Gypsy-Roma - Facts and Fiction

Gypsies are identified as a vagabond race, traveling from 1 location to an additional. Most fiction portrays them as getting loose morals - thieves, lustful, and dishonest. But that is a generalization that really only applies to a couple of, not the whole race. Gypsy ladies are truly extremely faithful to a single man at a time. Of course some gypsies are thieves and tricksters, but you can discover these in any culture.

Origin

The technical term for a gypsy is Roma. Initially the Roma came from India, which can be traced back via their language and culture. They had been most likely known as "gypsy" initial by Europeans that believed they came from Egypt. Now Romani can be discovered all over the globe, but the majority in central and eastern Europe.

Culture

Their culture, trades, and language are passed down from a single individual to the subsequent. Most do not study or create. Caravans are formed of associated households. Every band is led by a kris, a tribunal leader who passes judgment primarily based of their religious beliefs and customs.

A frequent function of gypsies in fiction is their magic: fortune-telling, curses, and the like. The certain beliefs and cultures differ from group to group, as they have spread far and wide without having a collective spot. Most contemporary Roma have absorbed neighborhood religion and culture, so a modern day gypsy curse would be unlikely. The standard beliefs have been centered on their Goddess Kali. Her symbol was a triangle. They thought in the energy of curses, healing rituals, very good luck charms, reincarnation, and purity taboos.

Transportation

The gypsy wagon is traditionally referred to as a vardo. For a very good internet site with images and floor plans of a contemporary vardo, check out http://www.enslin.com/rae/gypsy/wagon01.htm. The wagons are horse-drawn. Some modern day day gypsies have switched to trucks and trailers.

Marriage

In the previous, Romani generally married amongst the ages of 9 and 14. Marriage to an outsider was strongly discouraged. The ceremony consisted of joining hands in front of a chief or elder and promising to stay correct to Every single other, or in other tribes just jumping over a broomstick collectively in the presence of loved ones.

Occupations

Romania are effectively-identified for their musicians, dancers, and fortune-tellers. Drabardi is the term for a fortune-teller, though they only study fortunes for non-Roma. Other standard occupations are metalworking, horse trading, and animal instruction and doctoring. As those capabilities are not as necessary in contemporary day, quite a few Roma reside in poverty.

Folklore

Gypsy tales, like most classic fairy tales, are adult-oriented alternatively than childish. As the rest of their culture, those stories had been shared orally. Francis Hindes Groom was a folklorist who immersed himself in Roma/Gypsy life. His book, Gypsy Folk Tales, consists of the stories he gathered through his practical experience. You can view it on the net at http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/roma/gft/index.htm.

Fiction

Mulengro, by Charles de Lint, focuses on a modern day day Rom living in Canada. It really is a dark fantasy and delves deeply into Roma culture. Otherland, by Tad Williams, has gypsies in the form of nomads who disregard the borders of an sophisticated virtual reality cyberspace. Lloyd Alexander's Gypsy Rizka is about a half-gypsy girl awaiting the return of her Gypsy father. Phillip Pullman's His Dark Components trilogy has a gyptian race who travel on boats alternatively of wagons.

Mary W. Jensen is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a web page for Inventive Writing.

She is an editor for the Writing.com Fantasy newsletter, and the cofounder of an offline writing group. Mary is writing a fantasy novel, Emergence of the Fey

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