I want to focus on the differing ways in which the characters in the “Tale of the Destruction of Riazan” deal with grief. The tale stays central to the theme of death and destruction, in which many princes die in a man’s quest to conquer large areas of land for power. I find that the notions of death, martyrdom, and strong religious ties emphasize the ways in which the characters express their grief. For example, the death of Prince Fedor by Batu was devastating for his wife. In her grief, she killed herself and her son. This shows how death is dealt with in one way. Also, it definitely shows the contrasts with the way in which Prince Ingvar grieves for the death of his brothers and his citizens. This is most important and should be noted because these bereavement processes inform the ways in which the reader interprets the progression of the plot.  In this way, the story shows the self-destruction and ill fate that hatred and grief may inflict upon certain characters. Additionally, the importance of the actions of the characters in relation to experiencing intense grief is central to the text’s portrayal of christianity and paganism. In this approach of addressing bereavement, the reader is shown the implication of religion and the intent of a text in informing the reader.  For this text, I was intrigued by the ways in which the characters dealt with the death of their loved ones. Particularly, I was struck by the christianity of Prince Ingvanovich in choosing to grieve by giving a proper burial for his kin and rebuilding the city instead of causing more destruction like the others.

Question:

Does the delivery of a story directly impact the historical truth of a time period while also manipulating the interpretation of a text?