THE SCENE: The hills have eyes in this account of a savage tribe, imprisoned by Alexander the Great, who live in total isolation in the hostile, snow-capped mountains of the Urals.
THE TEXT: There are certain mountains which slope down to an arm of the sea, and their height reaches to the heavens. Within these mountains are heard great cries and the sound of voices; those within are cutting their way out. In that mountain a small opening has been pierces through which they converse, but their language is unintelligible. They point, however, at iron objects, and make gestures as if to ask for them. If given a knife or axe, they supply furs in return. The road to these mountains is impassable with precipices, snow and forests. These are the peoples shut up by Alexander of Macedon. As Methodius of Patara says of them, “He penetrated the eastern countries as far as the sea called the Land of the Sun, and he saw there unclean peoples of the race of Japheth. When he beheld their uncleanness, he marveled. They ate every nauseous thing, such as gnats, flies, cats, and serpents. They did not bury their dead, but at them, along with the fruits of abortions and all sorts of impure beasts. On beholding this, Alexander was afraid lest, as they multiplies, they might corrupt the earth. So he drove them to high mountains in the regions of the north, and by God’s commandment the mountains enclosed them round above save for a space of twelve ells. Gates of brass were erected there, and were covered with indestructible metal. They cannot be destroyed by fire, for it is the nature of this metal that fire cannot consume it, nor can iron take hold upon it.
– The Russian Primary Chronicle, Nestor, 12th Century AD
