moderately off-topic because we're here discussing acoup.blog, but i just finished the fall of civilizations podcast episodes on the rise and fall of the mongols. it's really fascinating and sheds quite a bit of light on some things that have been mythologized about chinggis khan

I think the same happens with any history of warrior cultures. Same with Japanese samurai, etc.

They enter into popular culture, get mythologized, and all nuance flies out the window.