1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot Com. Hello and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,159 Speaker 1: I'm Tracy view Wilson and I'm Holly Fry. Today we 4 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: are going to go all the way back to the 5 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:23,240 Speaker 1: Middle Ages, specifically to Kevin Ruce and Olga of Kiev. 6 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: Olga was married to Igor, who was Prince of Kevin, 7 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,480 Speaker 1: russ and she gets just the teeniest tiniest mention in 8 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: an episode that we did a long time ago on 9 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: her grandson, Vladimir, Grand Prince of Kiev, that was from 10 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: right after Holly and I joined this podcast, and that 11 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: very very brief mentioned. I mean, her name just comes 12 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:47,160 Speaker 1: up and a couple of sentences that's not nearly enough 13 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: to do her justice. Most of what we know about 14 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: Olga comes from the Russian Primary Chronicle, which is also 15 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: known as the Chronicle of Nestor or the Tale of 16 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: Bygone Years. We're gonna talk more about that later, but 17 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: some elements of this story might borrow a little bit 18 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:09,320 Speaker 1: more from legend than from history. This involves a very elaborate, 19 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: gruesome and incredibly thorough revenge and then a religious conversion, 20 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: and just the note that that revenge story is also 21 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: going to include the kind of gruesome killing of some animals. 22 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 1: So everyone brace, I will be bracing with you. We 23 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: have a bit of background before we get to Olga 24 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: and Igor so Kievan Russ is a term that was 25 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: coined in the nineteenth century to describe a loosely organized 26 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: federation of Eastern Slavic and Finnish tribes with a capital 27 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: in Kiev. It's named for Kiev and for the Rush 28 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: people who probably came from Scandinavia and invaded the area 29 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: around Kiev more than a thousand years ago. According to 30 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: the Primary Chronicle, the Viking Ruric invaded Kiev in the 31 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: middle of the ninth century, and then another Viking, a Leg, 32 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: started consolidating the tribes the area. A Leg and Rick 33 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,919 Speaker 1: might have been related, but that's not a d clear 34 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: and some historians suspect that elements of Rick's invasion story 35 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 1: might be apocryphal, and there is also ongoing debate about 36 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:18,079 Speaker 1: exactly where these invaders were from and whether they were 37 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: Scandinavian at all. Regardless though, Rouss is the origin of 38 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: the word Russian, and that's why all of this is 39 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:29,519 Speaker 1: frequently rolled up under the umbrella of Russian history. Today, 40 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: even though the territory involved also includes parts of Ukraine 41 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: and Belarus today. There were also lots of other tribes 42 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: in this part of Eastern Europe that were not part 43 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: of this federation. These tribes were variously at war or 44 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: allied with the Roust, depending on the time and the circumstance. 45 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 1: All of the tribes were ruled by princes, and the 46 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,519 Speaker 1: Prince of Kievan Russ considered himself to be the most 47 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 1: important of all of them. Yeah. Whether he actually called 48 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 1: himself the Grand Prince kind of varied over time, but 49 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: he considered himself to be the most important, best prince. Yes. 50 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: The economy of Kevin Russ rested on the collection of 51 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: tribute and then trade, primarily with Constantinople, which is now 52 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 1: Istanbul across the Black Sea. The Kevin Prince would collect 53 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 1: tribute from all the other princes over the winter, and 54 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: then in the warmer months they would take that tribute 55 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: by boat to trade with Constantinople. Sometimes the tribes paid 56 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: the tribute at least partly in money, but the tribute 57 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:34,639 Speaker 1: also included goods like furs, honey, and wax. Enslaved people 58 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: were also a major part of the tribute. And a 59 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: huge part of the trading economy of Kevin Ruce. The 60 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: people enslaved included prisoners of war, criminals, people who couldn't 61 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: pay their debts, and in some cases, people who sold 62 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: themselves into slavery. And one of the many subjects of 63 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: ongoing debate in this episode is whether the word slave 64 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: is actually derived from slav and grew out of the 65 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: Russ's enslavement of Slavic people's. This trading relationship with Constantinople 66 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: came about during Aleg's reign as prince. At about nine 67 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: oh seven, he had gone to war with the Byzantine 68 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: Empire through the Roosts, usually described as Greeks. This war 69 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: ended in a treaty between Aleg and the Byzantine emperors 70 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 1: Leo the sixth and Alexander and that established terms for 71 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: their trading relationship. Under this treaty, the Greeks would provide food, baths, 72 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,719 Speaker 1: and supplies when the roost came as merchants, but would 73 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: provide nothing to roost who came to the area without 74 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,719 Speaker 1: goods to sell. A few years later, the Roosts and 75 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 1: the Greeks negotiated another treaty, one that covered a lot 76 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: more terms beyond just trade, including what would happen if 77 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,840 Speaker 1: various crimes were committed against a Greek by a roost 78 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 1: and vice versa. This treaty also established things like ground 79 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,279 Speaker 1: rules for what to do if ships from one had 80 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: to go into the territory of the other because of 81 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 1: bad weather, and how prisoners and slaves were to be treated. 82 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 1: Aleg died in nine twelve, and while his death itself 83 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 1: isn't strictly related to today's episode, it's account in the 84 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: primary chronicle is just too good to leave it out 85 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: because I like it. According to the Primary Chronicle, a 86 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 1: prophecy had foretold that a Leg's favorite horse would be 87 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 1: the cause of his death. Hoping to keep that from happening, 88 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 1: a Leg ordered the horse to be sent out to 89 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: pasture and to be taken care of very well, but 90 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: never brought into his presence again. Some years passed, and 91 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: he started to wonder whatever had happened to that horse. 92 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: When he asked, he was told that it had died, 93 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: so he asked to be taken to see its bones, 94 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: and once he was there, he laughed at the idea 95 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: that this horse was supposed to have caused his death, 96 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 1: and he stepped on its skull. But the problem was 97 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: there was a stake hiding in there and the snake 98 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: bit him and he died. Well yeah, um, I don't 99 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: want to vilify snakes that he he was just in 100 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:04,360 Speaker 1: his snake apartment he was doing. After a Leg's death, 101 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: Olga's husband, Igor assumed the throne. It's possible that Igor 102 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: may have also been related to Ruric, but it is 103 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: not completely clear. Igor was born around eight seventy seven 104 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:19,600 Speaker 1: and Olga was born in an estimated eight ninet. Olga 105 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: may have been the daughter of a prince, but some 106 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: sources specifically note that she was of common birth. The 107 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 1: primary chronicle places her birth at the city of Skov 108 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: in what's now Russia. Igor and Olga married in nine 109 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 1: oh three, so they had been married for about nine 110 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: years when a Leg died and Igor assumed the throne. 111 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: Igor did not have a reputation for being a particularly 112 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: wise or skilled leader. He did conquer one of those 113 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: neighboring tribes, the Drevelyans, and he imposed a much higher 114 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: tribute on them than his predecessor had demanded. But he 115 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,799 Speaker 1: also waged war on the Greeks in an unsuccessful campaign 116 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:58,720 Speaker 1: that led to most of his fleet being destroyed by 117 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:02,039 Speaker 1: what was described as Greek fire. Egor responded to this 118 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 1: defeat by raising an army, rebuilding some of his ships, 119 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: and trying again, which led to a new treaty with 120 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: the Byzantine Empire negotiated in ninety four. But this treaty's 121 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: terms weren't as favorable to the Rous as a Leg's 122 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: earlier treaty had been, so this was an overall loss. 123 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: The treaty did, though, illustrate how Christianity had started to 124 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 1: become established in Kevin, Russ. Christians were still in the minority, 125 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: but they were a large enough minority to be specifically 126 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:35,559 Speaker 1: addressed in this treaty. Their inclusion also suggests that Igor 127 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: was at least tolerant of them per the treaty. The 128 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 1: baptized Roots or the Christians, acknowledged the treaty by taking 129 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: an oath in a cathedral, while the unbaptized russ or 130 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 1: the Pagans swore on their swords. Igor was pagan, so 131 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 1: he swore on his sword. Kevin Russ also had a 132 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: significant Jewish population, which wasn't referenced in the signing of 133 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 1: the treaty, and there may have been at least some 134 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: people of other religion as well. A year later, when 135 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: Igor was out collecting tribute, he demanded even more from 136 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: the Drevelans than he had previously, which was already more 137 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: than a leg had required, and when they resisted, he 138 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 1: attacked them. Once he had defeated them and collected their tribute, 139 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: he sent most of his retinue on ahead, but he 140 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: turned back with a few of his men, apparently to 141 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 1: try to collect still more tribute. At that point, the 142 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: Devilians killed him, along with his escort. Then the Drevelans 143 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 1: tried to press their advantage. They sent an envoy to 144 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:37,360 Speaker 1: Olga in Kiev to inform her of Igor's death and 145 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 1: to seek her hand in marriage for their own prince, 146 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: who the Primary chronicle names as Mao. It wasn't all 147 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: that uncommon for a ruler's widow to marry the man 148 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 1: who had defeated him, But the Drevelans goal wasn't so 149 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: much to cement some kind of alliance between Olga and Mao. 150 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 1: It was to take custody of Igor and Olga's son, 151 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: sav Yatsla, of it was just a toddler and groom 152 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: him to rule in a way that would be the 153 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: most favorable to them, And just to acknowledge that this 154 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 1: chronology is a little odd. Olga and Igor were married 155 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:15,320 Speaker 1: in nine oh three, but Savyatslav's birth is recorded as 156 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: two and the primary chronicle doesn't record any other children 157 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:22,959 Speaker 1: from their marriage. This would mean that they had been 158 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:26,319 Speaker 1: married for about thirty nine years before Sevatslav was born, 159 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 1: and the Olga was in her fifties at the youngest, 160 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 1: and that Igor was about sixty five. So that's not impossible, 161 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 1: but it does seem kind of improbable. The odds are 162 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 1: a little long, right, There are cases on record of 163 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:46,359 Speaker 1: people having children at those ages, yes, and having surprised 164 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 1: babies later in their life. But still you have to 165 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 1: do the ven diagram of calendar math gets awkward the 166 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: farther and farther back you go in history. Yes, So 167 00:09:56,280 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 1: regardless of that sort of uh interesting chronology, Olga's response 168 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:05,679 Speaker 1: to her husband's assassination, according to this account, was dramatic, 169 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:08,199 Speaker 1: and we will get to it after a sponsor break. 170 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: According to the primary chronicle, when the Drevelyan delegation arrived 171 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: in Kiev, they were in a small boat carrying about 172 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: twenty men. Olga welcomed them. She offered them hospitality, and 173 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:29,440 Speaker 1: she told them that she wanted to meet with them 174 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 1: in the morning. She said that they should go back 175 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: to their boat that they had come on, and that 176 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:36,800 Speaker 1: she would send men to act as an escort the 177 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 1: next day. She advised them that to make a good impression, 178 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:44,680 Speaker 1: they should carry themselves very proudly. They should basically be arrogant, 179 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: and then when her retinue came to collect them in 180 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 1: the morning, they should refuse to go with them by 181 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: foot or on horseback, and instead demand that they be 182 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 1: carried to her still in the boat. I mean, I'm 183 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: I'm a wary person by nature, so I'm like, if 184 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:05,120 Speaker 1: I heard this, adec, you're punking me. During the night, though, 185 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:08,680 Speaker 1: Olga ordered a deep trench to be dug alongside the castle. 186 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: When her porters carried the Drevelan men to the castle, 187 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,560 Speaker 1: they dropped them still in the boat, down in the trench, 188 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: where Olga had them buried alive. Then Olga sent a 189 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 1: message to the Drevelans saying that she would consider that 190 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: offer of marriage if they sent a delegation of distinguished 191 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,680 Speaker 1: men to act as her escort. Prince mal agreed to 192 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 1: this and sent what was described as the best men 193 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 1: of the Drevelans. When they arrived, Olga said she would 194 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:39,439 Speaker 1: receive them after they'd had baths, So they were led 195 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:42,839 Speaker 1: into the bath house and locked inside, at which point 196 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: Olga's men set the building on fire. This is maybe 197 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 1: when you stopped trusting Olga. I'm just saying. She did 198 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: make sure that she acted quickly before a word could 199 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:55,679 Speaker 1: go back to mal separately of what had been going on. 200 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 1: But she wrote again saying that she was on her 201 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 1: way to marry Prince mau All, but the first she 202 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:03,679 Speaker 1: needed to have a proper morning and funeral for her 203 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: late husband. She asked that the dreve Leans prepare large 204 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:10,559 Speaker 1: quantities of mead for that purpose, and then she traveled 205 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 1: to the site of Egor's death, where the Drevelans had 206 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 1: buried him. Once she had mourned for her late husband 207 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 1: at his tomb. There, Olga set up a funeral feast 208 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: with her retinue serving the Drevelans who had attended. According 209 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: to the primary chronicle, the Drevelance had sent a retinue 210 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 1: of about five thousand men, and then Olga's men were 211 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:33,839 Speaker 1: very generous in serving the mead that the Drevelans had 212 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:37,360 Speaker 1: brewed for this purpose. Once the Drevelans were all drunk, 213 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: Olga's retinue massacred them again. Don't don't trust Olga. I'm 214 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 1: not I'm not judging her actions. I'm just saying, don't 215 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:49,240 Speaker 1: trust this person. But she was still not done. She 216 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: returned to Kiev and raised an army before returning to 217 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 1: the Drevelan capital of Escoston to lay siege to it. 218 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 1: That siege went on for a year. Finally, the drevel 219 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:02,960 Speaker 1: Is offered to surrender, saying they would pay tribute of 220 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,839 Speaker 1: honey and furs if only Olga would just leave them 221 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:09,960 Speaker 1: in peace. She finally made what seemed like a generous offer. 222 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: If they brought her three pigeons and three sparrows from 223 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: each house, she would indeed leave them in peace. But 224 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 1: then when they brought her those pigeons and sparrows, she 225 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 1: had her men turned them into living incendiary devices. The 226 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 1: primary chronicle describes this as tying small pieces of sulfur 227 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:31,839 Speaker 1: wrapped in cloth to each bird. It's probably not straight 228 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 1: up sulfur. It was probably some kind of highly flammable 229 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 1: substance that was just described with that term, maybe something 230 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,280 Speaker 1: that would have been relatively stable until it was somewhere 231 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:44,920 Speaker 1: very warm, like a dovecoat or a chimney. Regardless, all 232 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 1: these birds flew back to their nests and caught fire, 233 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 1: burning most of the city to the ground as Olga's 234 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 1: army rounded up and killed survivors who tried to flee. 235 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 1: A few Drevelans were left alive after all of this, 236 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:02,000 Speaker 1: and Olga enslaved some of them demanded huge tributes from others. 237 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: Talking a little bit more about that whole revenge campaign 238 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: later on when we get into some of the details 239 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:11,679 Speaker 1: about the Russian Primary Chronicle and how accurate all this 240 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 1: may be. But once that massive revenge campaign was over, 241 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 1: Olga really seems to have had an efficient and effective 242 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: time leading Kievan Ruce. She served as her son's regent 243 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 1: for nearly nineteen years. She reportedly did a lot of 244 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 1: basically establishing an administrative state to run Kievan Rus efficiently, 245 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 1: and this made her the first woman to rule Kievan 246 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 1: Rus and the only woman ruler described in the Primary Chronicle. 247 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: The Primary chronicles next check in with Olga is during 248 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 1: a trip to Constantinople, which Slavic people is referred to 249 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: as Sargrod, she met with Byzantine Emperor Constantine the seventh, 250 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: son of Emperor Leo the sixth. This was not Constantine 251 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:55,760 Speaker 1: the Great, who lived about six hundred years earlier than 252 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 1: the events were describing. This happened sometime around the nine fifties. 253 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 1: According to the primary chronicle, Constantine was really as impressed 254 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: with Olga. He noted her intellect and her wisdom, and 255 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 1: said that she was quote very fair of countenance. He 256 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 1: also said that she was worthy of ruling at his side, 257 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 1: at which point she told him that she was pagan 258 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: and that if he wanted her to be baptized, he 259 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:24,080 Speaker 1: would have to do it himself. He did this, according 260 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:27,640 Speaker 1: to the chronicle, with the help of the patriarch of Constantinople, 261 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:31,880 Speaker 1: and at her baptism she was christened Helena, reportedly after 262 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 1: the mother of Constantine the Great. To quote the primary 263 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 1: chronicle quote, when Olga was enlightened, she rejoiced in soul 264 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:42,920 Speaker 1: and body. The patriarch, who instructed her in the faith, 265 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: said to her, blessed art thou among the women of Ruth, 266 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 1: For thou hast loved the light and quit the darkness. 267 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:52,120 Speaker 1: The sons of Ruth shall bless thee to the last 268 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:57,120 Speaker 1: generation of thy descendants. From there, Olga began studying with 269 00:15:57,160 --> 00:16:00,640 Speaker 1: the patriarch, learning all the traditions and value and modes 270 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: of worship of the Orthodox Church. After the baptism, Constantine 271 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 1: proposed to Olga something that seemed like he might have 272 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: been thinking about earlier in the story when he said 273 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,680 Speaker 1: that she was worthy of ruling at his side. But 274 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: she said, quote, how can you marry me after baptizing 275 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:19,960 Speaker 1: me and calling me your daughter? For among Christians that 276 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: is unlawful, as you yourself must know. In other words, 277 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: you were my godfather at my baptism. Just now, what 278 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: are you even thinking? Constantine answered, Olga, you have outwitted me. 279 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: He gave her lavish gifts like gold and silks before 280 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,080 Speaker 1: she went back home to Kiev, promising to send gifts 281 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: of her own in return when she got there. Olga 282 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: was pretty savvy, though, as she has been this entire time. 283 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 1: Once she got back to Kiev and Constantine wrote to 284 00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 1: her about his promised gifts, she said that she would 285 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 1: send them along once he spent as much time with 286 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 1: her in her country as she had spent with him 287 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: in his. According to accounts from the time. Once Olga 288 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 1: got back to Kiev, she began destroying pagan idols, but 289 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 1: it's not clear whether this was part of an attempt 290 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 1: to outlaw pagan worship. She had apparently tolerated Christians while 291 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 1: she herself was pagan, and it's possible that she continued 292 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: to tolerate pagan's once she had become Christian, meaning that 293 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: she was destroying idols to conform with Christian law, not 294 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:23,680 Speaker 1: as part of an attempt to drive out all paganism. 295 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:27,359 Speaker 1: After her conversion to Christianity, Olga did try to persuade 296 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:30,680 Speaker 1: savyats Love to do the same. He was old enough 297 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 1: at that point to make this decision, but not really 298 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 1: old enough to rule. He didn't want to be baptized, 299 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:40,639 Speaker 1: though Christians were still really in the minority in Kevin, 300 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:43,399 Speaker 1: russ and he worried that he would lose the respect 301 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:47,440 Speaker 1: of his pagan subjects if he converted. Olga's regency ended 302 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 1: in nine sixty four, when Savantslav turned twenty one. He 303 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:54,679 Speaker 1: followed in his father's footsteps and embarked on a series 304 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: of military conquests, although these were much more successful than 305 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:01,879 Speaker 1: his father's had been. Although Olga was no longer regent, 306 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 1: she continued to run Kiev's administrative state while her son 307 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:10,160 Speaker 1: was away at war. Savyatslav was really ambitious. He wanted 308 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 1: to unite the Roosts and the neighboring Bulgars into one 309 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:18,200 Speaker 1: Russo Bulgarian empire. He conquered an assortment of neighboring people's 310 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: along with a series of cities along the Danube River, 311 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 1: earning the nickname Sevyatslav the Brave In He captured the 312 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,480 Speaker 1: city of Paria Slavits, on the mouth of the Danube River, 313 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:33,320 Speaker 1: and he made his home there. Sevyatslav's moved to Parislavits, 314 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: left Kiev relatively vulnerable, though while he was living in Parislavits, 315 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:42,520 Speaker 1: a semi nomadic Turkic speaking people called Pechenegs attack Kiev. 316 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:45,919 Speaker 1: As they lay siege to the city, Olga tried to 317 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:49,679 Speaker 1: protect her grandchildren, who included both of the next princes 318 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:53,679 Speaker 1: of Kievan russ The Pechenegs force was large enough that 319 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:56,160 Speaker 1: nobody was able to get into or out of Kiev 320 00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:58,160 Speaker 1: while it was under siege, or even really to send 321 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: any kind of message to sevyats of the besieged city 322 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:04,160 Speaker 1: was finally able to send for help when a young 323 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 1: man who knew the Turkic language had an idea for 324 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 1: a little subterfuge. He sneaked out of the city with 325 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 1: a bridle and started asking around if anybody had seen 326 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 1: his horse. So the Pechen Eggs thought he was one 327 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:18,399 Speaker 1: of their own force. He was able to kind of 328 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: work his way through the crowd searching for his make 329 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:24,680 Speaker 1: belief horse before being noticed. He was able to get 330 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: away carrying word of what was happening to Sevyatslav's nerest general. 331 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 1: This general was able to relieve the siege of Kiev 332 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:36,000 Speaker 1: pretty quickly, and once Sevyatslav heard what had happened, he 333 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 1: raised an army to drive the Pechen Eggs out of 334 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: the area. Once that was done, Though Sevyatslav really wanted 335 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:45,679 Speaker 1: to return to the Danube River region, he thought Paris 336 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 1: Labitz was a lot more strategically located city. It was 337 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: more central in his newly expanded territory that had better 338 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 1: access to trade and luxury goods. His mother got him 339 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 1: to promise that he would wait until after her death 340 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:02,399 Speaker 1: to because she didn't want to be separated from him again. 341 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:07,440 Speaker 1: She died on July eleven, sixty nine. In the words 342 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:10,840 Speaker 1: of the chronicle quote Olga was the precursor of the 343 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: Christian Land, even as the day spring precedes the sun, 344 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,800 Speaker 1: and as the dawn precedes the day. For she's shone 345 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:20,399 Speaker 1: like the moon by night. And she was radiant among 346 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 1: the infidels, like a pearl in the mayre. Since the 347 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:26,440 Speaker 1: people were soiled and not yet purified of their sin 348 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 1: by holy baptism, but she herself was cleansed by this 349 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:34,480 Speaker 1: sacred purification. She put off the sinful garments of the 350 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:37,160 Speaker 1: old atom and was clad in the new atom, which 351 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 1: is Christ. Thus we say to her, rejoice in the 352 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,720 Speaker 1: Russ's knowledge of God, for we were the first fruits 353 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 1: of their reconciliation with Him. She was the first from 354 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:50,040 Speaker 1: Rus to enter the Kingdom of God. And the sons 355 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 1: of Russ thus praise her as their leader, for since 356 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:56,120 Speaker 1: her death she has interceded with God in their behalf. 357 00:20:56,600 --> 00:21:00,040 Speaker 1: To close the loop on her story and two of 358 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:02,359 Speaker 1: Yatslav was on the way back to Kiev with a 359 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 1: small retinue when he was ambushed by the Petchen eggs 360 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:10,040 Speaker 1: and killed. He was succeeded by his oldest son, Yarra Polk, 361 00:21:10,119 --> 00:21:13,040 Speaker 1: who was then succeeded by his brother, Vladimir or the Great. 362 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 1: He's the one that we've talked about in that previous episode, 363 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 1: and he was the one who converted Kiev and Roots 364 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:21,920 Speaker 1: to Christianity. Like we said at the top of the show, 365 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: it is possible that some elements of Olga's life are 366 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:28,159 Speaker 1: a little bit closer to legend than actual fact, and 367 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 1: we're gonna get into that after we first paused for 368 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:40,560 Speaker 1: a little sponsor break. If you read a bunch of 369 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:44,360 Speaker 1: articles about Oliga of Kiev from different sources today, you 370 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:48,399 Speaker 1: can find dramatically different takes on her, depending on he 371 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 1: was writing. Some of them focus only on her revenge 372 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:56,160 Speaker 1: against the Drevelands, while others focus only on her conversion 373 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:59,359 Speaker 1: to Christianity, describing her as equal to the Apostles and 374 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 1: completely leaving out all of that earlier revenge arc. Some 375 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 1: focus both on the revenge and the conversion, crediting the 376 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:12,959 Speaker 1: conversion to Christianity with transforming Olga from a bloodthirsty pagan 377 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 1: into a pieceful Christian And there are also a few 378 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:18,119 Speaker 1: that try to build the case that this revenge was 379 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 1: just a total fabrication that has nothing to do with 380 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 1: Olga as a Christian figure at all, it's true that 381 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:27,200 Speaker 1: there is not a lot of documentation of the revenge 382 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:32,120 Speaker 1: campaign outside of the Primary Chronicle. The Russian Primary Chronicle 383 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:35,439 Speaker 1: is typically attributed to the Monk Nestor, although it was 384 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:39,359 Speaker 1: probably the compilation of work by multiple people. It's usually 385 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 1: cited as having been completed in eleven thirteen, so about 386 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,679 Speaker 1: a hundred and fifty years or more after all of 387 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 1: these events happened. The oldest surviving copy of it is 388 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:52,119 Speaker 1: from about thirteen hundred, and it's considered to be the 389 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 1: most important source of information about the early history of 390 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:59,640 Speaker 1: the Eastern Slavs. Olga mike I said earlier is the 391 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: old the woman ruler described in the Primary Chronicle, which 392 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:06,640 Speaker 1: is also the only ruler presented as having this degree 393 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: of cunning, But that disparity isn't necessarily evidence that this 394 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:14,960 Speaker 1: revenge story is a fabrication. Most of the male leaders 395 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 1: who are described in the Primary Chronicle are mentioned in 396 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 1: terms of their military skill, sort of their value and 397 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:24,880 Speaker 1: aptitude as a as a leader is tied into their 398 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 1: military campaigns Olga didn't directly participate in military campaigns the 399 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 1: way the roots princes did, so this difference in tone 400 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:37,320 Speaker 1: might just be because Olga's leadership took a very different 401 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,480 Speaker 1: form than the men's leadership did. But even though there 402 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:43,679 Speaker 1: isn't a lot of corroboration of the revenge story itself, 403 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 1: there is information to suggest that something like it could 404 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:50,080 Speaker 1: have happened, although perhaps not on such a massive and 405 00:23:50,119 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 1: prolonged scale. There are plenty of other revenge stories from 406 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:57,600 Speaker 1: medieval Europe and Asia, both in factual chronicles and in 407 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:00,640 Speaker 1: stories and legends, so this one didn't just come out 408 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:04,639 Speaker 1: of nowhere. Also, the primary deity among pagans at the 409 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:07,880 Speaker 1: time was Parin, god of thunder and lightning, and he's 410 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:12,480 Speaker 1: associated with order and right and purification, so some historians 411 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 1: argue that Olga's medieval pagan background is right in line 412 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:18,920 Speaker 1: with this revenge story and an attempt to put things 413 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 1: right to purify the region of Drevellans. The Russ's relationship 414 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: with the Greeks, on the other hand, is much more documented. 415 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 1: Igor and allegs treaties with the Greeks are both recorded 416 00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:37,720 Speaker 1: from the Byzantine Empire's perspective. Olga's visit to Constantinople also appears, 417 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:41,679 Speaker 1: and Constantine's Book of Ceremonies, which is an extremely detailed 418 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:45,399 Speaker 1: Book of all the ceremonial protocol at Court. When I 419 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:49,720 Speaker 1: say extremely detailed, I'm talking eleven page long descriptions of 420 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:52,080 Speaker 1: all the decorations at an event, and who was there 421 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,360 Speaker 1: and what they were wearing, and where they were all 422 00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 1: positioned in the room. If you have ever read the 423 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:01,879 Speaker 1: book The Princess Bride, it's basically an entire book of 424 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:05,800 Speaker 1: the things that are cut out of it. I was 425 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:08,639 Speaker 1: gonna say it sounded like, uh. Some of the writing 426 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 1: of Gustaf lobert Um Constantine doesn't specifically mention Olga's baptism 427 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 1: in the Book of Ceremonies, though which he wouldn't have 428 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:21,959 Speaker 1: if it took place somewhere other than at court. He 429 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 1: also calls her by the name Helga, which is the 430 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 1: Scandinavian version of Olga. But there are plenty of other 431 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: references to this baptism and the historical record, including Slavic, 432 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,920 Speaker 1: Byzantine and Latin accounts, but they all contradict each other 433 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:40,200 Speaker 1: in terms of exactly when and where the baptism happened. 434 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:43,800 Speaker 1: Some accounts placed the conversion is happening in nine fifty 435 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 1: four or nine fifty five, but if you line up 436 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,479 Speaker 1: the dates with the days of the week that appear 437 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:53,400 Speaker 1: in Constantine's writing, it was really nine fifties seven. Some 438 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:56,679 Speaker 1: accounts that suggest an earlier date also suggest that it 439 00:25:56,720 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 1: was a local priest named Gregory and not the Patriot 440 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:03,720 Speaker 1: arc of Constantinople, who actually performed the baptism. On top 441 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:06,880 Speaker 1: of these differing accounts, there are also modern scholars who 442 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:09,480 Speaker 1: have tried to piece together a timeline based on other 443 00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:13,679 Speaker 1: bits of information, like whether Constantine's wife, Helen would have 444 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:17,760 Speaker 1: been Olga's godmother since her husband was Olga's godfather, and 445 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 1: if she was, whether that was why Olga was given 446 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:23,000 Speaker 1: the baptismal name of Helen, and if the answer to 447 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:26,040 Speaker 1: both of those questions is yes, if that's evidence for 448 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:29,680 Speaker 1: an earlier baptism because Empress Helen was in very poor 449 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:34,359 Speaker 1: health for several years before she died in two Some 450 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:38,240 Speaker 1: of this analysis suggests that Olga's baptism wasn't connected to 451 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:41,320 Speaker 1: her trip at constant to Constantinople at all, that she 452 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:45,280 Speaker 1: had been baptized in Kiev years before going there. Some 453 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 1: of these accounts speculate that the primary chronicle suggestion that 454 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 1: Olga headed off an unwanted marriage proposal by getting the 455 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:56,919 Speaker 1: Emperor to be her godfather is just a fanciful edition 456 00:26:57,119 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 1: made by the chronicler, and that no such marriage pro 457 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:03,920 Speaker 1: Zel ever really happened. Uh, there is no exaggeration, a 458 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: ton of scholarship on this question of when and where 459 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:12,400 Speaker 1: Olga was baptized. Tracy looked at four different papers exclusively 460 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:15,440 Speaker 1: on that subject, one of which references that there had 461 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:18,360 Speaker 1: been eleven major studies connected to it, and that particular 462 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 1: paper was written thirty years ago, so there are surely 463 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:24,640 Speaker 1: even more by now. Yeah, there has been just so much, 464 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:27,720 Speaker 1: so much research and too exactly when and where was 465 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 1: Olga baptized? So basically we have enough evidence to know 466 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:35,000 Speaker 1: that Olga was a real person, that she really was 467 00:27:35,119 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 1: married to Igor, and that she governed the roots of 468 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:42,320 Speaker 1: Kiev as her son's regent, that she traveled to Constantinople 469 00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:45,960 Speaker 1: at least once, and that she converted to Christianity. Some 470 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:48,760 Speaker 1: of the other details are a little fuzzier, and some 471 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:51,239 Speaker 1: are There are some arguments that Olga's revenge, or at 472 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 1: least some elements of it, might be apocryphal, even though 473 00:27:56,359 --> 00:27:58,479 Speaker 1: they are kind of fun to read about, especially if 474 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:00,320 Speaker 1: you're a fan of things like Game of Three owns. 475 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:04,880 Speaker 1: It is a very game game of thrones e life. Yes, 476 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:09,720 Speaker 1: Olga was canonized in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, 477 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:12,840 Speaker 1: and her feast day is celebrated on July eleven, or 478 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:17,600 Speaker 1: depending on where you are, as Olga of Kiev. Olga 479 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 1: you seem fun. It is always fun. Um when the 480 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 1: primary document that we have on somebody is like a 481 00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 1: thing that you can find and read for yourself on 482 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 1: the internet. Uh, that's easily accessible, rather rather than having 483 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 1: to rely, like exclusively on papers referring back to a 484 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 1: thing that's buried in an archive somewhere. I'm not knocking 485 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:49,320 Speaker 1: archives at all. They do valuable and important work helping 486 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 1: people weed through all of this information. But um, I 487 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 1: always like it when when the primary source is a 488 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 1: thing that I can go and read all the way 489 00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:01,800 Speaker 1: through for myself before getting into the article or before 490 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:04,960 Speaker 1: getting into the podcast. Yeah, do you have a little 491 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:08,520 Speaker 1: bit of listener rail I do I have something from Caitlin. 492 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 1: Caitlin says, Hello, Holly and Tracy. I'm listening to your 493 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 1: latest episode on mary Winston Jackson and had to stop 494 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 1: to write this note before I even got through the intro. 495 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:22,760 Speaker 1: You mentioned the Harvard Observatory and their star plates, along 496 00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:26,280 Speaker 1: with the women tasked with cataloging those self same stars. 497 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:30,760 Speaker 1: In addition to Annie jump Cannon, a fantastic deaf astronomer, 498 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: Henrietta Swan Levitt was also a notable employee. Her work 499 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: built on the foundation for measuring objects outside of the 500 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 1: Solar System, which helped prove that there were indeed objects 501 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 1: outside the Solar system ed when Hubble's seminal work used 502 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:48,200 Speaker 1: Henrietta's as part of its basis. Had she not died 503 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:50,920 Speaker 1: of pancreatic cancer, she would have won the Nobel and 504 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:54,240 Speaker 1: in fact, three years after her death of mathematician tried 505 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:57,440 Speaker 1: to nominate her thinking she was still living. I write 506 00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:00,080 Speaker 1: to say this because, apart from being the most a 507 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:02,640 Speaker 1: subcess person I know, I worked on a play about 508 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 1: Henry and Annie and their stars. It's called Silent Sky 509 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:08,800 Speaker 1: by Lauren Gunderson, and I can't recommend it highly enough. 510 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:11,040 Speaker 1: It's a beautiful script that I've been fortunate enough to 511 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:14,040 Speaker 1: work on a beautiful production as well. Anyway, I know 512 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:16,320 Speaker 1: you have a billion miles suggestion list and that you've 513 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: literally just done a Lady Astratober, but maybe Annie or 514 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 1: Henry can go on that list, Caitlin. Uh. And then 515 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 1: she also goes on to say that she particularly likes 516 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 1: episodes like The Ghost Army because of her work as 517 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:34,840 Speaker 1: a sound designer, which is pretty cool. Thank you so much, Caitlin. 518 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 1: That is not a name that I came across when 519 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:40,840 Speaker 1: I was working on that episode, so I am glad 520 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:42,720 Speaker 1: to hear about her. I don't know if she will 521 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:46,440 Speaker 1: become an episode because our list is very long, but 522 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:50,680 Speaker 1: she will definitely go on there. Yeah. If you would 523 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 1: like to write to us about this or any other 524 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 1: podcast or a history podcast at how stuff Works dot com. 525 00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 1: We're also all over social media at missed in History. 526 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:00,560 Speaker 1: That's where you'll find our Facebook and our Twitter, and 527 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:02,960 Speaker 1: our Instagram and our Pinterest. You can also come to 528 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:05,959 Speaker 1: our website, which is missed in History dot com. You 529 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:08,000 Speaker 1: can click on the link at the top of the 530 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:11,120 Speaker 1: page that says Paris Trip to find out about the 531 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: trip that we are taking to Paris in June. You 532 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:16,720 Speaker 1: can also find a searchable archive of all the episodes 533 00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 1: we've ever done and the show notes for all the 534 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 1: episodes Holly and I have done together, which will include 535 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:22,760 Speaker 1: a link to the Russian primary craticle if you want 536 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:25,800 Speaker 1: to go read it for yourself. You can also subscribe 537 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:29,000 Speaker 1: to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, the I Heart Radio app, 538 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: and wherever else you get your podcasts. For more on 539 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:39,360 Speaker 1: this and thousands of other topics, visit how staff works 540 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:45,719 Speaker 1: dot com.