THE SCENE: The passage below, which recounts a Viking invasion of Azerbaijan from the defender’s perspective, describes the Viking’s appearance and demeanor, including both their even-handedness and their brutality. [Note that the Rus were a Scandinavian/slavic people credited with founding Russia.]
THE TEXT: In this year the army of the Rus invaded Azerbaijan, attacked and occupied Bardha’a and took its inhabitants captive.
They are a formidable nation, the men huge and very courageous. They do not recognize defeat; no one turns back until he has killed or been killed. It is their custom for each to carry his weapons and hang tools on his body, such as an axe, a saw, a hammer and similar implements. The warrior fights with a lance and a shield. He carries a sword and a lance and a knife like a dagger. They fight on foot, especially these invaders. They crossed the sea [Caspian] which adjoins their country and sailed down to a great river called the River Kur, which rises in the mountains of Zerbaijan and Armenia and fall into that sea. The Kur flows through Bardh’a, and people compare it to the Tigris.
When they reached Bardha’a, they were confronted by Marzuban’s lieutenant, the governor of Bardha’a, at the head of 300 Daylamites and about the same number of Su’luks and Kurds. He called the people to arms as well, and about 5,000 volunteers came force to wage the jihad against the invaders. They didn’t know the strength of the Rus, and thought they would behave like Greeks or Armenians. An hour after battle was joined, the Rus launched an attack that routed the army of Bardha’a. The volunteers and the rest of the soldiers turned and fled. Only the Daylamites stood their ground; they were all killed except for those mounted on horses. The Rus chased the fleeing soldiers to the town. Everyone who could find a horse fled, leaving the town to be entered and occupied by the Rus.
I was told how the Rus hurried into the town and tried to calm the people, proclaiming: “There is no dispute between us on the matter of religion; we only want to rule. It is our obligation to treat you well and yours to be loyal to us.” The armies nevertheless attacked them from all sides, but the Rus went out against them and defeated them. When the Muslims attacked the Rus, the people of Bardha’a cried out Allahu akbar!, and flung stones at the Rus. The Rus had ordered the people of Bardha’a not to take part in the battle between them and the government troops. This advice was followed by the peace-loving men from the upper classes, but the common people and rabble could not control themselves. They showed their feelings by attacking the Rus when the supporters of the government attacked.
After this had gone on for some time, the Rus issued a proclamation that none of the inhabitants was to remain in the town, giving them three days to leave. The small number who had mounts to carry them, their womenfolk and their children left, but the bulk of the population remained. On the fourth day, the Rus put them to the sword, killing a huge number, beyond counting.
– Experiences of Nations, Miskawayh, 10th Century AD
