July 31, 2015
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Ernakh or Ernac (Priscus: Ήρνάχ "Hernach") was the 3rd son of Attila. After Attila's death in 453 AD, his empire crumbled and its remains were ruled by his three sons. Ernakh is considered to have succeeded Dengizich king of Akatziroi and reigned from 469 AD to 503 AD over the Huns who roamed a substantial part of the former empire and inhabited the lands of modern Ukraine. Ernakh managed to assert himself as ruler of also the Bulgar Onogurs who had come upon the Acatzir Huns in 463 during the preceding reign of his brother Dengizich.

According to the Nominalia of the Bulgarian khans, a ruler named Irnik was a leader of the Bulgars for 150 years and his reign began approximately in 453 AD. Some historians consider Ernakh and Irnik to have been the same person.

According to Procopius and the Utigur khan Sandilch, Ernakh had two sons:

"one called Utigur and another called Kutrigur. After their father's death they shared the power and gave their names to the subjected peoples, so that even nowadays some of them are called Utigurs and the others - Kutrigurs."

In 486 and 488 Ernakh led the Bulgars as allies of Byzantium (and later as allies of the Gepids) against the Goths of Theodoric, but was defeated.

Irnik Point on Snow Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, is named after Irnik (Ernakh).