Attributed to Nestor the Chronicler · Complete work
1071: The Sorcerers
1071: The Sorcerers of 46. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Old East Slavic
В лѣто 6579. Воеваша половци у Растовца и у Неятина. Того же лѣта выгна Всеславъ Святополка ис Полотьска. Того же лѣта побѣди Ярополкъ Всеслава у Голотичьска. В та же времена приде волъхвь, прельщенъ бѣсомъ. Пришедъ бо Кыеву, глаголаше: «Явили ми ся есть 5 богъ, глаголюще: сице повѣдай людемь, яко на пять лѣт Днѣпру потещи вьспять, а землямь переступати на ина мѣста, яко стати Грѣчкой земли на Руской земли, а Руской на Грѣчкой, и прочимъ землямъ измѣнитися». Его же невегласии послушахуть, а вѣрнии насмѣхахуся, глаголюще ему: «Бѣсъ тобою играеть на пагубу тобѣ». Еже и бысть ему: въ едину бо нощь бысть без вѣсти. Бѣси бо подтокше и на зло вьводять и по сем же насмихающися, вринуша и в пропасть смертьную, научивше […] глаголати, яко се скажемь бѣсовьское наущение и дѣйство.
Бывши бо единою скудости въ Ростовьстѣй области, и вьстаста два волъхва от Ярославьля, глаголюща, яко «Вѣ свѣмы, кто обилье держить». И поидоста по Волзѣ, и кдѣ придучи в погость, ту же нарекаста лучьшия жены, глаголюща, яко «Си жито держать, а сии — медъ, а сии рыбы, а сии скору». И привожаху к нима сестры своя, и матери и жены своя. Она же въ мьчтѣ прорѣзавше за плечемь, вынимаста любо жито, любо рыбы, или вѣверицю, и убиваша […] многы жены, имѣния ихъ имаша собѣ. И приидоста на Бѣлоозеро и бѣ у нею людий инѣхъ 300. В то же время приключися прити от Святослава дань емлющю Яневи, сыну Вышатину, и повѣдаша ему бѣлоозерьци, яко два кудесника избила многы жены по Волъзѣ и по Шькснѣ и пришла есть сѣмо. Янь же, испытавъ, чья еста смерда, и увѣдѣвъ, яко своего ему князя, пославь же кь нимь, иже около ею суть, и рече имъ: «Выдайте волъхва та сѣмо, яко смерда еста моего князя». Они же сего не послушаша.
Янь же поиде самъ безъ оружья, и рѣша ему отроци его: «Не ходи безъ оружья, осоромять тя». Онь же повелѣ взяти оружье отрокомь, и бяста 12 отрока с нимь, и поиде к нимь кь лѣсу. Они же сташа, сполчившеся противу. Яневи же идущю с топорцемь, выступиша от нихъ трие мужи и придоша кь Яневи, рекуще ему: «Видя, идеши на смерть, не ходи». Оному же повелѣвшю бити я, кь прочим же поиде. Они же сунушася на ня, единъ грѣшися Яня топоромъ. Янь же, оборотя топоръ, и удари тыльемь, и повелѣ отрокомъ сѣщи я. Они же бѣжаша в лѣсъ, убиша же ту попа Янева. Янь же, вшедъ в горъдъ к бѣлоозерьчемь и рече имъ: «Аще не имете волъхву сею, и не иду от васъ за лѣто». Бѣлоозѣрьци же, шедше, и яша я и приведоша я к нему. И рече има: «Что ради погубисте толико человѣкъ?» Онима же рекшима, яко «Си держать гобину, да аще истрѣбивѣ, избьевѣ всихъ, и будеть обилье. Аще ли хощеши, то предъ тобою выемлевѣ жито, или рыбу, или ино».
Янъ же рече: «Поистинѣ лжете: створилъ бо есть Богъ человѣка от земля, и съставленъ костьми и жилами от крови, и нѣсть в немь ничтоже и не вѣсть ничтоже, токмо Богъ единъ вѣсть». Она же рекоста: «Вѣ два вѣдаевѣ, како есть створенъ человѣкъ». Онъ же рече: «Како?» Она же рекоста: «Мывся Богъ в мовьници и вьспотився, отерься вѣхтемь, и свѣрже с небеси на землю. И распрѣся сотона сь Богомь, кому в немь створити человѣка. И створи дьявьлъ человѣка, а Богъ душю во нь вложи. Тѣмже, аще умреть человѣкь, в землю идеть, а душа кь Богу». Рече же има Янь: «Поистинѣ прельстилъ есть васъ дьяволъ. Которому Богу вѣруета?» Она же рекоста: «Антихръсту». Он же рече има: «То гдѣ есть?» Она же рекоста: «Сѣдить въ безднѣ». И рече има Янь: «То кий есть Богъ, сѣдя въ безднѣ? То есть бѣсъ, а Богь есть сѣдя на небесѣхъ и на престолѣ, славимъ от ангелъ, иже предъстоять ему со страхомъ, не могуще на нь зрѣти. А сий бо от ангелъ свѣрженъ бысть, егоже вы глаголете антихръста, за величание его, и свѣрженъ бысть с небеси и есть в безднѣ, якоже вы глаголета, ждя, егда придеть Богъ с небесѣ и, сего емь антихръста, свяжеть узами и посадить во огни вѣчнемь со слугами его и иже к нему вѣруеть. А вама же зде муку прияти от мене, а по смерти — тамо».
Онѣма же рекшима: «Нама бози повѣдають, не можеши нама створити ничтоже». Онъ же рече има: «Лжють вама бози ваши». Она же рекоста: «Нама предстати предъ Святославомъ, а ты намъ не можеши створити ничтоже». Янь же повелѣ бити я и поторъгати брадѣ ею. Сима же битыма, и брадѣ поторганѣ проскѣпомъ, рече има Янь: «Что вамъ бозѣ молвять?» Онѣма же рекьшима: «Стати намъ предъ Святославомъ». И повелѣ Янь вложити има рубля въ уста и привязати ко упругамъ, и пустити я предъ собою в лодии, а самъ по нихъ иде. И сташа на устьи Шекъсны, и рече има Янь: «Што вамъ молвять бози ваши?» Она же рекоста: «Сице намъ бози молвять: не быти нама живымъ от тебе». И рече има Янь: «То вамъ право молвять бозѣ ваши». Она же рекоста: «Аще насъ пустиши, много ти добра будеть, аще насъ погубиши, многу печаль приимеши и зло». Онъ же рече има: «Аще васъ отпущю, то зло ми будеть от Бога, аще ли васъ погублю, то мьзда ми будеть от Бога».
И рече Янь к повозникомъ: «Ци кому васъ родинъ убьенъ от сею?» Они же рѣша: «Мнѣ мати, а другому сестра, иному родичь». Онъ же рече имъ: «Мьстите своихъ». Они же, поимше я, избиша […] и повѣсиша я на дрѣвѣ: отмѣстье приимша от Бога по правдѣ. Яневи же идущю домовь, въ другую нощь медвѣдь влѣзъ, угрызъ я и снѣде кудеснику. И тако погыбоста научениемь дьяволимь, инѣмь вѣдуща и гадающа, а своея пагубы не вѣдуща. Аще быста вѣдала, то не бы пришла на мѣсто се, идѣже ятома быти; аще ли ята быста, то почто глаголаста, яко «Не умрети нама», а оному мыслящю убити я? Но се есть бѣсовьское научение; бѣси бо не вѣдають мысли человѣчьскыя, но влагають помыслъ въ человѣка, а тайны не вѣдуща. Богъ же единъ вѣсть помышления человѣцьска, бѣси бо не вѣдають ничегоже, суть бо немощнии и худи взоромь.
Яко се скажемь о взорѣ ихъ и о омрачении их. В си бо времена и в сѣ лѣта приключися нѣкоему новгородьцю прити в чюдь. И приде кудесьнику, хотя волъхвования от него. Онъ же по обычаю своему нача призывати бѣсы въ храмину свою. Новгородцю же сѣдящю на порозѣ тоя храмины въ сторонѣ, кудесникъ лежаше оцѣпъ, и шибе имъ бѣсъ. Кудесникъ же, вьставъ, рече новгородцю: «Бози наши не смѣють внити, нѣчто имаши на собѣ, егоже бояться». Онъ же помяну кресть на собѣ и, отъшедъ, повѣси кромѣ храмины тоя. Онъ же нача изнова призывати бѣсы. Бѣси же, метавше имъ, повѣдаша, что ради пришелъ есть. По сем же нача просити его: «Что ради бояться его, егоже носимъ на собѣ — крестъ?» Онъ же рече: «То есть знамение небеснаго Бога, егоже наши бози бояться». Онъ же рече: «То каци суть бози ваши, кде живуть?». Онъ же рече: «Бози наши живуть въ безднахъ. Суть же образомъ черни, крилати, хвостъ имущи; вьсходять же и подъ небо, слушающе вашихъ боговъ. Ваши бози на небесѣ суть. Аще кто умреть от вашихъ людий, то возносимь есть на небо, аще ли от нашихъ умираеть, но носимъ есть к нашимъ богомъ въ бездну». Якоже грѣшници въ адѣ суть, ждуще мукы вѣчныя, а правѣдници въ небеснемь […] жилищи вьдворяються съ ангелы.
Сица ти есть бѣсовьская сила, и лѣпота и немощь. Тѣмьже и прельщають человѣкы, велящи имъ глаголати видѣнья, являющеся имъ, несвѣршенным вѣрою являющеся въ снѣ, инѣмь въ мѣчтѣ, и тако волъхвують научениемь дьяволимъ. Паче же женами бѣсовьская волъхвованиия бывають: исконѣ бо бѣсъ жену прельсти, жена же — мужа, тако в си роди много волъхвують жены чародѣйствомь, и отравою, инѣми бесовьскыми козньми, Но и мужи прельщени бывають от бѣсовъ невѣрнии. Яко и се въ первый родъ при апостолѣхъ бо бысть Симонъ волъхвъ, иже вълъшествомъ творяше, повелѣ псомь человѣчьскы глаголати и самъ премѣняшеться ово старъ, ово молодъ, ово ли иного пременяше въ иного образъ в мечтаньи. Сице творяшеть Аньний, Замврий, волъшвеньемь чюдеса творяшеть противу Моисѣеви, но въскорѣ не возмогоста. Но и Кунопъ творяшеть мьчтаниемь бѣсовьскымъ, яко и по водамъ ходити, и ина мѣчтания творяше, бѣсомъ льстимь, на пагубу собѣ и инѣмь.
Сице бысть волъхвъ вьсталъ при Глѣбѣ в Новѣгородѣ; глаголашеть бо людемь и творяшеть бо ся аки богъмъ, и многы прельсти, мало не весь городъ, глаголаше бо, яко «Все ведаю», хуля вѣру крестьяньскую, глаголашеть бо, яко «Преиду по Волъхову предъ всими». И бысть мятежь в городѣ, и вси яша ему вѣру и хотя побѣдити епископа. Епископъ же, вземь крестъ и оболкъся в ризы, ста, рекъ: «Иже хощеть вѣру яти волъхву, да за нь идеть, аще ли вѣруеть кто кресту, да идеть к нему». И раздѣлишася надвое: князь бо Глѣбъ и дружина его сташа у епископа, а людье вси идоша за волъхва. И бысть мятежь великъ вельми. Глѣбъ же, возма топоръ подъ скутъ, и приде к волъхву и рече ему: «То веси ли, что утрѣ хощеть быти, что ли до вечера?» Онъ же рече: «Все вѣдаю». И рече Глѣбъ: «То вѣси ли, что ти хощеть днесь быти?» Онъ же рече: «Чюдеса велика створю». Глѣбъ же, выня топоръ, и ростя ̀и, и паде мертвъ, и людие разиидошася. Он же погибе тѣломъ и душею предався дьяволу.
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Old East Slavic text of the Hypatian Codex (O. V. Tvorogov’s 1997 edition, pinned Russian Wikisource revision), covering the undated introduction and every annal from 6360 to 6625 (852–1117 CE). Worker drafts were checked against the source paragraph by paragraph before publication. Years keep the chronicle’s own reckoning from the creation of the world; subtract 5508 for the approximate year CE, as the chapter titles do.
In the year 6579. The Cumans made war at Rastovets and at Neiatin. In the same year Vseslav drove Sviatopolk out of Polotsk. In the same year Yaropolk defeated Vseslav at Golotichesk. At that same time there came a sorcerer beguiled by a demon. Coming to Kyiv, he proclaimed: “There appeared to me 5 gods, saying: tell the people thus, that for five years the Dnieper is to flow backward, and the lands are to pass over to other places: the Greek land is to stand where the land of Rus' now stands, and the land of Rus' where the Greek land, and the other lands are to change places likewise.” The ignorant listened to him, while the faithful mocked him, saying to him: “The demon is playing with you, to your ruin.” And so it fell out for him: one night he vanished without a trace. For the demons lead a man on, first drawing him into evil, and then, mocking him, hurl him into the abyss of death, having taught him […] what to say — this, we say, is the demon's prompting and working.
For once there was a famine in the region of Rostov, and two sorcerers rose up from Yaroslavl, saying: “We know who keeps the abundance.” And they went along the Volga, and wherever they came to a trading post, there they named the leading women, saying: “This one holds the grain, and this one the honey, and this one the fish, and this one the furs.” And their brothers brought their own sisters, mothers, and wives to them. And the two, in a trance, cut behind the shoulder and drew out — now grain, now fish, or a squirrel — and they killed […] many women and took their property for themselves. And they came to Beloozero, and they had with them 300 men of other folk. At that very time it happened that Jan, son of Vyshata, was coming from Sviatoslav, collecting tribute, and the men of Beloozero told him that two sorcerers had killed many women along the Volga and along the Sheksna and had come here. And Jan, having inquired whose peasants the two were, and learning that they were men of his own prince, sent word to those who stood around them and said to them: “Give up the two sorcerers, for they are my prince's peasants.” But they did not listen to him.
And Jan went himself without arms, and his attendants said to him: “Do not go unarmed — they will shame you.” But he ordered the attendants to take up arms, and there were 12 attendants with him, and he went to them at the wood. And they stood drawn up against him. As Jan came on with a small axe, three men stepped out from their company and came up to Jan, saying to him: “You see that you are going to your death — do not go.” When he ordered these beaten, he went on to the rest. And they rushed upon him; one swung at Jan with an axe and missed. And Jan, turning his axe, struck with the butt of it, and ordered the attendants to cut them down. And they fled into the wood, and there they killed Jan's priest. And Jan, entering the town, said to the men of Beloozero: “If you do not seize these sorcerers for me, I will not leave you for a year.” And the men of Beloozero went, seized them, and brought them to him. And he said to the two: “Why did you destroy so many people?” And they answered: “These keep the abundance; if we destroy them, killing them all, there will be abundance. And if you wish, before your eyes we will draw out grain, or fish, or anything else.”
And Jan said: “Truly you lie: God made man from the earth, and he is put together of bones and sinews and blood, and there is nothing in him, and he knows nothing — God alone knows.” And the two said: “We both know how man was created.” He said: “How?” They said: “God washed in the bathhouse, and sweating, wiped himself with a rag and cast it down from heaven to the earth. And Satan strove with God over which of them should create man from it. And the devil created man, and God put the soul into him. Therefore, when a man dies, his body goes into the earth, and his soul to God.” And Jan said to them: “Truly the devil has beguiled you. In what god do you believe?” They said: “In Antichrist.” He said to them: “And where is he?” They said: “He sits in the abyss.” And Jan said to them: “What kind of god is one who sits in the abyss? That is a demon; but God is he who sits in the heavens upon his throne, glorified by the angels, who stand before him in awe, unable to look upon him. This one, whom you call Antichrist, was cast down from among the angels for his pride, and cast down from heaven he is in the abyss, just as you two say, awaiting the time when God shall come from heaven and, seizing this Antichrist, bind him in chains and place him in the eternal fire, with his servants and those who believe in him. But you two are to receive torment here from me, and after death — there.”
And the two said: “Our gods tell us that you can do nothing to us.” He said to them: “Your gods lie to you.” They said: “We are to stand before Sviatoslav, and you can do nothing to us.” And Jan ordered them beaten and their beards plucked. And while they were being beaten and their beards plucked out with pincers, Jan said to them: “What do your gods tell you?” And they answered: “We are to stand before Sviatoslav.” And Jan ordered a gag set into their mouths and had them bound to the boat's thwarts and sent ahead of him in the boat, while he himself followed after them. And they halted at the mouth of the Sheksna, and Jan said to them: “What do your gods tell you now?” They said: “This our gods tell us: we shall not live at your hands.” And Jan said to them: “Then your gods speak truly.” They said: “If you let us go, much good will come to you; but if you put us to death, you will take much sorrow and evil upon yourself.” He said to them: “If I let you go, evil will come to me from God; but if I put you to death, the reward will be from God.”
And Jan said to his teamsters: “Is there any of you whose kinsman was killed by these two?” They said: “My mother; another's sister; another's kinsman.” He said to them: “Avenge your own.” And they took them and killed them […] and hanged them on a tree: they received retribution from God, and justly. And as Jan was journeying home, on the second night a bear climbed up, bit them, and devoured the sorcerers. And so the two perished by the devil's teaching: they knew and divined for others, but did not know their own ruin. Had they known, they would not have come to the place where they were to be seized; and if they were to be seized, why did they say, “We shall not die,” while he was minded to kill them? But this is the devil's teaching: for demons do not know the thoughts of men, but implant a thought in a man, themselves not knowing the secret. God alone knows the thoughts of men; for the demons know nothing at all, being weak and poor of vision.
So we shall tell of their seeing and of their darkening. For in those times and in that year it happened that a certain man of Novgorod came into the land of the Chud, and he went to a sorcerer, wishing divination of him. The sorcerer, according to his custom, began to summon demons into his hut. The man of Novgorod sat by the threshold of the hut, apart, while the sorcerer lay in a trance, stricken by a demon. Then the sorcerer rose and said to the man of Novgorod: “Our gods dare not enter; there is something upon you that they fear.” And he remembered the cross upon him, went out, and hung it outside the hut. And the sorcerer began to summon the demons anew. And the demons, flinging themselves about, told him why he had come. Then he began to ask him: “Why do they fear the thing you wear upon you — the cross?” And he said: “That is the sign of the God of heaven, and our gods fear it.” He said: “Then what sort of gods are yours, and where do they live?” And he said: “Our gods live in the abysses. They are black in form, winged, and have tails; and they climb up even under heaven, listening to your gods. Your gods are in heaven. If one of your people dies, he is borne up to heaven; but if one of ours dies, he is carried to our gods into the abyss.” As sinners are in hell, awaiting eternal torment, while the righteous in their heavenly […] dwelling are received among the angels.
Such is the devils' power, their comeliness and their weakness. Therefore they beguile men, bidding them speak of visions, appearing to them — to those of unperfected faith — in sleep, to others in waking visions; and so they conjure by the devil's teaching. Chiefly through women is the devils' sorcery wrought: from the beginning the demon beguiled the woman, and the woman the man; and so in these generations many women practice sorcery with charms and poisons and other devilish snares. But unbelieving men too are beguiled by demons. And so in the first generation, in the time of the apostles, there was Simon the sorcerer, who worked by magic: he commanded a dog to speak with a man's voice, and changed himself, now old, now young, and changed others into another shape in visions. So wrought Jannes and Jambres, working wonders by sorcery against Moses, but soon the two were beaten. And Cynops too worked by devilish illusion, even to walking upon the waters, and did other illusions, deceived by demons, to his own ruin and that of others.
So it was with the sorcerer who arose in Novgorod in the days of Gleb: he spoke to the people and made himself out as a god, and beguiled many — nearly the whole city; for he said, “I know all things,” blaspheming the Christian faith, and he said, “I will walk across the Volkhov before you all.” And there was an uproar in the city, and all gave him their faith and wished to overcome the bishop. And the bishop took the cross and put on his vestments and stood forth, saying: “Whoever wishes to believe the sorcerer, let him follow him; whoever believes in the cross, let him come to the cross.” And they divided in two: Prince Gleb and his retinue stood by the bishop, and all the people went after the sorcerer. And there was a great and grievous tumult. Then Gleb took an axe under his cloak, and came to the sorcerer, and said to him: “Do you know what is to be tomorrow morning, or what before evening?” He said: “I know all things.” And Gleb said: “Do you know what is to befall you this day?” He said: “I will work great wonders.” And Gleb drew out the axe and hewed him down, and he fell dead, and the people went their ways. And he perished in body and soul, having given himself over to the devil.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Old East Slavic text of the Hypatian Codex, paragraph for paragraph, and checked against the source before publication.
In the year 6579. The Cumans raided at Rastovets and at Neiatin. In the same year Vseslav drove Sviatopolk out of Polotsk. In the same year Yaropolk defeated Vseslav at Golotichesk. At that time a sorcerer came, deceived by a demon. He came to Kyiv and said: “Five gods appeared to me and said: Tell the people this: in five years the Dnieper will flow backward, and the lands will move to other places — the Greek land will stand where the land of Rus' stands, and the land of Rus' where the Greek land stands, and the other lands will change.” The ignorant listened to him, but the faithful laughed at him and said to him: “A demon is playing with you, to your ruin.” And so it happened to him: in one night he disappeared without a trace. Demons first trick a man and lead him into evil, and then, mocking him, they hurl him into the pit of death, having taught him to speak […]; this we call the demon's prompting and doing.
Once there was a famine in the region of Rostov, and two sorcerers rose up from Yaroslavl, saying: “We know who holds the plenty.” They went along the Volga, and wherever they came to a trading post, they named the leading women there, saying: “This one holds the grain, this one the honey, this one the fish, and this one the furs.” People brought their sisters, their mothers, and their wives to them. The two, in a trance of delusion, cut the women open behind the shoulder and drew out grain, or fish, or a squirrel, and they killed […] many women and took their property for themselves. They came to Beloozero, and they had 300 other men with them. At that time it happened that Jan, son of Vyshata, was coming from Sviatoslav, collecting tribute. The people of Beloozero told him that two sorcerers had killed many women along the Volga and the Sheksna and had come here. Jan found out whose peasants the two were and learned that they were his own prince's. He sent to the men who were around them and said: “Hand over those two sorcerers here, for they are my prince's peasants.” They did not obey him.
Jan went himself without weapons, and his retainers said to him: “Do not go without weapons; they will shame you.” He ordered the retainers to take weapons. There were 12 retainers with him, and he went to them at the forest. The two stood, drawn up against them. As Jan walked with his small axe, three men stepped out from the others and came to Jan, saying to him: “Look, you are walking to your death. Do not go.” He ordered his men to strike them and went on toward the rest. They rushed at them; one missed Jan with his axe. Jan turned his axe and struck with the butt of it, and ordered the retainers to cut them down. The two fled into the forest, and there they killed Jan's priest. Jan went into the town, to the people of Beloozero, and said to them: “If you do not seize these two sorcerers, I will not leave you for a year.” The people of Beloozero went, seized them, and brought them to him. He said to them: “Why did you destroy so many people?” They said: “These women hold the plenty. If we destroy them, killing them all, there will be plenty. If you wish, we will pull grain out in front of you, or fish, or something else.”
Jan said: “You are lying, truly. God made man from the earth, put together with bones and sinews and formed from blood; and in himself he has nothing and knows nothing. God alone knows.” The two said: “We two know how man was made.” He said: “How?” They said: “God washed in a bathhouse, sweated, wiped himself with a rag, and threw it down from heaven to earth. Then Satan argued with God over which of them would make man out of it. The devil made man, and God put the soul into him. That is why, when a man dies, his body goes into the earth and his soul goes to God.” Jan said to them: “Truly the devil has deceived you. In which god do you believe?” They said: “In the Antichrist.” He said to them: “Where is he, then?” They said: “He sits in the abyss.” Jan said to them: “What kind of god is one who sits in the abyss? That is a demon. But God sits in the heavens and on his throne, glorified by the angels, who stand before him in fear, unable to look on him. And this one you call the Antichrist was cast down from among the angels for his pride; he was thrown from heaven and is in the abyss, just as you say, waiting for the time when God comes from heaven, seizes this Antichrist, binds him with chains, and puts him in eternal fire with his servants and with those who believe in him. But you will receive torment here from me, and after death — there.”
The two said: “Our gods tell us: you can do nothing to us.” He said to them: “Your gods are lying to you.” They said: “We will have to stand before Sviatoslav, and you can do nothing to us.” Jan ordered them beaten and their beards torn out. While they were being beaten and their beards were being plucked out with pincers, Jan said to them: “What do your gods tell you?” They said: “We are to stand before Sviatoslav.” Jan ordered gags put into their mouths and had them tied to the boat's crossbars, and had them sent ahead of him in the boat, while he followed behind. They stopped at the mouth of the Sheksna, and Jan said to them: “What do your gods tell you?” They said: “This is what the gods tell us: we will not escape from you alive.” Jan said to them: “Then your gods are telling you the truth.” They said: “If you let us go, much good will come to you; if you kill us, you will bring much sorrow and evil on yourself.” He said to them: “If I let you go, evil will come to me from God. If I kill you, the reward will be mine from God.”
Jan said to the boatmen: “Has any of you had a kinsman killed by these two?” They said: “My mother; another's sister; another's kinsman.” He said to them: “Avenge your own.” They took them, killed them […], and hanged them on a tree; they received God's vengeance, and justly. As Jan was going home, on the second night a bear climbed in, bit the sorcerers, and ate them. And so the two perished by the devil's teaching — they divined for others and knew things, but did not know their own ruin. If they had known, they would not have come to the place where they were to be captured. And if they were to be captured, why did they say, “We will not die,” while he was intending to kill them? But this is demonic teaching. Demons do not know a man's thoughts; they put a thought into a man, but they do not know secrets. God alone knows man's thoughts. Demons know nothing, for they are weak and foul to look at.
Let us now tell about their appearance and their delusion. In those times and in those years it happened that a certain man of Novgorod came into the Chud land. He came to a sorcerer, wanting divination from him. The sorcerer began, according to his custom, to summon demons into his hut. The Novgorodian sat at the threshold of the hut, off to the side, while the sorcerer lay in a trance, and a demon rushed at him. The sorcerer got up and said to the Novgorodian: “Our gods dare not come in. You have something on you that they fear.” He remembered the cross he had on him; he went out and hung it outside that hut. The sorcerer began again to summon the demons. The demons rushed in and told him why the Novgorodian had come. Then the Novgorodian asked him: “Why do they fear what he wears on himself — the cross?” The sorcerer said: “That is the sign of the heavenly God, and our gods fear it.” The Novgorodian said: “Then what are your gods like? Where do they live?” The sorcerer said: “Our gods live in the abysses. They are black in form, winged, with tails. They also climb up under the sky and listen to your gods. Your gods are in heaven. If one of your people dies, he is carried up to heaven; if one of ours dies, he is carried to our gods, into the abyss.” As sinners are in hell, waiting for eternal torment, so the righteous are settled in the heavenly […] dwelling with the angels.
Such is the demons' power, their charm, and their weakness. That is how they deceive people: they make them speak visions, appearing to them. To those whose faith is not yet firm they appear in sleep, to others in waking visions, and so they practice sorcery by the devil's teaching. Demonic sorcery happens above all through women: from the beginning the demon deceived the woman, and the woman the man. So in these generations many women practice sorcery with charms and poison and other demonic tricks. But faithless men too are deceived by demons. For example, in the first generation, in the time of the apostles, there was Simon the sorcerer, who did things by magic: he made a dog speak with a human voice, and he himself changed, now old, now young, and he changed others into other forms by illusion. Jannes and Jambres did the same: by magic they worked wonders against Moses, but soon they could not prevail. And Cynops worked by demonic illusion, so that he even walked on water and performed other illusions, deceived by demons, to his own ruin and the ruin of others.
So it was that a sorcerer arose in Novgorod in the time of Gleb. He spoke to the people and made himself out to be like a god, and he deceived many — almost the whole city — for he said: “I know everything.” He blasphemed the Christian faith and said: “I will walk across the Volkhov in front of everyone.” There was an uprising in the city. All believed in him and wanted to defeat the bishop. The bishop took the cross, put on his vestments, stood, and said: “Whoever wants to believe the sorcerer, let him follow him. Whoever believes in the cross, let him go to the cross.” They split in two: Prince Gleb and his retinue stood by the bishop, and all the people went after the sorcerer. There was a very great uprising. Gleb took an axe under his cloak, came to the sorcerer, and said to him: “Do you know what will happen tomorrow morning, and what by evening?” He said: “I know everything.” Gleb said: “Then do you know what will happen to you today?” He said: “I will work great wonders.” Gleb drew the axe out and split him, and he fell dead, and the people scattered. He perished in body and soul, having given himself over to the devil.