Movileşti

The Movileşti ( _pl. Mohyła) were a family of boyars in the principality of Moldavia, which became related through marriage with the Muşatin family - the traditional House of Moldavian Princes.

According to legend, the family name is connected to the "aprod" Purice, a low-ranking boyar during the time of Prince Stephen the Great (ruled 1457–1504). Purice is said to have gained Stephen's recognition after kneeeling down and helping the diminutive prince mount a fresh horse during battle. After emerging victorious, the ruler awarded him large estates, and told him that his family was to be known not by the rather crude "Purice" ("flea"), but as "Movilă" ("hill").

They rose to political prominence during the latter part of the 16th century. Several of the Movileşti were favourable to an alliance with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, intermarried with the Potocki family, and took refuge to southern Poland after being faced with Ottoman reprisals (no longer present in the competitions for the throne after 1634). They survived as "szlachta", being awarded a Polish coat of arms (the Mohyła Coat of Arms).

Members

Princes

In Moldavia:
*Ieremia Movilă
*Simion Movilă
*Mihail Movilă
*Constantin Movilă
*Alexandru Movilă
*Miron Barnovschi-Movilă
*Moise MovilăIn Wallachia:
*Simion Movilă
*Gabriel Movilă

Others

*Petro Mohyla - Metropolitan of Kiev.
*Grigore Ureche - Chronicler and high ranking boyar ("Logofăt","Spătar" and "Great Vornic") in Moldavia

ee also

*Moldavian Magnate Wars

External links

* [http://genealogy.euweb.cz/balkan/balkan18.html Genealogy of the Muşatins]