Unravelling the multiple disconjugate threads woven by historians about the Circassian people is a daunting task. A plethora of misinformation abounds in most literature concerning the Circassians, ranging from the farfetched and fanciful to the absolutely absurd. Before beginning down this rather thorny path, it would be best to clarify what is meant by the term Circassian. A number of authors have used the term to apply to the North Caucasian peoples in general but ethnologically it is better applied to those North Caucasians who call themselves Adyghe. The Adyghe may be subdivided into many different tribes and clans but for now we will deal with the Adyghe as a single entity. The Adyghe are one of the truly indigenous peoples of the Caucasus for as long ago as we can trace back they have been present on the Northern slopes of the Caucasus and the Eastern shore of the Black Sea.
