Prince Csaba

Csaba and his warriors on the "Milky way" (by Bertalan Székely)

In Hungarian mythology, Prince Csaba was the youngest son of Attila, King of the Huns. A fierce and skilled warrior, he led the Huns to victory in all the battles they encountered over the ages. He is the legendary leader of the Székelys.

But after Csaba's death, the Huns had no one to take his place. Seizing their chance, the enemies of the Huns launched an assault on the Hun kingdom. As they met on the field of battle, the enemy generals mocked the Huns, saying "and who will save you now that Csaba is gone?" But no sooner had those words been spoken, a bright pathway consisting of stars appeared in the night sky and Csaba rode down at the head of an army from the heavens. Csaba and his army routed the Frankish invaders and saved the Huns once again,^[1] and three more times he returned down the "Skyway of the Warriors" to defend his people. According to some versions of the legend, he was seen once more several centuries later leading Árpád and the Hungarians, brother tribe of the Huns, over the Carpathians and into the land that is today known as Hungary.^{[citation needed]}

Consequently, the meaning of the Hungarian name Csaba (Csaba - "A gift from the sky" or "A gift from the heavens") is said to have been derived from this legend.

Simon of Kéza claimed that he was the ancestor of the Aba clan:

Latin original: Iste igitur Chaba filius Ethelæ est legitimus ex filia Honorii imperatoris Græcorum genitus, cui Edemen et Ed filii sui sunt vocati. Edemen autem, cum Hungari in Pannoniam secundario sunt reversi, cum maxima familia patris sui et matris introivit, nam mater eius de Corosminis orta erat. Ed vero in Scitia remansit apud patrem. Ex isto enim Chaba generation Abæ est egressa.
English translation: Csaba was Attila's legitimate son by the daughter of the Greek emperor Honorius. Csaba in turn had two sons, Edemen and Ed. Edemen entered Pannonia with his father's and mother's great entourage (his mother being a Chorasminian) when the Hungarians came back for the second time, whereas Ed remained in Scythia with his father. Csaba is the ancestor of the clan of Aba.
— Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum^[2]

Family tree

Attila

Csaba

Edemen

Aba clan

References

^ Bishop Gregory, commenting on a raid into Frankish territory in 566
^ of Kéza, Simon (1999). Veszprémy, László; Schaer, Frank (eds.). The Deeds of the Hungarians. Central European University Press. p. 73. ISBN 963-9116-31-9.

[1] Bishop Gregory, commenting on a raid into Frankish territory in 566

[2] Kéza, Simon (1999). Veszprémy, László; Schaer, Frank (eds.). The Deeds of the Hungarians. Central European University Press. p. 73. ISBN 963-9116-31-9.

[1]

[2]