Sources about the Bulgarians descending from the Thracians

[ioan assen]

As an introduction, I want to present some ancient sources which speak about Bulgarian people:

- Herodotus writes that the Getae are Thracian people.
- Strabo writes that the Moesi and the Getae are from the same family and speak the same language.
- Cassius Dio writes that the Getae tribe are part of the Scythians.
- Procopius writes that the Getae and Sarmatians are from the same origin.
- Stephanus of Byzantium claims that the Scythians are Thracian people.


V-VI century

- Ioannes Malalas: "The so called Achilles went with Atreidai and led his own army of three thousand men, then called Myrmidons and now Bulgarians" - page 97 http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.e...%29,_GR_LT.pdf picture from the text in Greek: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

- Michael Attaleiates: History - ''the Moesi ... are certainly Bulgarians who later received their new name ... Bulgarians Myrmidons ..."

- John Zonaras: ''Paeonians - Latins or Thracian people of Macedonia. These are so-called Paeonians. Paeonians were Bulgarians. "

- Johannes Tzetza: ''Pyros and Akamas (native) of the Thracian Hellespont, Maronietza Evfimos son of Treziius, Pirehmie, who was of the Paeonians they were all from the Bulgarians, from those of the river Axios, also called Vardar'' (see photo with Greek text).

XI century

- ''Bulgarians who are named Thracians according to the previous (old) monuments'' - „Hinc iter aggressi per fines Vulgariorum, quos vocitant Thracas, ut habent monumenta priorum“ - Fulcher of Chartres, a French priest, (a description of the first crusade in 1096)

III-IV century

- Mavro Orbin cites evidence of Marcus Aurelius Kasiodor that Bulgarians fought with the Romans about 390 AD.

- Cassiodorus writes that the Bulgarians are old Moesian or Illyrian people

- Ennodius Ticinensis (473-524, Bishop, court historian of the Gothic King Theodoric) indicate that Bulgarians are old Moesian and Illyrian people.

- 4th century map (see photo) by St. Jerome (331-420) - Mesia hec & Vulgaria (Misia here and Bulgaria). It is composed by even older maps - Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea (270 to 33, called the "father of church history." The map is preserved in a copy of the 12th century. http://letopisec.blog.bg/photos/1232...4_vek22222.jpg

I-II century

-Flavius Josephus writes ''Dacians called Bulgarians''

In addition:

- Ravennatis Anоnymi Cosmographia: „Inter vero Tratiam vel Macedoniam et Mysiam inferiorem modo Bulgari habitant, qui ex super scripta maiore Scythia egressi sunt.” https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...e_Ravennat.jpg
http://www.venstar.de/extra/App0003a.bmp

- Demetrios Chomateno: Brief Life of Clement Ohridski - ''This great Father was a native from the European Moesians, people usually known as Bulgarians. They were displaced in the old days by the military power of Alexander of placement of Brusa, Olympus to the North Atlantic and the Dead Sea, and after a long time with terrible army crossed the Danube and invaded all the neighboring areas: Pannonia and Dalmatia, Thrace and Illyricum, and and much of Macedonia and Thessaly''
In Greek: Äèìèòðè Õîìàòèàí - Êðàòêî æèòèå íà Êëèìåíò Îõðèäñêè


Attachment 5525

Saint_Jerome_4th_century.jpg
In the past some authors relate the name Bulgarian to old Roman ''Vulgares'' which has the meaning of ''Vulgar'' people or modern ''Bulgars'' in some Latin languages where the names has negative meaning and refers to savage and/or barbarian people. Another part of scientists say that the name has Turkic meaning which in Bulgarian is translated as "буламач'' meaning ''mixed'' people in kind of negative way. Others say that the name is derived from Slavic ''бог'' (god) and the meaning is ''people of god''. Others related it to Slavic ''благъ'' meaning ''kind people''. None of these is officially recognized.

I tried to do some research and found out some interesting information. I am not a linguist and I will be happy if people familiar with the subjects give their opinions.

Bulgaria - Bulgarian - Bulgarians
България - Българин/Българка - Бърлгари
Βουλγαρία - Βούλγαρος - Βούλγαροι

In Greek the name ''βοῦς'' has the meaning of bull, ox, sheep, or cattle. My first thought was that the Greek used it to refer to Bulgarians as cattle and sheep, which of course is kind of funny if you don't take it personally. However, I found that the Greeks sometimes used the name as reference to DIONYSOS - Vugenes, Bugenes, Boægenæs, Bugenæs, or Bugonæs (Βουγενες, ΒΟΥΓΕΝΕΣ, βουγενής, βουγονής) and Vukeros or Boukeros (Βουκέρως) meaning ''born of an ox'', ''ox horned'', ''ox-sprung'', ''horned like an ox or cow''.
Dionysos - The Epithets II - www.HellenicGods.org


In Greek,

βοῦς ---> cow, ox, cattle

derived terms:

βουκόλος (boukolos)
βουστροφηδόν (boustrophēdon)
βούτυρον (boutūron)
βούτυρος (boutūros)

PIE: *gʷṓws
Sanskrit: गो (go)
-Hindi: गाय (gāy)
-Telugu: గోవు (gōvu)
-Urdu: گای (gāy)
Latin: bos
Old English: cū (cow)
Celtic: *bōws, *bow-
-Old Irish: bó
-Middle Welsh: bu "oxen"
-Brythonic: *boukkā
Iranian
-Avestan: ������ (gao)
-Baluchi: گوک (gúk, gok)
-Kurdish: ga (“oxen”), garran (“cattle herd”), gamêş, golik (“calf”)
-Mazanderani: گو (gow)
Italic
-Catalan: bou
-Galician: boi
-Italian: bove, bue
-Old French: buef
-Portuguese: boi
-Romanian: bou
-Sardinian (Campidanese): boi
-Spanish: buey
Slavic: *govędo < *gʷew-n̥d-

???? - Wiktionary
Appendixroto-Indo-European/g??ws - Wiktionary


In Bulgarian,

- бик (bik) - ox
- крава (krava) - cow
- говеда (govedа) - cattle

Proto-Bulgarian: быкъ
Old Church Slavonic: *bykъ
Turkic: *būqa

English - bull
Lithuanian - bulius
German - stier, bulle
Polish - byk
Russian - бык
Turkish - boğa
Hungarian - bika
Czech - byk

Of course I am not sure if there is any connection at all. But maybe there is a chance that the name Bulgarian is derived from the word for ''bull'' meaning ''ox horned'' or something similar.

Unlike other language the name for ''God'' in Slavic and Bulgarian is ''БОГ'' which is similar to Iranic languages ''bagas'' (Persian), ''baɣa'' (Avestan), '' βαγo'' (Bactrian), ''βɣ'' (Sogdian), ''bhagaṣ'' (Indian).

In Bulgarian and Slavic we have other names of ''God'', for example:

- бог (god)
- боже (Christ)
- господ (Lord)

''Боже Господи'' - My God!
''Бога ми'' - Upon my Sam!

- from ''бог'' we have ''божествен'' (divine) and ''божество'' (divinity)
- from ''господ'' we have ''господин'' (Mr.) and ''господар'' (master)

- similar to ''божествен'' (divine) we have ''блаженство'' (bliss) from ''благо'' (good)

I believe that the difference is obvious between the two words as the one refers to the divinity of Christ and the other to his supremacy and power. As far as I understand the Iranic word ''bagas'' refers to ''the master'' or ''the one who distributes'' which is identical with Slavic ''gospod'' but not the same as Slavic ''бог'' and ''боже''.

The word ''бог'' is given motion by the sound ''ж'' and transformed to ''боже'', such as:

''мога'' (can) ---> ''може'' (can)
''съд'' (container) ---> ''съдържа'' (contain)
''под'' (floor) ---> ''поддържа'' (maintain)
''държа'' (hold) ---> ''издържа'' (endure)
''мъж'' (man) ---> ''омъжа'' / ''женя'' (get married)
''жив'' (alive) ---> ''живея'' (live)
''жътва'' (harvest)
''живот'' (life)
''жажда'' (thirst)
''желание'' (desire)
''жадуване'' (eagerness)
''рождение'' (nativity, birthday)
''женитба'' (marriage)
''жизненост'' (vigor)

We can see that the sound ''Ж'' (Zh, /ʒ/ or /ʃ/ ) itself forms a number of essential words or gives motion to normal words or puts them in action. Such as ''бог'' and ''боже''.

Here comes the question what is ''Бо'' (Bo) in ''Бог'' (God)? Is it the symbolism of the ''sacred bull'' so commonly worshiped in the ancient past in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Anatolia, Crete, Indus Valley, Cyprus, Levant, Hellas, and Roman Empire?

Here are some of the myths related to sacred Bull in Greek mythology:

- ''[B]In the Olympian cult, Hera's epithet Bo-opis is usually translated "ox-eyed" Hera, but the term could just as well apply if the goddess had the head of a cow, and thus the epithet reveals the presence of an earlier, though not necessarily more primitive, iconic view.''

- ''Dionysus was another god of resurrection who was strongly linked to the bull. In a cult hymn from Olympia, at a festival for Hera, Dionysus is also invited to come as a bull, "with bull-foot raging." "Quite frequently he is portrayed with bull horns, and in Kyzikos he has a tauromorphic image," Walter Burkert relates, and refers also to an archaic myth in which Dionysus is slaughtered as a bull calf and impiously eaten by the Titans.''

- ''[I]To the Egyptians TAURUS, The Bull, symbolised both Osiris and his sister Isis who were represented as a bull-god and cow-goddess respectively.''[I]

- In Greek legend, Taurus is identified with the disguise adopted by Zeus in yet another of his amorous adventures. On this occasion, the god had fallen in love with the beautiful Europa, daughter of King Agenor, as she strolled with her companions on the seashore. He suddenly appeared amongst them as a magnificent white bull, but one which was so gentle that they felt no fear. Europa and her maidens gathered flowers and made garlands which they hung around the animal's neck and, such was their trust in his docility, that Europa climbed upon his back. However, at this moment, the bull plunged into the sea and swam away furiously with the terrified girl. When they reached Crete, Zeus revealed his true identity and ravished her. She was to bear him three sons, the first of which, Minos, introduced the bull cult to Crete.''


In conclusion,

Clearly, the bull itself is another wild animal however ancient people saw the divine of the bull in the constellation Taurus, the Pleiades (also called seven sisters) and the Hyades. About the number seven and the Pleiades we already have a lot of information as well the worship of the bull is well-known. The question is weather the name ''Bulgarian'' is derived from the ''divinity of the bull'' and connected to constellation Taurus, which sign ''Y'' (the bull sign) is central in Pliska rozette, as well major sign in Vinca culture, and first letter of the glagolithic alphabet. With regards to the alphabet it is called ''азбука'' from ''азъ'' and ''боукы''.

What is interesting is that Vinca culture based in Balkans and one of the oldest (5500 - 4500) also worshiped the bull and most of the signs are depicting the Taurus constellation which can be later seen both in Thracian and Bulgarian cultures.

---> ''The Vinča and Cucuteni held cult beliefs which were partially based on the idea of a unity of the bull and ram (or cattle and sheep), with each animal representingthe masculine and feminine aspects of nature. The bull was signified largely byangular shapes, such as the zig-zag, lozenge; whilst the ram predominantly by acurl or spiral.''
http://www.academia.edu/2374429/The_...and_the_Aegean

In the next post I will provide pictures which confirm my last statement.
Attached Images
File Type: gif taurus-map.gif (5.6 KB, 9 views)
File Type: jpg primary sheep signs.jpg (12.7 KB, 8 views)
File Type: png three-stroke comb_sheep-the ram.png (67.2 KB, 8 views)
File Type: jpg Vinca_cattle-bull_signs.jpg (90.9 KB, 8 views)
File Type: jpg pliska_rozzete.jpg (21.2 KB, 8 views)

[Linebacker]

Sources that are wrong.

Thracians were the weakest people in the Bulgarian Empire and had the fewest contribution.They were just peasantry.

Turkic Bulgars and Slavs built our nation and empires.

[ioan assen]

Sources that are wrong.

Thracians were the weakest people in the Bulgarian Empire and had the fewest contribution.They were just peasantry.

Turkic Bulgars and Slavs built our nation and empires.

Nevertheless they are sources and those are never wrong.

[Mingle]

It's probably unrelated to the PIE word for "cow".

Here is what Wikipedia says:

Since the work of Wilhelm Tomaschek (1873),[21] it is generally said to be derived from the Common Turkic bulğha, bulga- or bulya ("to mix"; "to become mixed"), which with the consonant suffix -r implies a noun meaning "mixed".[22][23] Other scholars have added that bulğha might also imply "stir", "disturb", "confuse".[24][25] and Talat Tekin interpreted bulgar as the verb form "mixing" (i.e. rather than the noun "mixed").[21] Both Gyula Németh and Peter Benjamin Golden initially advocated the "mixed race" theory, but later, like Paul Pelliot,[26] considered that "to incite", "rebel", or "to produce a state of disorder", i.e. the "disturbers",[27][28][29][25] was a more likely etymology for migrating nomads.[29][25]

The names Onoğur and Bulgar were linked by later Byzantine sources for reasons that are unclear.[37][24][25] Karatay interpreted gur/gor as "country", and noted the Tekin derivation of gur from the Altaic suffix -gir, which is related to the word yir, meaning "earth, place".[38]

I think the first theory makes most sense.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgars

Also, you can see a thread I created about Thracians if you're interested: link

[Voskos]

thracians descendants imo also include modern northwest turks and bithynians.

[Bosniensis]

Sources that are wrong.

Thracians were the weakest people in the Bulgarian Empire and had the fewest contribution.They were just peasantry.

Turkic Bulgars and Slavs built our nation and empires.

Slavs = Modern Term, Thracian = Ancient Term.

Serbs called themselves "Rašani" or "Tračani" = Thracians.

However, Greeks are stealing our history and everything that Slavs achieved in the past as "Thracians" is now Greek.

[Linebacker]

Slavs = Modern Term, Thracian = Ancient Term.

Serbs called themselves "Rašani" or "Tračani" = Thracians.

However, Greeks are stealing our history and everything that Slavs achieved in the past as "Thracians" is now Greek.

Bones of Thracians from burials tested are E1b1b1a1b(V-13) Iron Age so therefore they were not Slavs.

[Thracian]

Slavs = Modern Term, Thracian = Ancient Term.

Serbs called themselves "Rašani" or "Tračani" = Thracians.

However, Greeks are stealing our history and everything that Slavs achieved in the past as "Thracians" is now Greek.

Thracian is neither Greek nor Slavic language. Unfortunately, we do not have too many words from Thracians. We just know a few words from Greek sources.

IMO all of Balkan people including Greeks and partly Turkish mixed people maybe descended from the Thracians. The picture which is in your signature is almost same with mine. Thracian people assimilated by Greeks, Slavs and later than Turks.

On the other hand, I have read an article about Thracians and Slavs. Pre-Thracians went to Balkans from Caucasia. They followed two ways. These are modern Ukraine and Turkey. Due to the physical similarities such as hair color, skine tone etc... between Slavs and Thracians a bond is established in this article. We also know that Thracian people were tall. That is matching with Slavs more than Greeks.

[Bulg]

We bulgarians are mostly thracian, more than our neighbors, but we also have turkic influence in east from Middle Ages

[itilvolga]

We bulgarians are mostly thracian, more than our neighbors, but we also have turkic influence in east from Middle Ages

not only “influence” also you have Turkic Bolgar ancestors.