Cossacks were deeply Orthodox and formed highly democratic militaristic communities. In 1676, they received a letter from Mehmed IV, who demanded that they submit to Turkish rule. The letter was full of sultan's titles, which the Cossacks parodied in their reply, calling the sultan "Babylonian scullion, Macedonian wheelwright, brewer of Jerusalem, goat-f****r of Alexandria, swineherd of Greater and Lesser Egypt, pig of Armenia, Podolian thief, catamite of Tartary, hangman of Kamyanets, and fool of all the world and underworld".