Súr (chieftain)

Historian György Györffy considered that Súr's name derived from an old Turkic dignity called "čor" in the 7th century, which title was then taken over by the Pechenegs ("čur").^[1] In contrast, Gyula Kristó argued that his name originated from the Slavic equivalent "šurъ" meaning "brother-in-law".^[2]

Based on his name Györffy considered that Súr was of Pecheneg origin, who came from a subjugated tribe, which was ordered to settle down along the western border during the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin protecting and guarding the gyepűelve there. Györffy argued that Súr was progenitor of the gens (clan) Osl, which possessed landholdings in Sopron County in the 13th century, as his name occurs frequently among members of the kindred.^[1]

According to Györffy, Súr's tribal territory laid in the westernmost part of Upper Hungary, in the future Pozsony County (present-day mostly Slovakia). His summer residence was located around present-day Svätý Jur (Szentgyörgy) where the nearby Šúr swamp forest and meadows preserved his name. Along the local stream to the river Váh (Vág), a group of villages – Hegysúr (Hrubý Šúr), Pénteksúr (Malý Šúr; present-day a borough of Kostolná pri Dunaji) along with the nearby river island, and present-day Šúrovce (Súr, which was established by merging four villages – Nagysúr, Nemessúr, Valtasúr and Várassúr) preserved the name of the chieftain and the site of his winter residence.^[1] Based on settlement names in Veszprém and Somogy counties, Györffy considered that Súr was perhaps a member of the ruling Árpád dynasty and belonged to the close relatives of Grand Prince Fajsz.^[1] Gyula Kristó and Ferenc Makk argued that both Lehel and Súr belonged to the inner circle of Bulcsú's federation of tribes in Western Hungary.^[3]