WHAT IS A GYPSY? velvet Evolution Universe Tour
Educational Tours on who are the Gypies.
The English term Gypsy (or Gipsy), originates from the Greek word 'Aigyptoi' in the erroneous belief that the Roma originated in Egypt, and were exiled as punishment for allegedly harboring the infant Jesus. This ethnonym is not used by the Roma to describe themselves, and is often considered pejorative. However, the use of "gypsy" in English is now so pervasive that many Roma organizations use the word gypsy in their own names.
Roma were people originally from India, whom the Islamic holy wars there had driven out towards and into Europe in the Middle Ages. It was formerly believed that they had originated in Egypt, hence they were termed Gypsies.
Most Roma refer to themselves as Rom. In the Romani language, Rom (man) derives from the Sanskrit dom (man).
Most Roma speak Romani, an Indo-Aryan language likely derived from Sanskrit. Romani is also related to Pothohari.
Persecution
Because of an image that they like to steal and kill innocent animals and refuse to live like normal people, there has been a great deal of mutual distrust between the Roma and their more settled neighbours. According to legend in some European nations, particularly in the Black Forest region, at the time of the Crucifixion, no blacksmith would make the nails for the cross. One blacksmith agreed to do so, however, and the spirit of these nails came back to haunt him and his family some years later, forcing them to constantly wander and become the Roma.
Assimilation
During the Enlightenment, Spain briefly and unsuccessfully tried to assimilate the Roma into the mainstream population by forcing them to abandon their language and way of life; even the word gitano was made illegal. Many nations have subsequently attempted to assimilate their Roma populations.
There are some legends in European culture that describe the origins of Roma, which are bound with the catholic church tradition and whose point was to explain the nomadic lifestyle of Roma to the local settlers. One of them says that Roma-Gypsies were in fact Egyptians who helped Jesus during the slaughter of innocents. When Herod found it out, he ordered to capture Roma. They reacted on it by escaping along the northern coasts of Africa and this way they reached first Gibraltar and then Iberian Peninsula.
Beliefs and Practices of the RomaMany centuries in the past, the Roma were some of the last Goddess-worshipers in Europe. Their Goddess, Kali, was viewed as a trinity. Her symbol was a triangle. A male Horned God also played a prominent role. The similarities between ancient Roma belief and that of Wicca are obvious. These beliefs have long been abandoned by the Roma.
There is today no single Roma culture. Nor is there general agreement on who should qualify to be called a Roma. Romani groups around the world hold different traditions, customs and beliefs. Groups that have settled in one location generally adsorb some of the gajikané (non-Roma) local culture. Most Roma have converted the religions of their host countries, typically Christianity (Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestantism), and Islam. Their formal religious affiliation is often supplemented by Roma traditional beliefs:
the existence of Del (God)the existence of beng (Satan)the existence of bibaxt (bad luck) and of muló (supernatural spirits or ghosts).the power of good luck charms, amulets and talismansthe power of cursesthe power of healing ritualsMarimé is a state of impurity brought on a person by the violation of a purity taboo. It also means a "sentence of expulsion imposed for violation of purity rules or any behavior disruptive to the Roma community." Some Roma consider the part of a woman's body below the waist to be dirty or polluted, because it is associated with menstruation. 1 In many tribes, women wear long skirts, the bottoms of which must not touch a man other than her husband.A pregnant woman is considered unclean. She must not give birth in the family home because it would then become impure. Sometimes knots are ritually untied as the birth approaches. This is believed to assure that the umbilical cord will not be tangled. After birth, anything that the new mother touches is later destroyed. This quarantine continues at least until the baptism of the baby.Newborns are baptized, usually in running water, when they are a few weeks old. Often, the infant is massaged with oil; this is believed to make it strong.A Roma typically has three names. The first is known only by the mother; it is given at the time of birth. Its purpose is to confuse evil spirits by keeping the real name of the child from them. The second name is conferred at the time of baptism, and is the commonly used name within the tribe. A third, different name may be given when the child is re-baptized in a Christian church. It has little importance, except when dealing with non-Roma.In the past, people were typically married between the ages of 9 to 14. This tradition has changed in many tribes due to the influence of the surrounding culture. Pre-marital sex is very strongly forbidden. Marriages to outsiders are heavily discouraged. The wedding ceremony is usually simple. In some tribes, the bride and groom join hands in front of the chief or an elder and promise to be true to each other. In ancient times, they used be married by jumping over a broomstick in the presence of their families.When a person dies, relatives and friends gather around and ask for forgiveness for any bad deeds that they have done to that person. They are concerned that if such grievances are not settled, then the dead person might come back as an evil spirit and cause trouble. In the past, the widow might commit suicide when her husband died so that she could accompany him during the afterlife. Sometimes, the deceased's nostrils are plugged with wax so that evil spirits cannot enter and occupy the body. Clothing, tools, eating utensils, jewelry, and money may be placed in the coffin in order to help the deceased in the next world. The deceased's possessions are burned, broken or sold to non-Roma.They believe that a person can be reincarnated as another human or animal. Alternatively, they might appear as a muló or "living dead", seeking revenge on anyone who harmed him during his life on earth.Many Roma rules of behavior relate to the use of water. They normally wash in running water, as in a shower. Baths are not used. Women's and men's clothes are washed separately, because of the impurities of a woman's body. Clothes of a pregnant or menstruating woman are washed furthest downstream from the camp, to avoid contamination.Women must not expose their legs. They wear long, multi-colored skirts. Out of respect for the importance of the horse in assuring Roma mobility, the eating of horse meat is prohibited in some tribes.Many Roma women, called drabardi practice fortune telling. But fortunes are only read for non-Romas.Other women are are called drabarni or drabengi and practice natural healing techniques.
Origin of Gypsies
The Gypsy race originated in the northern part of India near the Punjab Region [Demand 1980:31]. They refer to themselves as Roma which has mistakenly been called a cognate for wanderer. Roma is instead derived from the word, "Rom," meaning man. The Gypsy language is called Romani and is derived from the oldest written language, Sanskrit.
The myth that the Gypsies never had a country of their own is not logical or factual. The fact that these people had a language, an army, and shared common interests gives great evidence that a country did exist.
The speculation that they have always wandered and were nomadic has been disputed by the Gypsy scholar, Dr. Jan Kochanowski, himself a Gypsy. He has concluded that the Roma people were originally sedentary and did nut wander and were not a nomadic people .
...most of the speculations can the origins of the Roma are unfortunately based on traditional linguisticsly reached a conclusion which had previously been neglected or not recognized, namely that a people or group of tribes who speak a common language must have lived in one country for many centuries, sharing common interest, a common administration and
T. z. an army: in short, that they must have formed a State.It thus followed that the Gypsy people could not have been of nomadic origin. What is more, an analysis of the Romani vocabulary shows that its original speakers were more the 'home-loving' type: we find no words like cave, tent, bison, but on the contrary words like house, cow, pig, etc. [Kochanowski 1980:26]
If this is true, and we can assume it is, what happened to this State of the Roma? To find this answer we must yo to the 11th century in the Punjab Region of northern India.
Migration
It was in the 11th and 12th centuries in the Punjab Region that great turmoil arose. This region was constantly being invaded by Afghanistan resulting in many wars with the Romany people. The Afghans were successful in winning a major battle that caused the Roma to split into three groups. Two of these groups scattered in the Punjab Region. The third group, which called themselves Romane Chave [the sons of Roma] set off across Afghanistan toward Europe [Kochanowski 1980:27]. It was difficult crossing Afghanistan but the Roma were shrewd and cunning. As Dr. Kochanowski relates, "At this period, the two major factions of Islam, the Shiites and the Sunnites, were almost perpetually feuding; all the Roma had to do to ensure their free passage was to tell the Shiites that they were being pursued by the Sunnites and vice versa" [Kochanowski 1980:27]. Thus we have the beginning of the Roma on the move traveling through Afghanistan to Turkey, Greece and eventually to all points of Europe.
How European Prejudice Developed
To understand how European prejudice developed against Gypsies we must explore the European western mind in the medieval period. When Gypsies first appeared, Christianity had shaped the doctrine of war between light and dark and personified the white angels against the black devils. To the church the Gypsy culture was non-acceptable and their dark skin exemplified evil and inferiority. Hence in western Christian Europe the dark-skinned Gypsies became victims of prejudice as a result of this Christian doctrine.
The language of the Gypsies was another factor which bred prejudice. "The genuine mystery and widespread ignorance concerning the origins of the Gypsy language provided sufficient grounds for immediate suspicion and dislike" (Kenrick 1972:20]. A documented remark made by a Spaniard shows a typical response, "When I go to the market there in the corner stand the accursed Gypsies jabbering to each other in a speech which I cannot understand." (Kenrick 1972:20]. There were many who believed the Gypsy language was nothing more than a kind of gibberish invented to deceive others.
Upon entering Christian Europe, the Roma realized much resentment was building because of their skin and social structure. So, they fabricated the story that they were descendants of the Egyptians who had enslaved the Israelites, explaining that for this reason God had condemned them to perpetual wandering. (Kochanowski 1980:25]. The Roma knew that many European countries were persecuting the Jews and that this false story would take some of the pressure off them. The story worked and the Roma became known as "Gypsies" derived from the word Egyptian. Because of this story the Pope and King gave them letters of protection and they were allowed to travel about and practice their way of life. Soon, however, the tides turned against them as Church and kings became angered and suspicious of their carefreeness. The Church did not approve of fortune telling and the Gypsy customs, morals and way of life contrasted with the non-Gypsy Europe. This was the beginning of prejudice and persecution that exists until today.
During the medieval period anyone crossing the Turkish occupied lands into Europe aroused the suspicions of the Church who considered people in this region infidels and enemies of the Church. These lands were considered secular states and people coming through them were perhaps spies for the unknown enemies of the Christian faith.
Gypsy people were open for attack by Christian clergy and Moslem priests alike because they did not practice one or another of the prevalent religions of that region. Because Gypsies were regarded as nonreligious people they were scorned and held in contempt by religious sects wherever they traveled.
Early chroniclers wrote with revulsion of the blackness of Gypsies. The monk Cornerius of Lubeck, reporting on Gypsies he had encountered in 1417, refers to their "most ugly faces, black like those of Tartars." (Kenrick 1972:19). Another monk, Rufus, also of Lubeck, wrote disapprovingly of their dark skins. And, in both the Italian and Dutch languages there evolved the saying, 'black as a Gypsy.' (Kenrick 1972:19).
Roma were people originally from India, whom the Islamic holy wars there had driven out towards and into Europe in the Middle Ages. It was formerly believed that they had originated in Egypt, hence they were termed Gypsies.
Most Roma refer to themselves as Rom. In the Romani language, Rom (man) derives from the Sanskrit dom (man).
Most Roma speak Romani, an Indo-Aryan language likely derived from Sanskrit. Romani is also related to Pothohari.
Persecution
Because of an image that they like to steal and kill innocent animals and refuse to live like normal people, there has been a great deal of mutual distrust between the Roma and their more settled neighbours. According to legend in some European nations, particularly in the Black Forest region, at the time of the Crucifixion, no blacksmith would make the nails for the cross. One blacksmith agreed to do so, however, and the spirit of these nails came back to haunt him and his family some years later, forcing them to constantly wander and become the Roma.
Assimilation
During the Enlightenment, Spain briefly and unsuccessfully tried to assimilate the Roma into the mainstream population by forcing them to abandon their language and way of life; even the word gitano was made illegal. Many nations have subsequently attempted to assimilate their Roma populations.
There are some legends in European culture that describe the origins of Roma, which are bound with the catholic church tradition and whose point was to explain the nomadic lifestyle of Roma to the local settlers. One of them says that Roma-Gypsies were in fact Egyptians who helped Jesus during the slaughter of innocents. When Herod found it out, he ordered to capture Roma. They reacted on it by escaping along the northern coasts of Africa and this way they reached first Gibraltar and then Iberian Peninsula.
Beliefs and Practices of the RomaMany centuries in the past, the Roma were some of the last Goddess-worshipers in Europe. Their Goddess, Kali, was viewed as a trinity. Her symbol was a triangle. A male Horned God also played a prominent role. The similarities between ancient Roma belief and that of Wicca are obvious. These beliefs have long been abandoned by the Roma.
There is today no single Roma culture. Nor is there general agreement on who should qualify to be called a Roma. Romani groups around the world hold different traditions, customs and beliefs. Groups that have settled in one location generally adsorb some of the gajikané (non-Roma) local culture. Most Roma have converted the religions of their host countries, typically Christianity (Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestantism), and Islam. Their formal religious affiliation is often supplemented by Roma traditional beliefs:
the existence of Del (God)the existence of beng (Satan)the existence of bibaxt (bad luck) and of muló (supernatural spirits or ghosts).the power of good luck charms, amulets and talismansthe power of cursesthe power of healing ritualsMarimé is a state of impurity brought on a person by the violation of a purity taboo. It also means a "sentence of expulsion imposed for violation of purity rules or any behavior disruptive to the Roma community." Some Roma consider the part of a woman's body below the waist to be dirty or polluted, because it is associated with menstruation. 1 In many tribes, women wear long skirts, the bottoms of which must not touch a man other than her husband.A pregnant woman is considered unclean. She must not give birth in the family home because it would then become impure. Sometimes knots are ritually untied as the birth approaches. This is believed to assure that the umbilical cord will not be tangled. After birth, anything that the new mother touches is later destroyed. This quarantine continues at least until the baptism of the baby.Newborns are baptized, usually in running water, when they are a few weeks old. Often, the infant is massaged with oil; this is believed to make it strong.A Roma typically has three names. The first is known only by the mother; it is given at the time of birth. Its purpose is to confuse evil spirits by keeping the real name of the child from them. The second name is conferred at the time of baptism, and is the commonly used name within the tribe. A third, different name may be given when the child is re-baptized in a Christian church. It has little importance, except when dealing with non-Roma.In the past, people were typically married between the ages of 9 to 14. This tradition has changed in many tribes due to the influence of the surrounding culture. Pre-marital sex is very strongly forbidden. Marriages to outsiders are heavily discouraged. The wedding ceremony is usually simple. In some tribes, the bride and groom join hands in front of the chief or an elder and promise to be true to each other. In ancient times, they used be married by jumping over a broomstick in the presence of their families.When a person dies, relatives and friends gather around and ask for forgiveness for any bad deeds that they have done to that person. They are concerned that if such grievances are not settled, then the dead person might come back as an evil spirit and cause trouble. In the past, the widow might commit suicide when her husband died so that she could accompany him during the afterlife. Sometimes, the deceased's nostrils are plugged with wax so that evil spirits cannot enter and occupy the body. Clothing, tools, eating utensils, jewelry, and money may be placed in the coffin in order to help the deceased in the next world. The deceased's possessions are burned, broken or sold to non-Roma.They believe that a person can be reincarnated as another human or animal. Alternatively, they might appear as a muló or "living dead", seeking revenge on anyone who harmed him during his life on earth.Many Roma rules of behavior relate to the use of water. They normally wash in running water, as in a shower. Baths are not used. Women's and men's clothes are washed separately, because of the impurities of a woman's body. Clothes of a pregnant or menstruating woman are washed furthest downstream from the camp, to avoid contamination.Women must not expose their legs. They wear long, multi-colored skirts. Out of respect for the importance of the horse in assuring Roma mobility, the eating of horse meat is prohibited in some tribes.Many Roma women, called drabardi practice fortune telling. But fortunes are only read for non-Romas.Other women are are called drabarni or drabengi and practice natural healing techniques.
Origin of Gypsies
The Gypsy race originated in the northern part of India near the Punjab Region [Demand 1980:31]. They refer to themselves as Roma which has mistakenly been called a cognate for wanderer. Roma is instead derived from the word, "Rom," meaning man. The Gypsy language is called Romani and is derived from the oldest written language, Sanskrit.
The myth that the Gypsies never had a country of their own is not logical or factual. The fact that these people had a language, an army, and shared common interests gives great evidence that a country did exist.
The speculation that they have always wandered and were nomadic has been disputed by the Gypsy scholar, Dr. Jan Kochanowski, himself a Gypsy. He has concluded that the Roma people were originally sedentary and did nut wander and were not a nomadic people .
...most of the speculations can the origins of the Roma are unfortunately based on traditional linguisticsly reached a conclusion which had previously been neglected or not recognized, namely that a people or group of tribes who speak a common language must have lived in one country for many centuries, sharing common interest, a common administration and
T. z. an army: in short, that they must have formed a State.It thus followed that the Gypsy people could not have been of nomadic origin. What is more, an analysis of the Romani vocabulary shows that its original speakers were more the 'home-loving' type: we find no words like cave, tent, bison, but on the contrary words like house, cow, pig, etc. [Kochanowski 1980:26]
If this is true, and we can assume it is, what happened to this State of the Roma? To find this answer we must yo to the 11th century in the Punjab Region of northern India.
Migration
It was in the 11th and 12th centuries in the Punjab Region that great turmoil arose. This region was constantly being invaded by Afghanistan resulting in many wars with the Romany people. The Afghans were successful in winning a major battle that caused the Roma to split into three groups. Two of these groups scattered in the Punjab Region. The third group, which called themselves Romane Chave [the sons of Roma] set off across Afghanistan toward Europe [Kochanowski 1980:27]. It was difficult crossing Afghanistan but the Roma were shrewd and cunning. As Dr. Kochanowski relates, "At this period, the two major factions of Islam, the Shiites and the Sunnites, were almost perpetually feuding; all the Roma had to do to ensure their free passage was to tell the Shiites that they were being pursued by the Sunnites and vice versa" [Kochanowski 1980:27]. Thus we have the beginning of the Roma on the move traveling through Afghanistan to Turkey, Greece and eventually to all points of Europe.
How European Prejudice Developed
To understand how European prejudice developed against Gypsies we must explore the European western mind in the medieval period. When Gypsies first appeared, Christianity had shaped the doctrine of war between light and dark and personified the white angels against the black devils. To the church the Gypsy culture was non-acceptable and their dark skin exemplified evil and inferiority. Hence in western Christian Europe the dark-skinned Gypsies became victims of prejudice as a result of this Christian doctrine.
The language of the Gypsies was another factor which bred prejudice. "The genuine mystery and widespread ignorance concerning the origins of the Gypsy language provided sufficient grounds for immediate suspicion and dislike" (Kenrick 1972:20]. A documented remark made by a Spaniard shows a typical response, "When I go to the market there in the corner stand the accursed Gypsies jabbering to each other in a speech which I cannot understand." (Kenrick 1972:20]. There were many who believed the Gypsy language was nothing more than a kind of gibberish invented to deceive others.
Upon entering Christian Europe, the Roma realized much resentment was building because of their skin and social structure. So, they fabricated the story that they were descendants of the Egyptians who had enslaved the Israelites, explaining that for this reason God had condemned them to perpetual wandering. (Kochanowski 1980:25]. The Roma knew that many European countries were persecuting the Jews and that this false story would take some of the pressure off them. The story worked and the Roma became known as "Gypsies" derived from the word Egyptian. Because of this story the Pope and King gave them letters of protection and they were allowed to travel about and practice their way of life. Soon, however, the tides turned against them as Church and kings became angered and suspicious of their carefreeness. The Church did not approve of fortune telling and the Gypsy customs, morals and way of life contrasted with the non-Gypsy Europe. This was the beginning of prejudice and persecution that exists until today.
During the medieval period anyone crossing the Turkish occupied lands into Europe aroused the suspicions of the Church who considered people in this region infidels and enemies of the Church. These lands were considered secular states and people coming through them were perhaps spies for the unknown enemies of the Christian faith.
Gypsy people were open for attack by Christian clergy and Moslem priests alike because they did not practice one or another of the prevalent religions of that region. Because Gypsies were regarded as nonreligious people they were scorned and held in contempt by religious sects wherever they traveled.
Early chroniclers wrote with revulsion of the blackness of Gypsies. The monk Cornerius of Lubeck, reporting on Gypsies he had encountered in 1417, refers to their "most ugly faces, black like those of Tartars." (Kenrick 1972:19). Another monk, Rufus, also of Lubeck, wrote disapprovingly of their dark skins. And, in both the Italian and Dutch languages there evolved the saying, 'black as a Gypsy.' (Kenrick 1972:19).