Pages: 177-189

The territory of Transylvania was attacked by the Pechenegs from Moldavia since the 10th century. The attacks dated after the conquest of Transylvania by the kingdom of Hungary, in 1018, 1028, 1053, and 1068, affected several fortifications. The colonization of the Pechenegs as boundary watchers in the territory dominated by Hungarians and next in the kingdom began too by the middle of the 10th century, first in Transdanubia, and next in several places in Transylvania. The Pechenegs became sedentary, and their chiefs noblemen. The toponymy preserved the memory of the sedentary Pechenegs, especially in the borderlands. The last Pecheneg group took refuge in Hungary after their defeat by the Byzantine army in 1122. They were settled as boundary guards. The sedentary Pechenegs from Transylvania entered in contact with the Romanians who had the same mission to defend the boundaries. Silva Blacorum et Bissenorum was located between the Făgăraş Mountains and the Olt River valley, in the area with a considerable concentration of place names and river names of Türkic origin.

Keywords: Transylvania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Banat, Moldavia, Pechenegs, Romanians, sedentarization of nomads, boundaries, toponymy

Information about author:

Alexandru Madgearu (Bucharest, Romania). Doctor. Institute for Political Studies of Defence and Military History. Constantin Mille St., 6, Bucharest, RO-70100, Romania
E-mail: [email protected]