Gypsies are perhaps one of the most incomprehensible and mythologized peoples on our planet, and this has been the case for many centuries. There are rumors around the world that when gypsies come to a city, they seduce men and women and then steal everything in sight, including children. There are also many myths about cunning and mysterious gypsy fortune tellers and gypsy camps. In any case, even if we put all myths and misconceptions aside, the Roma remain one of the most interesting ethnic groups in history.

1. Where did they come from?

The origins of the Gypsies are shrouded in mystery. At times it seemed that they appeared on the planet in some mysterious way. This in itself may have created a sense of fear among Europeans and contributed to the atmosphere of mystery surrounding the Gypsies. Modern scholars suggest that the Gypsies originally migrated en masse from India in the fifth century.

This theory suggests that their flight was linked to the spread of Islam, which the Roma were desperate to avoid in order to protect their religious freedom. This theory states that the Gypsies migrated from India to Anatolia and further to Europe, where they split into three separate branches: the Domari, the Lomavren, and the Gypsies themselves. Another theory suggests that there were as many as three separate migrations over several centuries.

2. Nomadic lifestyle of gypsies

Many stereotypes have long been formed around the gypsies. Who doesn’t know the phrase “gypsy soul” (which is used in relation to freedom-loving people). According to these stereotypes, gypsies prefer to live, as they say, outside the “mainstream” and eschew social norms in order to be able to lead a nomadic lifestyle, replete with fun and dancing. The truth is much darker.

For many centuries, Roma were often forcibly expelled from the countries in which they lived. Such forced evictions continue to this day. Many historians have suggested that the true reason for the nomadic lifestyle of the gypsies is very simple: survival.

3. Gypsies have no homeland

Gypsies are people without a specific citizenship. Most countries refuse to grant them citizenship, even if they were born in that country. Centuries of persecution and their closed community have led to the fact that the Roma simply have no homeland. In 2000, the Roma were officially declared a non-territorial nation. This lack of citizenship makes the Roma legally "invisible".

Although they are not subject to the laws of any country, they cannot access education, healthcare and other social services. Moreover, Roma cannot even obtain passports, making their travel very difficult or impossible.

4. Gypsy persecution.

It's worth starting with the fact that the Gypsies were actually enslaved people in Europe, especially in the 14th - 19th centuries. They were exchanged and sold as goods, and they were considered "subhumans." In the 1700s, Empress Maria Theresa of the Austro-Hungarian Empire passed a law that outlawed Gypsies. This was done to force the Roma to integrate into society.

Similar laws were passed in Spain, and many European countries banned Roma from entering their territory. The Nazi regime also persecuted and exterminated Roma by the tens of thousands. Even today the gypsies are persecuted.

5. Nobody knows how many gypsies there are in the world

Nobody knows how many gypsies live around the world today. Due to the discrimination that Roma often face, many of them do not publicly register or identify themselves as Roma. In addition, given their “legal invisibility”, the birth of children without documents and frequent moves, many Roma are listed as missing.

Also problematic is that Roma are not provided with social services, which would help paint a clearer picture of their numbers. However, The New York Times estimates the number of Roma people worldwide at 11 million, but this figure is often disputed.

6. Gypsies are an offensive word

For many people, the term "gypsy" means nomad and is not considered a racial slur. But for the “Roma” themselves (or “Romals” - the self-name of the Gypsies) this word has ominous overtones. For example, according to the Oxford Dictionary, the English word "gypped" (derived from "gypsie" - gypsy) means a criminal act.

Roma, often called gypsies, were considered losers and thieves, a word that was burned into their skin during the Nazi regime. Like many other racial slurs, the word "gypsy" has been used for centuries to oppress the Roma people.

7. Future, inexpensive...

There are many myths surrounding gypsies. One of these myths is that gypsies have their own magic, which has been passed down for centuries from generation to generation. The myth is associated with tarot cards, crystal balls and fortune tellers' tents, as well as other stereotypes. The literature is replete with references to the gypsy language and the magical arts of this people.

In addition, there are many films that show gypsy curses. Even in art, there are many paintings that describe Roma as mystical and magical people. However, many scientists believe that all this magic is fiction, resulting from the fact that people simply did not know anything about the gypsies.

8. Lack of formal religion

European folklore often claims that the Roma made a temple out of cream cheese. Presumably, they ate it during a period of severe famine, so they were left without an official religion. Generally, Gypsies join the church that is most widespread in the country in which they live. However, there are many traditional Romani beliefs. Some scholars believe that there are many connections between Roma beliefs and Hinduism.

9. Modesty

Although gypsy weddings are often accompanied by mass celebrations and luxurious attire, the everyday clothing of gypsies reflects one of their main life principles - modesty. Gypsy dancing is most often associated with women's belly dancing. However, many Romani women have never performed what is considered today belly dancing.

Instead, they perform traditional dances that use only their bellies for movement, not their thighs, as moving the hips is considered immodest. Additionally, the long, flowing skirts typically worn by gypsy women serve to cover their legs, as exposing their legs is also considered immodest.

10. The Gypsy contribution to world culture is enormous

From the very beginning of their existence, the Gypsies were closely associated with singing, dancing and acting. They carried this tradition throughout the centuries and significantly influenced world art. Many Gypsies have assimilated into different cultures, influencing them. Many singers, actors, artists, etc. had gypsy roots.

Mysterious peoples lived on our planet in the past. For example, such as .

Gypsies are a people covered in myths and legends. Well, at least start with whether they are a single people, and who can be considered a gypsy? The gypsies themselves consider themselves to be either Sinti, Kalo, or Keldari. In addition to the well-known European Roma, there are also Balkan “Egyptians” and Ashkali, Middle Eastern Dom, Transcaucasian Bosha, Central Asian Mugat and Chinese Einu. The surrounding population classifies them as gypsies, but our gypsies are unlikely to recognize them as one of their own. So, who are the gypsies, and where did they come from?

Gypsies-Ursari. Image borrowed from wikimedia foundation

In the beginning a legend
Previously, gypsies lived in Egypt between the Tsin and Gan rivers. But then a bad king came to power in this country and decided to turn all Egyptians into slaves. Then the freedom-loving gypsies left Egypt and settled around the world. I heard this story as a child in the Belarusian city of Slutsk from an old gypsy grandfather who worked at the local bazaar. Then I had to hear and read it in different versions. For example, that the gypsies come from the island of Tsy on the Ganges River. Or that the gypsies dispersed in different directions, crossing the Tsy-Gan River.
Oral history does not last long. As a rule, more or less truthful information about historical events is preserved for only three generations. There are exceptions, such as the ancient Greek poems about the Trojan War or the Icelandic sagas. They conveyed news about events centuries ago. But this happened thanks to professional storytellers. The gypsies did not have such storytellers, so myths took the place of truthful information. They were created on the basis of legends of local peoples, biblical stories and outright fables.
The Gypsies do not remember that the name of their people comes from the Greek word “atsigganos”. This was the name of a medieval Christian sect of sorcerers and fortune tellers originally from Phrygia (now the territory of Turkey). By the time the gypsies appeared in Balkan Greece, it was destroyed, but the memory of it was preserved and was transferred to a still little-known people.
In some countries, gypsies are still called Egyptians (remember the English word Gypsies or the Spanish Gitano). This name also originates on the Balkan Peninsula, where immigrants from Egypt for a long time traded in magic tricks and circus performances. After the conquest of Egypt by the Arabs, the flow of magicians from there dried up, but the word “Egyptian” became a common noun and was transferred to the Gypsies.
Finally, the self-name of European gypsies “Roma” sometimes refers to them as immigrants from Rome. We will talk about the real origin of this word below. But, if we remember that in the Middle Ages the inhabitants of Byzantium called themselves nothing less than Romans, then we again return to the Balkan Peninsula.
It is curious that the first written mentions of Gypsies are also associated with the Balkan Peninsula. The life of the Greek monk George of Athos, written in 1068, tells that shortly before his death, the Byzantine emperor Constantine Monomakh turned to some Indians to clear his gardens of wild animals. In the 12th century, to the displeasure of Orthodox monks, gypsies in Constantinople sold amulets, told fortunes, and performed with trained bears. In 1322, the Irish pilgrim Simon Fitz-Simons met them on the island of Crete. In 1348, a record of gypsies appears in Serbia, in 1378 - in Bulgaria, in 1383 - in Hungary, in 1416 - in Germany, in 1419 - in France, in 1501 - in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
In the Middle Ages, the arrival of settlers was always welcomed by the feudal lords, as they counted on cheap labor. In 1417, Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg even issued a safe conduct to the gypsies. But very soon the European monarchs became disillusioned with the newcomers. They did not want to settle in a specific place and were more like vagabonds. Already in the 15th century, laws began to be passed aimed at expelling the Gypsies. Moreover, in some cases, violators faced the death penalty. The gypsies left and returned. They had nowhere to go, since they did not remember where their homeland was. If their homeland is not the Balkan Peninsula, then where did they come from?

Ancestral home in India
In 1763, Transylvanian pastor István Valý compiled a dictionary of the Romani language and concluded that it was of Indo-Aryan origin. Since then, linguists have found many facts that confirm his conclusion. In 2004 – 2012, works by geneticists appeared who determined that the ancestral homeland of the gypsies should be sought in the north-west of India. They found that most Roma men are descended from a small group of relatives who lived 32 to 40 generations ago. Fifteen centuries ago they left their native places and for some reason moved west.
The evidence of the Indian origin of the Roma is so clear that in 2016, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs declared the Roma to be part of the overseas Indian community. Therefore, if you want to find out how many Indians live, for example, on the territory of Belarus, add another 7079 Belarusian gypsies to the 545 people from India!
At the same time, neither linguists nor geneticists have yet precisely determined which ancestors of which modern Indian people (after all, many peoples live in India!) are related to the Gypsies. This is partly because northwest India is home to different tribes. There are especially many of them in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Perhaps the ancestors of the gypsies were one small tribe. After they went west, they had no close relatives or descendants left in India.
“Wait, how can this be! - someone will exclaim. “After all, there are gypsies in India!” Travelers write about Indian gypsies in blogs and film them. I myself had to see in the north of India representatives of the people who are called “Banjara”, “Garmati”, “Lambani” and so on. Many of them continue to lead a nomadic lifestyle, living in tents and engaging in begging or petty trading. The attitude of Indians towards them is approximately the same as that of Europeans towards the Roma gypsies. That is, despite all the tolerance and romantic fairy tales, it is very bad. However, “Banjara-Garmati” are not gypsies. This people has its own history. He comes from Gujarat, but began to lead a “gypsy” lifestyle only in the 17th century. The Banjara Garmati and the Gypsies are indeed distantly related, but no more so than other tribes and peoples of northwestern India.

How did the gypsies end up in the west?
In 2004, British historian Donald Kendrick published the book “The Gypsies: From the Ganges to the Thames.” He tried to summarize all known information that could shed light on the appearance of gypsies in Europe. His work is only a version; it contains many indirect facts and controversial conclusions. Nevertheless, it looks plausible, and it is worth retelling it very briefly for Russian-speaking readers.
The westward migration of Indians to the neighboring Persian Empire began more than 1,500 years ago. The Persian poem Shahnameh talks about this in lyrical form. Allegedly, Shah Brahram Gur, who ruled in the 5th century, turned to one of the Indian kings with a request to send Luri musicians. Each musician received a cow and a donkey, as the Shah wanted the settlers to settle on the land and raise new generations of musicians. But more often Indians moved to Persia as mercenary soldiers and artisans. D. Kendrick notes that in Iran the ancestors of the gypsies could get acquainted with tents. Later, the “vardo” wagon will become a symbol of the nomadic gypsies in Europe.
In 651, Persia was conquered by Muslim Arabs. The Arabs knew the Indian settlers as "Zotts". Perhaps it comes from the Jat people, who in our time live just in the north-west of India. The Zotts formed a kind of state in the lower reaches of the Tigris and Euphrates, collecting tribute from passing merchants for the use of trade routes. Their arbitrariness angered Caliph Al-Mu'tasim, who defeated the Zotts in 834. He resettled some of the prisoners to the area of ​​​​the city of Antioch on the border with Byzantium. Now this is the borderland of Turkey and Syria. Here they served as shepherds, protecting their flocks from wild animals.
In 969, the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros captured Antioch. Thus, the ancestors of the gypsies ended up within the Byzantine Empire. For some time they lived in eastern Anatolia, where a significant part of the population was Armenians. It is not without reason that many linguists discover borrowings from Armenian in the Gypsy language.
From Eastern Anatolia, some of the Roma moved to Constantinople and the Balkan Peninsula, and then to other European countries. These gypsies are known to us as "Rum". But another part of the gypsies remained in Anatolia and already during the Turkish conquests they mastered the expanses of the Middle East, Transcaucasia, Iran, and Egypt. These are known as "house". Gypsies “at home” still live in Muslim countries, profess Islam, but separate themselves from the Arabs, Turks and Persians. It is typical that in Israel they cooperate with the authorities and even serve in the Israeli army. In neighboring Egypt, the Domari live near large cities. Among the Egyptians, their women have the dubious reputation of being good dancers and cheap prostitutes.

Journey of the Gypsies to the West in the 5th - 15th centuries

In Armenia, the “lom” gypsies, also known as “boshas,” converted to Christianity and are now almost indistinguishable from other Armenians. In Central Asia, people began to speak the Tajik language and call themselves “Mugat”, although the surrounding peoples more often call them “Lyuli”. In Western China, on the southern slopes of the Tien Shan Mountains and in the oases of the Taklamakan Desert, you can meet very exotic “Einu” gypsies. They speak a strange language that combines Indo-Aryan and Tajik words with Turkic grammar. Einu are ordinary peasants and artisans, not prone to theft, begging or drug dealing. However, their Chinese and Uyghur neighbors treat them with contempt. The Einu themselves say that they came to China from Iran, that is, they are descendants of the medieval Zotts or the same gypsies “home”.
The names “rum” and “house” have a common origin, differing only in pronunciation. But, if “rum” refers our imagination to Rome, then “house” clarifies the true roots of the self-name of the gypsies. In Punjabi language, the word "dam-i" means a person or a man.

Second coming
So, in the 14th century, the gypsies began to leave the cozy Balkan Peninsula, where they spent several centuries, and move to other European countries. There is nothing surprising in this if we remember that during this period the Turkish conquest of the lands of the former Byzantine Empire took place. However, the number of migrants cannot be called huge. Proof of this are materials about the persecution of Roma by the authorities. As a rule, before the 18th century, Gypsy communities in European countries barely numbered a few hundred people each. In Russia, Gypsies are not mentioned until 1733, and even then they lived only in the Baltic states.
By the 19th century, many European gypsies abandoned their nomadic lifestyle, one way or another fit into existing social structures, served in the army, and participated in the colonial expansion of European peoples. The negative image of the gypsies gradually eroded. Romantic poets sang the gypsies' love for freedom. But in the middle of the 19th century, a new stream of gypsy migrants poured from the Balkan Peninsula, to whom the definition of free was never suitable.
Where did they come from? Despite the Turkish invasion, most medieval gypsies chose to remain where they lived before. At the beginning of the 17th century, we discover gypsy suburbs near the Athos monastery, settlements of gypsy artisans in Bulgaria, and even gypsy soldiers in the Ottoman army. While in European countries the gypsies were persecuted, in the Ottoman Porte they were recognized as subjects of the Sultan, paid taxes and in some cases enjoyed a certain independence.
It is not surprising that among the Ottoman gypsies there were many sedentary ones. Some converted to Islam, others remained Christians, and others tried to merge with the local population. This is how a small group of Ashkali gypsies arose in Kosovo, who lived in permanent villages, gardened and spoke Albanian. In Bulgaria, the Roma were more likely to accept the Turkish language and culture.

Village of Romanian gypsies in the 19th century. Image borrowed from wikimedia foundation

However, there was one big exception in the northern Balkans. In the Romanian principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, gypsies were slaves. It is curious that the very first mention of the Gypsies in Wallachian documents of the 14th century speaks of them as unfree. Most gypsies belonged to the prince, but there were also slaves dependent on monasteries or landowner boyars. Some of the gypsy slaves led a sedentary lifestyle, others were allowed to roam, but one way or another they worked for the owner. The owners disposed of their property, allowed or prohibited marriages, tried and punished them. Slaves were cheap in Wallachia. For example, in 1832, thirty gypsies were exchanged for one britzka. In Moldova, in addition to the gypsy slaves, there was a small group of Tatar slaves. Tatars became slaves when they were captured. But how the Roma population ended up in slavery is difficult to understand. There were no hostilities between Romanians and Gypsies.
Slavery was finally abolished only in 1856. Although the Romanian authorities took steps to ensure that the Gypsies mixed with the Romanians, many of the freed slaves chose to move away from their former masters. This was especially true for those who maintained a nomadic lifestyle. Many of the gypsies living in Western European countries, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus are direct descendants of that very later wave of gypsies from Romania.
In the 20th century, in the USSR and other socialist countries, they tried to transfer the gypsies to a sedentary lifestyle. The Nazis exterminated Roma in concentration camps. Thus, during the Second World War, Belarus lost almost its entire indigenous Roma population. The gypsies living with us today are descendants of post-war settlers from other Soviet republics. Nowadays, a suspicious and sometimes outright hostile attitude towards Gypsies is characteristic of all European countries from France to Russia.
Gypsies are not loved, they are admired, but they continue to lead an isolated lifestyle. And so for one and a half thousand years!

The content of the article

GYPSIES, or Roma, are a nomadic people, or more precisely, ethnic groups with common roots and language, whose origins can be traced to northwestern India. Today they live in many countries of the world. Gypsies are usually black-haired and dark-skinned, which is especially typical for populations living in countries close to India, although lighter skin is not typical for Gypsies at all. Despite their spread throughout the world, the Gypsies remain everywhere a distinct people, more or less adhering to their own customs, language and maintaining a social distance from the non-Gypsy peoples around whom they live.

Gypsies are known by a number of names. In the Middle Ages, when the Gypsies first appeared in Europe, they were mistakenly called Egyptians, because they were identified as Mohammedans - immigrants from Egypt. Gradually this word (Egyptians, Gyptians) was shortened, becoming "gypsy" ("gipsy" in English), "gitano" in Spanish and "giphtos" in Greek. Gypsies are also called "zigeuner" in German, "Gypsies" in Russian, "zingari" in Italian, which are variations of the Greek word athinganoi meaning "don't touch" - an offensive name for a religious group that formerly inhabited Asia Minor and shunned, like the Gypsies , contacts with strangers. But the Gypsies do not like these names, preferring the self-designation “Roma” (plural, Roma or Roma) from “Romani (person)”.

Origin.

In the middle of the 18th century. European scientists managed to find evidence that the Gypsy language comes directly from the classical Indian language Sanskrit, which indicates the Indian origin of its speakers. Gray-anthropological data, in particular information on blood groups, also indicate an origin in India.

Much, however, remains unclear regarding the early history of the Roma. Although they speak one of the languages ​​of the Indian group, it is quite possible that they are actually descended from the Dravidian aborigines of this subcontinent, who eventually began to speak the language of the Aryan invaders who occupied their territory. In recent years, scholars in India itself have begun to academically study the Roma, and there is also a renewed interest in the subject in Western academic circles. The myths and misinformation surrounding the history and origins of this people are gradually dissipating. It became obvious, for example, that the Gypsies were nomads not because they possessed any nomadic instinct, but because widespread discriminatory legislation left them no choice but to continue their constant movement.

Migration and settlement.

New historical and linguistic evidence indicates that the migration of Gypsies from northwestern India occurred in the first quarter of the 11th century. as a result of a series of Islamic invasions led by Mohammed Ghaznavid. According to one hypothesis, the ancestors of the Gypsies (sometimes called "Dhomba" in the literature) organized themselves into military units called Rajputs to fight these invasions. Over the next two centuries, the Gypsies moved further and further west, stopping in Persia, Armenia and the territory of the Byzantine Empire (the modern language of the Gypsies contains many Persian and Armenian words and, especially, many words from Byzantine Greek), and reached southeastern Europe in the mid-13th century.

The movement to the Balkans was also caused by the spread of Islam, which was the cause of the migration of gypsies from India two centuries earlier.

Not the entire mass of Gypsies crossed the Bosphorus and entered Europe; one of its branches migrated eastward to the areas of today's Eastern Turkey and Armenia and became a separate and quite distinct sub-ethnic group known as “Lom”.

Another population widespread throughout the Middle East is the Dom, which was long thought to be part of the original Roma migration (from India, but later split off from the main population somewhere in Syria). While the "house" itself and their language are clearly of Indian origin, their ancestors apparently represented a separate and much earlier wave (possibly 5th century) of migration from India.

In the Byzantine Empire, the Gypsies acquired a deep knowledge of metalworking, as indicated by the metallurgical vocabulary in the language of the Gypsies of Greek and Armenian (non-Indian) origin. When the gypsies came to the Balkans and, in particular, to the principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, this knowledge and skills ensured a steady demand for their services. This new artisan population of Gypsies proved so valuable in fact that in the early 1300s laws were passed making them the property of their employers, i.e. slaves. By 1500, approximately half of the Roma had managed to leave the Balkans for northern and western Europe. The resulting division between those who remained enslaved in Wallachia and Moldavia (today's Romania) for five and a half centuries and those who left is of fundamental importance in the history of the Gypsies and is referred to in literature as the First European Gypsy Diaspora.

It did not take long for the Balkan population to realize that the Gypsies were completely different from the Muslims they so feared. But the population in countries more distant from the Balkans, i.e. in France, Holland and Germany, for example, there was no previous opportunity to meet Muslims directly. When the gypsies arrived there with their exotic speech, appearance and clothing, they were associated with Muslims and were called “pagans”, “Turks”, “Tatars” and “Saracens”. The Gypsies were easy targets because they had no country to return to and no military, political or economic power to defend themselves. Over time, one country after another began to introduce repressive measures against them. In Western Europe, punishments for being a Gypsy included lashing, mutilation, deportation, galley slavery, and even, in some places, execution; in eastern Europe, gypsies remained slaves.

Political changes in 19th-century Europe, including the abolition of slavery for Gypsies, led to a sharp increase in their migration, marking the period of the Second European Gypsy Diaspora. A third diaspora emerged in the 1990s with the fall of communist regimes throughout eastern Europe.

Gypsies who were enslaved were either house slaves or slaves in the fields. These broad categories include many smaller occupational groups. Brought to work in the houses of landowners, the gypsies eventually lost their language of Indian origin and acquired Romanian, based on Latin. Now Romanian-speaking gypsies such as "boyash", "rudari" ("miners") and "ursari" ("bear guides") are found not only in Hungary and the Balkans, but also in Western Europe and in other regions of the Western Hemisphere.

Much more of the ancient traditions were preserved by groups of gypsies descended from field slaves. Kalderasha ("copper workers"), Lovara ("horse traders"), Churara ("sieve makers") and Močvaja (from the Serbian town of Močva) all speak closely related dialects of the Romani language. These languages ​​form a dialect group called Vlax or Vlach, characterized by a large influence of Romanian. By the end of the 19th century. Vlax-speaking gypsies undertook long journeys in search of places where they could settle. Countries in Western Europe were inhospitable due to centuries of anti-Gypsy legislation, so the main flow of migration was directed east to Russia, Ukraine and even China, or, through Greece and Turkey by sea to North and South America, South Africa and Australia. After World War I, the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in central Europe caused a mass exodus of Roma from these lands to western Europe and North America.

During World War II, the Nazis targeted the Gypsies for genocide, and the Gypsies were targeted for extermination along with the Jews by Reinhard Heydrich's notorious decree of July 31, 1941, to implement the "Final Solution." By 1945, almost 80% of all Gypsies in Europe had died.

Modern settlement.

Gypsies are dispersed throughout Europe and western Asia and are found in parts of Africa, North and South America and Australia. The exact number of Roma in each country, however, cannot be determined because censuses and immigration statistics rarely single them out, and centuries of persecution have taught Roma to be wary of identifying their ethnicity on census forms. There are between 9 and 12 million Roma in the world. This estimate is given by the International Union of Roma: about one million in North America, about the same in South America, and between 6 and 8 million in Europe, where Roma are concentrated mainly in Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and elsewhere in the Balkans.

In the thousand years or so since the exodus of the Gypsies from India, their way of life has become remarkably varied, although each group has retained to a greater or lesser extent elements of the basic culture of the Gypsies. Those that have settled in one place for a long time tend to acquire the national characteristics of the people who adopted them. In both Americas, a significant number of gypsies appeared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, although the gypsies have a legend that on Columbus's third voyage in 1498, there were gypsy sailors among the crew, and the first representatives of this people appeared there in pre-colonial times. It is documented that the first gypsies appeared in Latin America (on the Caribbean islands) in 1539, when persecution against this people began in Western Europe. They were gypsies from Spain and Portugal.

New waves of immigrants began arriving in the Americas after 1990.

Life of gypsies.

Despite their common linguistic, cultural and genetic heritage, Roma groups have become so diverse as a result of time and space that it would be inappropriate to attempt to paint a generalized portrait of them. The rest of the article focuses on the Vlax-speaking Gypsies, who are the largest and most geographically widespread population.

Social organization.

Taken as a whole, the life of the Gypsies is called “romanipen” or “romania” and is built on the basis of a complex system of family relationships. A group of related families forms a clan ("vista" clan), headed by a leader called a "baro" (he is not a king; the so-called kings and queens of the Gypsies are an invention of journalists). He is the recognized leader of his group and can control its movements and represent it in contacts with outsiders. On important matters he can consult with the elders of whist. Violations of the rules of morality and conduct may be dealt with by a special assembly of men called the kris. This court has jurisdiction over a wide range of violations, including material and matrimonial matters. Punishments may include fines or exclusion from the community, with the culprit being called merimeh or ritually unclean. Since contact with non-Gypsies is avoided as a matter of course, and since the Gypsy community itself must exclude anyone who is a Merime, the individual in this situation ends up in conditions of complete isolation. This idea of ​​ritual pollution, inherited from India and extended to the individual in his relationship to food, animals and other human beings, was the most general factor that contributed to the fact that the Gypsy populations remained separate from others and internally united.

Marriages with gojes (non-gypsies) are frowned upon; even the choice of marriage with other gypsies is limited. In the case of mixed marriages, children will be considered Gypsies only if their father is one. The family plays an active role in the formalities of marriage, which to the uninitiated may seem lengthy and complex. Firstly, there are long negotiations between parents, especially about the amount of the “darro” (dowry). This is the amount to be compensated for the earning potential of a "bori" or daughter-in-law who is transferred from her family and is included in the family of her new relatives by marriage. The wedding itself (“abiav”) is held in a hall rented for the occasion with the presence of many friends and relatives. The celebrations accompanying the wedding usually last three days. Once created, the marital union usually remains permanent, but if divorce is necessary, the consent of the “kris” may be required. As a rule, civil and ecclesiastical marriages are becoming increasingly common, even if they represent only the final phase of a traditional ritual.

The official religion did not have much influence on the way of life of the gypsies, although they were unable to escape the attempts of missionaries to convert them to their faith. They accepted, in most cases superficially, such religions as Islam, Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism of the countries in which they lived for some time. The exception is the surprising and very rapid adoption by some groups of the charismatic “new” Christianity of recent years.

The most famous religious holidays of Romani Catholics are the annual pilgrimages to Quebec to the Basilica of St. Anne (Sainte Anne de Beaupre) and to the town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer on the Mediterranean coast of France, where gypsies gather every time from everywhere 24 –May 25, to honor their patron saint Sarah (according to legend, an Egyptian).

Livelihood and recreation.

Gypsies prefer activities that provide them with minimal contact with the “gadje” and independence. Services catering to occasional needs and an ever-changing clientele fit well with the Gypsy lifestyle, which may require an individual to travel urgently to attend a wedding or funeral, or attend a 'kris' in another part of the country. The Gypsies are versatile, and the means by which they earn their living are numerous. But there are some main professions of gypsies - such as horse trading, metal working, fortune telling and, in some countries, picking vegetables or fruits. For joint economic ventures, Roma may also form a purely functional association “kumpania”, whose members do not necessarily belong to the same clan or even to the same dialect group. In self-employment, many Roma work as peddlers, especially in Europe. Some resell goods purchased at a lower price, others sell on the streets, noisily offering goods they themselves produced, although in the 20th century. a number of Roma crafts suffered from competition with mass-produced products. Women play their full role in earning their livelihood. They are the ones who carry baskets with produced goods from door to door and do fortune telling.

Although many of the names of the various groups of Gypsies are based on the occupations in which they were engaged during the period of slavery, they can no longer serve as a reliable guide to the activities of specific families. In Mexico, for example, coppersmiths are now much more likely to be operators of mobile film installations than metal workers. For many coppersmiths in the United States, the main source of income is the fortune telling salon ("office"), which may be located in the front of the fortune teller's house or in the front of the store.

Gypsies are also known to be great entertainers, especially as musicians and dancers (several famous actors, including Charles Chaplin, talk about their ancestors being Gypsies). In Hungary and Romania in particular, gypsy orchestras with their virtuoso violinists and dulcimer players have created their own style, although much of what audiences hear is, in fact, European music with a gypsy interpretation. There is another, very special type of music - the original music of the Gypsies, which is a highly rhythmic sequence of tones in which few or no instruments are used and the dominant sound is often the sound of clapping hands. Research has shown that much of the Central European classical musical tradition and the works of composers such as Liszt, Bartok, Dvorak, Verdi and Brahms are marked by significant Romani influence. The same has been demonstrated by research regarding the Jewish music klezmer, which is characterized by unusual scales and lively rhythms.

In Andalusia, in southern Spain, according to one study conducted by the University of Wisconsin, gypsies, along with Moroccans, created the tradition of flamenco as a covert way of expressing anger towards the repressive Spanish regime. From Andalusia, the style spread through the Iberian Peninsula and then into Spanish-speaking America until flamenco-style song, dance, and guitar playing became an accepted form of popular entertainment. Since the late 1970s, the music of the six-guitar Gipsy Kings has propelled modern flamenco-based music into the pop charts, while the jazz guitar technique of the late Django Reinhardt ) (he was a gypsy) experienced a revival thanks to his great-nephew Bireli Lagrene.

Like all peoples with a developed oral tradition, gypsy storytelling reaches the level of art. Over the course of many generations, they expanded their folklore, selecting and adding to it folk tales from the countries in which they settled. In exchange, they enriched the folklore of these nations with oral histories acquired during past migrations.

Due to strict restrictions on communication with outsiders, the gypsies spent a lot of their free time in each other's company. Many of them believe that the negative consequences of being among the Gadje can only be compensated by the time they spend among their own at community ritual events, such as christenings, weddings, etc.

Food, clothing and shelter.

The eating habits of Western European gypsy groups reflect the influence of their nomadic lifestyle. Soups and stews, which can be cooked in one pot or cauldron, as well as fish and game meat occupy a significant place in their cuisine. The diet of sedentary Eastern European gypsies is characterized by the use of a large amount of spices, especially hot peppers. Among all groups of gypsies, food preparation is strictly determined by the observance of various taboos of relative cleanliness. The same cultural considerations govern issues of clothing. In Gypsy culture, the lower part of the body is considered unclean and shameful, and women's legs, for example, are covered with long skirts. Similarly, a married woman should tie a scarf around her head. Traditionally, acquired valuables are turned into jewelry or gold coins, and the latter are sometimes worn on clothing as buttons. Since the head is considered the most important part of the body, many men draw attention to it by wearing wide hats and large mustaches, while women love large earrings.

Mobile homes are of great importance for those families whose livelihoods require them to be constantly on the move. There are still large numbers of Gypsy families, especially in the Balkans, who travel in light open carts drawn by horses or donkeys and sleep in traditionally constructed tents made of canvas or woolen blankets. The relatively recent appearance of the gypsy cart, decorated with intricate carvings, complements rather than replaces the tent. Together with the less picturesque horse-drawn carriage, this residential carriage is quickly falling into disuse in favor of the motorized trailer. Some of the gypsies with trucks or cars with trailers adhere closely to the old habits of the cart people, while others have fully embraced such modern conveniences as bottled cooking gas and electricity.

Modern gypsy population.

Various groups of Roma in Europe were almost completely destroyed by the fires of the Holocaust, and it was not until more than four decades later that their national movement began to gain strength. For the Roma, the concept of “nationalism” does not mean the creation of a real nation-state, but it implies the acquisition of recognition by humanity of the fact that the Roma are a separate, non-territorial nation of people with their own history, language and culture.

The fact that Roma live throughout Europe but do not have a country of their own has led to enormous problems following the fall of Eastern European communist regimes and the resurgence of ethnic nationalism there. Like those gypsies who first came to Europe seven and a half centuries ago, European gypsies of the 20th century. are increasingly perceived as very different from traditional European peoples and a nuisance. To combat these prejudices, the Roma organized themselves into several political, social and cultural groups with the goal of developing ideals of self-determination. The International Roma Union has been a permanent member of the UN Council for Economic and Social Development since 1979; by the end of the 1980s, it had gained representation in the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and UNESCO, and in 1990 the formation of the European Roma Parliament began. By the beginning of the 1990s, a large number of Roma professionals had already appeared, such as journalists and political activists, educators, and politicians. Ties were forged with the ancestral homeland of India - since the mid-1970s, the Indian Institute of Romani Studies has existed in Chandigarh. Roma organizations focused their work on combating racism and stereotyping in the media, and seeking reparations for the war crimes that led to the deaths of Roma in the Holocaust. In addition, the issues of standardizing the Roma language for international use and compiling a twenty-volume encyclopedia in this language were resolved. Gradually, the literary image of “nomadic gypsies” is replaced by the image of a people ready and able to take their place in today’s heterogeneous society.

The main source of information on all aspects of Gypsy history, language and lifestyle is the Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society, published from 1888 to the present.

- Bohemiens(“Bohemians”, “Czechs”), Gitans(garbled Spanish Gitanos) or Tsiganes(borrowing from Greek - τσιγγάνοι, Tsingani), Germans - Zigeuner, Italians - Zingari, the Dutch - Zigeuners, Hungarians - Cigany or Faraok nepe(“Pharaoh’s tribe”), Georgians - ბოშები (boshebi), Finns - mustalaiset(“black”), Kazakhs - sygandar, Lezgins - karachiyar(“hypocrites, pretenders”); Basque - Ijitoak; Albanians - Jevgjit(“Egyptians”); Jews - צוענים (tso'anim), from the name of the biblical province of Tsoan in Ancient Egypt; Persians - کولی (koli); Lithuanians - Čigonai; Bulgarians - Tsigani; Estonians - “mustlased” (from “Must” - black). Currently, ethnonyms from the self-name of a part of the gypsies, “Roma” (English) are becoming increasingly widespread in various languages. Roma, Czech Romové, Finnish romanit, etc.).

Thus, in the names of the gypsy population that are “external” in origin, three predominate:

• reflecting early ideas about them as immigrants from Egypt;
• distorted versions of the Byzantine nickname “atsinganos” (meaning “fortune tellers, magicians”);
• designations of “blackness” as a distinctive feature of appearance, made in different languages ​​(typically, one of the self-names of the gypsies is also translated as “black”)

Romani people live in many countries in Europe, as well as in North Africa, the Americas and Australia. Groups related to European gypsies also live in the countries of Western Asia. The number of European gypsies, according to various estimates, ranges from 8 million to 10-12 million people. There were officially 175.3 thousand people in the USSR (census). According to the 2010 census, about 220 thousand Roma live in Russia.

National symbols

In honor of the first World Gypsy Congress, April 8 is considered Gypsy day. Some gypsies have a custom associated with it: in the evening, at a certain time, they carry a lighted candle along the street.

History of the people

Indian period

The most common self-name of the gypsies, which they brought from India, is “rum” or “roma” among European gypsies, “home” among the gypsies of the Middle East and Asia Minor. All these names go back to the Indo-Aryan “d’om” with the first cerebral sound. The cerebral sound, relatively speaking, is a cross between the sounds “r”, “d” and “l”. According to linguistic studies, the Roma of Europe and the Roma of Asia and the Caucasus were the three main "streams" of migrants from India. Under the name d'om, low-caste groups appear in various areas of modern India today. Despite the fact that modern houses in India are difficult to directly relate to the gypsies, their name has a direct connection with them. The difficulty is to understand what the connection was in the past between the ancestors of the Gypsies and the Indian houses. The results of linguistic research conducted back in the 20s. 20th century by the prominent Indologist-linguist R.L. Turner, and which is shared by modern scientists, in particular, the linguists-Romologists J. Matras and J. Hancock, show that the ancestors of the Gypsies lived in the central regions of India and several centuries before the exodus (approximately in the 3rd century BC) migrated to Northern Punjab.

As for the so-called Central Asian gypsies, or Lyuli, they, as is sometimes figuratively said, are cousins ​​or even second cousins ​​of the European gypsies. Thus, the Central Asian gypsy population, over the centuries absorbing various streams of migrants from Punjab (including Baloch groups), has historically been heterogeneous (see, for example, an early description of the Central Asian gypsies: Vilkins A.I. Central Asian bohemia // Anthropological exhibition T. III. M., 1878-1882).

In the book “History of the Gypsies. A New Look" (N. Bessonov, N. Demeter) provides examples of anti-Gypsy laws:

Sweden. A law from 1637 prescribed the hanging of male Gypsies. Mainz. 1714 Death to all Gypsies captured within the state. Flogging and branding of women and children with hot irons. England. According to the law of 1554, the death penalty was for men. According to an additional decree of Elizabeth I, the law was tightened. From now on, execution awaited “those who have or will have friendship or acquaintance with the Egyptians.” Already in 1577, seven Englishmen and one Englishwoman fell under this decree. They were all hanged at Aylesbury. Historian Scott-McPhee counts 148 laws adopted in the German states from the 15th to the 18th centuries. They were all approximately the same, diversity is only evident in the details. Thus, in Moravia, gypsies had their left ears cut off, and in Bohemia, their right ears. In the Archduchy of Austria they preferred to brand and so on. Perhaps the most cruel was Frederick William of Prussia. In 1725, he ordered that all male and female gypsies over eighteen years of age be put to death.

Picture from a French entertainment magazine showing gypsies cooking human meat

As a result of persecution, the Gypsies of Western Europe, firstly, were heavily criminalized, since they did not have the opportunity to legally obtain food for themselves, and secondly, they were practically culturally conserved (to this day, the Gypsies of Western Europe are considered the most distrustful and committed to literal adherence to ancient traditions). They also had to lead a special way of life: move at night, hide in forests and caves, which increased the suspicion of the population, and also gave rise to rumors about cannibalism, Satanism, vampirism and werewolves of the gypsies, the consequence of these rumors was the emergence of associated myths about kidnapping and especially children (for consumption or for satanic rites) and about the ability to perform evil spells.

Some of the gypsies managed to avoid repression by enlisting in the army as soldiers or servants (blacksmiths, saddlers, grooms, etc.) in those countries where soldier recruitment was active (Sweden, Germany). Their families were thereby also taken out of harm's way. The ancestors of Russian gypsies came to Russia through Poland from Germany, where they mainly served in the army or with the army, so at first among other gypsies they bore the nickname, roughly translated as “army gypsies.”

The repeal of anti-Gypsy laws coincides with the beginning of the industrial revolution and Europe's recovery from the economic crisis. After the repeal of these laws, the process of integration of Roma into European society began. Thus, during the 19th century, gypsies in France, according to Jean-Pierre Lejoie, author of the article “Bohemiens et pouvoirs publics en France du XV-e au XIX-e siecle”, mastered professions thanks to which they were recognized and even began to be valued: they they sheared sheep, weaved baskets, traded, were hired as day laborers in seasonal agricultural work, and were dancers and musicians.

However, by that time, anti-Gypsy myths were already firmly rooted in the European consciousness. Now traces of them can be seen in fiction, linking gypsies with a passion for child abduction (the goals of which are becoming less and less clear over time), werewolves and service to vampires.

By that time, the abolition of anti-Gypsy laws had not occurred in all European countries. Thus, in Poland, on November 3, 1849, a decree was passed on the arrest of nomadic gypsies. For each Roma detained, the police were paid bonuses. As a result, the police captured not only nomadic, but also sedentary gypsies, recording those detained as vagrants and children as adults (to get more money). After the Polish Uprising of 1863, this law became invalid.

It can also be noted that, starting with the abolition of anti-Gypsy laws, gifted individuals in certain areas began to appear among the Gypsies, stand out and receive recognition in non-Gypsy society, which is another evidence of the prevailing situation, which is more or less favorable for the Gypsies. So, in Great Britain in the 19th and early 20th centuries, these were preacher Rodney Smith, footballer Rabie Howell, radio journalist and writer George Bramwell Evens; in Spain - Franciscan Ceferino Jimenez Mallya, Tocaor Ramon Montoya Salazar Sr.; in France - jazzmen brothers Ferret and Django Reinhardt; in Germany - boxer Johann Trollmann.

Gypsies in Eastern Europe (XV - early XX centuries)

Migration of Roma to Europe

At the beginning of the 15th century, a significant part of the Byzantine gypsies led a semi-sedentary lifestyle. Gypsies were known not only in the Greek regions of Byzantium, but also in Serbia, Albania, the lands of modern Romania (see slavery in Romania) and Hungary. They settled in villages or urban settlements, gathering compactly based on kinship and profession. The main crafts were working with iron and precious metals, carving household items from wood, and weaving baskets. Nomadic gypsies also lived in these areas, who also engaged in crafts or circus performances using trained bears.

The sons and heirs of the deceased Serdar Nikolai Nico, in Bucharest, are selling 200 families of gypsies. Men are mostly metalworkers, goldsmiths, shoemakers, musicians and farmers.

Monastery of St. Elijah offered for sale the first lot of gypsy slaves, May 8, 1852, consisting of 18 men, 10 boys, 7 women and 3 girls: in excellent condition.

Gypsies in Europe and the USSR/Russia (second half of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century)

In modern Eastern Europe, less often in Western Europe, Roma are often the target of discrimination in society, especially from right-wing extremist parties; in 2009, attacks on Romanian Roma in Northern Ireland were reported

At the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries, Europe and Russia were swept by a wave of Roma migrations. Impoverished or marginalized Roma from Romania, western Ukraine and the former Yugoslavia - former socialist countries that experienced economic and social difficulties after the collapse of the USSR - went to work in the European Union and Russia. Nowadays, they can be seen literally at any crossroads in the world; the women of these gypsies have returned en masse to the ancient traditional occupation of begging; drug trafficking and petty theft are also common.

In Russia, there is also a slower but noticeable impoverishment, marginalization and criminalization of the Roma population. The average educational level has decreased. The problem of drug use among teenagers has become acute. Quite often, gypsies began to be mentioned in crime chronicles in connection with drug trafficking and fraud. The popularity of gypsy musical art has noticeably decreased. At the same time, the Gypsy press and Gypsy literature were revived.

In Europe and Russia, there is active cultural borrowing between gypsies of different nationalities, a common gypsy music and dance culture is emerging, which is strongly influenced by the culture of Russian gypsies.

Gypsies outside Europe

Gypsies in Israel

• Gypsy house. Israel and neighboring countries are home to a community of gypsies known as the Dom people. By religion, the house is Muslim and speaks one of the dialects of the Gypsy language (the so-called Domari language). Until 1948, in the ancient city of Jaffa, near Tel Aviv, there was an Arabic-speaking Dom community whose members took part in street theater and circus performances. They became the subject of the play "The Gypsies of Jaffa" (Hebrew: הצוענים של יפו‎), the last of which was written by Nissim Aloni, the famous Israeli playwright. The play has come to be considered a classic of Israeli theater. Like many Jaffa Arabs, most of this community left the city due to the call of neighboring Arab countries. The descendants of the community are believed [ Who?], now live in the Gaza Strip, and it is unknown to what extent they still maintain a separate Domari identity. Another Dom community is known to exist in East Jerusalem, whose members hold Jordanian citizenship; in Israel they have the status of permanent residents, their nationality is defined as “Arabs”. In total, the community house in Israel numbers about two hundred families, most of them from the Bab al Huta area, in East Jerusalem near the Lion Gate. Members of the community live in very poor conditions: most of them are unemployed and live only on benefits from Israeli social security, they have no education, and some of them cannot read or write. The birth rate among the Domari is high, they marry at an early age and only to members of their community, including relatives (in an effort to avoid assimilation and dissolution), so some of the children suffer from hereditary diseases, defects or are disabled. In October 1999, Amun Slim founded the non-profit organization Domari: The Gypsy Society of Jerusalem to protect the name of the community. ,

In October 2012, the head of the Roma quarter of East Jerusalem appealed to the mayor of the capital, Nir Barkat, with a request for assistance in obtaining Israeli citizenship for his compatriots. According to him, the Roma are much closer in their views to Jews than to Arabs: they love Israel, and their children would like to serve in the IDF. According to a community leader, Israeli Roma have practically forgotten their language and speak Arabic, while Palestinians and Israeli Arabs consider the Roma to be “second-class” people.

Gypsies in North Africa

North Africa is home to the Kale Gypsies, also known as the Andalusian Gypsies, and Dom. Film director Tony Gatlif is a Kale originally from Algeria. The Calais of North Africa are nicknamed “Moors” in the gypsy world and often use it themselves (for example, both Tony Gatlif and Joaquin Cortes, whose father is from North Africa, call themselves “Moor” or “half-Moor”).

Gypsies in Canada and the USA

Gypsies in Latin America

The first documented mention of the presence of gypsies (Kale) in Latin America (in the Caribbean) dates back to 1539. The first gypsies were exiled there against their will, but subsequently Spanish Calais and Portuguese Calons (groups related to each other) began to move in small groups to Latin America in search of a better life.

The largest wave of resettlement of European gypsies to Latin America occurred in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. The most noticeable part of the settlers were the Kelderars, among the remaining gypsies we can mention the Lovars, Ludars, as well as groups of Balkan gypsies known collectively as Khorakhane. Both Kale and Calons continued to move to America.

Among all the gypsies of Latin America, running a small business selling cars is very popular.

Gypsies in the Caucasus countries

Roma in different countries are characterized by uneven development of areas of high culture. Thus, the majority of gypsy artists are natives of Hungary, the most developed musical culture among the gypsies of Russia, Hungary, Romania, Spain, the Balkan countries, gypsy literature is currently more developed in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine and Russia, acting art - in Russia, Ukraine , Slovakia. Circus art - in the countries of South America.

With all the diversity of gypsy culture among different ethnic groups, one can note a similar system of values ​​and perception of the world.

Gypsy "large" ethnic groups

There are six main branches of gypsies. Three Western:

• Roma, main territory of residence - the countries of the former USSR, Western and Eastern Europe. These include Russian gypsies (self-name Russian Roma).
• Sinti, living primarily in German-speaking and French-speaking countries in Europe.
• Iberian (Gypsies), living mainly in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries.

And three eastern ones:

• Lyuli, main territory of residence - Central Asia, Pakistan, Afghanistan.
• Scrap (known mainly as bosha or posha), living in the Caucasus and northern Turkey.
• Home living in Arabic-speaking countries and Israel.

There are also “small” gypsy groups that are difficult to attribute to any specific branch of the gypsies, such as the British Kales and Romanichels, the Scandinavian Kales, the Balkan Horakhanes, and the Arkhangelsk Tsygobites.

In Europe, there are a number of ethnic groups similar in lifestyle to the Gypsies, but of a different origin - in particular, Irish Travelers, Central European Yenish. Local authorities tend to view them as a subset of Roma, rather than as a separate ethnic group.

The image of gypsies in world artistic culture

Gypsies in world literature

• Notre Dame Cathedral - novel by V. Hugo France
• Ice House - novel by A. Lazhechnikov Russia
• The Living Corpse - play by L. N. Tolstoy Russia
• The Enchanted Wanderer - a novel by Nikolai Leskov Russia
• Olesya - story, Alexander Kuprin Russia
• Pharaoh's tribe - essay, Alexander Kuprin Russia
• Cactus - story by Afanasy Fet Russia
• Nedopyuskin and Tchertopkhanov - I. Turgenev Russia
• Carmen - short story by Prosper Merimee France
• The Stars of Eger - a novel by Geza Gordoni Hungary
• Makar Chudra, Old Woman Izergil - stories by M. Gorky Russia
• Gypsy Aza - play by A. Staritsky Ukraine
• Gypsy - M. Cervantes Spain
• Gypsy Romancero - collection of poems by Federico Garcia Lorca Spain
• The Pipe - a story by Yuri Nagibin USSR
• Gypsy - story, novel by Anatoly Kalinin USSR
• Gypsy Lady - novel by S. Busby USA
• Losing Weight - novel by S. King USA

Many famous poets also devoted cycles of poems and individual works to the gypsy theme: G. Derzhavin, A. Apukhtin, A. Blok, Apollon Grigoriev, N. M. Yazykov, E. Asadov and many others.

Songs about gypsies

• Slavich Moroz: “Gypsy Love” ( Video , video)
• Vysotsky: “Gypsy with cards, the road is long...” ( Video)
• “Fortune Teller” - song from the movie “Ah, vaudeville, vaudeville...”
• “Gypsy Choir” - Alla Pugacheva
• “Valenki” - Lidia Ruslanova
• “Gypsy Wedding” - Tamara Gverdtsiteli ( Video)
• “Shaggy Bumblebee” - song from the movie “Cruel Romance” based on poems by R. Kipling
• "The Gipsy" and "A Gipsy's Kiss" - Deep Purple
• "Gypsy" - Mercyful Fate
• "Hijo de la luna" - Mecano
• "Gypsy" - Black Sabbath
• "Gypsy" - Dio
• "Cry Of The Gypsy" - Dokken
• "Zigeunerpack" - Landser
• "Gypsy In Me" - Stratovarius
• "Gitano Soy" - Gipsy Kings
• "Ocean Gypsy" - Blackmore's Night
• "Electro Gypsy" - Savlonic
• "Gypsy/Gitana" - Shakira
• "Gypsy" - Uriah Heep
• "Gypsy Boots" - Aerosmith
• "Gypsy Road" - Cinderella
• "Gypsy Nazi" - S.E.X. Department
• "Gypsy" - Ektomorf
• "Cigany" - Ektomorf
• "Gipsy King" - Patrick Wolf
• "Hometown Gypsy" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
• "Gypsy Blues" - Night Snipers
• "The camp goes into the sky" - Calvados

Films about gypsies

• "Guardian Angel", Yugoslavia (1986), director Goran Paskaljevic
• "Run, gypsy!"
• "Snatch" directed by Guy Ritchie
• “Time of the Gypsies”, Yugoslavia, director Emir Kusturica
• “Gadzho (film)”, 1992, Director: Dmitry Svetozarov Russia
• “Sinful Apostles of Love” (1995), director Dufunya Vishnevsky Russia
• “Drama in a camp of gypsies near Moscow” - Khanzhonkov’s workshop 1908, director Vladimir Siversen Russia
• “Yesenia”, (Spanish: Yesenia; Mexico, 1971) directed by Alfred B. Crevenna
• “Hare over the Abyss” 2006, director Tigran Keosayan Russia
• “Carmelita” 2005, directors Rauf Kubaev, Yuri Popovich Russia
• “Cassandra”, Genre: TV series, melodrama Production: Venezuela, R.C.T.V. Year of release: 1992 Screenplay: Delia Fiallo
• “King of the Gypsies” - directed by Frank Pearson (1978) USA
• “Lăutari”, director Emil Loteanu USSR
• “The Last Camp”, (1935) Directors: Evgeny Shneider, Moses Goldblat, USSR
• “On my own” (gym. Korkoro, 2009) - drama film directed by Tony Gatlif.
• “Feather Buyers”, 1967, Yugoslavia, (Serbian: Skupljaci perja), director Alexander Petrovich
• “Strange Stranger” (1997) Gadjo Dilo Gadjo Dilo, directed by Tony Gatlif
• “The Camp Goes to Heaven”, director Emil Loteanu USSR
• “Difficult Happiness” - Director Alexander Stolper. 1958

The Roma, Gypsies, or Roma are a traditionally wandering people originally from Northern India who have spread throughout the world, mainly in Europe.

Language and origin

Most Roma speak a form of Romani, closely related to the modern Indo-European languages ​​of North India, as well as the primary language of the country in which they live. It is generally accepted that groups of Roma left India many times, and by the 11th century they were already in Persia, at the beginning of the 14th century. - in South-Eastern Europe, and in the 15th century. reached Western Europe. By the second half of the twentieth century. they spread across all inhabited continents.

Persons of Roma nationality refer to themselves by the common name "Rum" (meaning "man" or "husband"), and all non-Roma people by the term "gadjo" or "gadjo" (a word with derogatory connotations that means "hillbilly" or "barbarian") ). Many Roma people consider the name "Gypsies" offensive.

Demography

Due to their nomadic lifestyle, absence from official census data, and their mixing with other nomadic groups, estimates of the total worldwide number of Roma people range from two to five million. No reliable statistics can be obtained from sporadic reporting in different countries. The majority of Roma still live in Europe, especially in the Slavic-speaking states of Central Europe and the Balkans. Many of them live in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Hungary, the countries of the former Yugoslavia and neighboring Bulgaria and Romania.

Eternal migrants

The stereotypical image of nomadic gypsies is often contradicted by the fact that fewer and fewer of them actually migrate permanently. However, their travel is limited. All nomadic Roma people migrate along established routes that ignore national borders. They also follow a chain of kinship or tribal ties.

The predisposition of Roma people is caused by forced expulsions or deportations. 80 years after their first appearance in Western Europe in the 15th century, they were driven out of almost every country in Western Europe. Despite the fact that Roma nationality became the reason for systematic persecution and deportation abroad, Gypsies, however, continued to appear in one form or another in the countries they left.

Objects of persecution

All non-sedentary groups living among sedentary peoples seem to become comfortable. The same is true of the Roma, who were regularly accused by the local population of many atrocities, which was a prelude to further official and legal persecution. Their relations with the host country authorities were marked by successive contradictions. Official decrees were often aimed at assimilating or coercing them, but local authorities systematically denied them the right to set up camp.

During the Holocaust, the only guilt of the Gypsies was their Roma identity, which led to the Nazi killing of 400,000 Roma.

French laws today prohibit them from encamping and have made them subject to police surveillance, taxed them, and conscripted them into military service like ordinary citizens.

Spain and Wales are two countries that are often cited as examples of states where Roma have become sedentary, if not completely assimilated.

In recent times, socialist countries in Eastern Europe have attempted to implement forced settlement programs to end their nomadic lifestyle.

Gypsy professions

Traditionally, Roma were engaged in jobs that allowed them to maintain a nomadic lifestyle, on the periphery of sedentary society. The men were cattle traders, trainers and entertainers, tinkers, blacksmiths, kitchen utensil repairmen and musicians; women told fortunes, sold potions, begged and entertained the public.

Before the advent of veterinary medicine, many farmers sought out gypsies for advice on animal husbandry and herd health.

The modern life of the Roma reflects the "progress" of the Gadjo world. Travel is now done in caravans of cars, trucks and trailers, and the livestock trade has been replaced by the sale of used cars and trailers. Although the mass production of kitchen utensils left tinkers out of work, some urban gypsies became auto mechanics and repaired car bodies. While some Roma people still lead a nomadic lifestyle, many have settled down, practicing their skills or working as labourers. Traveling circuses and amusement parks also provide work for modern gypsies as trainers, kioskers and fortune tellers.

Family

The classic Roma family consists of a married couple, their unmarried children and at least one married son, his wife and their children. After marriage, a young couple usually lives with the husband's parents until the young wife learns the way of life of her husband's family. Ideally, by the time the eldest son is ready to leave with his family, the younger son will be married and bring his new wife into the family. Previously, marriages were traditionally organized by family or group elders to strengthen political and kinship ties with other families, groups, or, occasionally, confederations, although this practice declined significantly in the late 20th century. The main feature of Roma marriages was the payment of bride price to the bride's parents by the groom's parents.

Ethnic groups

The distinctive features of a Roma representative are territorial differences, enhanced by certain cultural and dialectal characteristics. There are three main branches, or nations, of the Gypsies:

• Kalderars are kotlyar-tinkers who came from the Balkans, and then from Central Europe, and are the most numerous.
• Iberian Gypsies, or Gitanos, are a Roma ethnic group whose members live primarily in the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa and southern France. Strong in the art of entertainment.
• The Manouche (from the French manouche), also known as the Sinti, are a Roma ethnicity whose members live primarily in Alsace and other regions of France and Germany. Among them are many traveling showmen and circus performers.

Each Roma nationality is divided into two or more subgroups, distinguished by professional specialization or territorial origin.

Political organization

Officially, no body or congress was ever created and no “king” was elected, accepted by all Roma, although “international” congresses of Gypsies were held in Munich, Moscow, Bucharest, Sofia (in 1906) and in the Polish city of Ruvne (in 1936). Nevertheless, the existence of political authorities among the Roma is an established fact. Those who received noble titles such as "Duke" or "Count" in their early historical relationships with the local population were probably no more than chieftains of groups that moved in numbers ranging from 10 to several hundred households. These leaders (voivodes) were elected for life from among prominent families. Their strength and power varied depending on the size of the association, traditions and relationships with other entities within the confederation.

The voivode was the treasurer for the entire group, determined its migration route and participated in negotiations with local municipal authorities. He led through a council of elders, who also consulted with the senior woman of the association. The influence of the latter was strong, especially regarding the fate of women and children, and was based on the obvious ability to earn and organize women within the group.

Social control

The strongest institution of the Roma people was the kris - the norms of customary law and justice, as well as the ritual and tribunal of the group. The basis of the Gypsy code was comprehensive loyalty, coherence and reciprocity within a recognized political unit. The highest penalty of the tribunal, which applied to all disputes and violations of the code, was excommunication from the group. A sentence of ostracism could exclude a person from participating in certain activities and punish him with unskilled work. In some cases, the elders granted rehabilitation, followed by a celebration of reconciliation.

Social organization

Roma groups consist of vici, i.e. associations of extended families with a common origin on both the paternal and maternal lines, numbering at least 200 people. A big woman can have her own boss and council. You can apply for participation in vice as a result of marriage with a member of the clan. Loyalty and economic cooperation are expected at the household level, not at the vicar level. There is no general term for household in the Romani language. A person can probably count on the support of a circle of significant relatives with whom he is physically close and is not at odds.

Spiritual Beliefs

Gypsies have no formal faith, and in the past they have generally disdained organized religion. Today, Roma people often convert to the dominant religion of the country in which they live and describe themselves as "many stars scattered in the eyes of God." Some groups are Catholic, Muslim, Pentecostal, Protestant, Anglican and Baptist.

Gypsies follow a complex set of rules that govern such things as neatness, cleanliness, respect, honor and fairness. These rules are called "romano". Romano means to behave with dignity and respect as a Roma person. "Romanipe" is the gypsy name for their worldview.

Keepers of traditions

The Roma spread folk beliefs and practices in the areas where they settled (eg Romania), preserving national customs, dances and the like, which had largely disappeared from rural life at the turn of the 21st century. Their musical heritage is vast and includes, for example, flamenco. Although the Roma have a rich oral tradition, their written literature is relatively sparse.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Roma continue to struggle with contradictions in their culture. Although they are forced to defend themselves less frequently from persecution by a hostile society, some mistrust and intolerance still remain. Perhaps an even greater problem they faced was the erosion of their way of life under the influence of the city in industrialized societies. Themes of family and ethnic loyalty typical of Roma music have helped to preserve certain notions of what Roma nationality is, but some of the younger and more talented exponents of this music have retreated into the outside world under the influence of material rewards. Individual housing, economic independence, and intermarriage with non-Roma people became more common.