In the year 945, the primary chronicle of the Kievan Rus relates that the Grand Prince

Igor, then ruling over a sprawling confederation of loosely unified pagan clans, centered upon the

wild river systems, forests, and steplands of Eastern Europe, made his annual

trip to the court of one of his subject Slavic tribes, the Dreblians. It was a trip that he had done

year in, year out, since he first rose to prominence amongst the Kievan Russe several

decades before. Upon his arrival, however, rather than having the customary tribute and taxes ready for him,

the Dreblians instead overpowered his retinue, disarming the Grand Prince,

and dragging him kicking and shouting off into a nearby woodland.

Now alone, surrounded by hostile warriors eager for his blood, and miles away from any sort of aid, Igor probably realized what was about to happen to him.

Perhaps he made peace with his gods before meeting his end.

When his captors brought him to his place of execution, however,

probably an ancient grove long associated with the forest gods that the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe

had worshipped for time and memorial. Even Igor, who himself had accrued an impressive reputation

for ruthlessness and cruelty, was in all likelihood surprised and horrified at a particularly

grim punishment that the Dreblians had reserved for their hated overlord.

Ahead of him in the clearing were two fully grown and extremely tall bent over birch trees,

awkwardly and unnaturally staked down to the ground, through much effort

by the Dreblyian warriors. As Igor gazed around at the grisly scene before him, perhaps spotting

specks of red on the forest floor and the trees above, the telling evidence of previous

sacrificial victims, even he was probably horrified at this end that his gods

had reserved for him. Perhaps he struggled to fight his captors in a last forlorn hope of getting

away. Yet nonetheless, they pushed him ever onwards towards the birch trees, tying the grand

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