Archon of Pechenegs ‘Kourkut’: His Name and Image in the Treatise De Administrando Imperio by Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus
The article sugges ts a recons truction of the nominative form of the name of
the Pechenegs archon Κουρκοῦτας. According to the treatise De adminis trando
imperio, a man named Kourkout was one of the mos t significant leaders (archons)
of the Pecheneg people in the Black Sea region. His group of Pechenegs was a part
of the privileged community of the Kangars. He led a province called Gyla, which
was located in the wes t of the Pechenegs’ territory and adjacent to the land of
the Magyars (Hungarians). It is possible that Kourkout bore the title Gyla (Turkic
*yula), which means “judge” or “exegete”. It is likely that he was named in honor
of the epic hero, who was the prototype of the legendary personage of the Oghuz
literary epic texts and Turkic folklore “grandfather / father Qorqut”.
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