„Trădarea” lui Bogdan vodă şi începuturile statului moldovenesc / “Betrayal” of Bogdan Vodă and the beginnings of the Moldavian State)

Abstract

The origins of the Moldavian state, and especially the process of formation of its state structure, directly related to the personality of Bogdan the Founder, are based on one of the foremost crimes in medieval society, the “betrayal”. Bogdan’s felony, which has been extensively discussed in the literature, is usually seen only from the point of view of the state, and the “criminal and legal aspects” are overlooked. In this context, the article analyzes the preconditions and aspects that led to the rupture of vassal relations between Bogdan of Cuhea and Louis of Anjou, the course of the conflict and its purpose. In an effort to avoid the paradigm of traitor and betrayal, the author tried to find out the causes of events, taking into account the positions of all the participating groups. At the same time, an analysis of the Bogdan’s “serious crime” was carried out using the provisions of the Romanian medieval law regarding this crime in all its aspects.

Keywords

• felony
• betrayal
• vassal relations
• bogdan i
• 14th century
• punishment
• infidelity