The languid plucking of guitar strings, vibrant dances and songs filled with passion and longing - Gypsy culture is easy to recognize among others, because it is truly unique.
One of the ancient legends of the gypsies says that God himself, having listened to the songs of this people, gave them not a separate corner of the earth, but the whole world. This is true - gypsies live on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica. Despite the fact that they do not have their own state, this does not prevent them from preserving long-standing traditions, passing on the memory of their ancestors from generation to generation. What interesting customs exist among one of the most vibrant peoples on the planet?
Gypsies are a very colorful people
Name
It is believed that the Gypsies partially descended from the inhabitants of India, while there is a version according to which a number of Gypsies descended from the people of Egypt. The British and Spaniards called them Egyptians: English. Gypsies (from Egyptians - “Egyptians”), and Spanish. gitanos (from Egiptanos - “Egyptians”). Thus, Gypsies are called differently among different peoples. There are 3 main versions of the origin of the name:
- origins associated with people from Egypt;
- origin from the Byzantine word atsinganos (i.e. “fortune tellers, magicians”);
- origin from different peoples with predominantly dark skin color.
How can you scare away gypsies so as not to become their victims, and what are they afraid of?
Every resident of a large city has met gypsies at least once in their life. Some people have to deal with them literally every day. Someone offers to tell fortunes, buy gold, or simply passes by, but the stereotypes that have developed among the Slavs do not attribute anything good to this nation. Moreover, it is believed that gypsies deliberately hang out in crowds, where people do not concentrate on what is happening and may lose sight of something. Often people simply do not know what to do when meeting gypsies, so as not to lose valuables or money.
Story
The main version of the origin of the Gypsies claims that they are descendants of the inhabitants of India. In the early history of the people, which began in the 6th century AD, there is a resettlement of a small group of Indians who were presented by the padishah to the Persian king. Further, historians and gypsy scholars disagree in many ways - it is unknown what exactly happened between the 6th and 15th centuries. Perhaps some of the gypsies went to Palestine, others went to Egypt. It has been established that the gypsies entered Europe through Byzantium. The rooting of the Roma population in Europe was facilitated by the loyal attitude of the authorities. The gypsies themselves can be called eternal wanderers, because they always left their inhabited territory forcibly, for example, during the destruction of the Byzantine Empire.
The crises in medieval Europe gave rise to a lot of contradictions in society, including in relation to wandering peoples. All this made the gypsy people of that time thieving and even cruel. Mass persecution, bloody massacres, branding of children and women led to the criminalization of Roma. Due to the hardships of life, the gypsies were forced to hide in the forests and live in caves, which only made rumors about them even more terrible. Often popular rumor in Europe said that gypsies were cannibals and vampires. Gypsies were accused of kidnapping children, horse stealing, and worshiping evil spirits. They were credited with witchcraft and connections with dark forces. Persecution was avoided only by those who went to serve in the army or became servants. However, in this way the gypsies saved rather not themselves, but their families, whom they promised to leave alone. When Europe began to emerge from a protracted crisis, the need for a new workforce arose. The Industrial Revolution demanded more and more labor resources, so mass persecution of Roma stopped. Thanks to this, the gypsies began to develop trade, engage in handicrafts, found themselves employed in agriculture (mainly in herding livestock) and became famous as dancers. In Eastern Europe, the Gypsies had to come under the influence of the Ottomans. If the Hungarian king Sigismund was loyal to the people and exempted them from taxes, then Mehmet II, on the contrary, sought to tax as many gypsies as possible, making an exception only for gunsmiths and serfs. However, in general, the Ottomans were not hostile to the Gypsies, while the Eastern European peoples began to consider them henchmen of the Turks. In imperial Russia, gypsies were given the opportunity to become sedentary and, thanks to the realization of their talents, enjoyed the respect of the nobility. Russian gypsies were known as wonderful dancers and musicians, many became merchants. In the Soviet Union, they tried to involve the Roma in the emergence of a new culture by publishing literature in the Soviet language and involving children in education in schools.
Wedding preparations
All expenses for the celebration lie entirely with the groom's family. The bride's side organizes a celebration only if the groom has kidnapped her.
The event is celebrated in the summer. This has developed historically: having fun, dancing and eating while sitting on carpets spread on the ground was impossible during the cold season.
In modern conditions, this custom is not strictly observed, but in real communities it is strictly observed. They invite a lot of guests, the parents try their best to amaze with the scope and treats, because this is how a different kind of impression is formed about them.
The color of a gypsy wedding is red (the color of passion), so it is present in the newlyweds’ outfits in the form of red ribbons. Similar ribbons decorate everything around.
In the morning, the bride is dressed in her wedding dress; she is not allowed to dress herself.
When she goes out to the guests, she dances. Unmarried girls and unmarried boys put on their best outfits, because “secret” viewings are held right there, everyone is looking for a mate to their liking.
The wealth of modern gypsy weddings is legendary. An abundance of gold, pompous processions, an immeasurable number of guests - each family strives to be “no worse” than others and invests itself in the holiday with all its heart.
Some will say that there is no taste in this, but the gypsies do not pretend to have elegant manners and do everything according to the dictates of their hearts.
Life in different countries
The lives of modern gypsies have been seriously influenced by history. As you can see, they had to endure great difficulties in different parts of the planet. In Russia, a significant part of the Roma are illiterate, which is explained by the Civil War. Many Roma were afraid to send their children to school and even limited their contact with other children. This was the main reason for widespread illiteracy among the Roma population. A small community of gypsies has formed in Israel and professes Islam. Some of the community members now live in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, many remain illiterate, but earn money by staging theatrical scenes. However, they have a fairly high birth rate, although there is a large increase in hereditary diseases. The USA and Canada are inhabited mainly by immigrants from the USSR and former socialist countries. It should be noted here that there is a high level of assimilation: many American and Canadian gypsies feel great in modern society and live the same way as other Canadians and Americans. In Turkey, Roma live in communities. Many make money from music, dancing, various crafts, and selling clothes, food and flowers. The majority have no education; at best, the level of education is limited to secondary. Gypsies came to Latin America from Spain and Portugal. These kin groups (kale and kalo) are predominantly employed in the automobile sector. Many people try to sell cars.
Language
The Gypsy language (Indo-Aryan group of languages) is extremely complex and is actively studied in such an area of the scientific study of language as Gypsyology. It is interesting that part of the Gypsy vocabulary managed to penetrate into Russian speech. Words such as “havat”, “labat”, “lave”, “steal” are regularly used by modern youth. Among the Americans and the British, gypsy words have also become firmly established in their lexicon. Evidence of this is the word “pal”, meaning “brother”. There is a great influence of the Roma language on Spanish.
Culture
Gypsy culture includes many amazing phenomena. The most famous of them are:
- Belly dance.
- Gypsy wedding.
- Funeral rite.
- Music.
- Folklore.
The gypsies borrowed their dances from different peoples. A unique manner of the people is shaking their shoulders. However, the famous gypsy belly dance is unique in its manner of performance, although its origins come from Turkey and North Africa. In Russia, the Gypsy people became famous thanks to the dance “Gypsy”. It is distinguished by the performance of tap dancing by men. Also a characteristic feature of “Gypsy” is the trembling of the shoulders and wave-like movements of the chest. Music is most widespread in Italy, Spain and Portugal. Many European gypsies have become famous virtuosos who perform not only in European countries, but throughout the world. The most popular instrument among gypsies is the violin. Gypsy folklore is perhaps the richest in the world. It was here that famous tales were born that tell amazing stories. Gypsies are the authors of many horror stories, which tell about werewolves, the dead, ghouls, vampires and brownies. Most songs and literary works are dedicated to love, life situations, fairy tales and stories about anecdotal incidents. The gypsies managed to become famous as brilliant flamenco dancers, and their cultural influence on Russian authors is difficult to overestimate, because it was thanks to these people that the gypsy romance and Russian chanson were born. The gypsies also allowed jazz-manush to develop. The gypsies made a special contribution to the theater and circus: it was they who came up with the idea of dancing on horses and staging spectacular performances with magic tricks, songs and dances.
Life
Gypsies pay great attention to children, motherhood, the process of growing up and family. The child is supposed to develop as an individual. Gypsies believe that it is impossible to compare children with each other. Traditions and customs dictate that every child should have a family, so they always try to shelter orphans and homeless children. It is important to encourage children, treat them with sweets, and give them gifts. Gypsies have a special attitude towards women. It is believed that she will become a person only when she has children. Roma people view motherhood as a great achievement, on par with a professional or social one. Children's achievements also add honor, which makes her significant in society. If a woman has several children and they have all achieved success, this makes her very authoritative in any matter. Pregnant women always received close care. If during the nomadic camp a girl had to give birth, the camp stopped for 40 days. All this time, other women looked after the mother, and men had to provide security. Growing up among Roma is considered an important life process. With age, a person becomes wiser, so the opinion of elders is authoritative. Elderly people enjoy special authority, and it is indecent and even shameful for a young person to disobey them. In a dispute, each Gypsy seeks to refer to the opinion or words of the most senior member of his community. Finally, family is essential in the life of every gypsy. Her interests are more important than personal ones, loyalty to her spouse is more important than any temptation. There are separate groups of gypsies in which a husband and wife can separate, but in this case the husband must provide for his wife. Adult children are obliged to support their parents and strive to help them in everything. If children lived in prosperity, then they should provide the same level for their parents. In the traditions of the Gypsies, the hierarchy of families has been preserved. The more respected the family is, the more the children will be able to achieve. Therefore, the gypsies pay great attention to its authority, trying in every possible way to increase its “rating” in order to ultimately become a dynasty. This level can only be achieved through professional or social merit.
Where, where and why are these people walking on their knees along this rather long path?
Fatima city (Portugal)
Located 120 km north of Lisbon, the town has become a place of pilgrimage for Catholics since 1917.
Here in 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared several times to three shepherd children, girls, the eldest of whom was 10 years old. According to the testimonies of the children, she called them to repentance and hardship in order to save sinners. The children tied their waists with chains until they bled, refused to drink water on hot days, and endured other hardships. For another six months (from May 13 to October 13, 1917) she appeared to them once a month in the same place, until in the fall 75,000 people came to this field with their children and believed their stories. All these people saw signs: the sun flaring up and birds rushing about.
After this, the Vatican declared the epiphany genuine, Fatima a holy place.
Two children, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, did not live even a year, and the third, Louise, became a nun and died only in the spring of 2005.
Interest in the apparitions of Fatima is most attracted by the “revelation of Fatima” in three parts, in which terrifying visions of the future were revealed. According to the eldest of the witnesses, Lucia dos Santos, the third revelation should have been made public no earlier than 1960, since it could not be correctly understood before. Two of her three prophecies have already come true: about the end of the world war and the return of Russia to the church.
The center of pilgrimage is the large square in front of the Basilica of the Holy Virgin made of local white limestone (twice the size of St. Peter's Square in the Vatican) and the Church of the Vision, built on the site of a miraculous apparition.
Nowadays, the city has acquired international importance, religious ceremonies are regularly held here, and many religious orders have arisen under the Basilica.
Pilgrims on their knees go to the statue of the Virgin Mary, installed at the site of her appearance, thereby praying for and atonement for their sins.
The statue of the Virgin Mary is located in a glassed-in, nondescript room open to public access.
Source
Traditions
Wedding
A wedding is not only a sacred ritual, but is also intended to enhance the status of a man and a woman. It is at weddings that people meet influential people and representatives of dynasties. The main wedding entertainment remains dancing, gossip, and feasting. In recent years, gypsies have been trying to film weddings to show off the celebration. Gypsies can still match children at a young age, although there are communities in which matchmaking is left entirely in the hands of the newlyweds.
Funeral rite
A person is escorted into the afterlife with all the property that belonged to him. First of all, you need an icon, a carpet, and bed linen. During the ceremony, the coffin is carried by friends or acquaintances. After the funeral, relatives should not cut their hair or shave their beards for 40 days. Mourning lasts for a whole year, which prescribes giving up entertainment, drinking alcohol and leading an idle life. After 40 days, the memorial day begins: relatives set the table, invite guests and remember the deceased.
A special sacrament of the wedding night and proof of the bride’s purity
Gypsies deeply respect another wedding tradition - the bride must be a virgin. “Carrying out honor” is the main decision that the groom’s family must make. Several respected ladies of the family take the bride to secluded chambers. It is not known for certain what is happening there, but the groom is not involved in these events. To demonstrate the purity of the chosen one, a white sheet with a drop of blood on it is solemnly brought into the banquet hall. Only then can guests be convinced of the honesty of the chosen one, and the legal husband can go with her to the marriage bed.
Food
The main feature of gypsy cuisine is cooking over fire. A daily dish is considered to be stew made from lamb or beef. Lamb is considered primarily a festive meat. It is replaced by a bird; wild quail is a special delight. The gypsies knew how to hunt, so they hunted hare, wild boar and even bear. Sometimes they had to eat hedgehogs. There were never any special methods for preparing meat dishes: the animal was simply roasted on a spit. It was customary to fry the meat until black. Sedentary gypsies could fry it in the oven. Since ancient times, gypsies have learned to make sausages - to do this, they wrapped minced meat in the intestines of a cow. To ensure there was always enough food for future use, the nomads prepared corned beef by covering pieces of meat with salt and pouring water on it. Kharba is also a popular meat dish. This is a rather fatty product, which is a mixture of liver and lard. Kharba is prepared using the animal's blood, after which the liquid is drained and onions, garlic and spices are added to the meat. Gypsies constantly consume vegetables raw, fried or boiled. Vegetables are used to make stews, which are filled with lard.
Sedentary gypsies love to eat flour. A popular filling for pies is egg and cabbage. Gypsies also eat porridges that are well known to us: pearl barley, buckwheat, millet. Scrambled eggs occupy a special place in gypsy cuisine. Vegetables, garlic, and lard are added to it. The most respected drink is milk, which must be fresh.
Housing
The main dwelling of gypsy nomads is a tent or marquee. The design of such a dwelling is designed for strong wind loads. 8 poles are used as support. A thick cloth is stretched over the top. Afghan gypsies are characterized by uneven tension of the canvas, while Turkish ones use barrel-shaped structures. The look of the half-barrel was influenced by the standard cart used by camps. Moldavian gypsies make low tents in which it is impossible to stand at full height. The sleeping place was built depending on the area of residence. In warm regions they could sleep on floors, but in cold regions they needed to make beds to avoid freezing from the cold ground. Gypsies always wanted to stay near rivers and lakes. We chose an area closer to the forest to have natural shelter from the wind. The classic gypsy tent even has a “door” that represents a curtain. Such tents are called katuns. Gypsies, who gravitated towards a sedentary lifestyle, built houses from bricks. Such buildings were called brick houses, and clay was used for fastening, which was mined in the forest. The truly settled people preferred to live in dugouts. Canopies were hung around the beds to protect them from blood-sucking insects. Caucasian gypsies set up their tents in such a way that they were fairly close to the ground. However, the gypsies themselves generally believe that the tent should be high. The higher its peak, the more beautiful the dwelling is considered. The wooden poles on which the banner rests are carefully polished by the gypsies. They are considered a source of pride, and a frame that glitters in the light is taken as real luxury. Sedentary gypsies, in addition to dugouts, use caves (for example, in Sacramento). Balkan gypsies build shacks, and the more progressive inhabitants of rural Romania build houses of brick. In this case, food is usually cooked in the open air using an adobe hearth, which gives the food a pleasant taste.
What are gypsies afraid of and how can you scare them away?
If you notice a gypsy nearby, do not let your guard down. It is better, in principle, not to show your face to her, so as not to expose yourself to danger. But if you are already in her sights, you won’t be able to just leave in an unknown direction. Gypsies are quite good psychologists, and over the years they become more and more insightful. They understand the psychological and emotional state of a person from a distance. Therefore, if a representative of the Roma people comes to you, it means she has certain goals.
Gypsies do not necessarily have a reason for action. Someone comes up and offers to find out the future for a certain amount. Others are just interested in getting some cash from you. Experienced gypsies, based on a number of signs, immediately try to guess what you had in the past in order to promise a promising future. True, for this it is enough just to gild the handle. And here the stopcock called “psychology” is triggered, because everyone has the desire to know the future. And you don’t notice how you turn from curious into victim.
It is important not to give in to provocations from the very beginning. Otherwise, you will already find yourself at the mercy of someone else's will. It is enough to listen to the gypsy a little, look into her eyes, try to understand her words, and it will be quite difficult to change her scenario of what is happening. If a woman of Roma nationality continues to escalate the situation, calling the police will always be your trump card. Even the threat of law enforcement officials appearing will be enough. Problems with the law are the last thing homegrown seers want to face.
What to do when gypsies pester you
Get your act together
If there is a foreign “landing party” ahead, which arrived several centuries ago from India, you need to gather, go around or even move away. The problem is that they often track the victim from afar and are unlikely to let him go. And if they have already decided to “work” with you, they are unlikely to look for new clients.
Don't listen to what they tell you
Before turning on psychology, gypsies conduct a deep analysis of the personality they encounter. They visually examine a person from afar, determining his financial situation, social status and behavior. Only after forming an opinion about you will they look for sore spots to put pressure on. From this moment on, the person already reacts painfully to the actions of the gypsy. All that remains is to say goodbye to your phone or money so that your paths diverge.
Threaten the police
Almost all activities of representatives of Roma nationality are related to fraud and are outside the scope of the law. For this reason, even the hint of a meeting with law enforcement may discourage them from communicating with you. Yes, you will have to listen to unpleasant words in response, but this is better than losing material values. Under no circumstances listen to what the gypsy woman tells you.
Appearance
Cloth
All national gypsy costumes are designed to hide the hips and knees. A classic women's suit includes a skirt and blouse. The blouse usually has a low neckline and no collar. The sleeves are varied in style. The length of the skirt can be up to the floor, although there are also ankle-length ones. A mandatory element is a frill. If the classic (Kelderari) version is bright, then Finnish gypsies usually have dark or neutral colors. Adult women wear a long and wide apron and tie a scarf on their heads. Men wear hats. The classic men's suit is still a combination of a shirt, wide trousers and a vest. This is exactly the fashion that the Romanian gypsies have preserved. For dancing, gypsies use monisto. It is worn to emphasize body movements. An interesting difference between English gypsy women is the wearing of a cloak with a hood. They use a hat or cap as a headdress. Sometimes the cloak is replaced by a shawl, which is thrown over the shoulders and tied crosswise on the chest. Separately, a fashion developed for fortune tellers who tied scarves on their heads and dressed up in rags. The clothes of gypsy girls are decorated with patterns depicting flowers or fancy ornaments. When it comes to footwear, men choose high and thick boots. Women wear sandals; the tradition of walking barefoot on the ground, which has been preserved since the time of migration from India, is still preserved. Gypsy women tried to take care of their dresses, so when the hem wore out, they carefully trimmed it and sewed strips from old scraps of fabric. By right, the gypsies take for themselves the title of one of the most amazing numerous peoples on our planet. Even though many of them cannot boast the ability to read and write, their culture has had a huge impact on the whole world. Gypsy fashion is imitated by famous fashion designers, many young people unknowingly adopt the culture of fun and pastime from the Gypsies, fortune-telling and magical rituals that are popular these days are taken from this people. They invisibly influence people and still preserve long-standing traditions.
Women
The head of a gypsy family is a man. A woman should be meek and submissive. The customs are similar to those of Muslim countries. In large houses, the first floor is for women. It is prohibited to go up to the second floor of the house.
Gypsies wear multi-layered skirts. The style was originally taken from Italian women and later changed, according to the canons of gypsy culture. The skirt consists of three parts. This is due to the fact that the lower part of the female body is considered unclean, a breeding ground for sin. Therefore, the petticoat is considered dirty; another one is put on top of it, it is supposedly cleaner. And gypsy women wear an apron on top - it is completely unsullied by sin, even men can wipe their hands on it.
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The richer the gypsy skirt, the more attractive the bride. Therefore, it is customary to hang various trinkets on the skirt, sew on flowers and bright fabrics. Interestingly, it is considered a terrible insult if a gypsy waves or touches another person with her skirt. After this he will be disgraced.
