Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to the letter from the Ottoman sultan demanding their surrender

[Jack the Greater]

Excerpt: "We will not yield to you, but we will fight you."

"Sultan, son of the cursed Sultan of Turkey, companion of Satan, hellish abysmal Sultan of Turkey, Greek pedestal, cook of Babylon, armourer of Jerusalem, wheelwright of Assyria, winegrower of greater and lesser Egypt, Alexandrian pig farmer, Armenian saddle-piece, Tatar dog, accursed viper living in the world, thief of Kamenets-Podolsky and all the world, subject of the spider and the scarecrow, bogeyman of the whole world, Turkish district busurman [Muslim], I am equal to the body, slanderer of Satan, whole host of hell, cursed messenger of Satan, enemy of the crucified God and persecutor of his servants, hope and comfort of the busurmen [Muslims], and their downfall and sorrow. We will not yield to you, but we will fight you."

The letter and it's several variations are generally recognized as forgeries, but they illustrate the spirit of the ancestors of present day Ukrainians, and inspired this painting by Ilya Repin, a Russian, started in 1880 and finished in 1891, measuring 8'8" x 11'9"

[hoosierspud]

1. I took a few Russian history classes in college.

For my 19th century class, I had to write a paper and came across a text stating that it was too bad that Repin and the other Social Realist artists of that time were so caught up in the politics of that era that they only focused on those subjects. My paper refuted that statement. Repin was a very talented artist. He studied in Paris for a while and did some paintings that were similar to the Impressionists work. His most familiar paintings are The Volga Boatmen and Ivan the Terrible holding his dead son.

[yonder]

2. That's a fascinating painting and quite the salutatory sentence - I'm impressed with both.

There are many interesting elements in the painting: the dog lying at their feet, the lute in the lap, the bandaged forearm, the turned back taking up much canvas on the right side and the scribe obviously enjoying the dictation — it all adds up to a monumental work of art. It is no wonder it took Repin 11 years to complete.

Thanks for posting.

[Celerity]

3. more detail

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216401926#post12

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reply_of_the_Zaporozhian_Cossacks

Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks depicts a supposedly historical tableau, set in 1676, and based on the legend of Cossacks sending an insulting reply to an ultimatum from the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed IV. According to the story, the Zaporozhian Cossacks (from "beyond the rapids", Ukrainian: za porohamy), inhabiting the lands around the lower Dnieper River in Ukraine, had defeated Ottoman Empire forces in battle. However, Mehmed demanded that the Cossacks submit to Ottoman rule. The Cossacks, led by Ivan Sirko, replied in a characteristic manner; they wrote a letter, replete with insults and profanities. The painting exhibits the Cossacks' pleasure at striving to come up with ever more base vulgarities.

Mehmed IV, Ottoman Sultan 1648–1687



Sultan Mehmed IV to the Zaporozhian Cossacks:

As the Sultan; son of Muhammad; brother of the sun and moon; grandson and viceroy of God; ruler of the kingdoms of Macedonia, Babylon, Jerusalem, Upper and Lower Egypt; emperor of emperors; sovereign of sovereigns; extraordinary knight, never defeated; steadfast guardian of the tomb of Jesus Christ; trustee chosen by God Himself; the hope and comfort of Muslims; confounder and great defender of Christians – I command you, the Zaporogian Cossacks, to submit to me voluntarily and without any resistance, and to desist from troubling me with your attacks.

— Turkish Sultan Mehmed IV

The Cossacks' reply came as a stream of invective and vulgar rhymes:

Zaporozhian Cossacks to the Turkish Sultan!

O sultan, Turkish devil and damned devil's kith and kin, secretary to Lucifer himself. What the devil kind of knight are thou, that canst not slay a hedgehog with your naked arse? The devil shits, and your army eats. Thou shalt not, thou son of a whore, make subjects of Christian sons. We have no fear of your army; by land and by sea we will battle with thee. Fuck thy mother.

Thou Babylonian scullion, Macedonian wheelwright, brewer of Jerusalem, goat-fucker of Alexandria, swineherd of Greater and Lesser Egypt, pig of Armenia, Podolian thief, catamite of Tartary, hangman of Kamyanets, and fool of all the world and underworld, an idiot before God, grandson of the Serpent, and the crick in our dick. Pig's snout, mare's arse, slaughterhouse cur, unchristened brow. Screw thine own mother!

So the Zaporozhians declare, you lowlife. You won't even be herding pigs for the Christians. Now we'll conclude, for we don't know the date and don't own a calendar; the moon's in the sky, the year with the Lord. The day's the same over here as it is over there; for this kiss our arse!

— Koshovyi otaman Ivan Sirko, with the whole Zaporozhian Host

Shoulder sleeve insignia of the Ukrainian Army's 55th Artillery Brigade "Zaporozhian Sich"

[panader0]

4. "Screw thine own mother!" Motherf**ker is an old expression I guess.

Thanks for the elaboration on an interesting OP.