Thread by @MikeStuchbery_

Ladies, I feel like you and I could both do with a pick-me-up, so let me tell you about one of the stone cold, icy-veined, razor-sharp women to ever walk the earth. Allow me to introduce you to Olga of Kiev... THREAD 1/

Olga of Kiev was a princess of the Kievan Rus, descended from Norse settlers who arrived in what we know today as Russia in the 9th century. She was born sometime in the closing years of the 9th century, and reached adulthood in the very early 10th century. /2

As a (very) young woman, she was married to Igor of Kiev, son of the first ruler of the Kievan Rus. Igor was a hell of a warrior, and spent decades raiding and besieging anybody who looked at him funny. /2

Eventually, as with many bloodthirsty warlords, Igor's luck ran out. When collecting tribute from a tribe called the Drevlians, Igor was captured & executed in a comically cruel way - 2 trees were bend down, one leg was tied to each, then released - tearing him apart. /3

Olga was horrified at the death of her husband, and the father of her child, but it did not break her. If anything, it awakened something deep inside of her. Her husband was mourned and buried, then she swung into action. /4

Olga was now sole ruler of the Kievan Rus, at least while Sviatoslav, her son, was still an infant. She introduced reforms to make her realm more secure, including an early bureaucracy & much greater defenses. Cool - but that's not we are here for - what about the Drevlians? /5

So, those cheeky fucking Drevlians started pestering Olga to marry their leader, sending men to convince her. She welcomed them with open arms, putting a bathhouse at their disposal to wash up after their trip.

Then she barred the doors and burned them all alive. /6

Then she sent envoys to the Drevlians to invite them to a feast in honour of Igor. They arrived, and once they were well pissed, she gave the signal for her soldiers to start slaughtering them - around 5,000. Made the 'Red Wedding' look like a passive-aggressive picnic. /7

Finally - and this is the bit that people think might not have actually happened, but I'm including it 'cos it's just *that metal* - Olga laid siege to Iskorosten, the Drevlian capital. She promised to leave if everyone would give up a bird. The city quickly agreed... /8

Now this is where Olga's killer instincts really kick in. She tells her soldiers to attach a lit taper to the birds and... let them go. According to legend, the birds all flew back to their coops in Iskorosten, which was quickly consumed by flame! /9

Suffice to say, the Drevlians, from that point, posed little threat to Olga or her son. Probably because most of them were dead. /10

Today, Olga is more well-known as a saint, the ruler who introduced Christianity to what is Russia and Ukraine. Ask a Ukrainian, or a Russian, and they'll most likely bring up the Drevlians though. They know the score when it comes to Olga. /11

This article from @AboutHistoryMag is a quick read, but a good one regarding Olga of Kiev. /12 todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014…

There's a full-text of the Primary Chronicle from which the story was taken here, if you're interested. /13 www2.stetson.edu/~psteeves/clas…

The Encylopedia of Ukraine entry on Olga is a good Wiki-hole, if you start following the categories. Lots more stuff to unearth! /14 encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?li…

Today Olga sleeps her eternal rest under what was the Church of the Tithes in Kiev/Kyiv. There are whispers of rebuilding it from the ruined foundations, so you can all pay due deference to this unrelentings badass in the future. /15 thecompletepilgrim.com/church-tithes/

Hope you enjoyed that. Stay tuned for more tales of historical awfulness, including plenty of fierce and bloodthirsty women! /FIN