both were written several centuries after her death (the Gesta around 1200 and the Chronicon Pictum in the 14th century). Both works freely intermingle actual historical events with legend and chivalric tales, so it is impossible to know if Emese is mentioned as legend or as an actual historical personage.
In the Gesta Hungarorum ("The Deeds of the Hungarians"), the author Anonymous writes the following;
In the original Latin:
- Anno dominice incarnationis, D. CCC. XVII II, vgek, sicut supra diximus, longo post tempore de genere magog regis erat quidam nobilissimus dux scithie, qui duxit sibi uxorem in dentumoger filiam eunedubeliani ducis, nomine emesu. De qua genuit filium, qui agnominatus est almus. Sed ab euentu diuino est nominatus almus, quia matri eius pregnanti per sompnium apparuit diuina uisio in forma asturis, que quasi ueniens eam grauidauit. Et innotuit ei quod de utero eius egrederetur torrens, et de lumbis eius reges gloriosi propagarentur, sed non in sua multiplicarentur terra.
And in English:
- In the year of the Lord 819 Ügek, noble Lord of Scythia descending from the great house of Magog, took in marriage the daughter of Eunedubelia of Dentumoger, Emesu. From her a son was born and given the name Almus. The child was given this divine name for when his mother was pregnant with him there appeared to her a in a dream a bird, and instantly it seemed to her that from her womb a spring began and from her loins spread a great line of kings but they did not propagate in their own lands.
Emese's story is also mentioned in the Chronicon Pictum, in a somewhat shorter version;
In the original Latin:
- Eleud filius Vgeg ex filia Eunodbilia in Scytia genuit filium, qui nominatur Almus ab eventu, quia mater eius in sompno innotuerat avis quasi in forma austuris veniens, dum esset gravida, et quod de utero eius egrederentur torrens ac in terra non sua multiplicaretur. Ideoque factum fuit, quod de lumbis eius gloriosi reges propagarentur. Quia vero sompnium in lingua nostra dicitur alm, et illius ortus per sompnium fuit prenosticatus, ideo ipse vocatus est Almus qui fuit Eleud, qui fuit Vgeg, qui fuit Ed, qui fuit Chaba, qui fuit Ethele […]
And in English:
- Eleud, the son of Ugek by the daughter of Eunodbilia in ScythiaScythiaIn antiquity, Scythian or Scyths were terms used by the Greeks to refer to certain Iranian groups of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists who dwelt on the Pontic-Caspian steppe...
had a son, who was named Almus because in a dream of his mother there appeared a bird in the shape of a hawk who impregnated her, and from her womb a fast-flowing stream began to flow, but it was in foreign lands that it grew and propagated. So it happened that from her loins a great line of kings was born.
Notable persons named Emese
- Emese BélaEmese BélaEmese Béla is a retired Hungarian high jumper. Her personal best jump was 1.93 metres, achieved in August 1982 in Debrecen. She became Hungarian champion in 1981 and 1983.-Achievements:-References:...
, Hungarian high jumper - Emese DanksEmese DanksEmese Danks is a Hungarian politician who served as spokeswoman of the Hungarian government from 1 August 2006 to 5 March 2007. She was the spokeswoman of the Tesco-Global Áruházak Zrt. between 2002 and 2006.-References:*...
, Hungarian politician, government spokesperson - Emese HunyadyEmese HunyadyEmese Hunyady is a former speed skater.At age 10, Hunyady participated at the 1977 Hungarian Sprint Championships for Juniors, finishing sixth. Representing Hungary, she had her first international competition in 1979 and in the following years, although still a junior, she entered several senior...
, Hungarian speed skater - Emese KovácsEmese KovácsEmese Kovács is a Hungarian swimmer from Baja.-References:...
, Hungarian swimmer - Emese SzászEmese SzászEmese Szász is a Hungarian épée fencer.Szász won the bronze medal at the épée 2006 World Fencing Championships after she lost 15-10 to Irina Embrich in the semi final.-Achievements:* 2010 World Fencing Championships, épée...
, Hungarian Olympic fencer