The History of Leo the Deacon

“The History of Leo the Deacon” contains a significant amount of information regarding the Varangian Rus and their wars with the Byzantines. We are not going to give all that here but we will include a passage that discusses some religious customs of the Rus. Some of this made its way into Karl Meyer’s “Fontes historiae religionis Slavicae.” It’s not clear whether these religious customs are customs of the Suavs or of the Rus. My bet is on the latter. For example, the killing of the chickens is similar to that described earlier by Constantine Porphyrogennetos as being done by the Rus. Alternatively, there are also apparently similar customs amongst the Hungarians, Mongols and Tatars. Nevertheless, since Meyer saw it fit to include this in his book, we will include it here as well. Note that the History itself is a 10th century book. The English translation is from Alice-Mary Talbot and Denis F. Sullivan edition. The events described below date back to 971 when  John Tzimiskes defeated Svyatoslav of Kiev (whose parents were Igor and Olga) who was roaming through Bulgaria.

Book IX

6. Elated by this victory, the Rus’ issued forth from the city the next day, and drew up their ranks on the batdefield; and the Romans also were arrayed in close order and in a deep formation and went to meet them. At this point Anemas, one of the imperial bodyguards and son of the leader of the Cretans, caught sight of Ikmor, second in command of the Scythian army after Sphendosthlavos and ranked immediately after him, a huge and vigorous man, who was frenziedly attacking with a company of infantry following him and killing large numbers of Romans; and Anemas was incited by his innate prowess, and drew the sword which was hanging at his side and turned his horse this way and that, and goaded it with his spurs, and headed toward Ikmor. And he overtook him and struck him in the neck; and the Scythian’s head and right arm were severed and dashed to the ground. As he fell, a cry mingled with lamentation arose from the Scythians; and the Romans attacked them. They could not withstand the enemy assault, but, grievously distressed by the death of their general, raised their shields, covering their shoulders, and withdrew to the town; and the Romans pursued them and slaughtered them. When night fell, since the moon was nearly full, they [the Rus’] came out on the plain and searched for their dead; and they collected them in front of the city wall and kindled numerous fires and burned them, after slaughtering on top of them many captives, both men and women, in accordance with their ancestral custom.  And they made sacrificial offerings by drowning suckling infants and chickens in the Istros, plunging them into the rushing waters of the river.  For they are said to be addicted to Hellenic mysteries,  and to make sacrifices and libations to the dead in the Hellenic fashion, having been initiated in these things either by their own philosophers, Anacharsis and Zamolxis, or by the comrades of Achilles. For Arrian says in the Periplous that Achilles, son of Peleus, was a Scythian, from a small town called Myrmekion located by Lake Maeotis; and that he was banished by the Scythians because of his harsh, cruel, and arrogant temperament, and then went to live in Thessaly. Clear proofs of this story are the style of his clothing with a brooch, and his fighting on foot, and his red hair and grey eyes, and his reckless and passionate and cruel temperament, on account of which Agamemnon reproached and mocked him, speaking as follows: “Always is strife dear to you and wars and battles!” For the Tauroscythians are still acccustomed to settle their disputes with killing and bloodshed. That this people is reckless and warlike and mighty, and attacks all the neighboring peoples, is attested by many people, among them the holy Ezekiel, who alludes to them when he says as follows: “Behold, I will bring upon you Gog and Magog, the ruler of the Rosy. But this is enough about the sacrifices of the Taurians

7. Then, since day was already dawning, Sphendosthlavos assembled a council of nobles, called a komentoh in their language. When they were all gathered round him, and had been asked by him what the course of action should be, some advised that they should embark on their boats in the middle of the night and steal away by any means whatsoever; for they were not able to contend with ironclad horsemen, and besides they had lost their best warriors, who had encouraged the army and sharpened their mettle. Others counseled, on the contrary, that they should come to terms with the Romans [that is the Byzantines], and receive pledges in return, and thus save the remaining army. For they could not easily escape by ship, since the fireships were keeping watch over the transports on both sides of the Istros, so that they could immediately set fire to all of them, if they attempted to sail out on the river. Sphendosthlavos groaned deeply and bitterly, and said: “If we now yield ignobly to the Romans, gone will be the glory that has attended upon the arms of the Rus, as they have effortlessly overwhelmed neighboring peoples, and enslaved whole lands without bloodshed. Rather, let us again manifest the valor of our ancestors, and, remembering that up till now the might of the Rus has been unvanquished, let us fight ardently for our safety. For it is not our custom to return to our fatherland as fugitives, but either to be victorious and live, or to die gloriously, after displaying deeds [worthy] of brave men.” Such was the advice of Sphendosthlavos.

8. This also is said about the Tauroscythians, that never up until now had they surrendered to the enemy when defeated; but when they lose hope of safety, they drive their swords into their vital parts, and thus kill themselves. And they do this because of the following belief: they say that if they are killed in battle by the enemy, then after their death and the separation of their souls from their bodies they will serve their slayers in Hades. And the Tauroscythians dread such servitude, and, hating to wait upon those who have killed them, inflict death upon themselves with their own hands. Such is the belief that prevails among them. But then, after listening to the words of their leader, out of love for life they decided to choose danger for the sake of their own safety, and spiritedly drew up to oppose the Roman forces.