Gypsies - who are they?
Gypsies are one of the largest ethnic groups in Europe. Bulgarian ethnologists call it an intergroup ethnic formation. The essence of this definition lies in the characteristics of the settlement of Roma in different territories. The mosaic distribution of gypsies is associated with a huge variety of their varieties and distinctive features. Depending on the territory of residence, there are different ethnic self-names: Sinti, Manush - people, Kale - black, Roma (Romani) - a general political designation for all Gypsies living in Europe.
Having no permanent habitat, gypsies live in all corners of the planet except Antarctica.
Why don't the gypsies have their own country?
Initially, the gypsies did not live long in the same place because of their ability to deceive and steal. They were simply kicked out. Nomads have now populated many countries on the European and Eastern platforms. They live not only in the post-Soviet space, but also in Africa, America, Brazil, and Australia. These people consider themselves free, so they often migrate. It was they who recognized that their nation was non-territorial.
Why do gypsies wander?
Types of gypsies
The division of Roma into ethnic groups depends on their territorial location and occupation. Ethnologists distinguish three western and three eastern branches of the gypsies.
Western ones include:
- Roma is one of the largest groups. It includes the gypsies who occupy the territory of Europe.
- Sinti - German and French gypsies.
- Iberians - Spaniards and Portuguese.
The eastern branch is formed by:
- Lyuli are Central Asian gypsies.
- Bosha are gypsy peoples occupying the territories of Turkey and the Caucasus.
- Home – Arab peoples and those living in Israel.
There are small gypsy groups that are difficult to attribute to any specific branch. On the territory of Europe live ethnic groups that are similar in culture, but not related to the gypsies: Travelers from Ireland and Yenish from Central Europe.
Researchers of Gypsy culture talk about the possibility of dividing Gypsies into groups according to their type of activity.
The ancestors of the Gypsies originated from Indian peoples
It will be useful to look a little at the past of the gypsies. Due to the lack of written language, we know little first-hand about the origins of the ancestors of the Gypsies. But genetic, cultural and archaeological information clearly allows us to determine that the Gypsies are a people of Indian origin.
Orthodox gypsies
Sometime from the 6th century AD, a small number of Roma, about 1,000 people, may have migrated closer to European territories. Linguists who pay great attention to the roots of the Romani language confirm this temporary assessment.
The Roma then settled throughout Europe and even split into several internal ethnic groups. Today they miraculously manage to mix with other peoples, but form a separate, hermetic ethnic unit. For an outside observer, the gypsies are a kind of fairy-tale people whose mysteries are unsolvable.
What religion do the gypsies profess?
Gypsy culture is closely related to religion. The religion of the Roma shapes their traditions, customs and moral and ethical standards and, as a rule, depends on the territory of residence. The main religions to which the Roma belong are Christianity and Islam. But to this day, features of Hinduism, Shaivism, animism, Zoroastrianism and magical elements have been preserved in official beliefs.
Researchers argue that the adoption of a particular religion was a way of self-defense. When settling in a particular region, the gypsies tried to at least outwardly conform to the followers of the local religion, so as not to come into conflict with the indigenous population.
Regardless of what faith the gypsies of one group or another belong to, their mentality and beliefs, developed over a long period of their existence, leave an imprint on the adherence to certain moral norms.
Outward acceptance of the official religion gives the Roma the opportunity to pay tribute to their pagan and animistic idols. For example, Central Asian gypsies had gods representing the Sun. The faith of gypsies in the West is based on the idolization of the Moon. The full moon was considered a holiday on which magical rituals and witchcraft rituals were carried out. The faith of the gypsies in India is based on the idolization of the phallus; the cult of Shiva and the goddess Kali is also widespread here.
Regardless of what religion the Gypsies belong to, they pay great attention to protection from evil spirits. A serious task is to protect the newborn from powerful demonic forces. After birth, he is sprinkled with salt water and given a name that will be spoken only at certain periods of his life. The rest of the time the worldly name is used.
Honestly
In the last issue of “Emergency,” the newspaper’s editor-in-chief in his column touched on the topic of Roma in Russia. It must be said that these people are not easy. And are there “simple” peoples on our planet? Everyone has their own characteristics, disadvantages and advantages. Your skeletons in the closet or, as they say today, cockroaches in your head. Everyone has their own saints and their own Judases. And, quite naturally, we develop our own attitude towards each nation. Often it is based on objective reality. And sometimes on myths. What image of gypsies has formed in our minds today? They tell fortunes, steal, sell drugs, beg, seeking pity. All. They also sometimes sing catchy songs in taverns. “Black eyes, burning eyes, passionate and beautiful eyes.”
Of course, we did not develop this view of the gypsies out of nowhere. And, in many ways, the gypsies themselves are to blame for the fact that the majority perceives them this way. But who is without sin? Will we ourselves become racists with such views on the whole nation? Is this Christian? After all, God does not judge nations, but individuals. Specific individuals. Is there anything the gypsies can learn from us? Undoubtedly! Is there anything we can learn from the gypsies? Without a doubt!
In this article we will talk about the controversial but rich gypsy culture. About their customs and faith. Which, although quite peculiar, is also imbued with completely Christian motives.
And they went around the world
Gypsies are one of the largest ethnic groups in Europe. For example, Bulgarian ethnologists call it an intergroup ethnic formation. The essence of this definition lies in the characteristics of the settlement of Roma in different territories. The mosaic distribution of gypsies is associated with a huge variety of their varieties and distinctive features. Depending on the territory of residence, there are different ethnic self-names: Sinti, Manush - people, Kale - black, and Roma (Romani) - a general political designation for all Gypsies living in Europe.
Gypsies live in many European countries, as well as in North Africa, North and South America and Australia. Groups related to European gypsies also live in the countries of the Middle East. The number of Roma in the world is up to 4,373,000 people. There were officially 175.3 thousand people in the USSR (1970 census). According to the 2010 census, about 220 thousand Roma live in Russia.
The most common self-name of the gypsies, which they brought from India, is “rum” or “roma” among the European gypsies, “home” among the gypsies of the Middle East and Asia Minor, “lom” among the gypsies of Armenia. 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”.
We all know that the gypsies came from India. Once the author of this article asked his colleague Irina, who lived in India for several years: “Are there gypsies there?” - Eat! - she answered. – How do they differ from the Indians themselves? After all, the women of India themselves look quite extravagant - bright clothes, songs, dances, a lot of jewelry... To which Irina replied: - Now multiply this image by two. The gypsies there are even brighter and more extravagant. That's what makes them stand out.
Gypsy culture is closely related to religion. The religion of the Roma shapes their traditions, customs and moral and ethical standards and, as a rule, depends on the territory of residence. The main religions to which the Roma belong are Christianity and Islam. But to this day, features of Hinduism, Shaivism, animism, Zoroastrianism and magical elements have been preserved in official beliefs.
There are specific names for god (devla 'devla' from the Indian deva) and the devil (beng 'bang'), which are the same in different Gypsy dialects. There is a belief in various nature spirits. Some researchers have suggested the influence of Zoroastrianism, with its dualistic opposition between Ahura-Mazda and Ahriman, on the beliefs of the gypsies. The Hungarian gypsy scholar Jozsef Vekerdi declared the strict monotheism of the gypsies, believing that the remnants of Hinduism in their ideas are limited to a couple of words. Soviet ethnographer Lexa Manush believed that in the Gypsy vocabulary and beliefs one can find much more signs indicating a connection with Hinduism and especially Shaivism. For example, to denote a cross, many Romani dialects in Europe use the word trusul (trusil, truxul, trixul), which Manush considers to come from the trishula attribute of Shiva.
So what do Russian gypsies believe in? They position themselves as Orthodox. And, indeed, the Gypsies remained one of the few peoples that resisted atheistic influence.
Christian gypsies are very devout and pay great attention to church holidays. The most significant religious holidays for all Christian gypsies are Easter and Christmas. As, in fact, for all other Christians.
Orthodox gypsies dress strictly in everyday life in accordance with the recommendations of the Orthodox Church. In the house of Orthodox Gypsies, just like Russians, there is a “red corner” in which icons are located. A wedding is considered more important than civil registration of marriage. The only thing more important than a wedding is a “gypsy wedding,” that is, the recognition of marriage by the gypsy society. It is usually played before the wedding.
Orthodox gypsies consider Nicholas the Pleasant and St. George their patron, Catholics consider Blessed Seferino (officially approved in this role by the Vatican), as well as the mythical character Sara Kali.
In his book “Gypsies. Mysteries of Life and Traditions,” writer Raymond Buckley cites two myths about how the gypsy Sarah became a saint. These myths are mentioned in other sources.
According to one version, Sarah was Egyptian (under the influence of Europeans, many Gypsies in the 19th and 20th centuries believed in their Egyptian origins). She was a servant of Mary Salome and Mary Jacoba (mothers of Saints James and John, relatives of Mary Magdalene) or Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary and traveled with them. After a severe storm, when the women escaped from the ship on a small boat, Sarah found the right path by the stars and brought her mistresses to the shore.
According to another version of the myth, Sarah was a nomadic gypsy and lived in a camp at a time when the gypsies were still pagans. One day she had a vision that holy witnesses of Christ’s death should land on the shore, whom she must help. When she approached the sea, she saw that it was restless, and the righteous in the boat did not know how to land on the shore. Then she threw her dress on the water and floated on it, like on a raft. Having reached the boat, she helped the saints land, and they converted her to the Christian faith, the first among the gypsies.
Russian Vlach gypsies have an interesting custom on the Radonitsa holiday. On this day, regardless of the occupation and income of the family, they come to cemeteries, where women and children ask cemetery visitors for alms. It is believed that in this way they help people do a good deed, and therefore this custom is considered to be the fulfillment of a special gypsy Christian duty. The gypsies do not hide their wealth from those giving alms, since they do not count on real alms, but are fulfilling a “duty.” Interestingly, the custom seems to be willingly supported by the Russian population, who give the gypsies change on this day.
There is also a legend about the gypsies that God especially loves them. He loves them for their fun and talent, and therefore did not tie them to pieces of land, like other peoples, but gave them the whole world to live on. That is why the gypsies wandered - to take full advantage of the gift of the Lord. Now gypsies can be found on all continents, except, of course, Antarctica.
As we have already noted, there are many myths mixed into the faith of the gypsies. Which, in fact, gives an answer to the question: how, with all their piety, can gypsies lead a lifestyle that is not consistent with the behavior of a real Christian?
Here the author would like to recall his student years. It was in the first year. The road from the bus stop to the university lay through a small forest. Walking, tired after lectures, with a backpack on my shoulder, two gypsies blocked my path. Well, as expected, they began to fool their heads. And yet they got confused. It’s no secret that gypsies have centuries-honed skills of psychological influence, as well as notorious sleight of hand. As a result, I myself took off a small gold chain with a cross and gave it to them. As if by magic, she disappeared in the clutched hand of the “sorceress”. And I myself believed in her words that the cross would appear in my backpack in half an hour. The power of psychological suggestion was so high that after half an hour I, like the last, excuse me, mug, reached into my backpack to look for a cross. But... there was no trace of him. Like the trail of those gypsies.
Is there really nothing sacred for them, since they are such believers? Well, okay, a chain, but how could they steal a cross? – I thought annoyed. Complaining at the same time about his stupidity, and about his gullibility and pride, they say that I, so reasonable, will never be able to fool some gypsies.
While preparing to write this article, I found the answer to a long-standing question of mine. What's with the cross on the teenager's neck? They managed to whistle a whole nail at Calvary from the Roman legionnaires, who were going to drive it into the body of Jesus Christ. This is exactly the legend that exists among Russian gypsies. When Christ was crucified, gypsies passing by stole a nail. For this, supposedly, God allowed the gypsies to sometimes... steal. According to some gypsy scholars, this legend is not very old and, most likely, came to the gypsy society from the outside (presumably from the Balkan Slavs).
What is the feat for which the Lord allegedly granted the gypsies the right to steal? The feat is probably that the gypsies saved Jesus from additional suffering.
Of course, this is just a myth. Moreover, it is quite blasphemous. After all, the human brain is very flexible and will not come up with anything in order to somehow circumvent God’s commandments. Especially the one like “thou shalt not steal.” Do you think only gypsies are guilty of this? And we have excuses. If you don't steal, you won't live. Loot the loot. Everyone steals, but why am I worse? Stealing from a thief is not a sin. What you protect is what you have. And so on.
Here I would also like to recall one witty moment from the wonderful film “The Monk and the Demon.” A monk possessed by a demon came to the abbot for confession. The abbot asked him: “What are you repenting of?” - In everything! - What if you think about it? What, theft? – Is this a sin in Russia? Dig deeper! - answered the monk.
What can we say to all this? “They’ll screw you, but don’t steal!”
The gypsy worldview also has the following philosophy: they are convinced that everything created by God belongs to people and exists for the common good. Thus, fruits, animals and birds are a gift from God, given to people for free use. And when everything is common, then theft is no longer theft.
By the way, psychologists and teachers in orphanages faced the same problem at one time. The children got used to the fact that everything in the orphanage was common. And when they entered the “big life,” they psychologically continued to think the same way. What society perceives as theft, for them was just something that can be taken from the general. That is why, today in Russian orphanages, they try to instill in their pupils a sense of personal property. There is one’s own, and there is someone else’s. You can take your own, but not someone else’s.
We are doing the right thing by paying attention to such a terrible side of the life of gypsies as theft. We are doing the right thing in noticing this speck in their eye. But let’s somehow deal with the logs in our own eyes.
There's a lot to learn
We have already said that gypsies need to correct themselves. And fix it as soon as possible. But the gypsies also have something that others could learn from them. Gypsies are characterized by four cults - childhood, motherhood, age and family loyalty.
The worst punishment for a gypsy is deprivation of the right to belong to the gypsy society. This punishment is applied in the case of particularly serious crimes, such as murder, rape, theft in some circumstances, and other reasons. Exile is accompanied by “desecration.” It is very difficult to fit back into society after expulsion.
The negative side of the existence of the custom of exile is that if outcasts believe that nothing can be worse and there is nowhere to fall lower, this affects their behavior and way of life.
Belonging to the gypsy society is possible only by the mutual desire of the gypsy or gypsy mestizo (Romano rat) and the gypsy society itself. In general, freedom of national self-identification is accepted within the Roma society. Under certain circumstances, a non-Roma can also be a member of the Roma community.
Calling a non-Gypsy a Gypsy (“you are quite a Gypsy”, “you are a real Gypsy”, “Bregovich is our honorary Gypsy”) is, from the point of view of Gypsy culture, a compliment, a manifestation of respect and friendliness.
Although modern gypsy families rarely have many children, the cult of childhood has not disappeared. Each child, including those from someone else’s family or non-Roma, is considered as an individual in need of protection, help, a kind word, and food. The system of comparing and rewarding children with points is considered by the gypsies to be very harmful for children. The cult of childhood is so strong that the gypsies have a widespread custom of adoption (which often occurs even if they have their own children and indirectly explains the exaggerated superstitions about the abduction of children by gypsies), as well as picking up or feeding street children and orphans. In a house where there is a child or children, a gypsy, according to gypsy etiquette, should take treats or small gifts. If a child visiting a gypsy really liked something, it is customary to offer it as a gift (an exception, of course, is made for expensive things such as jewelry, household appliances, etc.). If there was a gypsy state, there would never be orphanages in it. And this is a definite plus.
For many gypsies, a woman is not considered a fully formed personality until she gives birth to a child. Among all gypsies, motherhood is mentioned in the same breath as social and professional achievements. When mentioning the achievements of any woman, the status of a mother is surrounded with honor. The more successful a woman is as a mother (that is, the more successfully she raises her child or children, according to Gypsy society), the more significant her opinion and position in society.
It is customary for pregnant women and women with small children to be given special privileges in everyday life. There is a lot of attention to the mother in labor. If a woman from a nomadic camp began to give birth, the camp immediately stopped, the men (regardless of the woman’s relationship) worked together to build a shelter, older women provided obstetric care if necessary, brought water for washing the mother and child and a sling, which also served as a diaper. Then 40 days were allotted for the mother to get stronger. During this entire time, she was practically freed from housework; she was looked after by women (relatives or neighbors). Pretty much the same thing happens among settled gypsies.
The cult of age among the gypsies is expressed not just by respect for older people, but by respect for those who are older in general. The opinion of elders is perceived as authoritative, except in special cases (for example, if a person is considered narrow-minded). It is considered a terrible crime to raise a hand against an old person, even if he is physically strong. A reference to the opinion of an elderly person is one of the most powerful arguments in any dispute.
Loyalty to family has different expressions. The simplest manifestations: recognition of the interests of the family in everything above personal ones, loyalty (usually of women to their husbands), choice by young people of a profession that is traditional for this family, or its modern modification. In ethnic groups that do not condemn adultery on the part of men, husbands nevertheless do not have the right to leave their wives and children without support. Children, having matured, are considered obliged to support their parents, help them in everyday life and ensure that they do not experience need. In the latter, society sets a very high standard - children must ensure that the standard of living of their parents is no lower than their own. However, recently there has been a disregard for this custom.
Belonging to a particular family is very important for the “starting rating” of a gypsy. A gypsy from an unknown family or who has lost information about his family is considered “rootless”, his weight in society is very low, and he is shown respect only within the limits of politeness. Most often, such gypsies are mestizos or assimilates born and raised outside the gypsy society, who decided to return to the gypsy community. A low “starting rating” does not mean that a gypsy will always be at the “bottom” of society; the “rating” changes according to his actions and can become very high. Having acquired a “high rating”, a gypsy can become the founder of a family or even a dynasty.
Members of dynasties have the highest "starting rating". A family becomes a dynasty if several of its members become famous within the gypsy community and at least one outside it. Among the gypsy dynasties one can name the Buzylevs (Russia), Reyes (Spain), Woods (Great Britain), Reinhardt (France), Lakatos (Hungary) and many others. The founder of a dynasty is considered not the founder of the family, but the first representative who glorified it. So, for the Erdenko dynasty this is Mikhail Gavrilovich Erdenko.
This is about the gypsy advantages.
Separately, we should talk about the profession in the gypsy society (here you, the readers, decide for yourself whether these are positive qualities or not). The profession is given great importance, and therefore many customs are associated with it. For example, it is common to choose a profession within the traditional occupations of one's family or ethnic group.
Professions in the eyes of Roma society are divided into “Gypsy” and “non-Gypsy”, that is, decent for Roma and undesirable for Roma. “Gypsy” professions include professions related to music, acting, show business, working with iron and technology, “magical services,” religion (only if it is not related to celibacy), working with animals, pedagogy and psychology (especially for women), as well as jewelry and crafts related to the handicraft production of household items, such as baskets, ropes, bricks, dishes, etc.
Previously, the list of “gypsy” professions was forced to include military service. In general, Gypsies are committed to pacifism.
Historically, women's occupations included begging.
Despite the wide range of professions considered "Gypsy", there are many Roma in the former USSR and Europe who work in "undesirable" jobs, such as factory work, street cleaning and even journalism. Gypsies who have similar professions often hide them. This is due to the fear of falling out of the gypsy society in the eyes of the surrounding gypsies.
Gypsies pay great attention to professional success and therefore demonstrate it in every possible way, verbally and economically.
“You shouldn’t have… a fortune teller.”
Separately, mention should be made of such non-Christian, or even anti-Christian, gypsy customs as fortune telling, divination, curses, and superstitions. All this is prohibited by the Holy Scriptures and is considered an act unworthy of a Christian and even demonic. To non-gypsies, we would like to say this: do not be afraid! Do not be afraid of magicians, fortune tellers, psychics, sorcerers and others. If God is for us, then who can be against us? Moreover, the future does not exist, just as fate does not exist. There is only past and present. The future is determined by ourselves, it is made up of our lives, our aspirations, diligence, desires and shortcomings, which we ourselves sometimes do not want to correct.
And we would like to say to the gypsies: if you consider yourself Christians, do not put your legends and beliefs above the Bible, above the teachings of the Church and saints.
The Bible clearly condemns all kinds of witchcraft and magic. To support this, here are a few biblical quotes: “The works of the flesh are known; they are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, envy, wrath, dissensions, dissensions, (temptations), heresies…” (Galatians 5:19-20).
“Do not eat with blood; do not use divination or divination” (Leviticus 19:26).
“You shall not have anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, a soothsayer, a soothsayer, a sorcerer, or a sorcerer...” (Deuteronomy 18:10).
“And of those who practiced sorcery (but who accepted Christ and converted to Christianity - approx. “Emergency” ), quite a few gathered up their books and burned them in front of everyone, and added up the prices of them, and they were found to be worth fifty thousand drachmas” (Acts 19:19).
“I will remove sorcery from your hand, and you will have no one who reads the clouds” (Micah 5:12).
“And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is Jehu at peace? And he said, “What peace can there be with the fornication of Jezebel your mother, and with her many sorceries?” (2 Kings 9:22).
All these biblical quotes are relevant not only for the gypsies, but also for everyone else. Look what's happening on Russian television? “Battles of psychics,” competitions of magicians, sorcerers, etc. Some newspapers are filled with advertisements for magical services. And at the reception of some Russian grandmother-fortune teller, there will certainly be Orthodox icons.
What about private sorcerers and witches? We ourselves have an ungodly tradition of telling fortunes at Christmas time, around Christmas... We knock on wood and shy away from a black cat crossing the road as if from fire, setting ourselves up for the bad. And we act according to this false scenario. It is important to understand that if a cat sits by the road and sees a person approaching, it will always try to run across it. Be it even black, or gray-brown-crimson with a neon speck.
In fact, among the gypsies there are also real Christians who sincerely believe with all their souls. Who do not forget their gypsy traditions, but, at the same time, cut off everything superficial that contradicts church teaching. These are those to whom, at one time, the Church, priests, and ordinary lay people paid attention. Unfortunately, it seems to us that the Church today still does not pay enough attention to the Roma. How insufficient attention the Roma themselves pay to the Church.
In any case, we are all human. And we are all equal before God. No matter what nationality we are. We all have virtues and beams in our eyes. Let's learn the good from each other, and let's destroy the bad in ourselves.
Vladimir DMITRIEV, “WORD OF HONEST”
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Veneration of the saints
The faith of the Roma is based on the veneration of female religious images. Despite the dominant role of men in society, their main saint is a woman. No matter what religion the gypsies are, everyone honors the mythological image of Saint Sarah. There are several legends associated with it. According to the first, she was the savior of the relatives of Mary Magdalene; during a terrible storm, she saved them by finding the way to the shore by the stars. The second legend says that she was the first to receive the Holy Revelation from the saints who sailed past her camp.
Gypsies who believe in an afterlife try to protect themselves from meeting the deceased. So that nothing holds the souls of the dead in this world, they burn all the things of the deceased and their houses. There are those who do not believe in life after death. Also, according to some ethnic groups, the soul can return to earth three times, once every 500 years. Serbian gypsies claim that after death a person lives the same life, but indefinitely.
Spirits and vampires are designated by the word "mullo". If a gypsy dies at the hands of a person, the mullo will find and hunt down the culprit. Slavic gypsies believe in werewolves. They become those who led a dissolute lifestyle or became victims of a vampire.
Gypsies belong to ahistorical peoples and are much closer to magic than to religion
It is not only the Roma culture that exists hermetically. We know of other similar peoples who keep themselves apart from the outside world. There are many examples of this among the American Indians, a number of Indian tribes, and some eastern peoples living in Russia.
And although the palette of these nationalities is very diverse, there is a special term to define them - ahistorical peoples (that is, those who do not keep history - writing). This is a series of characteristics that many ethnic groups of people possess, despite their wide distribution in various regions of our planet.
Gypsies in traditional costumes
Here are their signs:
- Belief in spirits . The pagans of Yakutia, the shamans of Mexico, the indigenous population of Australia, African savages - they all believe that our world is filled with supernatural beings. Orthodoxy, of course, also does not deny this idea, but does not turn it into a central one. But for extra-historical peoples, communication with spirits is the most important part of human religious activity.
- The idea that God exists, but somewhere far away . Ahistorical people, for example, gypsies, profess beliefs according to which there may be a One and Only Supreme God, but He is not responsible for anything on this planet. This is God who is cosmically distant. He left, either died or was busy with something. In any case, a person remains alone in this world and must act somehow. But this idea of exile is very characteristic of the gypsies: let us remember their constant wanderings on the roads, as if there was no longer a shelter for a person in this world.
- Magical practices . Few people can say offhand what religion the gypsies have, but everyone knows their hypnosis and curses. This is no accident. Religion is a person’s interaction with God, an attempt to obey His laws. If God has left, then all that remains for man is to subjugate this world himself with occult forces. This activity is called magic. The term shamanism is widely used in the scientific world, although the gypsies who practice magic are more a people of witches and fortune-tellers than stereotypical shamans.
- Refusal of writing . While almost all the peoples of the world devote a lot of time to recording their history, ahistorical religions voluntarily abandon this. After all, neither the Gypsies, nor the Yakuts, nor anyone else lives in complete isolation. They live side by side with other peoples, which means that if, for example, the gypsies had a desire to create their own alphabet and writing system, it would not be difficult for them.
Magic
Art, a supernatural way of controlling reality
But at the same time, the gypsies have an interesting feature: they are able to profess someone else’s religion on top of their tradition. More on this later.
Customs of the Gypsies
The faith of the gypsies determines their customs. Russian Orthodox Gypsies are devout and the rite of baptism is obligatory for them. In Gypsy houses there is a “red corner” with icons. In Russia, Gypsies celebrate Christmas and Easter and get married in church. An important stage of a gypsy wedding is the recognition of the union by the community. This is the initial and most important stage of marriage. On Radonitsa, gypsies visit cemeteries where they beg for alms. This tradition is considered good, since those who give at this moment perform a good deed, fulfilling their Christian duty.
Saint George is one of the most revered gypsy saints. Holidays in honor of him are held in Turkey and the Balkans. Muslims also pay great attention to customs. However, women ignore the need to cover their faces, and men do not undergo circumcision.
Under the wolf sun
Gypsies! Magic! World domination!
One of the most frequently asked questions to me is what is the REAL faith of the gypsies? People who ask it are usually pre-set to hear one of the following options: “Hinduism/paganism”, “fire/sun worship” or simply “Gypsies don’t believe in anything”.
And I, as an honest woman, have to destroy their world, explaining that Muslim gypsies have a Muslim faith, and Christian gypsies have a Christian faith, and in both cases it is real. And if Christian gypsies are quite mobile in relation to Christian denominations (Catholic Magyars do not see a big problem in going over to the camp of evangelists, because there is a cross here and there, for example), then from Christianity to Islam and vice versa they rarely and reluctantly switch, mostly The transition is made by women to their husband's faith. True, interreligious marriages among Roma are rare.
The adherence to the faith of their ancestors among the Gypsies is surprisingly persistent, although I have seen many times in Tyrnetika statements that the Gypsies always follow the religious customs of the area where they are located. However, there are cases when Russian gypsies in France, having fled there during the Civil War with the nobles, did not baptize their children for years, looking for Orthodox churches - and having already found them, they baptized everyone en masse and at once, in large numbers. Some “newborns” at baptism were already fifteen or sixteen years old, they had a mustache or were growing breasts. Sometimes the next day after baptism, the newly baptized people got married right there (if this is not a joke, of course). The Lovarian gypsies, who have been living in Russia for decades, are moving from Catholicism to Orthodoxy slowly and carefully and mainly for the small number of Catholic churches and for the reason that “here is Christianity and there is Christianity.” Muslim gypsies in Latin America have not forgotten Islam a hundred years after arriving from the Balkans; you can still meet them there.
Does this mean that gypsies of different religions have nothing in common and no common, primordial beliefs or superstitions?
Of course there are, although now they are partially blurred. But traditionally there is. And here they are:
1. Belief that God is one. Gypsies treat polytheism with distrust and surprise; no polytheistic Gypsies have been found. It is not known whether their Indian ancestors had such a belief; I am inclined to think that this attitude was picked up during the advance along the Great Silk Road, i.e. quite late, a little more than a thousand and less than one and a half thousand years ago.
2. Beliefs in the dead returning to the world of the living, whether they be vampires, dead people seeking burial, or warning ghosts. There is not even a separate name for them, because this is one of the natural states of the dead. He might be lying in a grave, he might be visiting his wife, he might be dancing in a clearing, he might be dreaming - to danger. A dead man is a dead man, whatever the names are.
3. Special beliefs around Bakht - good luck, happiness. This also includes beliefs in “black luck”, i.e. failure, in essence, “gypsy luck”, which carries you along a crooked path, and the evil eye as a deprivation of good luck. This belief system is developed and complex; it occupies a lot of space in the worldview and life of the Roma. At the same time, Bakht is not something personified or animated. This is a property, a quality. I have already written a little about beliefs on this topic.
4. Beliefs in defilement. They are the ones who are disappearing with the development of hygiene products and assimilation; the rest are holding on much stronger. The carriers of defilement can be the organs of the pelvic region, women’s legs and skirts, death, human entrails, certain types of sick people (oddly enough, in addition to tuberculosis patients and others like them, this sometimes includes the mentally retarded and mentally ill), who have committed certain types of crimes, and well. , of course, feces.
As for the animation of the forces of nature (the vampire moon, the kidnapping whirlwind) and the beliefs in brownies and mermaids, upon closer examination almost all of this turns out to be borrowed, and especially a lot from the Slavic population. In addition, they clearly occupy a smaller place in the worldview of the Roma than those listed above.
By the way, as for my story about Lilyanka Horvath, if you noticed, only the beliefs around the dead and - a little - monotheism are actively revealed. However, I have a background there for the next gypsy theme - of course, Bakht. The first person to notice this was, it seems, grey_koala
