Confucius said, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” Saint Olga must not have heard this advice, she dug thousands.
Little is known about Olga before she came to Keiv. It is thought that she was born sometime between 890 and 925 in Pskov. Most historians agree that she was about 15 years old when she married Igor I of Keiv, ruler of the Kyivan Rus. This territory occupied parts of present-day Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
It was 945 CE when Igor took his army to Iskoresten (now Koresten) in Northern Ukraine. The city was the capital of the Drevillians, who shared a complicated history with the Kyiven Rus. The Drevillians had recently stopped paying tribute to Igor, so he turned up with his massive army to persuade them to pay up. Upon seeing Igor’s superior force, the Drevillians quickly capitulated and paid the man his tribute. Though, as Igor was riding home to Kiev, it occurred to him that the payment was not good enough, so he returned to Iskoresten to demand more.
Perhaps it was arrogance or just plain stupidity, but when Igor returned, he only came with a small contingent of soldiers. Prince Mal, the Drevillian leader, annihilated Igor’s escort, tied him to a tree, then ordered his men to rip him in two. Afterward, in an audacious overture, Mal sent a delegation to Olga in Kiev, demanding her hand in marriage.
Olga’s response would echo throughout history.
Your proposal is pleasing to me, indeed, my husband cannot rise again from the dead. But I desire to honor you tomorrow in the presence of my people. Return now to your boat, and remain there with an aspect of arrogance. I shall send for you on the morrow, and you shall say, “We will not ride on horses nor go on foot, carry us in our boat.” And you shall be carried in your boat.
The following day, Olga ordered the people of Kiev to lift the entourage, boat and all, and carry them to the courtyard. As the entourage rode smugly in their vessel, Olga sprung her trap. Her people tossed the boat in a trench they had dug and proceeded to bury the Drevillians alive. It is said that she stood over the trench and watched as they piled dirt upon them, asking if “they thought the honor was to their taste.”
Next, she sent her own delegation to Ikoresten, confirming her intention to marry the prince. However, she asked that they send all their distinguished men to Kiev, so that she could be escorted in honor. Not having heard the fate of their original party, Prince Mal sent another group selected from Ikorestans upper society to escort Olga. When the distinguished guests arrived in Keiv, Olga requested that they wash themselves and take refreshments before granting them an audience. The Drevelillians were then escorted to a luxurious bathhouse. Once inside, the door was locked, and the house was set ablaze, burning Ikoresten’s finest alive.
Once again, Olga sent word to Ikoresten. This time, she wished for a feast to be set up at the site of her husband’s murder and provided with copious amounts of mead so that she could adequately mourn him before her marriage to Mal. The Drevillians, none the wiser, agreed to her request.
Olga arrived at the site with a small escort of soldiers and, as promised, wept and mourned for the loss of Igor. However, when it came time for the feast, she invited the Drevillian soldiers to join them, allowing them to drink their fill of the mead. When the Drevillian soldiers were good and drunk, Olga ordered her men to slaughter them. Hundreds were slain.
Now aware of Olga’s less-than-friendly intentions, the people of Ikoresten fortified themselves for a siege. The siege lasted for over a year until Olga sent one final message. She demanded that the Drevillians lay down their arms and pay tribute to Kieve Rus’. As a token of their compliance, each household was required to give Olga a pigeon or a dove in good faith. The Drevillians quickly agreed and produced the requisite birds. Olga ordered her soldiers to tie burning embers to the bird’s feet and release them outside the city. When the birds returned to their homes, the resulting fires were devastating, effectively obliterating the city.
Those who survived never questioned her regency.
Jason Roberts is a Seattle-based author noted for his acclaimed western horror series The Dead Wind Trilogy as well as other works of cosmic horror infused with historical fiction. His web-based series, Dark Distractions, examines paranormal mysteries, unexplained phenomena, and all things strange.
