Written by: Li Olga
Translated by: Anastasia Zhurina
Reading time: 10 min
Shocking practices of the ancient Rus: ritual orgies at funerals
“ To know your present and predict your future you must know your past.”
V.G. Belinsky
“Funeral orgies”. Personally, I have never heard of such strange and mystic term. Turns out ancient Ruses performed just that at death ceremonies. Though this might sound shocking, these rituals had a place in that nation’s culture. Such rituals were no mere farewell to the dead but a performance carrying special and deeply symbolic meaning.
Chronicles of the past contain vivid descriptions of various practices. 10th century Arabic traveler Ahmad ibn Fadlan describes a burial that included a burning ship ritual, as well as young women voluntarily following the dead into the underworld, and orgies. The traveler’s writings have become a valuable source for scholars studying the history of ancient practices and customs.
In this article, I provide a quote from the ibn Fadlan’ chronicle ‘Mission to the Volga’ that describes a burial of a noble ancient Rus man. Now, there is a lot to read, and while I could have summarized it all for you, trust me it’s worth reading yourself. You’ll be so shocked that by the end of the quote you’ll be left speechless.
Ahmad ibn Fadlan
Quote:
Funeral of a noble
When a great man dies, the members of his family say to his slave girls and young slave boys:
‘Which of you will die with him?’
One of them replies:
‘I will.’
Once they have spoken, it is irreversible and there is no turning back. If they wanted to change their mind, they would not be allowed to. Usually, it is the slave girls who offer to die.
When the man whom I mentioned above died, they said to his slave girls:
‘Who will die with him?’
One of them answered:
‘I will.’
Then they appointed two young slave girls to watch over her and follow her everywhere she went, sometimes even washing her feet with their own hands.
Everyone busies himself about the dead man, cutting out clothes for him and preparing everything that he will need. Meanwhile, the slave girl spends each day drinking and singing, happily and joyfully.
When the day came that the man was to be burned and the girl with him, I went to the river where his boat was anchored. I saw that they had drawn his boat up on to the shore and that four posts of khadank or other wood had been driven into the ground and round these posts a framework of wood had been erected. Next, they drew up the boat until it rested on this wooden construction.
Then they came forward, coming and going, pronouncing [words that I did not understand, while the man was still in his grave, not yet taken out].
The ‘Angel of Death’
Then they brought a bed and placed it on [the boat and covered it with a mattress] and cushions of Byzantine silk brocade. Then came [an old woman whom they call] the ‘Angel of Death’ and she spread the bed with coverings we have just mentioned. She is in charge of sewing and arranging all these things, and it is she who kills the slave girls. I saw that she was a witch, thick-bodied and sinister.
When they came to the tomb of the dead man, they removed the earth from on top of the wood, and then the wood itself and they took out the dead man, wrapped in the garment in which he died. I saw that he had turned black because of the coldness of the country. They had put nabidh (wine or other drink fermented for only one day, therefore licit to Muslims – Translator’s note) in the tomb with him, and fruit and a drum. They took all this out. The dead man did not smell bad and nothing about him had changed except his colour. They dressed him in trousers, socks, boots, a tunic and a brocade caftan with gold buttons. On his head, they placed a brocade cap covered with sable. Then they bore him into the pavilion on the boat and sat him on the mattress, supported by cushions. Then they brought nabidh, fruit and basil which they placed near him. Next they carried in bread, meat and onions which they laid before him.
Sacrificial animals
After that, they brought in a dog, which they cut in two and threw into the boat. Then they placed his weapons beside him. Next they took two horses and made them run until they were in lather, before hacking them to pieces with swords and throwing their flesh on to the boat. Then they brought two cows, which they also cut into pieces and threw them on to the boat. Finally they brought a cock and a hen, killed them and threw them on to the boat as well.
The Chronicle of Ahmad ibn Fadlan
The slave girl has sex with those present
Meanwhile, the slave girl who wanted to be killed came and went, entering in turn each of the pavilions that had been built, and the master of each pavilion had intercourse with her, saying:
‘Tell your master that I only did this for your love of him.’
The slave girl gazes on Paradise
On Friday, when the time had come for the evening prayer, they led the slave girl towards something which they had constructed and which looked like the frame of a door. She placed her feet on the palms of the hands of the men, until she could look over this frame. She said some words and they let her down. They raised her a second time and she did as she had the first and then they set her down again. And a third time and she did as she done the other two. Then they brought her a chicken. She cut off its head and tossed it away. Then they took the chicken and threw it on to the boat.
I asked the interpreter what she had been doing. He replied:
‘The first time they lifted her up, she said:
[“‘There I see my father and my mother.”]
‘The second time, she said:
“‘There [I see] all my dead relatives [sitting].”
‘And the third time she said:
‘“There [I see my master sitting in] Paradise and [Paradise is green and beautiful.] There are men with him and [young people, and he is calling me.] Take [me to him.’” They went off with her] towards the boat. She took off the two bracelets that she was wearing and gave them both to the old woman who is known as the [Angel of Death – she] who was to kill her. Then she stripped off her two anklets and gave them [to the two young girls who served her. They were the daughters] of the woman called the Angel of Death. Then the men lifted her on to the boat, but did not let her enter [the pavilion].
Next, men came with shields and staves. They handed the girl a cup of nabidh. She sang a song over it and drank. The interpreter translated what she was saying and explained that she was bidding all her female companions farewell. Then they gave her another cup. She took it and continued singing for a long time, while the old woman encouraged her to drink and then urged her to enter the pavilion and join her master.
I saw that the girl did not know what she was doing. She wanted to enter the pavilion, but she put [her head] between it and the boat. Then the old woman seized her head, made her enter the pavilion and went in with her. The men began to bang on their shields with staves, to drown her cries, so that the other slave girls [would not be frightened] and try to avoid dying with their masters. Next, six men entered the pavilion and [lay with] the girl, one after another, after which they laid her beside her master. Two seized her feet and two others her hands. The old woman called the Angel of Death came and put a cord round her neck in such a way that the two ends went in opposite directions. She gave the ends to two of the men, so they could pull on them. Then she herself approached the girl holding in her hand a daggerwith a broad blade and [plunged it again and again between the girl’s ribs], 84 while the two men strangled her with the cord until she was dead.
The burning of the boat
Next, [the closest male relative of the dead man] came forward and [took a piece of wood] which he lit at a fire. He then walked backwards towards the boat, his face turned [towards the people] who were there, one hand holding the piece of flaming wood, the other covering his anus, for he was naked. Thus he set fire to the wood that had been set ready under the boat, [after they had placed the slave girl beside her master.] Then people came with wood and logs to burn, each holding a piece of a wood alight at one end, which they threw on to the wood. The fire enveloped the wood, [then the boat, then the tent,] the man, the girl and all that there was on the boat. [A violent and frightening] wind began [to blow, the flames grew in strength] and the heat of the fire intensified.
What are the views on orgies today?
Now let’s return to present times and think why ancient Ruses treated orgies with such respect that the nation included them into their burial practices. For those people, orgies were clearly something special, carrying sacral and mystical meaning.
Modern society despises orgies. On one hand, despite is easy to explain since orgies are perceived as debauchery. On the other hand, why so? Sexual desires are an important part of a human nature. Ancient Ruses understood that well and did not suppress the desires since the orgy process pleased everyone involved, making it something special.
Burial orgies described by ibn Fadlan support the fact that understanding and exploring sex was important for society all the way from ancient times, especially outside of strict limitations and imposed dogmas.
In present times, the vast majority of people is unable to accept their own sexual fantasies due to the heavy judgement, external and internal. I bet some of you would say that anyone else can like orgies but not me. If you happened to live long ago, you’d share the same opinions as those around you. This shows that over the course of time, morality has changed under the influence of cultural, religious, and other principles. The view on orgies was reversed, and they became seen as something unacceptable, shameful, and amoral. But human nature does not change. Should orgies be perceived not as negatively as they are now, you would likely share the same views. After all there is no human indifferent to sex, and what is the most exciting part of it? Debauchery. There is no shame is sexual desires.
What is more important: orgies or real problems of the modern society?
There are societal issues that require more attention than orgies. To list a few: drugs and addiction, child abandonment, human trafficking, poverty, hunger, domestic violence, crime, terrorism, corruption, discrimination, environmental pollution, healthcare, chemical additives and pesticides. What do you think the society perceives worse – all things listed, or orgies? For sure, orgies.
Let’s go by example. One produces a product containing chemical additives proven dangerous to human health, but the taste is universally liked. People say, good job on the product and your business. Another works hard and earns 6 figures, but has never seen or wished to known their own child. People will praise the hard work and dedication. One more is settled comfortably in high positions and practices bribes, but acts as an ideal parent and partner. Finally, there is one that does orgies. The latter will end up being judged the most, despite not hurting anyone but simply satisfying their own sexual desires without prejudice and self-delusion.
Conclusion
It might be time to reconsider our views on many problems, and think what really deserves the highest attention and judgement. If orgies were a big part of our cultures in the past, maybe they are worth being re-evaluated now as not the worst possible thing. No, I am not saying this is a wonderful activity and we all should engage in it immediately. What I want is for the society to recognise human sexual desires and treat them fairly avoiding placing judgement. Fantasies are simply fantasies, serving our desires and giving us pleasure without necessarily being brought to life.
Q&A
- Did the ancient Ruses really practice orgies at burials?
Yes, they did. Arabic traveller Ahmad ibn Fadlan witnessed such burial, and described it in many details in his chronicle. This material served as a valuable source of knowledge about the ancient world.
- Did young girls participate in the burial orgies voluntarily?
Yes. Young girls would voluntarily express the desire to follow the man in the other world by dying by his side. They also knew other men would lay with them. For such women, this was an act of loyalty and submission. In some cultures, such customs were perceived as demonstration of woman’s honour and loyalty to her man beyond death.
- Were orgies perceived as shameful acts by ancient Rus?
No. Orgies were not considered shameful by ancient Ruses. Instead, they were seen as sacral and mystical, and thus were practiced at burials.
- Are orgies looked down upon in present times?
Yes, unlike old times, our contemporary view on orgies is full of despise. Mostly people treat them as something amoral. They also often draw a lot more attention than some other, a lot more important problems that need more recognition by the public.
- Should we judge those who practice orgies?
Intimate life and even the wildest sexual fantasies should not be judged. The world experiences much more disturbing and paramount problems that can be resolved if we shift our attention to them.
If you happen to judge orgies, think about judging other problems of the modern world 20 times stronger as they are 20 times more important. That would be fair. If you criticize orgies because you are in fact drawn to them, stop wasting your energy on this. Instead, channel this energy into something that deserves it so much more.
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Sources:
Ibn Fadlan And The Land Of Darkness, Arab Travellers In The Far North. Penguin Classics. Translated with an introduction by Paul Lunde and Caroline Stone. Penguin Books, 2012, Pages 66-68.
Ibn Fadlan’s Journey to Russia: A Tenth‐Century Traveler from Baghdad to the Volga River. Translated with commentary by Richard N. Frye. Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers, 2005.
Images:
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