We are driving past the bus station in our city and my wife suddenly pays attention to “why are there so many gypsies here?” At home, they found out in social networks (this is now one big shop in the yard) that somewhere nearby gypsies were involved in a crime and the locals drove out the camp. Here they are somewhere with us and nailed.
You can of course say that "every family has its black sheep", but how can you expect something good from the gypsies?
Here are some facts about Romani tradition and history. Although there is a feeling that over time, much of this no longer applies to today's gypsies
1. "Gypsies" is a collective term, the same as "Slavs", "Caucasians", "Scandinavians" or "Latin Americans". Several dozen ethnic groups belong to the Gypsies.
2. The Roma have a national anthem, a flag and artistic culture, including literature.
3. Roma are conventionally divided into eastern and western.
4. Gypsies as a nation were formed in Persia (eastern branch) and the Roman Empire (aka Romea, aka Byzantium; western branch). In general, usually speaking about the Roma, they mean exactly the Western Roma (groups of Roma and Kale).
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5. Since the Gypsies of the Roma group are Caucasians and originated as a nation in a European country, they are Europeans, and not a “mysterious oriental people”, as journalists like to write. Of course, like the Russians and Spaniards, they still have some legacy of the Eastern mentality.
6. “Eastern” Gypsies began to be called Gypsies only in the 19th and 20th centuries, when Europeans visiting Asia noticed their outward resemblance to the Gypsies, as well as some common crafts and traditions. “Eastern” Gypsies have a culture that is sharply different from the “general Gypsy” (that is, the culture of noticeably more numerous and culturally developed “Western” Gypsies), although both have a common cultural heritage of Indian ancestors. "Eastern" and "Western" Gypsies practically do not communicate.
7. Gypsy languages are overwhelmingly descendants of Sanskrit. Ethnically, the Gypsies are descendants of the Aryans, with a Dravidian admixture (the Dravids are the indigenous population of India, conquered by the Aryans, one of the most ancient cultures who owned a written language, at the time of the conquest it was more developed than the culture of the Aryan nomads).
8. Contrary to the assertions of some people far from ethnography and history, no "expulsion of the Gypsies" from India and the Roman Empire has ever happened as an event.
In India there were no gypsies at all, there were Indians. According to the latest genetic and linguistic research, the ancestors of the Gypsies, a group of Hindu caste "house" approximately 1000 people, left India sometime in the 6th century. It is assumed that the Indian ruler presented this group of musicians and jewelers to the Persian, as was the custom of that time. Already in Persia, the number of the group has grown greatly, a social division has appeared within it (mainly by profession); part of the Pratsygans in the 9th-10th centuries began to gradually move westward and finally reached Byzantium and Palestine (two different branches). Some remained in Persia and from there spread to the east. Some of these gypsies eventually reached the homeland of their distant ancestors - India.
9. Gypsies left Byzantium during the period of its conquest by the Muslims, hoping to get help from fellow Christians (people and times were naive). The exodus from the Roman Empire lasted for decades. Some of the Roma, nevertheless, for various reasons remained in their homeland. Their descendants eventually converted to Islam.
10. There is a hypothesis that the gypsies got the nickname "Egyptians" back in Byzantium, for their swarthiness and for the fact that the most noticeable part of the gypsies was engaged, like the visiting Egyptians, in circus art. Another nickname was associated with circus art and fortune-telling, from which the word "gypsies" also originated: "atsingane". Initially, this was the name of some sectarians seeking secret knowledge. But over time, apparently, the word became a household word, ironic for anyone who is engaged in esotericism, tricks, fortune-telling and divination. The Gypsies themselves called themselves "Roma" already then and gave themselves the nickname "Kale", that is, dark-haired, dark-skinned
11. It is believed that it was the Gypsies who widely spread belly dancing in Muslim countries. However, there is no evidence or refutation of this.
12. The traditional fields of activity for Roma are arts, trade, horse breeding and handicrafts (from prosaic brick making and basket weaving to romantic jewelry and embroidery).
13. Soon after their arrival in Europe, the Roma were among the victims of major socio-economic crises and were subjected to severe persecution. This has led to strong marginalization and criminalization of Roma. The general and general neutral or friendly attitude of the majority of the common people, who did not want to comply with the bloody laws against the gypsies, saved the Roma from complete destruction.
14. It is said that the famous Papus learned to read from the gypsies.
15. The Inquisition has never been interested in gypsies.
16. There are no known cases of leprosy among the Roma in medicine. The most common blood types among Roma are III and I. The percentage of III and IV blood is very high compared to other European nations.
17. In the Middle Ages, gypsies, like Jews, were accused of cannibalism.
18. In the 18th and 19th centuries, with the increasing tolerance towards them in European society, the criminality of the Roma sharply and strongly decreased. In the 19th century, a very rapid process of integration of Roma into society took place in Europe.
19. The Roma came to Russia more than 300 years ago. Like other now rooted peoples (for example, the Kalmyks), they received imperial permission to live in Russia and engage in traditional crafts (trade, horse breeding, fortune telling, singing and dancing). After a while, these Roma began to call themselves a Russian Roma, and to this day they are the most numerous of the Roma nationalities in Russia. By 1917, Russian Roma were the most integrated and educated Roma in Russia.
20. At various times, Kelderars (Kotlyars), Lovari, Servas, Ursari, Vlachs and other Gypsies also immigrated to Russia.
21. Almost all names of Roma nationalities are either the names of key professions or reflect the name of the country they consider to be their home country. This says a lot about Roma priorities.
22. The famous gypsy national costume was invented in the 19th century. The Kelderari were the first to wear it. The national costume of the Russian Roma was invented by the artists to create a more exotic stage image. Historically, Roma have always tended to wear clothes typical of their country of residence.
23. Roma are famous pacifists. However, at different times they served in the armies and in the armies of Germany, Prussia, Sweden and Russia.
In 1812, Russian Roma were voluntarily transferred to the maintenance of the Russian army large sums. Young gypsy guys fought as part of the Russian troops.
At the same time, which is funny, many French gypsies fought in Napoleon's army. There is even a description of the meeting during the battle between the Spaniards and the French of two gypsies from different sides.
During the Second World War, the Roma participated in hostilities as part of both regular armies (USSR, France; privates, tankers, military engineers, pilots, orderlies, artillerymen, etc.), and partisan groups, mixed and purely Roma (USSR, France, Eastern Europe). The partisan actions of the Gypsies against the fascists are sometimes called "Aryans against the Aryans."
24. As a result of the systematic targeted extermination of Roma by the Nazis, about 150,000 Roma died in Europe (for comparison, in the USSR there were from 60,000, according to the census, to 120,000, according to assumptions) Roma. The "Gypsy Holocaust" is called Kali Thrash (there are also variants of Samudaripen and Paraimos).
25. Among the outstanding Roma are scientists, writers, poets, composers, musicians, singers, dancers, actors, directors, boxers (including champions), football players, historians, politicians, priests, missionaries, painters and sculptors.
Some are better known, for example, Mariska Veresh, Ion Voicu, Janos Bihari, Jam Mays, Mateo Maximov, Yul Brynner, Tony Gatlif, Bob Hoskins, Nikolai Slichenko, Django Reinhardt, Bireli Lagren, others less, but they can also boast of significant contributions to gypsy culture.
26. If you see the phrase “nomadic people” without quotation marks in an article about Russian Gypsies, you can skip reading it. The author will not write anything really reliable if he does not even know the fact that only 1% of Russian gypsies roam.
27. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, despite the fact that in the media, according to mentioning in criminal articles, Roma frauds are in the first place, in statistics they are in last. Ethnographers believe that the situation with Roma fraud and drug trafficking is similar in Russia.
28. During Stalin's time, the Roma were subjected to targeted repression.
29. The term “gypsy baron” has been used by the gypsies only for the last couple of decades, and by no means all. This is borrowing from the media and romantic literature. The term is used specifically for communication with non-Roma.
30. There are several notable Roma theaters in the world: in Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Germany, as well as smaller theaters and studios in these and other countries.
31. One of the most interesting Romani concepts is the concept of "filth." It is associated with the lower body of a married or just an adult woman. It is enough for her to walk over something, as this place becomes "defiled". Clothing worn by a woman below the waist and shoes are automatically considered "defiled". Therefore, many gypsies of the world include a large apron in the women's national costume. And for the same reason, in order not to be desecrated, the gypsies prefer to live in small, one-story houses.
32. The short hair of the gypsies is a symbol of dishonor. The hair was cut off the exiled and isolated. Until now, gypsies avoid very short haircuts.
33. Gypsies understand many simple phrases spoken in Hindi. That is why gypsies are so fond of some Indian films.
34. Roma have “undesirable” professions, which they usually hide in order not to “fall out” of Roma society. These are, for example, factory work, street cleaning and journalism.
35. Like every nation, the Roma have their own national dishes. Since ancient times, Gypsies have lived in or near the forest, so they ate animals caught in the hunt - hares, wild boars and others. A special national dish of the Gypsies is hedgehog, fried or stewed.
36. Carriers of gypsy genes are called romano rats. The romano rat recognizes the right, if they wish, to become gypsies. Romano Rat are the guitarists of the Rolling Stones Ronnie Wood, Sergey Kuryokhin, Yuri Lyubimov, Charlie Chaplin and Anna Netrebko.
37. The word "lave" in Russian jargon is borrowed from the Gypsy language, where it has the form "love" (the Gypsies do not "akayut") and the meaning "money".
38. An earring in one ear of a gypsy means that he is the only son in the family.