„A po zawoju na głowie każdy stan poznać”

Etniczność jako czynnik modelujący kody komunikatywne w Podróżach i poselstwach polskich do Turcyi […] Erazma Otwinowskiego

Abstract

Ethnicity as a Factor Shaping the Communicative Codes in Podróże i poselstwa polskie do Turcyi […] [Travells and Polish Diplomatic Mission in Turkey] by Erazm Otwinowski

Polish‑Turkish relations were historically strong, the official relations were established in the 15th century. Probably the best example how these relations looked like in 16th century, in the Jagiellonian dynasty’s time, is Travells and Polish Diplomatic Mission in Turkey written by Erazm Otwinowski. Born to a noble family, Otwinowski was a Polish Renaissance poet and Calvinist activist. He served for a Polish magnate Stanisław Tęczyński as secretary and diplomat. Otwinowski’s work is the diary written in 1557 during this diplomatic missions to Istanbul to the court of the sultan Suleyman the Great. Polish nobleman is confronted with the many customs typical for Ottoman Empire and with the savoir vivre of Topkapi Palace. In this article, I will examine Otwinowski’s diary proving that ethnic identity is the relative notion tightly connected with culture: the patterns of behavior, symbols and cultural practices shared by the society. I will analyze the text applying the semiotic perspective. I will argue that Otwinowski’s comments gives many examples that ethnicity is shaped by the way how we deal with sings. The ways how we put the sings into categories and how we interpret them help to establish the group identities. What we consider our identity is based not only on our idea who we are but also on the idea of the “Stranger”. As a result, we become aware of our ethnic identity when we get in contact with “Strangers”. The process of shaping the borders between ethnic groups is based on the signs which have been shared in certain social or political circumstances. I intend to focus on the notion of connotation because ethnicity is one of the influential factors shaping the connotations. I will also consider the codes of perception distinguished by Umberto Eco.