Moys II Daroi, Palatin

Mojs, also Moys, Majs or Majos (died September/December 1280) was a powerful Hungarian baron in the 13th century, who held various positions in the royal court since the early 1250s. He retained his influence until his death, owing to his marriage with an unidentified relative of the ruling Árpád dynasty. His last will and testament is a uniquely detailed source on the social history of the Árpádian era. Through his daughters, Mojs was maternal ancestor of the Meggyesi, Tamási, Herceg de Szekcső and Báthory de Somlyó noble families.

Career Béla's confidant Mojs (II) was born in the first decade of the 13th century, as one of the three children of Mojs (I) and Venys Monoszló. The family background of the elder Mojs is unknown, but he definitely originated from a wealthy and notable kindred due to his marriage, which presumably possessed lands in Slavonia. He was a prominent supporter of Duke Béla since the 1220s, as a result his career in the royal court could not be fulfilled because of the tension between Béla and his father, King Andrew II. Mojs (II) had a brother Alexander, who was referred to as royal sword-bearer in 1233. Their unidentified sister married Nana Bár-Kalán, the son of Pousa Bár-Kalán. Their granddaughter Anna married Ladislaus Báthory (Bátori). The couple were the direct progenitors of the illustrious Báthory de Somlyó family, which later elevated as royal dynasty of Transylvania and Poland. Due to this marriage, their 16th-century courtly propaganda was able to emphasize that the Báthorys descended from the Árpád dynasty. Although Nicholas Pok later married for the second time to Catherine Kaplon, the Báthorys' chronicler András Valkai definitely stated in his genealogical poem (Genealogia historica regum Hungariae…, c. 1576–81) that Maurice – father of Anna – descended from the kinship of Mojs, but he incorrectly alleged that Mojs and "Sophia" (as he identified Mojs' wife) were the parents of Maurice, neglecting a generation – Nicholas Pok and Elizabeth – between them (it is possible that Emeric and Andrew II were more suitable ancestors for the Catholic Báthorys – primarily King Stephen Báthory – than Ladislaus IV the Cuman).

The fourth unidentified daughter married Henry Kőszegi, one of the most powerful oligarchs in the Kingdom of Hungary at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, who drew his suzerainty over Upper Slavonia and Southern Transdanubia, party through to the heritage from his father-in-law Mojs. Through their two sons, John and Peter respectively, Henry and his spouse were ancestors of the Tamási and Herceg de Szekcső noble families, which rose to prominence by the 15th century. They also had a daughter, who married Turcho, a member of the maternal kinship of King Andrew III, strengthening the existing relationship with the royal dynasty.

Last wills and testaments As Mojs had no legitimate male heirs, he compiled his last will and testament with the consent of his nephew Alexander for the first time in 1267, when he was in his sixties. The document guaranteed royal confirmation in the case of Mojs' death without a son, and included the right of revocation and amendment. According to the document, his wife and daughters would have inherited together Igal, two villages named Pozsony, Borhod, Oszlár, a portion in Derecske and his estates beyond the river Drava – Rácsa, Musina, Bakva, Izdenc and Sudyn. In 1272, Mojs modified his last will and attributed some of his estates only to his daughters who joined the Dominican nuns, who were also beneficiaries. According to Dóra Bachusz, Mojs remarried by then, therefore, it was necessary to separate the heritage in order to prevent subsequent disputes.

Mojs' health had deteriorated rapidly by 1280. After he fell ill, he compiled his final will and testament on his deathbed on the basis of an oral communication on 26 September 1280 in the presence of Thomas, Bishop of Vác, who also functioned as chancellor of Queen Isabella, representatives of the collegiate chapter of Buda (which acted as a place of authentication in this case), the superiors of the Franciscans and Dominicans, along with others. During the process, Mojs declared the fullness of his mental capacity. The 1280 last will was a "codicillus" in technical sense, which upheld but supplemented/amended the previous will. This type of phrase was preserved from law system of Classical antiquity, and occurs only four times in Hungary in the age of Árpáds. Legal historian Beáta Kulcsár attributed the technical term to Bishop Thomas and one of the members of his professional staff in the cathedral chapter of Vác, which recorded the document. Mojs' widow inherited Izdenc as a wedding gift and Rácsa, Uga in Tolna County, the marturina of three villages and twenty horses from her husband's stud due to "marital love". Mojs recommended an option for his nephew Alexander. Alongside a valuable gold belt, he could choose a settlement called Megyericse (Međurača, Croatia), or the joint lordship of Musina and Bakva (in the latter case, the widow would have inherited Megyericse). Mojs bequeathed his Transylvanian properties of Zolun (Zólyom) and Meggyes (today Medieșu Aurit, Romania) to his son-in-law Nicholas Pok, who moved the centre of his domains to the province thereafter. His other son-in-law Henry Kőszegi inherited the castle of Gordova (Grdjevac) and its surrounding lands in Slavonia. Mojs' sister, who joined the nuns at Székesfehérvár, was granted Nyék and Szakály in addition to the marturina of Megyericse. Mojs bequeathed several landholdings to the monastery of Ábrahám too; for instance, Ábrahám, Kurd, Görbő, Csibrák, Lázi and Bot (today a borough of Etyek). The Dominican nuns of Rabbits' Island gained Igal, two villages named Pozsony, Burkud, Aszlav, Ráksi, Kisbéc, Kazsok and Ecseny in accordance with his 1272 letter of intent, in which he granted them a right of usufruct over these estates. Papal legate Philip of Fermo, who resided in Hungary since that year, was granted the village Csap with its vineyards.

When Ladislaus IV confirmed his last will on 2 January 1281, Mojs was already referred as a deceased person, consequently he died in the last months of 1280. His widow shared her inherited property in accordance with the document. Meanwhile, Alexander also died, thus his son Mojs III had the opportunity to claim the villages Musina and Bakva, while the widow acquired Megyericse. After a brief disagreement, when she refused to fulfill the will, the widow handed over Meggyes and Zólyom to Elizabeth and Nicholas Pok – because of this, Bachusz considers she was only stepmother of Mojs' daughter.