When discussing the Mongol Invasion in Russian literature, there is a common and reoccurring theme of sadness and grief. The very first line of the poem “On the field of Kulikovo” mentions the river, nature itself, is grieving: “The river opens out, crawls grieving on its way.” However even in this oncoming tragedy that will result in the defeat and subjugation of the Russian lands and people, the chroniclers of history and the poets use this terrible event to create a heroic and common identity amongst the Russians. In the Tale of the Destruction of Riazan, characters are propped up against the Mongol horde who then become heroes, like the great and giant Eupaty the Fearless. Characters like Eupaty, who courageously struck back against the Mongols and an emphasis on faith and Christianity, more specifically the defense of christian lands becomes a common theme during tales of the Mongol invasion. This then cultivates a specific Russian identity of faith and fearlessness where no soldier flees the battlefield and fights on against the invaders with no foreseeable chance of success. In the Tale of the Destruction of Riazan, Emperor Batu says this of the Russian people: “[…] never have we seen such courageous heroes […]. They do not think about death and fight bravely and courageously on their horses.” In this account, the defeat of the Russians is only due to the insurmountable numbers of the Mongols.

In The Scythians, they author calls back to an ancient nomadic tribe that used to inhabit the south of Russia that were famed for their battle prowess and seems to claim them as Russian heritage, following the tradition as stated above, however the way he mentions the Mongol Invasion is confusing to me. He seems to be using the event of the invasion as a poetic device to shed the violent tradition of Russian warriors, but beyond that the passage remains unclear to me.