Bus Beloyar

“**Bus Beloyar**”, called “**Boz**”, “**Boks**”, or “**Buz**” by Latin and Greek historians and “**Bus**”, “**Blus**”, or “**Bos**” in the Tale of Igor’s Campaign, was an ancient Slavic king of the Antes tribe who reigned circa 370. In real history, he is said to have made an alliance with King Balamber of the Huns shortly after their arrival from the east. The Ostrogoths, led by king Vinitharius (great-nephew of Hermanaric), would soon rebel from Hunnic rule, moving their army against the Antes. In their first battle, Bus defeated the Goths, but in their second battle, Bus himself was defeated, and he, as well as 8 of sons and 70 of his nobles, were killed. He is highly revered by believers in the Slavic forgeries, some going so far as to equate him to Christ himself.

## Bus Beloyar

### Titles

King of the Antes (according to history), King of the Aryans, Prince of the Ruskolan (according to the forgeries)

### Preceeded by

Unknown (according to history), Semargli(?) (according to Norse sagas), Dadjenyar (according to the forgeries)

### Succeeded by

Unknown (according to history), Semargli(?) (according to Norse sagas), Boyan (according to the forgeries

## Historical references

### According to Jordanes

Jordanes says:

”It appears that at the death of their (the Ostrogoths) king, Hermanaric, they were made a separate people by the departure of the Visigoths, and remained in their country subject to the sway of the Huns; yet Vinitharius of the Amali retained the insignia of his rule. He rivalled the valor of his grandfather Vultuulf, although he had not the good fortune of Hermanaric. But disliking to remain under the rule of the Huns, he withdrew a little from them and strove to show his courage by moving his forces against the country of the Antes. When he attacked them, he was beaten in the first encounter. Thereafter he did valiantly and, as a terrible example, crucified their king, named **Boz**, together with his sons and seventy nobles, and left their bodies hanging there to double the fear of those who had surrendered. When he had ruled with such license for barely a year, Balamber, king of the Huns, would no longer endure it, but sent for Gesimund, son of Hunimund the Great. Now Gesimund, together with a great part of the Goths, remained under the rule of the Huns, being mindful of his oath of fidelity. Balamber renewed his alliance with him and led his army up against Vinitharius. After a long contest, Vinitharius prevailed in the first and in the second conflict, nor can any say how great a slaughter he made of the army of the Huns. But in the third battle, when they met each other unexpectedly at the river named Erac, Balamber shot an arrow and wounded Vinitharius in the head, so that he died.” - Getica, the divided Goths: Ostrogoths, latter half of the first paragraph.

### Mentions in the Tale of Igor’s Campaign

These are all the mentions of Bus in the Tale of Igor’s Campaign. It seems that he was deified and became a god of crows and perhaps of the fallen (like a Slavic equivalent to Osiris). Here is what it says:

Original text:

”Уже дъскы безъ кнѣса въ моемъ теремѣ златовръсемъ. Всю нощь съ вечера **бусови** врани възграяху; Дву плѣнника на болони, безъ щады, деу, рекы исади несоша я къ синему морю.”

English Translation:

”All night long from even-time have the crows of **Bus** [or **Blus**] croaked; two captives [stand] by the fen: mercilessly [the foe] have carried the two to the landing-stage of the river, down to the blue sea."

Original text:

“Се бо Готьскыя красныя дѣвы въспѣша на брезѣ синему морю, звоня Рускымъ златомъ. Поютъ время **Бусово**, лелѣютъ месть Шароканю. А мы уже, дружина, жадни веселія.”

English Translation:

“Thus the fair maidens of the Goths sang on the shore of the blue sea, tinkling in Russian gold. They sing of the time of **Bus [or Blus]**; they cherish the vengeance for Šarokán. But, now, we, the družína, are a-thirst for joy.”

and, possibly, there is a third reference to B[l]us, as in some manuscripts "Bus" is written as "Bos".

Original text:

"Игорь князь поскочи горнастаемъ къ тростію и бѣлымъ гоголемъ на воду; въвержеся на борзъ комонь, и скочи съ него **босымъ** волкомъ, и потече къ лугу Донца, и полетѣ соколомъ подъ мьлами, избивая гуси и лебеди завтроку и обѣду и ужинѣ."

English Translation:

"Ígoŕ the Prince raced like an ermine to the brushwood, like a white duck to the water, cast himself on his swift horse and leapt from it like **Bus'** wolf and fled to the meadow of the Donéts, and flew like a hawk in the mists, slaying geese and swans for breakfast, dinner and supper."

However, "босымъ" is interpreted as "quick-footed" in most English translations.

## In the Slavic forgeries

#### The monument to Bus

The monument to Bus is an obscure forgery. It is most famous for using the “om” sound, often chanted in Hindu hymns. The inscription on it seems to be some sort of mourning song who’s tune has been lost. Here is what it says:

Original text:

“Ом! Бѣже! Ом! Ом хае! Ом хае! Ом хае! Ом хае! Ом хае! Побуд! Ом хае! Побуд! Сар! Виарте! Сар, Яр **Боус** - Божяи **Боус**! **Боус** - побудь рсі, баже! Бѣже **Боус**! Яр **Боус**! Ебое. Га. Л.”

English Translation:

”O-om! Poor [you]! Om! O-om hey! Om hey! Om hey! O-om hey! Om hey! Come back [to life]! O-om hey! Come back [to life, oh] king! Turn [around], oh king, Yar-**Bus**, **Bus** of the gods! **Bus**, come back to us! Oh god! Poor [you] **Bus**! Yar-**Bus**! [March 21, 368]]”

Here, the expression "oh god!" should be interpreted in the same way as "oh my god, what have they done to you?!?", not as an incantation to Bus himself.

#### In the Book of Yarillo

The Book of Yarillo is a forged royal chronicle of the late Ruskolan (Roxalani). It goes over the reigns of seven kings, the last one is Bus Beloyar. His father was Dadjenyar and his grandfather was Korsyar. He is described as having become a constellation after he died, which constellation he is is unclear, but he is described as being mounted on a horse and wielding a stellar bow.

According to the book, he had two wives, one is of Japanese(?) origin named Siyana and the other of Egyptian origin named Yaroslavna. He had a brother named Zlatogor. After he was killed, he is said to have resurrected and left behind a book called the “testament of Bus”, which is included in full in the book.

#### In the Hymn of Boyan

The hymn of Boyan only mentions Bus a few times, in which it just says that he is the father of Boyan.

#### In the White Book of Poetry

placeholder text as I haven’t finished reading it

#### In the Book of Veles

The Book of Veles only mentions Bus once, and essentially repeats, in almost the same words, what Jordanes says. The only difference is that according to the book it was Hermanaric, not his great nephew, that killed him.