According to Gesta Hungarorum Menumorut or Menumorout (translated into Hungarian as Mén-Marót) was the ruler of a "dukedom" based in Biharea (in what are now the Bihar and Bihor counties in Hungary and Romania respectively), whose territory was conquered by the Magyars sometime during the 10th century.

Menumorut was said to be the grandson of Dux Morut (translated as Marót in Hungarian, Moravec in Slovak), who was either another fictious person or most probably the Great Moravian ruler Svätopluk and Morot [Morot eius nomine maior est] was a distortion of the word Moravian. The author of the Gesta claims (actually assumes) that the territory was inhabited by the Magyar allies Kabars (gentes, qui dicuntur Cozar) after its conquest by the Magyars. Some historians believe that Morut and Menumorut were ethnic Khazars, with their names being of Turkish origin.

According to Gesta Hungarorum, Menumorut's lands lied between the River Tisza and the Ygfon Forest in the direction of Ultrasilvania (Transylvania), from the River Mures to the River Somes. In reality, this "dukedom" existed after the conquest of the territory by the Magyars, but its existence before that time is highly improbable.

The story

Gesta Hungarorum tells the story of Menumorut twice. In the first passage, Menumorut declined "with a Bulgarian heart" the request of the Magyar ruler Árpád (907) to cede his territory between the River Somes and the Meses Mountains, and in the negotiations with the ambassadors Usubuu and Veluc of Árpád he invoked the sovereignty of the Byzantine Emperor, in those days Leo VI.

The ambassadors of Árpád crossed river Tisza and came to the capital fortress of Bihor, demanding important territories on the left bank of the river for their duke. Menumorut replied:

"Tell Arpad, duke of Hungary, your lord. Indebted we are to him as a friend to a friend, with all requisite to him, since he is a stranger and lacks many. Yet the territory he asked from our good will never will we bestow as long as we will be alive. And we felt sorry that duke Salanus conceded him a very large territory out either of love, which it is said, or out of fear, which is denied. Ourself on the other hand, neither out of love nor out of fear, we will ever concede him land, not even if spanning only a finger, although he said he has a right on it. And his words do not trouble our heart that he stressed he descends from the strain of king Attila, which was called the scourge of god. And if that one raped this country from my ancestor, now thanks to my lord the emperor of Constantinople, nobody can snatch it from my hands." (See also: The original text in Latin)

The Magyars first besieged Satu Mare (Zotmar) citadel and then Menumorout's castle in Biharea, defeating him.

Gesta Hungarorum then retells the story of Menumorut, this time, he married his daughter into the Árpád dynasty, and her son Taksony, the nephew of Menumorut, became ruler of the Magyars and father of Mihály and Géza, who's son Vajk (Voicu in Romanian) became the first King of Hungary in 1001 under the Christian name Stephen.