Across the Gates of Magog

One account in the Post-Zachariah Amidene Miscellany #12.7 gives me pause - an account of the evangelism toward the Huns, during Justinian's reign. Justinian was (by the AD 550s) friendly to Miaphysites so the Christians out northeast were friendly to him.

Kardutsat, bishop of Arran [=Albania] heard of some captives of "the Huns" across the Darband. So he went up there - the mad lad - with some priests to ransom them back. When they came back, with the captives, the "witnesses" told that they'd got some books translated into Hunnic and that many Huns had become Christian.

First, the good news: there's an anchoring event. This is Kavad's hit "over five decades back" which, from AG 866 / AD 555, indeed checks out: AD 503, against Amida. After chillin' heels in Irani gaol for a bit, those witnesses get sent to the Huns where they live for 34 years. So this story starts around AD 538.

One aspect I noticed, however - rather, didn't notice. Where's any account of what the Huns were like before AD 538?

Compare Movses Dashkurantsi. He's got a similar account, of Albanian bishop Israyel. This is not the same guy - Movses places these events under Varaz Trdat son of the late Juanshir. This account, though, says quite a lot about Hunnic religion and culture. They venerate a tree to Aspandiat, sacrificing horses to this. "Aspandiat" is an Iranian concept: Spenta Armaiti, in the Avesta. Fertility and farming.

Yes yes the Avesta is "problematic" for reconstructing early Zoroastrianism but, keep in mind - past the Gates. We're looking at Iranian superstition. Not the freakin' Denkard.

The Hun khagan (if he is a khan) is Alp' Ilit'uer. "Ilit'uer" is a title, we later learn; it's bestowed upon the loyal retinue, like an earl or a carl among the Germans. "Alp" looks like the Turkish word for "courageous"; as I look around the latter word could be il-teber for a prince. As for the religion, this smells like something Turks might pick up from semi-settled Ossetes along the woodland.

On topic of Movses he has much to report about the Albanian patriarch / catholicos Abas (AD 532-576) - starting Khusro's second year - especially as Abas' tenure coincides with John II (AD 557-74). You'd think there'd be something in Abas' tenure about his underling Kardutsat. What I read instead is what happened before AD 532: the Khazars invaded Albania and burned churches and gospels. (I assume the Udi took the brunt of that.) Afterward the narrative simply skips to the next Khusro, in the AD 600s.

Anyway, Movses has something we can check. For semi-settled Huns in the general Ossetic territory, this something might even check out. Post-Zachariah #12.7, not so much. To me it just smells... bad.