Information AboutSarmatism |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT SARMATISM | |
| history of poland 1569–1795 | |
| history of lithuania | |
| polish culture | |
| sarmatians | |
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HISTORY The 15th century Polish historian XVII.2, online After many permutations, this produced the legend that Poles were the descendants of the ancient Sarmates, a warlike tribe originating in Asia who later resettled in northeastern Europe. SPECIFICS This belief became an important part of szlachta's culture, penetrated all aspects of life and served to differentiate Polish szlachta from Western nobility (which szlachta called ''pludracy'') and their customs. Sarmatian concept enshrined equality among all szlachta, traditions, horseback riding, provincial village life, peace and pacifism, popularised eastern (almost Orient al) clothing and looks ( żupan , Kontusz , Sukmana , Pas Kontuszowy , Delia , Szabla ), served to integrate the multiethnic nobility by creating an almost Nationalist sense of unity and pride of the szlachta's political Golden Freedoms . In its early, ideal form sarmatism looked like a good cultural movement: it supported religious belief, honesty, national pride, courage, equality and freedom. However as any doctrine that put some Social Class above others it became perverted in time. Late sarmatism transformed belief into intolerance and devotion, honesty into political naivity, pride into arrogance, courage into stubbornness, quality and freedom of szlachta into Nihilism . Sarmatism, which evolved during , a militantly reformist periodical sponsored by King Poniatowski, used the term in a derogatory fashion, and so did Franciszek Zabłocki in his comedies, like his play Sarmatism (Sarmatyzm, 1785). A rehabilitation of the Sarmatism and old Polish szlachta began during Polish Romanticism , a time of military uprisings and memories associated with them, which this helped in the rehabilitation of Sarmatism, with its cult of courage and military prowesse. This became quite prominent especially during and after the November Uprising . The genre of Gawęda Szlachecka (a nobleman's tale) created by Henryk Rzewuski is closely associated with reverence for the Sarmatian spirit. Visible in Polish Messianism and in works of great Polish poets like Adam Mickiewicz ('' Pan Tadeusz ''), Juliusz Słowacki and Zygmunt Krasiński , as well as writers ( Henryk Sienkiewicz and his '' Trylogia ''), by and large, Polish Romanticism is indebted to Polish history in ways not observable in other Eupopean countries, where the contrast between past glory and present misery was not that pronounced, or did not exist at all. SARMATIAN ART AND WRITINGS The name and the culture were reflected in contemporary Polish literature. Sarmatian culture was portrayed by many contemporary writers, especially:
Latin was very popular and often mixed with the Polish Language (in writings and in speech), resulting in Macaronic . Knowing at least some Latin was an obligation of any szlachcic. Sarmatian architecture was based on Gothic Architecture . Many of the szlachta residences were wooden. In 19th Century the Sarmatian culture of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was portrayed and popularised by Polish writer, Henryk Sienkiewicz in his Trilogy ('' Ogniem I Mieczem , Potop , Pan Wolodyjowski ''). In the 20th century, Sienkiewicz's trilogy was filmed, and Sarmatian culture became the subject of many modern books (by Jacek Komuda and others), songs (like that of Jacek Kaczmarski ) and even Role-playing Games like Dzikie Pola . SARMATIA Sarmatia (Polish: ''Sarmacja'') was also the unofficial, semi-legendary and poetic name of the Commonwealth, which became fashionable in the 17th Century , designating qualities associated with the literate citizenry of the vast Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. MODERN USAGE In contemporary Poland, the word Sarmatian (Polish: ''sarmacki'') is a form of ironic self-identification, and is sometimes used as a synonym for the Polish character. SEE ALSO REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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