The Russian Primary Chronicle on the Nomads of the Eastern European steppe II. The Pechenegs

Abstract

The Russian Primary Chronicle has plenty of reports on the Pechenegs between the years 915 and 1116. There are two different classings concerning the genealogy of the Pechenegs: in the introductory part of the chronicle they belong to the peoples of the Eastern European steppe, but at the end of the chronicle they are descendants of (biblical) Ismaels, that is they are Muslims, together with the Polovtsians (Cumans), Torks (Oghuzes) and Torkmans (Saljuqs). This is a negative valuation. The difference fairly demonstrates the double view of the chroniclers around 1116: the first genealogy belongs to the past, to the history of the Pechenegs, the second belongs to the “present”, to the enemies of the Rus’ (at this time the rest of the Pechenegs were under Cuman rule). The mentions of the Pechenegs in the reign of the prince Sviatoslav usually are in connection with the Rus’– Byzantine relationship. In this reports the Pechenegs are non-essential participants of the history of the Rus’. In generally, this reports reflect peaceful Rus’–Pecheneg relationship. The situation changed under the reign of prince Vladimir. The Pechenegs became enemies of the Rus’. The case of the turn is unclear (the development and prosperity of Kiev or the internal struggle in the Rus’). There are a few reports on the fight against the Pechenegs. These events preserved in the memory (first of all in the memory of the escort/druzhina and the family of the Kievan princes, e. g. the building of the so-called ‘Serpent ramparts’ in the Kiev region, the battle near Vasiliev). The chroniclers connected the oral tradition with folk tale motifs (foundation of Pereiaslav, siege of Belgorod). The main message of the chronicle is clear: the (pagan) Pechenegs were defeated and the (Christian) Rus’ survived them.