[Cronos]

The fact is that the boundaries between Pole and Ukrainian / Ruthenian was always hazy until the rise of nationalism in the 19th century (ditto between Pole and Lithuanian) -- mostly it was based on religion -- for instance my wife's grandmother was born into a mixed family -- HER mother was "Polish" as in Roman Catholic while the father was "Ruthenian" as in Byzantine Catholic (what we'd now call Ukrainian Eastern Catholic). The sons became "Ukrainian" and "Byzantine Catholic and the daughters were "Polish" and Roman Catholic

The nobility who became Roman Catholic became "Poles", while those who didn't became "Ukrainians"

There is also the fact that at a point the term "Pole" was more for szlachta or nobility as in the Soviet diatribe against "Polish landlords"

However the Cossacks were bandits are the beginning, living in the no-mans land between Poland-Lithuania, Moscowy and the Tatars. They adopted Tatar ways merged with Slavic ways.

Let me read up more about your point of them being mercenaries

[pierrem15]

However the Cossacks were bandits are the beginning, living in the no-mans land between Poland-Lithuania, Moscowy and the Tatars. They adopted Tatar ways merged with Slavic ways.

Exactly: they carved out a space for themselves at the outer reaches of the powers that surrounded them. I read Russian and Ukrainian serfs would flee to Cossack areas to be free.

There's a great scene in the film With Fire and Sword where a Polish nobleman held hostage by the Cossacks is informed that he will be released for a payment of 10,000 zloty by his family.

He reacts with fury, saying to one of the Cossacks "Those cheapskates! If I were you, I would have held out for at least 20,000!"