A Tatar commander buried alive in a Polovtsian kurgan
Editorial contextWhen Prince Mstislav crossed the Dnieper and beat the Tatar vanguard, the survivors fled with their commander Gemyabeg into a Polovtsian kurgan (burial mound). Unable to hold out, they buried him alive in the earth to save his life. He was found, and the Polovtsy begged him from Mstislav and killed him. The steppe was already dotted with mounds that the chronicler credits to the Polovtsy.
and the rest of them fled with their commander Gemyabeg into a Polovtsian kurgan, and there they could not hold out, and they buried their commander Gemyabeg alive in the earth, wishing to save his life; and there they found him, and the Polovtsy, having begged him from Mstislav, killed him.
Working translation
Original wording
а прокъ ихъ въбѣже съ воеводою своимъ Гемябегомъ въ курганъ Половьчьскыи, и ту имъ не бы мочи, и погребоша воеводу своего Гемябега жива въ земли, хотяще животъ его ублюсти, и ту й налѣзоша, испросивъше Половьци у Мьстислава, и убиша й.
About Tatars (Mongol vanguard) and Polovtsy (Cumans)
Continue in this sourceThe Novgorod First Chronicle: the Tatars arrive1016 to 1447 · 12 passagesStone statues on the steppe that today's Tartars know nothing about
Editorial contextShe examined upright stone figures scattered over the steppe, each carved with a man's or woman's bust. From their dress and faces she judges them 'Tartar workmanship' of Kalmyk or Hun type, but notes that the living Tatars know nothing of them and she cannot tell whether they marked graves or grazing bounds. Matthew Guthrie adds a whole appendix on them.
They are standing perpendicularly in the ground, bearing each the bust of a man or woman tolerably sculptured for Tartar workmanship; which there can be no doubt of their being, from the particular dress in which they are represented, and the marked features of the Calmouks, or Huns. But whether these rude monuments of antiquity (for the present race of Tartars know nothing about them,)…
About Ancient steppe nomads; Nogai Tatars
Keep in mind
Attribution by dress and 'features' is guesswork; these stone figures (kamennye baby) belong to several earlier steppe peoples.
The Tatar envoys: 'we have not taken your towns'
Editorial contextBefore the Kalka battle the Tatars sent envoys to the Rus princes, who had allied with the Polovtsy (Cumans). They said they had not touched Rus land, towns or villages and had come against 'our slaves and grooms, the pagan Polovtsy'. The princes killed the envoys. The chronicle records the Mongol claim that the steppe nomads were their runaway subjects.
we hear that you are coming against us, having listened to the Polovtsy; but we have not taken your land, nor your towns, nor your villages, nor have we come against you; but we have come, sent by God, against our slaves and grooms, the pagan Polovtsy.
Working translation
Original wording
се слышимъ, оже идете противу насъ, послушавше Половьць, а мы вашеи земли не заяхомъ, ни городъ вашихъ, ни селъ вашихъ, ни на васъ придохомъ; нъ придохомъ, Богомъ пущени, на холопы и на конюси свое, на поганыя Половчь.
About Tatar (Mongol) envoys to the Rus princes
Continue in this sourceThe Novgorod First Chronicle: the Tatars arrive1016 to 1447 · 12 passagesEight-sided domed tombs the Russians called ‘Tatar mosques’
Editorial contextNear the new fortress of Nikitinskaja on the Konka, three old buildings stood at the mouth of the Sherebez stream, and Russians called them Tatarskije Metscheti, ‘Tatar mosques’. Güldenstädt judged them tombs of Tatar murzas who had camped here with their hordes, just like the buildings at Madshar. They were eight-sided with round domes, built of cut blocks of the local oolite stone, with doors facing south. Nearby lay the ruin of a larger building lined inside with green and black marble, probably a real mosque.
In their manner of building they are exactly like those at Madschary, and quite certainly nothing other than mausolea of some Tatar murzas who stayed with their hordes at these places convenient for camping. These buildings are eight-sided with a round dome, built of a fine oolite (roe-stone, meconites) cut into ashlar blocks, which is the local rock here.
Working translation
Original wording
Sie sind in der Bauart denen bei Madschary völlig gleich, und ganz gewis nichts anders als Mausoläen einiger tatarischen Mursen, die mit ihren Horden, an diesen zum campiren bequemen Oertern, sich aufgehalten haben. Diese Gebäude sind achtseitig mit einer runden Kuppel, aus einem zu Quadersteinen gehauenen feinen Roggenstein oder Meconites, der hier die Bergart ist, aufgeführt.
About Tatar murzas (nobles), in Güldenstädt's view
Keep in mind
On the same page Güldenstädt ascribes the nearby kurgans (some with brick vaults) to Nogais as well, and Pallas adds a footnote: more probably the ancient Slavs of the region.