19 Facts About Momchil

Momchil achieved initial successes against Turks and Byzantines alike, setting Turkish ships on fire and almost managing to kill one of his main opponents at the time, John VI Kantakouzenos.

At the time, Momchil was approached by agents of Kantakouzenos' opponents, the Constantinopolitan regency, and persuaded to turn against him.

Momchil then overcame another Turkish force that arrived to exact retribution near the fortress of Peritheorion, and plundered several cities in the area that refused to surrender.

Momchil captured many of Kantakouzenos' men, but the claimant to the throne himself managed to escape in the turmoil.

Soon Momchil sent messages to Kantakouzenos asking for forgiveness.

Momchil nevertheless continued to entertain parallel ties with the regency, and even secured the title of despotes from the Empress Anna of Savoy.

Momchil proclaimed himself an independent ruler in the Rhodopes and the Aegean coast, "capturing cities and villages and appearing all-powerful and invincible".

Momchil tried to prevent this by asking again for pardon and offering to submit to Kantakouzenos, but the emperor refused to heed him.

However, to the surprise of Kantakouzenos and Umur Bey, the majority of Momchil's men were standing in front of the city walls and had not yet participated in the skirmishes.

Momchil's cavalry was promptly eliminated by Turkish sharpshooters and his remaining troops were surrounded on three sides by heavily armed horsemen.

Momchil's remaining men continued the fight on foot and for the most part did not surrender until Momchil himself perished.

Out of respect for Momchil, Kantakouzenos spared his wife, a Bulgarian woman he had captured during his conquest of Xanthi.

Momchil allowed her to flee to Bulgaria along with all of her property.

However, it is unknown whether Momchil had any children from this marriage or a previous one, if any.

Pavlov presents the hypothesis that Momchil's wife was a noblewoman from the Bulgarian capital Tarnovo, whom he married as part of an agreement with the Bulgarian court.

In Bulgarian and South Slavic folklore in general, Momchil is glorified in numerous songs and epic tales as a brigand, defender of the people and a prominent fighter against the Turks.

In some folklore material, Momchil, referred to as a duke, acts as the uncle of Prince Marko, another legendary figure who in epic poetry is a fighter against the Turks.

Momchil's life served as the basis for an opera piece, eponymously named Momchil and written by Bulgarian composer Lyubomir Pipkov.

Momchil's biography inspired a 1988 children's comic book, The Lord of Merope, which tells a largely fictionalised version of his story.