Four Inscriptions from Medieval Bulgaria

 In recent descriptions of Danube-Bulgar language was pointed out that what survived  from it was a "lexicon", a merely list of words(1). In fact, two major monuments of this language, Nominalia of Bulgarian princes and Preslav inscription does not possess any grammatical futures(2). What does this mean? Language have two main properties, vocabulary and grammar. Without grammar a language must be considered dead. When did this happened? Preslav inscription cannot be dated precisely, but Nominalia of Bulgarian princes might have been created shortly after 766 when was 40 days rule of Khan Umor. Did then Slavic(3) completely replaced Danube-Bulgar by that time? In this article will be presented and analysed four inscriptions from Early Medieval Bulgaria that give answer to this question. All of them come from same area: three of them was found in Silistra and the fourth in vicinity of nearby village Garvan. 

    First three inscriptions, found in Silistra, are written on small limestone blocks. In 1913 they have been moved to archaeological museum of Ruse. According to Veselin Beshevliev those blocks look complete and probably, although short, inscriptions on them have to be  regarded entirely preserved. (Beshevliev, V. 1979, p. 239) He also excepts the possibility that inscriptions are written in Bulgar language. His reasoning comes from two observations. Firstly, almost non of the words can be read in Greek(1). Secondly, Beshevliev found two words that can be interpreted as Bulgar. "Ζερα"(ins.2) is a part of known Bulgar composite title: ζερα ταρκανος (4), and υτζι (ins. 2) which can be read üč (three). 

Inscription 1, Silistra, (Beshevliev, V. 1979, p.239)

Inscription 2, Silistra, (Beshevliev, V. 1979, p.239)

Inscription 3, Silistra, (Beshevliev, V. 1979, p.239)

      Next to examine these inscriptions was Petar Dobrev (Dobrev, P. 1992). His hypothesis is based on the assumption that the language of the inscriptions was Eastern Iranian, akin to several Pamirian languages. According to Dobrev these were funeral inscriptions and started with the name of the deceased. He also noticed that the names had attached a suffix -ι. His readings are as follow: Ins. 1 "Of Osh honour the urn"., Ins. 2 "Of Anza the messenger here down the dust is"., and Ins. 3 "Of Zenta the dust is". Although, it is difficult to follow his translations, as he never added reference of his sources, some of his insights might endure the test of the time. Unfortunately, he attempted to translate in the same way another inscription  found in Pliska, that contains virtually the same sequence of signs as Ins. 1: "ΟΧΣΙ"(6).

Inscription found at Pliska, (Georgiev, P. 2007, t. XIII)

      It turned out that this inscription was a Greek language cryptogram deciphered in 1939 by the Russian scientist A. Vichnyakova. When this fact was rediscovered in Bulgaria, new improved translation was made (Georgiev, P. 2007) and was concluded that other undeciphered inscriptions, including these three being discussed here, might be cryptograms as well(Georgiev, P. 2007, p. 128, Rashev, R. 2008). In fact, as Pavel Georgiev admitted, the inscriptions under question doesn't give readable text after converted through Vishnyakova's key table.

Greek cryptographic table, (Georgiev, P. 2007)

      Meanwhile, new readings of runiform inscriptions brought to light new language material that fits with inscriptions from Silistra. On the Rosette of Pliska, where names of seven gods of Bulgarian pagan pantheon are written, was found hitherto unknown name of deity:  (Ošъ) (Ovcharov, N. 2016 B).

Rosette of Pliska

      Ins. 1 have the same  on first line, ΟΧΣΙ (оši), here with added suffix -ι. The search, in sources about religion of 10th century Bulgaria, for a possible pagan God's name starting with /oš/ (Оšъ)(5), doesn't give any result. In this case is relevant to search Caucasus regions where Bulgar tribes used to live. Here two religious terms resemble Оšъ. First one, "Ash" is included in the name Ash Totur, master of wolfs in pre-Islamic  Balkar and Karachay religion, whose prototype is Christian saint Theodore of Tyre (Dzhurtubaev, M. 1991). Idiom "Ash" comes from Ossetian “Uac-”, apellative for "Saint" as in Uacilla (St. Elias) and Uaskergi, Uashgergi (St. George) (Gershevitch, I. 1955 p. 478). According to V. Abaev, Uac- can be connected with Chorezmian Waxsh, "Saint", Pehlevi Vaxshvar, "Prophet", and Sogdian waxshik, "divine", and it must have been a pre-Christian religious term (Abaev, V. 1989 p.26-27). Second similar to Оšъ divine name, Aspandiat, Caucasian Hun's God is mentioned by Movses Kaghankatvatsi (Dasxuranc'i) in his work "The History of the Country of Albania": "Using horses as burnt offerings they worship some gigantic savage monster whom they invoke as the god T'angri Xan, called Aspandiat by the Persians" (Dasxuranc'i, M. 1961 p.159) According to H. Hübschmann, Aspandiat comes from Avestan spenta "holly" (Hübschmann, H. 1897). Others see in its root Middle Persian and Avestan aspa "horse" (Novoseltsev, A. 1990). Another passage from the same source also suggest that Aspandiat was worshipped with horse sacrifices: "From among the tall, leafy oak-trees which were dedicated to the abominable Aspandiat and to which they sacrificed horses, pouring their blood over the trees and throwing their heads and skins over the branches." (Dasxuranc'i, M. 1961 p.161). Indirect evidence that "Horse" rituals can be connected with Old-Bulgarian paganism is found on pages of Oxford Manuscript. On one of its pages were drawn an interesting horse scene underlined by a "runiform" inscription:

Oxford, Bodleian Library, Roe 27

Also, among the marginal notes of the Oxford Manuscript, several times, is mentioned St. Theodore's Day known in Bulgaria as Horse Easter. After Christianisation, on that day was tradition to take special  care of horses and its culmination were horse races. Another reason to connect Old Bulgarian Оšъ with Dagestani Aspandiat is the fact that they both are accompanied by a Solar Gods, beаring similar Iranian names: Old Bulgarian Hars and Caucasian-Huns Kuar.  Now, God Hars, which name also had been casted on Rosette of Pliska (Ovcharov, N. 2016) have Iranian origin: Middle Iranian xvaršêt, and Persian xuršēt‎ "shining Sun" as well as Ossetian hur. "Sun" (Fasmer, М. 2004). This synchronises perfectly with the etymology(6) of God Kuar mentioned by Movses  Kaghankatvatsi: "If flashes of thundering fiery lightning and ethereal fire struck a man or some material object, they considered him or it to be some sort of sacrifice to a god K'uar"(Dasxuranc'i, M. 1961 p.159). By the way, Hars has been considered master of the thunder as well: "There is two angels of the thunder, Hellenic old man Perun and Hurs, the Jew" (Kaloyanov, A. 2004).

     In addition, to this is a short inscription incised on funerary urn found near village of Garvan. It contains a mixed Cyrillic/Runiform text, that also synchronises with the inscriptions from Silistra. Garvan inscription was discovered in grave 9 of the cemetery Garvan 1. Grave goods consisted of a iron knife, a bronze button, a bronze earring, and a part of spindle whorl. The cemetery is believed to contain two phases of use: 6-7th century, and 8-10th century. However, the use of Cyrillic letters in the inscription sets it,  after 883, when Cyrillic alphabet was invented. 

     

      

Garvan inscription, (Vazharova, Z. 1976, p.16)

Inscription was examined by Ivan Ivanov. He identified Bulgar word БIЛIГ (sign) (Sevortyan, E. 1978, p. 108) on it and correctly compared the inscription with an early Cyrillic funerary inscription from Pliska.

Cyrillic inscription from Pliska

The word БIЛIГ stays in the middle of the first row of the inscription. It thus makes it easy to separate other words. Before БIЛIГ there is four signs: KЪГI, which makes a phrase: KЪГI БIЛIГ. This might be similar in meaning and grammar with funerary inscription from Pliska: ПОКАЗУВЪ КРИЧАГѦ (Pokaz's pot). Here suffix -УВЪ sets the relationship between words Pokaz and pot. In the same way in the Garvan inscription name is depicted with KЪ(8) and ГI is a suffix probably denoting declension. The second part of first row
decodes as follow:  (8)(Isusi ariкh) "Holy Jesus"(Ovcharov, N. 2016 B). Here the logograph IYI is actually supplied with its reading. The second row contains 4 signs: . It is possible that the first of them is an alograph of well known logograph:  (Ovcharov, N. 2016 A). It comes right after IYI in the famous Byala inscription.

 

Byala inscription

      The other three signs might denote its pronunciation: ЧIT (čit). The word with same pronunciation is found also at second raw of Ins.1: τζιτ. Such a pronunciation resemble Old Bulgarian word чтить (to honour, revere). In both occasions word order is OV, as both objects Oši and Isusi have the same suffix -i, denoting a declension. The other two rows of Ins. 1 also contain interesting words: Ma and Gils. Ma sounds as the name of Central Asian earth-mother goddess May (Toleubaev, A. 1991, p. 43), and "gil", according to several dictionaries of Iranian languages means "clay", "earth"(Tsabolov, R. 2001, p. 384). 

     In conclusion, this study creates more questions than gives answers. It might be even too wild of a stretch into unknown. It is very possible that future will prove some of those observations wrong. Nevertheless, world of Danube-Bulgar inscriptions has been for too long no mans land. That's why any progress in reclaiming it is a huge step toward understanding the culture of Medieval Bulgarians. 

Notes:

    

   1). See Rashev, R. 2008, p. 237 and following pages. Also see Tafradziyska, T. 1982,

   2). Preslav inscription is a list of weapons, but in another damaged list of weapons, found near village of Czar  Krum, word κυπε have attached, according to Venedikov, possessive suffix -σε. 
    3).In sources from 10th century this language is called "словѣньск". 
    4). According to Beshevliev, combination ΑΞΟΕ can be regarded as ἃξο(νες) ἐ.

    5). Bulgar title ζερα ταρκανος is used in inscription №60 (by Beshevliev).
    6). Actually, as P. Georgiev points out the third letter here is rear form of ξ and then the sequence of signs is not the same: ΟΧΞΙ
    7). Henning suggested Pahlevi "hwar".(Dasxuranc'i, M. 1961, p. 156)
    8). For writing names with 2 signs see "Spelling Names with "Runiform" Signs in Medieval Bulgaria", (Ovcharov, N. 2018).
    9). Here the sign X is suggested by crossing other two signs.  In same way the word "ari(kh)" was written in other inscription, this time from Great Basilica.(Ovcharov, N. 2016). For the meaning of  "ari(kh)": Sevortyan, E. 1978, p. 184. 

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