Description of the Madara Horseman relief

A large farm (villa rustica) prospered at the foot of the cliff for more than three centuries during Roman times, until it fell into disuse with the decline of the Roman Empire. The fortress which stood like a stone crown at the top of the Madara Plateau during the 5 th Century was also deserted at the end of Roman rule. The pitched towers of the fortress were rebuilt when the first Bulgarian capital, Pliska, was established nearby.

During the difficult times at the end of the 7 th Century the relations of the young Bulgarian state and Byzantium were very complex. The Bulgarians won the right to establish their state in a victorious battle. But Byzantium considered itself an heir to the Roman Empire and never gave up its claim on this territory. It was difficult to comprehend that the ancient world was lost forever and new peoples were now shaping the map of Europe. And when Bulgaria was the first to fight for its place in Europe, the old world, in the shape of Byzantium, resisted stubbornly.

But the transitory nature of history created an unexpected situation: the dethroned Byzantine Emperor Justinian Rhinotmet (the name means "no nose") asked for help from the Bulgarian Khan Tervel. The Bulgarian conditions were put forward and accepted. The Emperor was re-installed on the throne in Constantinople thanks to the Bulgarian army. Khan Tervel was recognized as the lawful ruler of the new state and received the title "Kessar". This title came second to the title of "Emperor". The one who had it was entitled to an emperor's honours.

The recognition was accompanied by all the Byzantine regalia and a large quantity of gold and silver for the soldiers, and royal gifts. Byzantium agreed to pay Bulgaria an annual tribute and ceded the large and fertile region of Zagore, south of the Balkan Mountain which up to that time had marked the frontier with Bulgaria.

These events took place in the year 705. Only a quarter of a century after the Bulgarian state had been founded, it was not only recognized but received tribute from Byzantium.

It is difficult to go back to those times, for which historical information is so scarce, and to comprehend the emotions of the people who after years of nomadic life finally settled in the fertile lands along the Lower Danube to work for their future. However it must have been a time of pride and satisfaction.

Indeed this excitement and the awareness of the historic significance of the events must have brought about the idea that led to this impressive monument. A monument for eternity. To transcend the ages and survive into the future. Khan Tervel realized that his army was returning from Constantinople with a great victory. He was acknowledged by the magnificent capital of Byzantium, by the ancient city of fame and glory, a leading force of intellectual life in Europe that was constantly supplied with fresh forces from Asia. Khan Tervel arrived in his fortified capital with news that ensured the future development of the country.

We do not know how this victory was celebrated, with what festivities and pride the soldiers came back from Constantinople. But we know the monument erected by the Khan.

The monument to victory, to the victorious ruler who exercised great political wisdom and won a historic battle without bloodshed had to measure up to the grandeur of the event. To make it of stone was not sufficient. It had to stand high above everyday life.

Such a monument required a special place. Nature itself had to participate in the embodiment of the great idea. And what more magnificent place than the Madara cliff. The location had been connected since ancient times with the mysteries of cults. The proto-Bulgarians had already established their sanctuaries there. The old fortress was also important for the defense of the country during these turbulent times.

Thus the location is the first unusual feature of the monument. The sculptor had to work in an almost inaccessible place, 23 m above ground level. This was a difficult task at the time. Apparently a huge scaffolding was erected for this purpose. The hollows where the thick beams were suspended can still be seen. Above the main platform other platforms were suspended for the carving of the highest part of the figure of the horseman and the horse.

Thus the "atelier" of the sculptor was suspended like a nest on the rock. From this restricted platform he had to carve images intended to be observed from the ground below and far away. Even now when we get too close to the rock the relief disappears. Only the lower part can be seen from a certain angle.

The sculptor had no opportunity to observe his work from the distance. Even when he climbed down, the carving was hidden by the scaffolding and the platform. This presented a further challenge to his professional skill. Such a task was obviously assigned to a very experienced man. But the scale of the monument was absolutely unique, so the man who did it could not have had such experience. It is quite apparent that the creator of the relief must have been an unusually talented and daring man.

The entire surface of the relief and inscriptions is 40 sq m. The place chosen is such that the bulge of the rock allows some parts of the relief to project more than the rest. Other elements of the composition are almost flat because they had to be accommodated in the slope of the rock surface.

The sculptor used three methods for the carving of the figures. First he outlined the images with a 1.5 cm wide and 2 cm deep groove in the rock. Only the lion is not surrounded by such a groove. Then he hewed out the surrounding surface so that the figures project from it. The third method used was to cover the figures in red plaster so as to outline them even better against the rock. Of course most of this plaster has been destroyed by the elements. But some traces are still visible. The letters of the inscriptions were also filled with the same plaster.

But this is not all; the sculptor worked carefully on the composition in order to ensure that the relief would be seen clearly from the distance. There are various details which not only make the scene more concrete but make it a finished work and not merely a sketched outline. Indeed these details give the composition its distinctive character. The relief is not an abstract symbolic scene but presents a particular image with its own historical background and profound symbolism.

This is a symbolic hunting scene in which the hunter is the ruler himself. The figure of the horseman dominates the composition. The forward movement of the rider is calm and solemn. The dynamics are emphasized by the dog running after the horseman.

The action is located in the front part of the composition. The horse and rider together with the lion couchant form a powerful group. The horse touches the back of the lion with a front and a hind leg while the raised front leg is already stepping over the animal. The horseman is riding to the right which means that the lion is lying also on its right side, but in the composition the animal is carved below the line of the movement of the horse so as not to hide part of the figure. Furthermore, the position of the lion is very telling: the lion is moving leftwards, i. e. against the horseman; the animal is under the rider, trampled by the horse and pierced through the neck, its head is stretched forwards and downwards between the two legs with spread toes as if clawed into the earth. This is the powerful enemy, defeated, crushed and stepped over and the determined horseman rides victoriously.