M205. Birds set the city on fire.

.16.(.17.).27.-.29.31.32.34.

Warriors besieging a city or palace catch or receive as ransom the birds living there. They coat them with an oily liquid or tie objects to them (shells with resin, shavings, tinder, etc.), which are then set on fire. The released birds fly back to the city or palace. Thanks to the fire that starts, the warriors capture it.

Welsh (written tradition), (Irish), Hungarians (possibly Romanians or Transylvanian Saxons), Russian written tradition, Western Ukrainians (Galicia), Armenians (written tradition), Scandinavians (Circle of the Earth, Saxo Grammaticus), Kazan Tatars, Mongols of Inner Mongolia (written tradition).

Western Europe. Welsh ["Brut Tysilio" from a manuscript dating from the 14th-15th centuries: the Gallic ruler Imbert and the king of the Africans Gormund attacked the British city of Caer-Vyddan (Silchester); caught a huge number of sparrows; tied nutshells filled with sulfur and resin to their tails; set them on fire before nightfall and released them; the birds fanned the fire with their wings; as a result, a fire started in the city; Caredig, the ruler of Britain, went out to fight the enemies who besieged him, but was forced to retreat to Wales; G. began to destroy cities and castles]: Roberts 1811: 174; (cf. Irish [a fox caught two ducks, went to catch a third; when she brought it back, it turned out that an eagle had carried them off to the nest to feed the eaglets; the fox saw a fire, rolled the duck in it and hid; the eagle brought this duck back to the nest; the nest caught fire; the fox got both the ducks and the eaglets]: Mac Coitir 2017: 53).

(Compare Western Asia. Old Testament [“And it came to pass after some days, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson came to see his wife, and brought with him a kid; and when he said, I will go in unto my wife into the chamber; her father suffered him not to go in. And her father said, I thought that thou hatedst her; therefore I gave her unto thy friend: behold, the younger sister is fairer than she; let her be thou her stead. But Samson said unto them, Now will I be justified with the Philistines, if I do them harm. And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and tied tail to tail, and tied a torch between the two tails; and he kindled the torches, and sent them into the harvest of the Philistines, and burned up both the stacks, and the unreaped corn, and the vineyards, and the olive-trees. And the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And They said, Samson, the Timnathite's son-in-law: for he took his wife and gave her to his friend. And the Philistines came and burned her and her father's house with fire"]: Judges 15:1-6).

Balkans. Hungarians (or Romanians or Transylvanian Saxons; the informant and the exact place of recording are missing) [a legend about the ruins of a castle located on a mountain west of the town of Turda (Torda): the king allowed his adopted son to build a castle on the mountain; he completed the construction in seven years; with the king's consent, he stayed there for another seven years; during this time he fortified the castle and, at the end of the term, refused to give it to the king; the latter laid siege to the castle, which lasted seven years; failing to capture it, the king resorted to a trick: he asked the besieged for a pair of doves as a souvenir of their bravery; they complied; when a strong wind arose, the king released the doves, loading them with flammable material; the castle caught fire, and its defenders were killed]: Klimo 1898: 50-51.

Central Europe. Russian written tradition [“The Tale of Bygone Years” according to the Laurentian Chronicle (1377): “Olga rushed with her son to the city of Iskorosten, since they had killed her husband, and stood with her son near the city, and the Drevlians locked themselves in the city and staunchly defended themselves from the city, for they knew that, having killed the prince, they had nothing to hope for. And Olga stood there all summer {946} and could not take the city, and she thought of this: she sent to the city with the words: “How long do you want to sit there? After all, all your cities have already surrendered to me and agreed to tribute and are already cultivating their fields and lands; and you, refusing to pay tribute, are going to die of hunger.” The Drevlians answered: “We would be glad to pay tribute, but you want to avenge your husband.” Olga told them that “I have already taken revenge for my husband’s insult when you came to Kyiv, and the second time, and the third time – when I held a funeral feast for my husband. I no longer want to take revenge – I only want to take a small tribute from you and, having concluded peace with you, I will go away.” The Drevlians asked: “What do you want from us? We are happy to give you honey and furs.” She said: “You have neither honey nor furs now, therefore I ask you for a little: give me from each household three doves and three sparrows. After all, I do not want to impose a heavy tribute on you, like my husband, therefore I ask you for little. You are exhausted by the siege, therefore I ask you for this little.” The Drevlians, overjoyed, collected from each household three doves and three sparrows and sent them to Olga with a bow. Olga said to them: "Now you have submitted to me and my child - go to the city, and tomorrow I will retreat from it and go to my city." The Drevlians joyfully entered the city and told the people everything, and the people in the city rejoiced. Olga, having distributed to the soldiers - to each a dove, to each a sparrow, ordered to tie tinder to each dove and sparrow, wrapping it in small handkerchiefs and attaching it with a thread to each. And when it began to get dark, Olga ordered her soldiers to release the doves and sparrows. The doves and sparrows flew to their nests: the doves to the dovecotes, and the sparrows under the eaves, and so they caught fire - where the dovecotes, where the cages, where the barns and haylofts, and there was not a yard where the fire was not burning, and it was impossible to extinguish it, since all the yards immediately caught fire. And the people fled from the city, and Olga ordered her soldiers to seize them. And when she took the city and burned it, she took the city elders captive, and killed the rest of the people, and gave others into slavery to their husbands, and left the rest to pay tribute”]: Likhachev 1996: 28-29, 165; Ukrainians(Galicia) [Scabby Bunyak, "the filthy king" - Satan, surrounded by serving devils, in the form of a monstrous man of enormous height, with a head covered in scabs (scabs), with long eyelashes reaching the ground, so that if he wants to look, the servants lift them with golden pitchforks, and with an open belly, he set out with an army as countless as leaves on a tree from the east during the reign of Daniil Romanovich, the king of Little Rus'. His first prey in the Galician principality is the city of Plesnesko on the border with the Vladimir {Lodomir} principality, where Princess Elena, the widow of Roman Mstislavich and mother of Daniil, was locked up with a handful of warriors. After the burning of Plesnesko, Bunyak's troops burn cities after the fleeing princess. With the help of pigeons, Bunyak burns Galich and Bych (modern Tustanovichi), Zhydachiv and others, leaving behind embankments – places of convoys and numerous burial mounds where the knights who fought with him are buried. Near Stary Sambor, Daniil fights with the mangy Bunyak, over whom Daniil wins. Having ravaged Drohobych and rested in the mountain castle in Urych, Bunyak with his army leaves for Hungary along a stone road made for him by devils. In Hungary, he plunders and burns numerous cities and villages, reaching the sea]: Wagilewicz 1844: 181-183; Ukrainians (Galicia) [When the Tatars captured the Galicia-Volyn principality ("kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria"), they were led by Mangy Bunyak, a half-demon with a scab (scabs) on his head, long eyelids hanging down to the ground, which his servants, at his command, raise with golden pitchforks, and an open belly. Besieging the city of Bych on the Tysmenitsa River (modern Tustanovichi), he demands a dove and a sparrow as tribute from everyone, orders a lit sponge to be attached to them, and burns the city . The refugees found Drohobych (Another Bych). Mangy Bunyak settled in a mountain castle in Urich, where he accumulates brocade fabrics, gold, silver, money, and captives. The musicians return to Krushelnitsa after the wedding, Mangy Bunyak orders them to be called. The party starts, the drinking and dancing begins, the musicians decide to rob the palace and quietly pour the alcohol down the back of their necks. Mangy Bunyak, his nobles and servants get drunk and fall unconscious, the musicians take what they can carry, leave lighted candles in the barrels of gunpowder. Halfway there they hear a roar, the inhabitants of the castle remain buried, only Mangy Bunyak leaves for Hungary on a golden chariot, but at the border his chariot hits a beech tree, falls through, grows into the ground, and with it Mangy Bunyak himself. The musicians are caught and their ears are cut off. Their descendants in Krushelnitsa are the Chulevichi, who are called the Bezushki]: Wagilewicz 1842: 163-165.

Caucasus – Asia Minor. Armenians [“General History” by Stepanos Taronetsi, completed in 1004-1005: “Ibn Khosrow amazed the whole world with his wisdom, equal [to that of] Alexander. He took cities by order, and drove the inhabitants out of fortresses by word. During the siege of one city, the inhabitants refused to surrender it; [then the emir] demanded, as proof of submission, that each house give him a dog as tribute. The city stood near a reed forest, and all the houses in it were built of reeds. When he received the required number of dogs, he ordered them to be coated with oil, set on fire, and released. They all crawled into the city through the drain holes of the city wall, going through their houses, and [thus] set the entire city on fire. This wise action of his recalls Samson, who set fire to the fields of foreigners with three hundred foxes, or Alexander, who, with the help of birds, set fire to a wooden palace located on a high cliff {is this episode not mentioned in the ancient texts that have come down to us?}. The great clan of Hamdun, who lived on the Syrian plain, fearing Ibn Khusrow, abandoned their fortified cities: Neperkert, Amit, Azrun and others, and crossed over to the Greek country, seeking refuge in it. By order of Basil, he was again installed in Aleppo [Khalp], where [he lived until] he died out completely. Ibn Khusrow showed great respect to Christians, so that the latter in his kingdom celebrated the Lord's holidays without hindrance. Even on the day of the coming of the Savior to the temple, called the Meeting of the Lord, Ibn Khusrow [once] personally burned a heap of flax with lit wax candles; [and not only that], but even having lit the wings of the doves, [greased] with oil, he sent them across the sky”]: Stepanos Taronsky 1864: 136 (English translation in Greenwood 2017: 246; the presence of this parallel to the story of Olga’s revenge is noted in Vasilievsky 1908: 233).

Baltoscandia. Scandinavians: Snorri Sturluson 1980 ["Harald Hardrada's Saga" from "The Circle of the Earth" attributed to Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241): "When Harald {Harald III Hardrada, a participant in the campaign of the Byzantine troops in Sicily 1038-1040 and King of Norway in 1046-1066.} sailed to Sicily, he fought there and came with his army to a large city with a large population. He besieged the city, because the walls were so strong that he did not even think of breaking them down. The citizens had enough food and everything necessary to withstand the siege. Then Harald resorted to a trick: he ordered his bird-catchers to catch the birds that made nests in the city and flew out into the forest during the day in search of food. Harald ordered that pine shavings, smeared with wax and sulphur, be tied to the birds' backs and set on fire. When the birds were released, they all flew into the city to their young in the nests that they had in the roofs, which were covered with straw or reeds. The fire spread from the birds to the roofs. And although each bird brought a little fire, soon a great fire broke out, because many birds flew to the roofs all over the city, and one house began to catch fire from another, and the whole city was ablaze. Then all the people came out of the city to beg for mercy, the same people who for many days before had defiantly and mockingly reviled the army of the Greeks and their leader. Harald granted mercy to all the people who asked for it, and placed the city under his rule"]: 405; Saxo Grammaticus 2017 (1), I.6.10 [Saxo Grammaticus's "Deeds of the Danes" (c. 1140-1206/1220): "Having been captured by Lokir, he {Hading} experienced exactly everything that had been predicted for him. Then he made war on Handwan, king of the Hellespont, who had taken refuge from him in the walled city of Duna, relying more on these fortifications than on his own ability to resist him <in open battle>. Since the city's walls were too high to dare to take the city by storm, Hading ordered men experienced in catching birds to catch various birds whose nests were in the city and to tie lighted wicks to their wings; the birds, seeking refuge in their nests, flew back, causing a fire to break out in the city. All the citizens rushed to put out the fire, leaving the city gates unprotected. [Immediately] attacking the city, Hading seized Handwan and, as ransom, ordered him to 'pay as much gold as Handwan himself weighed'. 'Although Hading could have killed his enemy, he preferred to spare his life'. - To such an extent was this man's mercy able to curb his ferocity! ']; IV.10.4 ["While besieging the city of Doflin in Hibernia {Ireland}, Friedlev considered that its walls were too high and refused to take the city by storm. Instead, imitating Hading's ingenious trick, he ordered mushrooms to be tied to the wings of swallows and set on fire. After these birds had returned to their nests, the roofs of the houses were suddenly engulfed in flames. And when the defenders of the city rushed to extinguish it, considering the concern that“In order to put out the fire, which was more important than observing the enemy, Friedlev took Duflin”]: 45-46, 139.

Volga – Perm. Kazan Tatars (village Churash, Rybno-Slobodsky district, Tatarstan, 1973, narrator – Vali Safin, 68 years old) [“Bilyar used to be called Bulyar. The enemies started a war with this city, but could not capture it for a very long time. At that time, Bulyar was surrounded by water. The enemies resorted to cunning: they caught pigeons, tied rags to their paws, set them on fire and released the pigeons into the sky. The pigeons flew into the city and landed on houses with thatched roofs, of which there were many in the city, and thus caused a fire. The city’s defenders rushed to put out the fire, leaving their guard posts. This was just what the enemies were waiting for. They took the city almost without a fight, destroyed and burned Bulyar to the ground”]: Gilyazutdinov 2015, No. 16: 35-36 (cf. [Khan Aksak Timur decided to take Bilyar; fought with it for a long time, but could not take the city; disguised himself as a beggar and settled with an old woman in Bilyar; she let it slip: “Look, Aksak Timur wants to take over our city, but he will take it only when he launches pigeons with burnt legs here”; AT was delighted, told the old woman to leave Bilyar and settle where a fire would light itself under the cauldron {the further fate of Bilyar is not mentioned}; the old woman did as he ordered; Kazan arose there (village Kychytkanly, Bilyar district, Tatarstan, 1962, narrator – Vali Vakhitov, 75 years old)]: Gilyazutdinov 2015, No. 23: 48).

Southern Siberia – Mongolia. The Mongols of Inner Mongolia: Lubsan Danzan 1973 [the chronicle “Altan Tobchi”, written by the Ordos lama Lubsan Danzan in the literary language of the middle period in the 1650s (translated from a copy acquired in 1926 in eastern Mongolia from a Taiji whose ancestors migrated to Khalkha from Chakhar in the 17th century): “After this, when [the ruler] {Genghis Khan} launched his falcon from the Olhui River to the Ula River, he saw the Jurzhit Zhang Zhong Khanand called him, but he retreated and did not come. The ruler returned back and sent warriors. There was no ford on the Ula River. Therefore, Khasar's nephew Hadu Shira and Khalchihu-ching-taiji, having tied ten thousand geldings in a circle, crossed [the river] with shouts and, having come out [to the shore], surrounded the city. They said: "Give a tribute of ten thousand swallows and a thousand cats!" - and they received it. They tied rolled up cotton wool to the swallows, and they [also] tied cotton wool to the cats and set it on fire. The swallows flew into their nests, and the cats rose to [the roofs] of the houses. The cats and swallows started a fire with [this] fire of theirs, and [the city] was taken. Zhangzhong Khan said these words: "Isn't this strange? [Yes, indeed] were these cats [they]?"]: 200; Zheleznyakov, Tsendyna 2005 [anonymous chronicle "Altan Tobchi", probably compiled between 1620 and 1660 (translation from a copy found in a private library in Beijing as part of the collection "Genghis Khan-u Chadig" and published in 1941 in Tokyo): "Some time later, when the sovereign {Bogdo, i.e. Genghis Khan} was hunting with his bird in the area between the Olhu and Ulai rivers, the Jurchid Vanchun Khan saw him and fled. The sovereign returned home, took his warriors and went to detain him. But there was no ford across the Ulai River. Then Khasar's nephew Hadu-Shira and the furious Chin-taiji tied ten thousand horses together with bridles and crossed with shouts. Having besieged the [enemy] city, they demanded a ransom of ten thousand swallows and a thousand cats. Then they tied burning rags to the tails of these swallows, and burning cotton wool to the tails of the cats. The swallows flew to their nests, and the cats ran away to their homes. The cats and swallows started a fire, and the city was taken. They say that Wangchun Khan asked: “Are these devils or cats?”]: 28 (a less accurate translation, made, perhaps, according to a different list, in Gomboev 1858: 133-134); Schmidt 1829 [the chronicle "Erdeni-yin tobchi" ("Precious Tale"), completed by the Ordos huntaiji Sagan-Setsen in 1662: in 1190 the ruler {Genghis Khan} was hunting with his falcon between the Olkho and Ula rivers; the Jurchid khagan Wangischuk fled from there; Ch. gathered an army; in order to cross the Ula River, Andun Tsching Taiji connected ten thousand horses with bridles; the city of the Jurchids was taken under siege; the ruler announced that he would lift the siege if they brought him ten thousand swallows and a thousand cats; the Jurchids fulfilled the condition; the besiegers tied burning cotton wool to the tails of each of the cats and swallows and released them back; the swallows returned to their nests on the houses, and the cats climbed onto the roofs; a fire started in the city; With the help of this trick the Jurchid Khan was defeated]: 75.