Saturday, September 9, 2023

 A letter from Turkish Sultan Mehmed IV to the Zaporozhian Cossacks in 1676,

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.

Reply from the Zaphorozhian Cossacks,

O sultan, Turkish devil and damned devil’s kith and kin, secretary to Lucifer himself. What the devil kind of knight are you, that can’t slay a hedgehog with your naked arse? The devil excretes, and your army eats. You will not, you son of a bitch, make subjects of Christian sons; we’ve no fear of your army, by land and by sea we will battle with thee, fuck your mother.

You 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 your 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!

14 comments:

  1. I wonder how they really felt about 'em?

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  2. Them Cossacks are SO sentimental ...

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  3. So let it be written, so let it be done! (Well Yul Brenner played Pharo Ramses and Taurus Bulba!)

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  4. There is a famous painting of the incident.

    I am shocked that you didn't post it... it is glorious!

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

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  5. I miss the old days when you were not limited by character counts, drop down menus, etc.

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  6. The reply is not at all woke.

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  7. The painting was brilliant!

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  8. Winston Churchill didn't have much regard for the musselmen either.

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  9. For those who didn't know, today we call the Zaporozhians "Ukrainian".

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  10. We can’t be friends then???

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  11. "Kiss my ass; strong letter to follow."

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  12. Modern diplomacy has nothing on that.

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  13. The "F" word was in official use that far back?
    I was told the neighbor's kid invented it...

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