Kharakternyk


A Kharakternyk was a Zaporozhian Cossack that was credited with possessing magical powers. The image of the Kharakternyk cossack began to form during the times of the Zaporozhian Sich, when magical abilities were attributed to Cossack leaders by their subordinates. Later, Kharakternyks were reflected in Ukrainian folklore and folk beliefs as invulnerable warriors capable of shapeshifting into animals, enchanting weapons, and more.
Originally, the word "kharakternyk" originally had a connotation, meaning a sorcerer or an apostate. However, as interest in the Cossacks as defenders of Ukraine grew, "kharakternyk" acquired a positive meaning. After the destruction of the Sich, some historical figures, such as Ivan Sirko, were widely considered to have been Kharakternyks. Modern popular conceptions describe Kharakternyks as a kind of specially trained Cossack military elite.

Etymology

Records of Cossacks enchanting weapons and using sorcery for protection are known from the 16th century, but the word "kharakternyk" was not yet used at that time. Early information about Kharakternyks comes from Polish sources, starting from the 17th century. In these sources, "kharakternyk" refers to various people, regardless of their place of residence or allegiance. "Kharakternyk" was a general term for a person engaged in sorcery. Therefore, the attitude towards them was unequivocally negative.
The name "kharakternyk" is derived from the word "kharakter" in the sense of an enchanted mark. "Kharakter" comes from the Greek language and originally meant "an engraved mark". The first mention of such a mark dates back to 1614 in the book Młot na czarownice, a Polish translation of the "Malleus Maleficarum". One fragment mentions soldiers who had "characters" on their bodies. In the dictionary by Samuel Bogumił Linde, the word "charakter" is interpreted as a "sorcerous sign", and a "charakternik" is defined as a person who wears such signs.
The 1842 book Oral Narrative of a Former Zaporozhian, Resident of the Katerynoslav Governorate and District, Village of Mykhailivske, Mykyta Leontiyovych Korzh recounts the story of Cossack Mykyta Korzh, who called the leaders of robber bands formed by fugitive Cossacks "kharakternyks". A possible connection exists with the crimes of Matsapura – an 18th-century serial killer in the Nizhyn region – and, more broadly, with the interest of the Russian imperial authorities in discrediting Cossack autonomy, portraying Cossacks as robbers, bandits, and corrupt officials. Other names for Cossacks described as extremely cunning or adept against imperial authority were "khymordnyk" and "kavernyk".
However, in the 19th century, the word "kharakternyk" began to lose its negative connotation, and Cossack Kharakternyks became identified with folk heroes. By the end of the 19th century, extensive folklore material had been collected, where Kharakternyks appear as people of extraordinary strength and intellect, possessing supernatural abilities. The positive image of the Kharakternyks was finally cemented in the 1990s against the backdrop of the popularity of the Cossack theme. The Kharakternyk came to be understood as a Cossack sorcerer who uses magical powers to fight the enemies of his people.

Origin of the image

The image of the Kharakternyk intertwines features of the heroic epic, the cult of ancestors, and demonology. It is likely that the Cossacks themselves fostered the idea of their own superhuman capabilities to intimidate their enemies.
In the mid-18th century, a distinct heroic epic still existed among the Sich Cossacks, but the ancient attributes of heroes were transferred to living, real people who were particularly revered and mythologized by the Zaporozhians themselves. During this time, notions formed about the unusual strength, courage, and invincibility of prominent Zaporozhians, their immortality, or their ability to help living Cossacks after death.
The cult of the kurin otaman or kosh otaman, generally of the elder Cossack, existed as a continuation of the ancestor cult. For instance, the kurin otaman was given a place of honor under the icons, the entire kurin would only sit down to dinner after he sat at the table, and after the meal, all Cossacks would bow to him.
The ability of Kharakternyks to transform into animals allows for parallels with the cult of the wolf as a totemic ancestor. Specifically, a likely connection exists with the tribe of the Neuri, who inhabited Polissia and were mentioned by Herodotus. According to legends collected by Herodotus, these people could turn into wolves once a year. According to Boris Rybakov, this is the origin of the epics about heroes born of a dog: Suchych, Suchenko. The ability of shapeshifting was also attributed to the heroes Volga, Volkh Vseslavych – reflecting beliefs about the magical abilities of princes. Traces of the wolf cult as a totem-ancestor were recorded in Polissia as late as the 20th century in incantations intended for protection against wolves, where one had to say "And I, like a wolf." This suggests that the shapeshifting of Cossack leaders is a feature that continues beliefs prevalent in the territory of Kievan Rus' and grew from the traditions of male military societies.
If the image of the Kharakternyk began to form among the Cossacks themselves, acquiring fantastic features, then in the 19th century it became particularly characterized by exaggeration. Extraordinary abilities began to be attributed not only to individual prominent Cossacks but to the Cossacks in general.
In folk tales, the qualities of a Kharakternyk were attributed to Taras Shevchenko: he could change his appearance, appear now young, now old, and skillfully change clothes.
A significant contribution to the popularization of the Kharakternyk image was made by free interpretations of historical records that mention Cossack sorcery, even though the term "kharakternyk" was not used. In modern culture, Kharakternyks are assigned the place of a special caste, the elite of the Cossack army. Assertions about special training techniques for Kharakternyks have appeared. Along with other pseudo-pagan elements, Kharakternyks have become a component of Ukrainian kitsch.

Image and occupations

It is likely that stories about their invulnerability to weapons, ability to unlock locks without keys, sail a boat on the floor as if on water, cross water on felt or matting, take heated cannonballs with bare hands, see for several versts, live at the bottom of a river, swim underwater for hundreds and thousands of versts, escape from tied and even sewn sacks, turn into a cat, and turn other people into animals and plants originated from the Cossacks themselves. Such stories were cited, in particular, by Dmytro Yavornytsky, who provided a rational explanation for the Kharakternyks' abilities as a form of propaganda against enemies.
Early Polish sources, where Kharakternyks are first mentioned, describe such people alongside sorcerers and witches, condemn them, and attribute connections with the devil. It was claimed that Kharakternyks made a pact with the devil, thanks to which a person received a "kharakter" – a special mark on the body, invulnerability to weapons, and insensitivity to pain. The Młot na czarownice mentions that for the magical ritual of the Kharakternyks to work, it was necessary to desecrate the image of Christ and the crucifix depicting Christ's sufferings.
In folk beliefs collected in the 19th century, Kharakternyks possess various sorcerous abilities, among which are the ability to stop blood, charm away pain, catch bullets with bare hands, walk on water and fire, stay underwater for hours, become invisible, cast illusions that caused enemies to flee the battlefield in panic. Such Cossacks could also see the future, events happening in other places, find treasures, and emerge dry from water. Mykhailo Drahomanov recorded tales about the ability of Cossacks to safely direct bullets "like bees" into their bosom.
According to legend, Kharakternyks were "never buried by priests, but were buried by the Zaporozhians in their own way". It was also believed that a Kharakternyk could only be killed by a silver bullet to the heart – which is why they often were the first to go into battle.
As legends tell, some Kharakternyks had a stake driven into their chest after death so they would not rise. However, the most common burial for Kharakternyks was face down. This custom survived from Scythian times. As historian Svitlana Bessonova states, this is how "dangerous sorcerer people, i.e., individuals whose posthumous revival was undesirable, were buried. They were turned face down so that the sun would not touch them with its life-giving rays."

Kharakternyks in art

Literature

The Duma about Ostafii Dashkevych describes the sorcerous abilities of the Cossacks:
Martin Pashkovsky in his poem Korogva Savromatska v Volokhakh, dedicated to the Battle of Khotyn in 1621, wrote that the Zaporozhians have nine souls.
Nikolai Gogol in 1830 in the story The Night Before Christmas described the Zaporozhian Cossack Patsiuk the healer – "everyone already knew that he was a sorcerer… Patsiuk only had to whisper a few words, and the ailment would vanish as if by hand." Also, Patsiuk ate without using his hands – the main character of the story, the blacksmith Vakula, saw dumplings flying into Patsiuk's mouth. There are versions that Gogol depicted a Cossack Kharakternyk in this character.
A descendant of a Cossack family, Ukrainian writer Yevhen Hrebinka in 1843 in the novel Chaikovsky, written based on family tales, describes Kharakternyk as the possession of ancient knightly traditions:
Panteleimon Kulish described the skills of Cossack Kharakternyks in 1846 in the novel Chorna Rada:
In the poem Khustyna Taras Shevchenko, mentioning a compamytsky colonel, laconically describes him as a "Kharakternyk from the Sich". In the fairy tale by Olelko Ostrovsky The Evil Kharakternyk Mohrady, Kharakternyks are called sorcerers and it is indicated that they can be evil or good.
Dzhury-Kharakternyks is a children's book by Volodymyr Rutkivsky from the Dzhury series. Among the heroes of the book – Cossack dzhuras, is the little Kharakternyk Telesyk with his children's gang. Ivan Sirko. The Great Kharakternyk is a children's novel by Maria Moroz, which describes the adventures of Sirko.
In 2019, the first part of the trilogy Litopys Syroho Ordenu by Pavlo Derevianko, Arkan Vovkiv, was released, where Kharakternyks-werewolves are a society in state service that prevented the conclusion of the Pereiaslav Agreement, and as a result, the Cossack Hetmanate remained an independent state. In 2020, the sequel – Teneta Viiny – was released, and in 2022 the trilogy was completed with the novel Pisnia Dibrov. In the trilogy, the gift of Kharakternyk is identified with a curse, and the life of a Cossack-sorcerer is called the "wolf's path". Also in 2019, a book by Vasyl Shkliar Kharakternyk was published, which is an attempt to describe Cossack sorcerers with mysticism but without fantasy. The novel by Ruslan Biedov Kharakternyks: The Heritage of the Sarmatian Soothsayers tells about the magical front of the 17th-century wars and the Cossack Petro's search for a magical mace.
The Russian writer Serhiy Lysak also addressed the theme of Kharakternyks in the novel Kharakternyk. Its main character, the Cossack Ivan, possesses extrasensory abilities, which he uses for spying in the Ottoman Empire.
In Yaroslav Yarish's book "Samiilo", one of the main characters is the famous Cossack Mamay, who knows how to charm wounds and heal with herbs.

Visual arts

  • Ukrainian artist Vasyl Korniienko in the 1890s painted a picture Kharakternyk, depicting a Zaporozhian sorcerer as he was imagined by the people: he threw a carpet onto the river, sat on it – and sails, playing the bandura so enchantingly that he charms birds and plants.
  • Ukrainian artist Oleh Synelnyk created in 2010 a comic book The Last Kharakternyk, dedicated to the adventures of a Ukrainian superhero, the last Cossack Kharakternyk of the Zaporozhian Sich, Hrytsko Sraka.
  • Cossack Kharakternyks are characters in the comic Daohopak. The main character, Oles, undergoes training to become a Kharakternyk at the Sich academy.
  • A sculpture of Gogol's Kharakternyk Patsiuk was installed on the Alley of Gogol's Characters in Myrhorod in 2009.
  • In the "Burshtyn" park in the Ivano-Frankivsk region in 2022, a sculpture of a Kharakternyk was installed.

Music

Kharakternyk is the name of the second album by the Odesa band "Reanimatsia", released in 2008. It includes the eponymous song – "Kharakternyk".
  • "The Last Kharakternyk" is the name of a song by the Zaporizhzhia band "Krapka" from the album "Zhyvyi" .
  • "Mantra" is the name of a musical composition by Fagot, for which a music video was shot in 2017. It was written as a kind of prayer-incantation of a Kharakternyk.

Video games

  • In the Ogniem i Mieczem modification for the game Rome:Total War, the faction Zaporozhian Lowland Army can hire a unique unit – Kharakternyks. In the game, they are represented as Cossacks with oseledets hairstyles, armed with two sabers and half-naked – wearing only sharovary. They have an increased health pool and the ability to "go berserk" – fight to the death.

In heraldry

The emblem of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces features a werewolf, i.e., a person capable of turning into a wolf. According to the description of the sleeve patch, this "symbolizes the continuity of combat traditions from the warriors of the times of Prince Sviatoslav the Brave and the Cossack Kharakternyks to the present day."

Literature

  • Kashchenko A. F. / Ed.-comp. M. A. Shudria; artist-ill. V. I. Lopata. – Dnipropetrovsk: Sich, 2001. – 494 p. – ISBN 5-7775-0301-2
  • Makhun S. // Dzerkalo Tyzhnia. – 2005. – May 14.
  • Mytsyk Yu. . – Zaporizhzhia: RA "Tandem-U", 1999. – 44 p.
  • // Yavornytsky D. I. History of the Zaporozhian Cossacks. Vol. 1. – Lviv: Svit, 1990. – P. 173–180.