The Cossack Origins

The name Cossack derives from the Turkic word "kazak", which means "free man" or "adventurer". Indeed, the Cossack's life was quite an adventure: this sub-ethnic group was formed and shaped in never ending wars and conflicts. There is no complete agreement among historians and anthropologists on who Are The Cossacks, but regardless of that, Cossacks for centuries had very specific customs and traditions.

The role of the Cossacks in history of Russia and Ukraine can be traced by the historical documents. But to me, I find it very interesting that the folk tradition of Eastern Slavs associated their heroes with the Cossacks. In the oldest Russian bylina cycle (traditional heroic narrative poetry), the main hero is "Cossack Ilya of Murom", who defended Rus from the nomads. He is the best of the best, he is the bravest and the strongest - and in bylina it is stressed that he is a Cossack.

In the 15^th century the term Cossack referred to self-governing warrior communities in the Dnieper and Don river regions. There is evidence that Cossacks could accept in their communities Tartars, Germans, Greeks, Turks. But, there was an important condition – believing in Christ. Looking at the last names of Cossacks one can tell the origin of their ancestors. For example: Grekov from Greeks, Gruzinov from Georgians, Millerov from Germans (for example, among Cossacks during the siege of the fortress Azov there was a German called Johann. He engineered a tunnel up to the fortress to plant explosives, thereby blowing up the wall allowing the Cossack fighters to engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat and take the city), Serbinov from Serbs, Turchaninov from Turks,Tatarinov from Tartars, Polyakov from Poles... All these were assimilated by the Cossacks and only the names give a clue on where their ancestors came from to the Don or Dnieper. However, all those newcomers were just a fraction of the host, and were integrated into the Cossack community. They stopped being Russians, Poles or Germans... They became Cossacks. And their children were growing up within the Cossack tradition.

The origin of the Cossacks is one of the most fuzzy questions of their history. Maybe, eventually I will add more on it, but right now I can only suggest a vague and incomplete list of different theories and opinions.

spm111@yandex.ru