Subject: deli raider
Culture: Balkan / Ottoman
Setting: Ottoman empire 15-17thc
Context (Event Photos, Primary Sources, Secondary Sources, Field Notes)
* Nicolle/McBride 1983 p14
"A series of defeats in 1595 led to the official disbanding of akincis. However, the delis remained. Their name may have been a corruption of delil, meaning guide. Appearing late in the 15th century, most of the first such delis were recent converts from Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia. Delis were recorded elsewhere in Rumelia and Anatolia in the 16th century, but only appeared in Syria in the 17th, by which time they also included Turks and Kurds."
* Brzezinski/McBride 1987 (1) p15
"The delis or 'hot-heads' of the Turkish army, famous for their display of wings and feathers in the most bizarre of fashions, were in fact mainly Serbians and not Turks at all; there is even a good deal of evidence to suggest that delis served in the Polish army as well."
* Rosenthal/Jones 2008 p453 (Cesare Vecellio, writing in 1590)
"TURKISH STRONGMAN, called Roncassi In Turkey, as in other nations, can be found men who are truly brave and high-spirited, and others who try to seem so but who are really cowards. These, however, are called strongmen among the Turks. In these regions, they follow behind the Bassas, Sanghiacchi, and Beglierbei and are employed by them; and because they make a career, in a manner of speaking, of being warriors, they are called Delli, which in Turkish means crazy or daring; for without provocation or any just cause -- indeed, for no reason whatsoever -- they challenge anyone to compete with lances on horseback or on foot and in single combat."
"For over four centuries, the Ottoman Empire’s military success was not just rooted in strategic acumen or overwhelming firepower. Part of its psychological warfare came galloping on horseback—unorthodox, fearless, and visually unforgettable. These were the Deliler — translated as “the madmen”—elite cavalrymen whose terrifying appearance and unpredictable tactics made them legendary figures on both battlefield and folklore.
"Their flamboyant costumes, adorned with eagle feathers, animal pelts, and eccentric headdresses, were not simply a fashion statement but a tactical tool of intimidation. So effective was their impact that by the 15th century, even the famed Polish Winged Hussars began to mimic their style, carrying echoes of Ottoman military aesthetics into the heart of Europe.
".... The Deli cavalry first emerged in the late 15th century, originally formed in frontier provinces like Semendire and Bosnia. Functioning under the command of provincial governors such as the Rumeli Beylerbeyi or Sancakbeyleri, Deliler were light cavalry units, often deployed for shock attacks, reconnaissance, and psychological warfare. Unlike the more regimented Janissaries or Sipahis, Deliler thrived on unpredictability.
"These elite horsemen were not open to just anyone. They were recruited based on physical prowess, bravery, and psychological resilience. Often hailing from the Balkans—among the ranks were Bosniaks, Albanians, Croats, and Serbs — they had to undergo strict selection processes and ceremonial rites. Entrance into a Deli Ocagi (Deli Corps) was marked by the donning of a special fur cap, while expulsion came with the humiliating replacement of the cap with a felt hat."
Costume
* Rosenthal/Jones 2008 p453 (Cesare Vecellio, writing in 1590)
"On their heads they wear these two wings or many feathers to show that they are mad, fierce, and impulsive. And no one is allowed to wear wings of this kind except a man who has done something on foot or horseback to make himself famous and distinguished. So such wings and feathers are highly valued, as the ornament of a valiant cavalier. Their garments are short and closely fitted, suited to combat, and more or less valuable according to how much their masters give them. They wear doublets and leggings in the Turkish style, and short boots in yellow, red and turquoise or studded leather in their particular style."
* Nicolle/McBride 1983 p37 (reconstructing a Deli scout, c.1600)
"The Balkan origins of the deli scouts were shown in their weaponry and clothing. Such light cavalry often sported extravagant feathered, animal-skin headgear and carried eastern European-style shields." [references omitted]
"The Deliler’s clothing was nothing short of theatrical. They wore cloaks made from leopard or lion skins, breeches sewn from bear and wolf hides, and boots known as serhadlik, styled with long spurs. Their headgear often consisted of caps made from hyena or panther skin, decorated with eagle feathers and talons. They even festooned their shields with wings to resemble birds of prey mid-flight."
* Elgood 2009 p155
"The deli (Turkish 'crazy', in the sense of madly brave) warriors who accompanied the Turkish armies of in the 16th century ... wore eagle feathers as part of their elaborate shamanistic bear- and leopard-skin dress."
Weapons
"Their weaponry was equally imposing. Each Deli carried a curved sword (pala), a lance (kostanice), axes, maces (bozdogan), and firearms such as pistols or muskets. However, it was the image they projected that left the most lasting impact—on enemy troops and even allied forces. French and Venetian travelers in the 17th century described them as both awe-inspiring and deeply unsettling."
* Rosenthal/Jones 2008 p453 (Cesare Vecellio, writing in 1590)
"Their weapons are of iron in the manner of other nations, especially when they ride horseback; and they behave in a bold, arrogant way, as if wanting to warn everyone to flee and beware of their terrible rage. The weapons of such men are scimitars and daggers, and in their hands they carry sharpened hatchets or hammers on one side, and on the other many pointed weapons."
Shield
* Metropolitan Museum of Art > Stone Gallery of Arms and Armor
"[W]ing shaped shields, with the distinctive upward-sweeping back edge, were the characteristic light-cavalry shields of Hungary. During the sixteenth century, the style was adopted across much of eastern Europe by both Christian and Islamic horsemen. The shield's elongated upper edge was designed to defend the back of the head and neck against cuts from the saber, the preferred cavalry weapon in that region." ...
"They ... festooned their shields with wings to resemble birds of prey mid-flight."
Pouch
*
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