Runiform Inscriptions from Madara

     The Miraculous Hunt

    The Bulgarian village of Tsarevets is situated on the left bank of river Iskar, not far from the small regional centre Mezdra. Between the village and the river, nature dug several small caves. It is hard to say when, but it's very probable that already in antiquity people considered the place holly and used it for spiritual practices. The cave complex was discovered in 1962, but for some time was appreciated mostly for Cyrillic inscriptions found there. Its value though comes from hundreds of rock picture and Bulgar Runiform inscriptions carved there. This work presents one of the panels incised on the soft limestone, named as the title suggests "The Magic hunt".

    The panel is carved in a cave called by locals "Biyarnitzata". The name come, not surprisingly, from the Bulgar word "bij" (god, master) and its meaning can be roughly translated as "The place where gods were worshipped". "The Magic hunt" is part of a densely incised wall and it is hard to decide its borders. However, it becomes clear from first sight that the four animal and the cross in the middle are essential for its meaning. 

Figure 1, Panel "The Magic hunt"

After close observation, it becomes clear that two of the animals are horses and they are ridden by two symbolic graphs  . Fortunately, a similar scene is known from Oxford Codex (Roe 27) (Fig. 3). The human figures there are also two symbolic graphs , but they are more easily recognisable. As the meaning of the hieroglyph    is "god, master", it becomes clear that the two hunters are not just ordinary mortals and the scene is part of well known Bulgar myth. In 1952, historian Peter Juhas published a folk story recorded by Elena Ognyanova in the village of Petarch, Sofia district. The legend tells about twin boys, Igril and Bagril, who fell in love with the same girl.

Figure 2, Hunting scene from Oxford Codex (Roe 27).

The dispute over the girl brought them to a stag, who they try to shoot. The stag runs into an unknown mere. The brothers follow the animal to the other shore where they discover an unknown village in the middle of which local girls dance. The dance is led by a wonderful beauty in which both brothers fell in love. Eventually, they took the decision one of them to stay in the new place and the other to return to their native village. According to Peter Juhas, the story is an echo from the legend told by Greek and Latin historians of the stag who had shown Huns the way to Europe through Cimmerian Bosporus.

Figure 4, Panel "The Miraculous Hunt", Biyarnitsa cave, the village of Tsarevets.

    However, the story of the stag hunt survived in Bulgarian folk ballads has a slightly different plot. Here the hunter is usually one. His name is, in most of the cases, Dobar Yunak, but names Dobro Yunak, Rabro Yunak and  Dan Voyvoda are used as well. In one of the variants of the ballade, the goal of the hunt are the stag's golden antlers, in the second its meat and in the third, his death brings fertility to the whole country. The magic quality of the stag is specifically underlined:

                    сур еленка не йе съма                                           white stag is not alone

                    на чело й ясното слънце                                       the bright Sun is on its forehead 

                    по гърди й ясния месец                                        the bright Moon on its chest

                    по снага й дребните звезди                                  little stars on its body

And as is sung in the ballade, the body of the stag from the Oxford Codex is covered with little dots, which in this case represent the cup marks, which usually are carved on stone. 

    Interestingly in almost all of the variants of the ballade, the hunter is one and only one song have the same plot as the panel "The Miraculous Hunt". In it the hunters are two twin-brothers: 

             Цар Костадин войска бере                      Tsar Kostadin gathers army

             Войска бере млади момци,                     Army, young lads

             Млади момци кривошапци,                     Young lads, with crooked hats

             Па ги праща Цар Костадин                     Send them Tsar Kostadin

             По чаири, по ливади,                               To fields, to meadows

             Да му ловят дребна лова,                       To hunt small game,

                                   ...                                                         ...

             Де го чули двата брата,                            And heard him two brothers,

             Двата брата, двата близнака,                  Two brothers, two twins,

             Фля‘нали са в яхърето,                             They went into stables 

             Изведоха хран‘ни коне                              and brought out fed horses

                                     ...                                                        ...

             Не са нашле дребна лова,                       They didn't find small game

             Най са нашле два елена,                         They found two stags,

             Два елена с златни роги:                          Two stags with golden antlers:

             На чело им месечина,                               On their forehead the Moon,

             На плешки им дребни звезди.                  On their shoуlders , small stars

              Двата братя, два близнака                      Two brothers, two twins

             Откачиха лък и стрела                              unchooked a bow and an arrow

             Да се стреля два елена.                            to shoot two dee

             Два елена отговарят:                                 Two deer respond:

            -Ой ви вазе двата брата,                             - Oh, you two brothers,

             Двата брата, два близнака!                        Two brothers, two twins!        

             Не трудете хран'ни коне,                            Don't work on horses,

             По ливади по чаири,                                   On fields on meadows,

             Не губете лък и стрела!                              Don't lose a bow and arrow!

             Ние не сме дребна лова,                            We are not petty game,

             Я най сме до два елена,                             We are two dear,

             до два елена, до два светца.                     Two dear, two saints.

                    

                  

    The miraculous nature of the deer is clarified in the above song: they are saints who have reincarnated into deer. The same is the case with the deer from "The Miraculous hunt" panel. A ligature is written through the antlers of the deer standing on the right. This makes it certain that the deer is a pagan deity. The ligature can be interpreted as follows: (Fig. 5). 

Figure 5, Inscription Tsarevets 1b.

The presence of the verb "čit" (pray, worship) at the bottom of the ligature suggests that it is a religious formula, the praise of a supernatural being. The key to understanding the ligature is the grapheme . According to our research, it is used to convey the hieroglyph "Osh" (goddess Osh) and the sound š (sh). Here perhaps the possibility of the grapheme  which is being interpreted as "Osh"  

 

Figure 6, Inscription M 22, Murfatlar.

should be ruled out. Another possibility offers us the name of Shom Ata known from the Murfatlar inscriptions (Fig. 6). Moreover, the grapheme can be interpreted as "ata". Although found in a number of inscriptions, the meaning of the hieroglyph is unknown. It is plausible to assume that its semantics

 

 

Figure 7, Ligature from a cave near village of Karlukovo.

 

is closely connected with one of the characteristics of Shom Ata. In this case, the inscription should be transmitted linearly as follows: "Ari Shom Ata Ari (?) Cheat" (honour Saint Shom Ata, the saint,?). Our information about Shom Ata so far has been based only on the Murfatlar inscriptions. In the inscription M 22 from Murfatlar the name Shom Ata is written phonetically which allows us to return this Bulgar deity to our historical memory. 

    Also, the inscription M 22 is accompanied by a ligature of the name Shom Ata. This helps us to identify a ligature found in the caves near the village of Karlukovo. In addition to the letters forming the name Shom Ata, the grapheme has been added. Thus the ligature reads:  "Ari Shom Ata" (Saint Shom Ata) (Inscription Karlukovo 1, Fig. 7). 

Figure 8, Inscription Karlukovo 1.

     Shom Ata, depicted as a deer, was also carved on a wall in front of the B4 church in Murfatlar. (Fig. 8). Its antler symbolises a very short inscription: (worship Shom) (Inscription Murfatlar 82 - Fig. 10). Now it can be concluded with quite certainty that the miraculous deer from the scene with the two hunters is an incarnated supernatural being.

Figure 9, Inscription Murfatlar 82, wall in front of church B4, Murfatlar, Romania.

 

    However, the panel "The Miraculous Hunt" includes many more elements compared with what we find in Bulgarian folklore. The story presented by the panel is complex and mysterious. The four animals are surrounded by images of dragons, cup marks and inscriptions. Above the hunting scene

Figure 10, Upper part of the "Wonderful Hunt" panel, Biyarnitsa Cave, Tsarevets village.

are incised dozens of graphemes woven into a long and intricate inscription (Inscription Tsarevets 1c, Fig. 10). To the left of the main part of the inscription is cut a ligature isolated from the main part of the inscription, which consists of the following graphemes: (Inscription C 1d).

    The main part of the inscription though is away from the isolated ligature. It can be traced partially. Not all of the graphemes are clear, nor the order in which they should be read. On the upper left part can be isolated a groop of hierogliphs . An isolated grapheme is inscribed on their right . It is followed by a ligature build up of six graphemes: . Next is the ligature: . Two separate hieroglyphs are incised on its right: , two ligatures: 1- , 2-  and a grapheme: . Under all this, ten ligatures are interwoven one in other: 1-, 2- , 3-, 4-, 5- , 6- , 7-, 8- , 9-  , 10-  . 

Figure 11, Inscription Tsarevets 1h

    In front of the lower standing Under the inscription Tsarevets 1c, a short inscription is cut into the surface of the wall. It is composed vertically and continues down over the body of the deer: (Inscription 1d). There is another short inscription to the right of this inscription, in front of the deer: (Inscription Tsarevets 1е). Inscription Tsarevets 1f is incised in front of the lower der: . A ligature composed of 5 graphemes with the possible meaning "sun" is situated on its right side. Then follow the group: (Inscription Tsarevets 1g). A symbolic figure of a deer is depicted under the ligature, most likely connected semantically with it.

    

    An interesting part of this panel is the cup marks, which form three large groups and many single incisions (Fig. 12, in red). The practice of carving cup marks on stone surfaces has an extremely long life: from the Paleolithic to the late Middle Ages. They are known from all habitated corners of the globe. Sinse their semantics is obscure, several different hypotheses of their purpose have been expressed.

Figure 12, The Wonderful Hunt. Cup-shaped signs.

According to one of the hypotheses, cup marks had sacrificial purpose. This interpretation is supported by their use in historical times. For example, the locals in Estonia placed in the oval carvings seeds, milk, meat and blood until the beginning of the 20th century. Also, sacrificial stones were believed to have healing properties and to help cure skin and eye diseases. According to another hypothesis, the water collected in the cup marks on the horizontal surface of the stone was considered "water of life" and was used for treatment. In addition, it is suggested that some of the cup-shaped signs symbolize the human head and others mark the female genitalia. Relatively popular is the hypothesis that cup marks symbolize stars and constellations.

    The "oval carvings" are used in different contexts in the caves near Tsarevets. The most numerous are the groups of small holes applied in different quantities. Sometimes cup marks dominate the entire panel. For example, the panel of Fig. 13 is composed of an intricate mixture of cup marks, symbols and 

 

Figure 14, Cup signs, panels a,b and c. Caves near the village of Tsarevets.

inscriptions. A ligature formed by a few hyeroglyphs with solar semantics is incised on its lower-left corner. An unfinished figure of a deer is carved in its base Arable lands are depicted to the right of this group. In it are interwoven several dragons. Large groups of cup marks, figures of dragons and graphs are placed above the cultivated fields. They probably depict the Upper Earth. 

    Often the cup marks are surrounded by one or two incised lines. These ledges are with rectangular or sometimes oval in shape. On the panel of fig. 15 between the groups of characters are incised dragons. On the panel of fig. 14c, both the ledge itself and the graphemes around it are made up of the bodies of several dragons. A dragon is also present on the panel of Fig. 14a. The number of characters in fenced 

Figure 15, Cup marks, Caves near village of Tsarevets.

and unfenced groups is different: 5 (Fig. 18, 19), 6 (Fig. 18), 7 (Fig. 15), 8 (Fig. 15), 9 (Fig. 4, 10, 11), 10 (Fig. 20), 12 (Fig. 18, 19), 13 (Fig. 14c), 14 (Fig. 20), 17 (Fig. 14a), 20 (Fig. 20). Some of the cup-shaped signs are grouped symmetrically. For example, in two of the panel groups of Fig. 15 a cup mark is surrounded by six other marks arranged in a circle. In the third group of the same panel, the sign in the middle is surrounded by four concentrically arranged cups and the other two lie opposite at equal

 

 

Figure 16, Disc from Nebra (Wikipedia) and coin of Septimius Severus. 

distances from the circle. On the panel of fig. 18 cup mark in the middle is surrounded by two circles of cups: the first consists of six and the second of ten marks. These groupings of cup marks resemble constellations according to the traditions of some ancient and historical peoples. For example, the Altai people imagine the North Star surrounded by the seven stars of the constellation Dieti-kaan - the seven khans (Ursa Major). Also, the constellation of the Pleiades was represented in antiquity as a star in the centre surrounded by six concentrically arranged stars. A similar symbolic image of the Pleiades can be seen on the disk found near Nebra, Germany and dated to 1600 BC (Fig. 19). This abstract representation of the Pleiades has been known since later times. Of particular interest are the images of the seven stars on Roman coins. These are engraved on the denarii of the emperors Hadrian and Septimius Severus (Fig. 16b).

 

Figure 17, on the left Pleiades (Wikipedia), on the right cup marks
from the panel "Magic hunt".

An image resembling the Pleiades is also engraved on the Wonderful Hunt panel. The design on which the nine cup-shaped signs are arranged resembles a cross. The group of indentations seems to be isolated from the main group of the panel but is located high above a ligature representing the Sun (Fig. 11).

Figure 18, Cup marks associated with the Sun, the Fire and the Moon, Biyarnitsa cave.

The Pleiades are one of the most popular constellations in Bulgarian folklore. They rise on St. Demetrius's Day and set on St. George's Day and have therefore served as an orientation in many economic activities. For example, it was believed that "the Hen" (Pleiades) shook her feathers on summer St. Todor's Day and that is why the herds began to get sick. That is why the sheep were brought under the roof at that time of the year.

In other cases, cup-shaped signs are inscribed on the bodies of animals (Fig. 4), graphemes (Fig. 4) or pagan deities. For example, in the “Universe” panel (Fig. 30) the figures of the Sun (or Sun City), Fire and Moon are covered with cup marks (Fig. 18). Their number may not be random. There are twelve signs in Sun City, five in the palace of the Fire, and five or six on the Moon. Single marks are incised near these three celestial deities on the graphemes and symbols that surround them. The twelve cup marks inscribed in Sun Sity can be related to the twelve months. The personification of some of the

 

Figure 19, Upper left part of the panel "Dragon and Hinds", Biyarnitsa Cave.

months in Bulgarian folklore is well known: Golyam Sechko, Malak Sechko, Baba Marta. The cups incised on the images of the Fire and the Moon probably also represent deities closely connected with them. Here a parallel can be drawn with the religion of the Altaic people from Siberia. they worship the

Figure 20, Panel "Cup marks and the Moon", Caves near the village of Tsarevets. 

 

god of Fire Aal-wat-esya and his seven brothers: Brja-butak, Carol-tusyumyar, Kyundul-chagan, Kyura-chagan, Khan-chagan, Khatan-soduya, Elgan-sabia (Sleptsov A. 1886, p. 125).

The sun is actually often in the company of cup marks on the walls of the caves in the village of Tsarevets. In fig. 16 the cups are divided into three groups: 12, 5, 5, 2. The question arises: if these are deities, is this a material manifestation of sky deities? Or, do the cup marks symbolise a section of the

Figure 21, panel "The Starry Sky", Malkata Dupka cave, Tsarevets.

starry sky? The answer to this question may be given by a panel from the Malkata Dupka cave (Fig. 22). It consists of five separate but thematically related parts. Its lower left section is covered with countless small and large dots, staying for cup marks. The view resembles the starry sky, real or imaginary. A large winged bird of prey has entered into a fight with dragons coming from all directions.

 

Figure 22, panel "Starry Sky", Malkata Dupka cave, Tsarevets.

 a quarter of this part of the panel (colored green). It is composed of the hieroglyphs:
and  (Inscription Tsarevets 2a). The second ligature covers the lower left part and consists of the hieroglyphs:  and (Inscription Tsarevets 2b). Another ligature is woven into it: , and the grapheme  (Inscription Tsarevets 2c). The hieroglyph("ot" - fire) is engraved in the upper right quarter (Inscription Tsarevets 2d) and in the upper left quarter, the hieroglyph(Ins. Tsarevets 2e) is inscribed in a circle.

    The other parts of the panel repeat the same theme. For example, to the right of the part just described, three bird heads and the graphемеmeaning “star” are incised (Inscription Tsarevets 2f). The several dragons surrounding the bird's heads are grouped in a ligature composed of four graphemes:   (Inscription Tsarevets 2g). In the next part of the panel, to the right of its center, a similar scene is cut: dragons attack a bird from all sides. To her left, two graphemes    are incised to symbolize an animal whose nature is not entirely clear. Almost the same scene is repeated by two of the other three parts. It seems that a scene from an ancient Bulgarian myth is depicted here in which the Bird of Heaven fights dragons. The celestial bird Mercury, known from Altai mythology, is similar. It has copper claws and covers the Moon with its left-wing and the Sun with its right (Levin M. 1935, p. 188). The hypothesis that the groups of cup-shaped signs in some cases symbolize a part of the starry sky is supported by the images on several rings from the time of the First Bulgarian Kingdom. On their surface are engraved miniature cup-shaped signs and a bird, pentagram or star as

Figure 23, Rings from Odartsi, Bulgaria.

it and hieroglyphs among which most often  (star). Also on one of the rings you can see a Dragon, depicted in the way typical of the caves near Tsarevets (Fig. 24-8). This type of rings repeats, albeit in a synthesized way, the plot of the "Starry Sky" panel. But not only that - the use of the pentagram and other signs symbolizing a star as well as the hieroglyph for a star in combination with cup-marks confirm the hypothesis that these signs symbolize stars.

Figure 24, Rings of 1,2 Odartsi, 3-5 Stence, North Macedonia, 6 Museum
 in Belgrade, 7 Kapidava, Romania, 8 Oradea, Romania, Szentes, Hungary

   The panel "The Miraculous Hunt" incised in the cave Biyarnitsata nеаr village of Tsarevets is one of the important monuments of Bulgar art and runiform calligraphy. Unravelling its secrets bring us closer to beginning of understanding Bulgar myths and religion and of course to deciphering of Bulgar Runiform script.