Life and traditions of Caucasian Circassians: historical-comparative probe of travelogues of European travellers from the beginning of the 16th century to the half of the 19th century (Život a zvyky kaukazských Čerkesov: historicko-komparatívna sondáž cestopisov európskych cestovateľov od začiatku 16. do polovice 19. storočia)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to clarify evolution of life and traditions of Circassian society in a historically comparative perspective. It is based on published travelogues and diaries of European travellers who visited various parts of Caucasian Circassia from the 16th century to the half of the 19th century. Although they had described various aspects of life of this varied mountain ethnic group, the study focuses on just a few of them: anthropological appearance, language, religion, clothing, traditions, social activities and social structure of the Circassians. This data shows that Circassia embodied tribal formation that was split, speaking different languages without existence of any mutual language of interethnic communication. Despite this fact, different tribes had been somehow connected. This variedness was based on the Circassians mentality and religious issues as well. Isolation of the Circassia area, underdevelopment of external relations, absence of migration processes and peculiarities of the population mentality conditioned weak development of craft, industry, trade and character of social activities at all.

Keywords

• Circassia
• Circassians
• the Caucasus
• everydayness
• customs
• traditions
• travelogues
• European travellers of the 16th – 19th Century