155

p In the mid-thirteenth century the Russian land was subjected to the Mongol invasion. Terrible hordes of nomads from the steppes, under the banner of Genghis Khan, swept westward. In the course of three years, from 1237 to 1240, the Russian people waged a courageous struggle against overwhelming enemy forces. But the feudal disintegration of Rus worked to her enemies’ advantage. Nevertheless the selfless heroic struggle against Mongol-Tatar hordes waged by the Russian people saved European civilisation from disaster.

Events related to this invasion were widely reflected in the literature of the day.

156

The Tale of the Battle
on the River Kalka

p Russian troops first clashed with the nomads in 1 223 on the River Kalka (Kalmius). We have two redactions of chronicle tales about this battle. This particular tale appears to have been composed in druzhina environment and, according to several scholars, its author is from Galich-Volhynian Rus, since it also contains an apologetica for young Prince Daniil of Galich who participated in the battle.

p The tale records the course of events in detail. Polovtsy brought the news to Kiev that an unknown people were approaching; they were the first to clash with hordes of nomads coming from the Caucasus under the direction of Genghis Dzhebe and Sabute. OnlySouth Russian princes took part in the battle, and they could not agree or unite. This, explains the tale, is the true reason for the defeat on the Kalka.

p We get a good idea of the mood of the Russian people upon hearing of the approach of Mongol-Tatar armies. They greeted the news with bewilderment: “People have appeared who are unknown to us; no one can say what language they speak, what tribe they belong to, what faith they profess, and some call them Tatars, others say Taumens, and still others—- Pechenegs....” The author of the tale quotes the Revelations of Methodius of Patara, written in Byzantium .during the late seventh century (the Revelations surveyed the fate of mankind from Adam t<5 the Second Coming). On the basis of this work, the author of our tale gives a religious interpretation of events: the advent of this unknown people is the result of God’s wrath at the sins of Rus.

People connect the tale of the battle on the Kalka with the legend of the death of Russian bogatyrs. Traces of a bylina telling how the bogatyrs disappeared from the Russian land can be found in copies of the historical tales dating from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries which tell us that, not only Russian princes (six relatives of Mstislav), but Alexander Popovich, his servant Toropets, Dobrynya Golden-Belt of Ryazan and seventy brave bogatyrs perished on the Kalka.

157

The Tale of Batu’s Arrival in Ryazan

p In 1237 the bulk of the Golden Horde, headed by Genghis’ heir Batu-Khan, reached the boundaries of Northeast Rus. The steppe nomads leveled their first stroke at Ryazan and then conquered Vladimir.

p The heroic defence by the Russian people of their native land was given vivid expression in The Tale of Batu’s Arrival in Ryazan. This tale is extant in sixteenth century chronicles and is related to the cycle of tales about St. Nicholas of Zaraisk.

p A tribute to the courage and heroism of the defenders, the tale praises Ryazan prince Yury Ingorevich, his brothers David and Gleb, and the druzhina of Ryazan, “brave men—the pride of Ryazan”, and the renowned bogatyr Evpaty Kolovrat. The author sees the reason for the defeat of Ryazan in the feudal disintegration of Russian principalities and the egoistic policies of the princes. Yury Ingorevich calls in vain upon Prince Yury Vsevolodovich of Vladimir; the latter refuses to help the men of Ryazan and resolves to wage an independent struggle against Batu.

p Religious reasons for the defeat of Ryazan seem to be organically removed from the contents of the tale: God’s will, punishment for sins. These thoughts on the author’s part cannot overshadow the main reason: the Great Prince of Vladimir has forgotten about the interests of the entire Russian land.

p The Tale of Batu’s Arrival in Ryazan has four parts: 1) Batu’s appearance at the borders of the Ryazan land, the Ryazan embassy to Batu headed by Prince Fedor, the death of Fedor and his wife Kvpraksia; 2) Yury Ingorevich’s heroic defence of Ryazan, the tragic fate of the defenders and Batu’s destruction of the city; 3) the feat of Evpaty Kolovrat; 4) Ingvar Ingorevich’s restoration of Ryazan.

p Yury Ingorevich’s son Prince Fedor and his young wife Evpraksia are among the heroes of the first part ol the tale. Fedor heads a delegation to Batu. Fearlessly he defends the honour of both his spouse and all women of Ryazan. With bold humour Fedor challenges the profane khan: “We Christians have no need to bring our 158 women to you, impious king, for fornication. When you conquer us, then you can try to conquer our women.” This proud answer enrages Batu who orders Fedor and his messengers killed.

p Fedor’s young wife Evpraksia is smitten by the news. As she stands in her tower, holding her young son Ivan, “she heard the words of death and was filled with grief, and threw herself from her tower with her young son, Prince Ivan, in her arms and fell to her death”. Thus does the tale recount a courageous act of faith and love, the suicide of this Russian woman, in a few words. The first part concludes with the bitter lament of Yury Ingorevich and all the citizens of Ryazan.

p The second part glorifies the courage of the forces of Ryazan and their prince Yury Ingorevich who inspires his men with a heroic speech: “We had better buy our lives with our deaths than be captured by the pagans. For I will drink the cup of death at your head, brother, for God’s holy Church and the Christian faith and the lands of my father, Great Prince Jngor Svyatoslavich.” This speech combines a heroic motif with a religious call to die for God’s Church and the Christian faith. Before the battle Yury acts in a way befitting a religious man: he prays to God and is blessed by the bishop.

p The central episode of the second part is a hyperbolic description of the battles between the men of Ryazan and the Tatars. One man fights against a thousand, two against ten thousand. In the battle druzhina change horses and astound the Tatars with their courage. After causing heavy losses to their enemies, the men of Ryazan perish: “...all the same they died and drank from one cup of death.”

p The devastation of the city is shown with great drama in the tale: “And in all the city not one man was left alive, all the same they died and drank from one cup of death; for there were none to moan, or weep; neither fathers or mothers for children, nor children for fathers and mothers, nor brother for brother, nor one kinsman for another, but all lay dead together.”

p The third part glorifies the exploit of Evpaty Kolovrat, an epic hero who is a match for any bogatyr from 159 Russian bylinas. He has extraordinary strength and courage, and is a living embodiment of the heroic exploit of the entire Russian people who cannot make peace with the enslavers and strive to revenge their devastation of the land. Attention is focused on Evpaty’s feats in battle; the deeds of the entire druzhina are represented in his person. Fearlessly galloping about the Tatar regiments, he strikes without mercy, and is so zealous that his sharp sword grows dull. Even Batu fears him and sends his brother-in-law Khostovrul to fight Evpaty. Here is a typical epic situation.

p Evpaty wins the duel; he “had the strength of a giant and sliced Khostovrul in half right to his saddle and began to cut down the Tatar forces and killed many of Batu’s bravest men, some slicing in half, and others to the saddle”.

p The terrified Tatars had to use their battering rams “and they began to attack with hundreds of battering rams and hardly managed to kill him...”.

p When Evpaty’s body was brought to him, Batu “marvelled at the man’s bravery and strength and courage”. He gave his enemy his due: “Oh, Evpaty Kolovrat, your small band of men has put up a good fight against me, killing many of my strongest bogatyrs, and many regiments have fallen. If such a man served me I would take him to my heart.”

p Evpaty’s brave men were a match for him. When the Tatars managed to take five soldiers captive, in spite of their wounds, they displayed irony and a sense of moral superiority when they told Batu: “We are Christians, servants of Great Prince Yury Ingorevich of Ryazan, and we belong to Evpaty Kolovrat’s regiment. We were sent by Prince Ingvar Ingorevich of Ryazan to meet you and honour you, oh mighty king, and pay our respects to you. Do not wonder, king, that we cannot fill the goblets of this great force, the Tatar army.”

p Their answer shows traces of folk epics (cf. Ilya’s dialogue with King Kalin).

p Just as Batu marvels at Evpaty’s feats, the wisemen and princes of the Horde admire the exploits of the Ryazan army: “We have followed many kings to 160 many lands and taken part in many battles, but have never seen such bold, brave men, nor did our fathers tell of such. For these were winged men who could not be killed, riding with might and courage, and fighting one against a thousand, two against thousands.”

p Due to the enemy’s acknowledgement of the Russian’s might, the tale has an optimistic note; its author stresses that eventually the Mongol-Tatar yoke would be overthrown and that the people had the strength for their struggle against their enslavers.

p The final part of the tale begins with the lament of Prince Ingvar Ingorevich, constructed according to the rules of rhetoric. He bitterly weeps for the dead “crying out in a loud voice that sounded like a trumpet, like a sweet organ playing”.

p The tale ends with an account of the rebirth and renewal of Ryazan, burnt to ashes by the enemy. As a result “Christians rejoiced...”. This ending shows the optimism and resilience of the Russian people, their unswerving faith in their ultimate salvation from the Tatar yoke.

p As a whole the work is a model of the military tale; at the same time it has many features of folklore. Not always precise in its presentation of historical facts (the author, for example, mentions Vsevolod of Pron, who died before 1237, as being one of the participants in the battle; or the death in battle of Oleg the Fair, although he survived), the tale gives a faithful picture of the mood of the times and is astoundingly vivid and dramatic.

p Far more laconic and lacking in imagery is the chronicle tale of Batu’s capture of Vladimir in 1238 and the battle on the River Sect with Prince Yury Vsevolodovich who fell in the battle.

Also interesting is the short chronicle account of the Tatar seige of Kozelsk. The citizens held out for seven weeks. As a result of their resistance Kozelsk was dubbed an “evil city" by the enemy, who took cruel revenge of the defenders when they took the city.

161

The Sermons of Serapion of Vladimir

p The Mongol-Tatar invasion was reflected in both didactic and hagiographical religious writings. Serapion, Abbot of the Kiev Crypt Monastery, and beginning in 1274, Bishop of Vladimir (he died in 1275), was a talented preacher. His contemporaries knew him as a man “well versed in the Holy Scriptures”. Serapion left five sermons: the first was written around 1230, after the battle on the Kalka, and the last four in Vladimir, from 1274 to 1275.

p For Serapion the invasion of alien tribesmen represents the chastising finger of God, avenging sins and calling upon people to repent. It also speaks of the approaching end of the world.

p He shows the approach of the “merciless pagan" in lively, rhythmic prose, with vivid imagery: “...for the merciless pagan is upon us, unleashed by God, and they have devastated our lands and captured our cities, and destroyed our holy churches, and killed our fathers and brothers, and defiled our mothers and sisters.”

p His second sermon describes the terrible wrath of God, recalling the past in a series of rhetorical questions: “Was not our land enslaved? Did not they capture our cities? Fell not our fathers and brothers to the earth as corpses? Were not our women and children led into captivity? Were not we sold into bitter slavery by the alien people? "

p The third sermon describes the misfortunes of the Russian land.

p The fourth and fifth sermons condemn prejudices and superstition. They are aimed against the custom of testing witches by fire and water, and the refusal to bury victims of drowning who, it was believed, spoiled the harvest. Here Serapion’s pessimism gradually disappears, which shows the general mood in Rus, including that of ecclesiastical circles.

p In his studies of the work of Serapion of Vladimir, E. V. Petukhov remarks on the simplicity and bluntness of his sermons which lack any signs of literary rhetoric. He regards Serapion as among those Northeast Russian thirteenth century writers who linked their region with 162 Kiev, preserving the traditions of the Kievan school, in particular the sermons of St. Feodosy of the Caves and Kliment Smolyatich, yet drawing material from the new reality and developing independently.   [162•1 

In this way events from 1237 to 1240, related to the invasion of Mongol-Tatar hordes, were reflected in the basic literary genres of the time: the military historical tale and the sermon.