'Swift to battle and swift to flee'
Editorial contextClosing its Kalka story, the Nikon compiler sums up the newcomers: nobody knew where these Tatars came from or where they went. They were quick to fight and quick to run, light and not weighed down by baggage; they fled and then turned back again, the feigned retreat that western writers also noticed. The last phrase, 'like demons', shows the chronicler's fear.
This was the first coming of the Tatars on Rus; they were swift to battle and likewise to flight, being light and not burdened with anything heavy; they flee and then return again, and they are evildoers like demons.
Working translation
Original wording
Се же первое прихоженіе Татарское на Русь; бѣ же скори на бой, такоже и на бѣганіе, легци же суща, не обременяющеся ничимъ же тяготнѣе, бѣгаеть же и паки возвращается, и злодѣиствени суть аки дѣмони.
About Tatars (Mongols of the 1223 raid)
Keep in mind
A 16th-century summary, not a 1223 eyewitness.
Batu's demand: a tenth of everything
Editorial contextCamped on the river Onuza, Batu sent envoys to the Riazan princes asking for a tenth of everything: princes, people, armour and horses. The princes answered: 'when we are gone, all will be yours.' One manuscript printed alongside says the envoys were 'a sorceress woman and two men with her', a detail that may echo Mongol shamanesses or may be later colour.
And from there they sent their envoys, a sorceress woman and two men with her, to the Riazan princes, asking of them a tenth of everything: of princes, and of people, and of armour, and of horses.
Working translation
Original wording
И оттолѣ послаша послы своя жену чародѣйцу и два мужа съ нею ко княземъ Рязаньскимъ, просяще у нихъ десятины во всемъ: въ князехъ, и въ людехъ, и въ доспѣсехъ, и въ конехъ.
About Batu's envoys; the princes of Riazan, Murom and Pronsk
Keep in mind
The 'sorceress' appears only in the parallel copy; the main Nikon text simply says 'envoys'. The tithe demand matches the Novgorod First Chronicle.
Tatar archers who never miss
Editorial contextThe account of the 1382 siege describes Tatar archery: their arrows fell on the walls like rain, some shot standing, others ran back and forth, others galloped and shot to both sides, forward and back, 'without a miss'. The defenders answered with crossbows, stone-throwers, boiling water and even the first cannon mentioned in Moscow.
Their assault on the city was very fierce; some of them shot standing, and others ran swiftly here and there, so well were they trained, and shot without a miss; and others, galloping very fast on horses, shot swiftly to both hands, and again forward and backward, without a miss.
Working translation
Original wording
Бѣ же приступъ ихъ ко граду яръ зѣло и ови отъ нихъ стояще стрѣляху, а друзіи скоро рищуще сѣмо и овамо, тако изучени быша, и стрѣляху безъ погрѣха; а иніи на конѣхъ борзо велми гоняюще, и на обѣ руцѣ и паки напреди и назадъ скорополучно стрѣляху безъ погрѣха.
About Tokhtamysh's Tatars
A note on this quote
The scan is too rough to double-check this quote by machine. Compare it with the page.
Siberia asks to pay tribute: a sable per man
Editorial contextEnvoys came to Moscow from Ediger, 'prince of Siberia', and from 'all the Siberian land'. They congratulated Ivan IV on taking Kazan and Astrakhan and asked him to take Siberia under his protection and set tribute. They agreed on one sable per 'black' (tax-paying) man, plus a squirrel skin for the collector, and said they had 30,700 such men. This is the first Moscow record of the Siberian khanate that Yermak would later conquer.
they petitioned the sovereign on behalf of Prince Ediger and of all the land, that the sovereign take their prince and all the Siberian land in his name, and defend them from all sides, and lay his tribute on them … and they said they had 30,700 black [tax-paying] people.
Working translation
Original wording
били челомъ государю ото князя Едигеря и ото всей земли, чтобы государь ихъ князя и всю землю Сибирьскую взялъ во свое имя и отъ сторонъ ото всѣхъ заступилъ и дань свою на нихъ положилъ … а черныхъ у собя людей сказали 30 тысящь семъсотъ человѣкъ.
About Ediger, prince of Siberia, and his envoys Tiagriul and Paniady
Keep in mind
Ediger was a Taibugid prince, not a Chinggisid; the head count is what the envoys stated.
Nogai horses for sale below Simonov
Editorial contextNogai envoys arrived with letters from their mirzas asking for friendship. The grand prince lodged them at the 'Nogai Court' in Moscow and let them sell their horses on the meadow below the Simonov monastery. That year the horses were cheap: early snow had left no grazing, and many barely arrived alive or died. Steppe horse herds for Moscow's cavalry were the Nogais' great export.
And the grand prince favoured them, and wishes to keep his friendship with them, and ordered them lodged at the Nogai Court, and to trade their horses on the meadow below Simonov. And the horses were cheap, they barely arrived alive, and many others died, because snow fell early, for lack of fodder.
Working translation
Original wording
И князь великій пожаловалъ ихъ, дружбу свою хочетъ къ нимъ дръжати, и велѣлъ ихъ поставити на Нагайскомъ дворѣ, а съ коньми торговати подъ Симановымъ на лугу. И быша лошади дешевы, едва и живы пришли, а иныхъ много помроша, понеже снѣгъ палъ рано, безъкорміа ради.
About Nogai envoys and horse traders of Koshum-mirza
Tokhtamysh, 'a certain tsar from the east, from the Blue Horde'
Editorial contextAfter his defeat at Kulikovo, Mamai heard that 'a certain tsar from the east named Tokhtamysh, from the Blue Horde' was coming against him. They met on the Kalka and Mamai lost. The passage shows the Rus knew the Horde as several 'hordes' with colours, and treated a new khan from the east as a stranger.
and news came to him that a certain tsar from the east, named Tokhtamysh, from the Blue Horde, was coming against him. And Mamai, with the army he had prepared against Grand Prince Dmitrii Ivanovich, went against him with that army, and they met on the Kalka
Working translation
Original wording
и се пріиде ему вѣсть, что идеть на него нѣкый царь съ востока, именемъ Тахтамышь, изъ Синіе Орды. Мамай же, еже уготова на великого князя Дмитреа Ивановича рать, съ тою ратью поиде противу его, и срѣтошася на Калкахъ
About Tokhtamysh, khan from the eastern (Blue) Horde; Mamai
Keep in mind
Historians still argue whether 'Blue Horde' meant the eastern or western wing of the Jochid ulus.
Epic heroes die at the Kalka
Editorial contextThe Nikon Chronicle adds names from Russian heroic poetry to the Kalka disaster: Aleksandr Popovich, his servant Torop, Dobrynia 'Golden Belt' and seventy great bogatyrs all fell to the Tatars. The same page tells how the captured princes were laid under planks while the Tatars sat on top to eat, crushing them. Older chronicles do not name these heroes; the compilers took them from oral epic.
and in that battle they killed Aleksandr Popovich and his servant Torop, and Dobrynia Riazanich Golden Belt, and seventy great and brave bogatyrs; all were slain by the Tatars through the wrath of God for our sins.
Working translation
Original wording
убиша же на томъ бою: и Александра Поповичя, и слугу его Торопа, и Добрыню Рязаничя Златаго пояса, и седмьдесятъ великихъ и храбрыхъ богатырей, вси побіени быша гнѣвомъ Божіимъ за грѣхи наша отъ Татаръ.
About Tatars (Mongols); Rus warriors including the epic heroes Aleksandr Popovich and Dobrynia
Keep in mind
The editors note that this sentence is found in only one manuscript (G). The heroes belong to epic song, not to 13th-century records.