This paper discusses the evolution of the image of the Crimean Tatar warriors in the French travel writings from the Early Modern Period. The materials under research are writings of the French travellers in Eastern Europe. Some of them visited the Crimea, others viewed Crimean Tatars during military campaigns in present-day Ukraine. It has been demonstrated that initial image of the Crimean Tatars represented archetypical nomads, who “inherited” some features of Scythians and Huns from Greco-Roman tradition and the mediaeval Mongols as the “messengers of the Apocalypse.” The Tatars were viewed as ruthless warriors, ideally fit to severe conditions of the steppe, who used unusual ways of fighting, provisioning, and handling the “living booty.” It was supposed that most of the population of Northern Asia, or Tartary, had the same features. Aftert he Russian annexation of the Crimea, the image of the Crimean Tatars drastically changed. From that moment on, the Crimean Tatars were described as peaceful farmers, who lost their military valour to become “noble savages” of the Rousseauian tradition. Similarly to the most of ethnic stereotypes, this one was rather far from reality and demonstrated complexes and phobias of the Frenchmen.
From ruthless warriors to careless idlers: the evolution of the image of the Crimean Tatars in the French travelogues of 17th–19th centuries
Khrapunov Nikita
This work was financially supported by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, megagrant project no. 075-15-2022-1119.
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