# Radu Negru > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Radu_Negru > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Radu_Negru.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radu_Negru > Source revision: 1354695835 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Legendary founder and first ruler of Wallachia "Radu Vodă" redirects here. For other uses, see [Radu Vodă (disambiguation)](/source/Radu_Vod%C4%83_(disambiguation)). For other uses, see [Radu Negru (disambiguation)](/source/Radu_Negru_(disambiguation)). This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (November 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Fantasy portrait of Negru Vodă by [Pierre Bellet](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pierre_Bellet&action=edit&redlink=1) **Radu Negru**, also known as **Negru Vodă** ("The Black Voivode"), was a legendary [voivode](/source/Voivode) of [Wallachia](/source/Wallachia). He is a [folk hero](/source/Folk_hero) and the central figure behind the [founding of Wallachia](/source/Founding_of_Wallachia), which he would have ruled around 1290. His character and authenticity is typically regarded to be a blend of truth and fable, as many other similar and contemporary historical figures share his traits. ## Legend and Historicity Radu Negru was first mentioned in the 17th-century *Cantacuzino Annals*, which also state that the prince built large churches in [Câmpulung](/source/C%C3%A2mpulung) and [Curtea de Argeș](/source/Curtea_de_Arge%C8%99), successive capitals of [Wallachia](/source/Wallachia). The annals most likely refer to [Radu I of Wallachia](/source/Radu_I_of_Wallachia), who reigned from 1377 to 1383. There are no contemporary documents that correspond to a Wallachian voivode of his name ruling the area between the [Southern Carpathians](/source/Southern_Carpathians) and the [Danube river](/source/Danube_river), however [oral tradition](/source/Oral_tradition) as well as contemporary events do correlate to fragments of truth that can be detected in his legend. According to the legend, Radu Negru is described as "hailing from [Făgăraș](/source/F%C4%83g%C4%83ra%C8%99)" in Southern Transylvania. He was born sometime in the late 1260s and migrated south with fellow Wallachian [boyars](/source/Boyars), [clergy](/source/Clergy) and [peasants](/source/Peasants) around 1290 due to his distain of Hungarian rule, where he would found the Wallachian state and its [first ruling dynasty](/source/House_of_Basarab). He settled [Câmpulung](/source/C%C3%A2mpulung) and [Curtea de Argeș](/source/Curtea_de_Arge%C8%99), building important churches and fortification, as well as uniting local [Vlach](/source/Vlach) [knezes](/source/Cneaz) under his authority. He would hold the Wallachian throne until 1304, after which [Basarab I of Wallachia](/source/Basarab_I_of_Wallachia) would usurp him in the following years. Modern historians agree on a few key points, including a real migration of [Romanian](/source/Romanians) elites and people to the [Curtea de Argeș](/source/Curtea_de_Arge%C8%99) and [Câmpulung](/source/C%C3%A2mpulung) area, due to the fact that these areas were out of direct Hungarian control. In this case, the legend likely preserves a real process, but not necessarily a real person. The actual founder of Wallachia was almost certainly Basarab I, since he is the earliest documented ruler of Wallachia, who succeeded his father [Thocomerius](/source/Thocomerius) in 1310. Radu Negru in the modern day is most likely considered to be a [composite character](/source/Composite_character), blending the historicity of multiple, attested early Vlach rulers and used by later chroniclers to provide Wallachia with a more noble origin story, akin to that of [Romulus](/source/Romulus). In the various folk traditions and legends, Radu Negru's image blends with that of the following rulers: - [Thocomerius](/source/Thocomerius), father of Basarab I - [Basarab I](/source/Basarab_I) (c. 1270–1351/52), First Voivode of Wallachia - [Nicolae Alexandru](/source/Nicholas_Alexander_of_Wallachia), Second Voivode of Wallachia (c. 1352 – 1364) - [Radu I](/source/Radu_I), Voivode of Wallachia (c. 1377 – c. 1383) - [Neagoe Basarab](/source/Neagoe_Basarab), Voivode of Wallachia (1512-1521) ## See also - [Foundation of Wallachia](/source/Foundation_of_Wallachia) ## References - Neagu Djuvara: Thocomerius-Negru Vodă, un voivod de origine cumană la începuturile Țării Românești: cum a purces întemeierea primului stat medieval românesc dinainte de "descălecătoare" și până la așezarea Mitropoliei Ungrovlahiei la Argeș: noi interpretări/Thocomerius - Negru Vodă: a voivode of Cumanian origin at the beginning of Wallachia: how the foundation of the first medieval Romanian state began before "dismounting" and until the settlement of the Metropolitanate of Ungrovlahia in Argeș: new interpretations, Editura Humanitas, București, 2007, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-9735017873](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-9735017873) ## External links - [Basarabii: Radu Negru (Black)](http://www.tomoniu.sapte.ro/ntomoniu/tismana/basarabi/negru.htm) (in Romanian) v t e Voivodes (Princes) of Wallachia Legendary / Early rulers Radu Negru Thocomerius Basarab I House of Basarab Nicolae Alexandru Vladislav I Radu I Dan I Mircea I the Elder Vlad I the Usurper Mihail I Radu II the Bald Dan II Alexandru I Aldea Vlad II Dracul Mircea II Vladislav II Vlad III the Impaler Radu III the Fair Basarab III Laiotă Basarab IV Țepeluș Vlad IV the Monk Radu IV the Great Mihnea I the Bad Mircea III Dracul Vlad V the Younger Radu V of Afumați Vlad VI the Drowned Vlad VII Vintilă Radu VII Paisie Mircea IV the Shepherd Pătrașcu the Good Petru I the Younger Alexandru II Mircea Mihnea II Turcitul Petru II Cercel Michael the Brave Later Basarab & Related Houses Matei Basarab Constantin Șerban Mihnea III Radu X Șerban Radu XI Iliaș Alexandru IV Iliaș Alexandru V Coconul Craiovești & Other Romanian Houses Neagoe Basarab Teodosie Foreign & Phanariote rulers Ștefan I Surdul Alexandru III cel Rău Simion Movilă Gabriel Movilă Leon Tomșa Movilești rulers Phanariotes (e.g. Constantin Brâncoveanu, Ștefan Cantacuzino, Nicolae Mavrocordat, etc.) See also: List of princes of Wallachia • List of rulers of Moldavia • Domnitor • Principality of Wallachia Authority control databases VIAF GND This Romanian biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Romania-bio-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3ARomania-bio-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Romania-bio-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Radu Negru](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radu_Negru) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radu_Negru?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.