The History of Gypsies

Gypsies (or Romani, as they call themselves, the Gypsy word for "men") originated in northern India 1,000 years ago. Their language, called Romani, is undoubtedly related to Hindu and other Indian languages (named Indo-Aryan). Nobody knows why they left India. Some say that their ancestors, artisans and artists, accompanied troops and after some military conflicts left India. By 1,300 AD they reached Europe, after passing through Persia and Turkey.

 

 

Their image has always been controversial in the eyes of the Europeans: in some novels and movies they are depicted as extremely hospitable, careless, nomadic beings who loved to sing and dance. Others have portrayed them as dirty, untrustworthy people.

When gypsies arrived in Europe during the Middle Ages, they were strangers to the European villagers with their dark skin, black eyes and hair, clothing, habits and language. Moreover, gypsies remained isolated, a habit probably inherited from the culture they left behind in India.

Gypsies were forced to make their camps outside the villages and they were not allowed to enter the villages. They were known as child eaters and were forced by law to cook on in the open, so that anybody could see what they were cooking.  This forced the gypsies to steal to feed their families and provide basic supplies they needed to survive.

 

courtesy of rabwah.net

 

Facing discrimination made gypsies united and they focused more on family life. The relationship between children and parents was strong in gypsy communities. In their nomadic life, gypsies became skilled blacksmiths and traders, talented artists and many of the women pretended to have supernatural powers in order to make a living.

 

 

In time, prejudices led to persecutions and gypsies were expelled from some European countries while others were taken as slaves for well into the 1800’s when it was finally abolished.

The gypsies adapted the local folk music to their own style and created a musical genre that inspired Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, Liszt, Mozart and other great composers.

 

 

There are several famous people with gypsy blood: Charlie Chaplin, Yul Brynner, Rita Hayward and Pablo Picasso.

Today there are over 5 million gypsies, most of them living in Europe. Very few are still nomads and many got rich. But, in some areas of Europe they remain among the poorest.

 

 

Resource: Stefan Anitei