I'm Hungarian. What ideas, stereotypes about Ottoman Empire / Turkish people I have are probably wrong?

by [deleted]

OK, I will make it easier. Here are two paintings about Ottoman troops besieging Hungarian castles (Szigetvár and Eger):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Johann_Peter_Krafft_005.jpg

http://nemzetismeret.hu/image.php?id=a_101

Pretty much all of the most important stereotypes are there:

  1. everybody wearing turbans

  2. shaved heads, leaving only one lock of hair

  3. curved swords

  4. really loose pants

Interesting that in Hungarian history this kind of shaved head with a lock or two of hair left has always been synonymous with being a "pagan" (any non-Christian). Old Hungarians who resisted the Christian faith also have been said to wear it. Maybe it was simply projected on the Ottomans just to show they are "pagans".

unclaimed_wallet

Also I wanted to state that a big chunk of the Ottoman military was made up by ethnic Greeks, Georgians, Albanians etc. who were recruited to the Ottoman military at a young age. Also the Crimean Tatars were also present during the Hungarians wars as well. That is to state that the majority of the Ottoman Military was possibly not that dark skinned.

When it comes to the depiction of Turks by the Hungarians or any of the enemies of the Ottoman Empire, it is understandable that the depictions are shown as how a person would imagine a "bad person". You can call it demonic, ugly etc.

Also not to forget that Ottoman Military was made up not only by professional soldiers. Professional soldiers of course did wear Armour and the curved sword was indeed favored. There were also a lot of irregular soldiers who attended the wars in a way of religious practice but also to gain wealth in form of booty. These people did not necessarily have a full armour to wear so it is possible that many of them might have fought with their turbans.

The hair as you mentioned in your post is possibly a depiction of a "pagan" nation. As far as I know that kind of hair style was not popular during the rule of Ottoman Empire. But it is a question to ask if Tatar people followed Mongolian traditions as that kind of hair is a Mongolian hairstyle.

Jessth

In the second photo there's a woman wielding a sword, didn't anyone notice that? Was it possible for hungarian women to fight alongside men? Interesting that would have been.

FeriAts

The shaved head are probably soldiers from "Deli" troops(which translates as crazy troops). These would be selected from mentally unstable people and further agitated with drugs before combat. They would be dressed in outrageous but completely useless outfits. A bit like mediaeval kamikazes really.

The lock of hair is left in case their heads are severed during combat. It would be easier to pick up the head for burial.

These troops were so effective as scare tactics, you would find a lot surnames like Delibash or Delibashic across Balkans. Delibas translates as the leader/head of Delis.

three_three_fourteen

Many of the ideas Western society has about the "depravity" (or abundant and open sexuality) of the Ottoman empire were in fact salacious stories that were made up by writers who'd "been there" and just wanted to sell more smutty books. Hell, they even paid models that looked Turkish to pose for postcards. They literally just made stuff up.