Gypsy rules of life. Some interesting facts
Maria Bachenina: Hello!
Konstantin Kuksin: Hello!
Daniil Kuznetsov: Good afternoon.
M.B.: When I invited you to talk about the gypsies, you said that they were your favorite people. In short, why did you love him?
K.K.: I fell in love with the gypsies when I went on my first expedition to them. I prepared seriously, knowing what they were like - I put all the money on the card, and sewed the card under my shirt, because I knew that I would be deceived or robbed right away. And then I became friends with them. And if I had to lead nomadic image In my life, I would probably live with gypsies. This people seemed interesting and close to me from the very beginning, and quite recently I learned that my great-grandfather was a gypsy. I kept thinking that my grandmother was Jewish: dark-haired, Yakovlevna. And my dad recently told me that my great-grandfather was a gypsy. Gypsy Yakov, violinist, 13 children.
M.B.: How did you come to an agreement with them? It's like coming to someone else's house and asking to stay.
K.K.: What is the work of a field anthropologist or ethnographer anyway? We arrive, we see a yurt in the steppe, we go in, we say that we came from afar, we study different cultures. The saving grace is that almost all the people are hospitable. You are invited, and then, in the process of communication, the relationship either works out or it doesn’t. If they don’t work out, which I didn’t have, I have to go to another yurt, tent, yaranga. But usually the relationship works out, and you stay there. They are also interested: I didn’t come a common person from afar. The question always arises of who is studying whom: we them or they us.
It was difficult with the gypsies because they are a closed community. They divide everyone into friends and strangers. Gypsies are " romale", "Roma".
M.B.: That's what they call themselves, right?
K.K.: Yes, this is a self-name. And everyone else - "drop sheets". "Gazhi" ("gadzhi") are not gypsies, they treat them badly. If the drywall is treated poorly, then you can deceive them, deceive them, this is not a sin. It is very difficult to understand this line between "gazhi" and "romale". And if you manage to do this, then the gypsies become your friends and begin to trust you.
D.K.: And how does this happen?
K.K.: Differently. For example, with one group of gypsies I did this: I bought an accordion at the market, came to the camp and started playing it, the gypsy children came running and dragged me to the camp. The men forge there, I can forge. And in the evening we danced together. Somewhere the gypsies live poorly, but we bought a car of food, came to them, fed them and began: singing and dancing.
The gypsies are afraid strangers, because they do not always officially live in the territory, they do not always have documents. What if you're from the police? If they see that you are an ordinary person, then they begin to trust.
And how it was with fortune telling: we arrived at the camp and asked to tell fortunes. The gypsies said that they would tell their fortunes, but later. And then we became friends, sang and danced. We wake up in the morning, ask them to tell their fortunes again, and they tell us that they can’t: they don’t tell fortunes for their own people. But they promised, so they got into the car, brought a fortune teller from a neighboring camp, and she told us fortunes.
M.B.: So they don't tell each other's fortunes?
K.K.: Gypsies should not deceive each other.
D.K.: Is fortune telling always a lie?
K.K.: Not always. But this is an opportunity to make money. And the opportunity to earn money is always a little deception. As the Russians say, if you don't cheat, you won't sell.
M.B.: Do they participate in the population census?
K.K.: Yes but not all. Finding out exactly how many gypsies there are is very difficult.
M.B.: How are they treated in the world?
K.K.: Differently. In general, Russians initially treat Gypsies well. It’s just that we are such a people, we basically treat everyone well. We may laugh at someone, but we still love them. If the Russians were different, there would not be Russian Federation. But somehow we all live together.
Gypsies also treat Russians well. They say that Russians are kind, generous and naive - ideal friends. And in Europe there is a sharply negative attitude towards gypsies: in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia. We arrive in Bulgaria, get off the train, the taxi driver says: “Where are your things? Be careful, there are a lot of gypsies here.” We didn’t even dare tell him that we were going to them.
D.K.: So there are stereotypes everywhere that gypsies are thieves and swindlers?
M.B.: Why didn’t they historically organize their own state then?
K.K.: I'll tell you an anecdote from the Tsarist era. “Once a gypsy was asked: “What would you do if you became king?” The gypsy scratched his head and said: “Like what? I would steal a hundred rubles and run away."
M.B.: Clearly, the mentality is not the same.
K.K.: They don't want to and they can't. This is an amazing people, they have been living for many centuries among other ethnic groups and do not dissolve in them. I know two such peoples: Jews and Gypsies. Jews are made whole by the religion of their chosen people, and gypsies are made whole by the feeling that they are gypsies and are not like everyone else. And also the caste system.
M.B.: How is their society structured then? Does it exist - landless, stateless?
K.K.: Yes.
M.B.: What laws, rules, procedures are there?
K.K.: The first is the myth of who the “gypsy baron” is. This has nothing to do with the title of nobility, it is from the gypsy "baro"- big, senior, chief. How to become a baron? For example, I need to bring a camp from Chisinau to Moscow, I agreed with the head of the train. We arrived, there were problems with the police, I went and made an agreement. In general, if I take responsibility, then people say that “here he is, our baron.” If I acted wrongly, dishonestly, the gypsies will say: “What kind of baron are you to us?” And they will leave. Everything is decided not by the baron, but by "Chris"- gathering of gypsies. Solution Chris- the law even for the baron.
D.K.: So the Roma are practically a republic?
K.K.: These are clans where several families live together and roam together. Sometimes other families join them. AND Chris decides everything. This is, in essence, direct democracy. And, for example, adult women have the right to vote there.
M.B.: Do they go to church? They are Orthodox.
K.K.: Necessarily. They are Christians. IN Soviet time, when the Russian crosses were removed and the icons were thrown out, the gypsies remained Christians. The Gypsies who lived in Ottoman Turkey paid tax to Muslims but remained Christians.
M.B.: How do they pray? And do they go to temples?
K.K.: In each tent they have icons, large golden crosses. A little kitschy style, but they are sincere believers: there is a God who loves them very much. “Saint George stopped by recently, and his gold stirrup was stolen.”
M.B.: So this is such a naive faith?
K.K.: A very living, genuine faith.
M.B.: I wanted to ask about the funeral. Is it a tradition that people are buried with their belongings, in the clothes in which the person died, and in order for everything to fit in, they dig a hole the size of a room, line the walls with bricks and cover them with carpets?
K.K.: The excavator is called!
M.B.: The workers at the cemetery told me about this.
K.K.: Yes, yes, jeeps and computers are buried. These are remnants of paganism.
M.B.: They then guard these graves, excuse me for my cynicism?
K.K.: No one will dare to quarrel with the gypsies.
M.B.: Vengeful? An eye for an eye?
K.K.: If you deliberately offend the gypsies, they will take revenge. But in general they are a very peaceful people; we have collected criminal chronicles about them for 600 years.
M.B.: How do they take revenge? It seemed to me that the gypsies did not kill.
K.K.: They don't kill. This comes from Indian times: if you kill, you will ruin your karma. Religion changed a long time ago, but this remains. Murders are extremely rare. To deceive, to steal - yes, this is not even very sinful, but to kill is not. But it’s easy to set a village on fire.
M.B.:“I’m not touchy, but I’ll burn the house down.”
D.K.: It turns out that their religion is syncretic: there are elements of Christianity, Hinduism, and paganism.
K.K.: The gypsies came from India, and for a long time people wondered what caste it was. They thought that they were inferior, since everyone persecuted them there and humiliated them here. It turned out that the castes were different. And the caste tradition has been preserved. For example, if a gypsy was a blacksmith working with ferrous metal, he could not do anything else. If the gypsy used to breed horses, now he sells cars, and so on.
M.B.: But we live in the 21st century. Can't a person be born who says he doesn't want to sell cars?
K.K.: They will tell him: “Well, get out of here, live off the drywall, go to university.” There are many gypsies with higher education, This beautiful people. They are gypsies by blood, but in their heads they are no longer.
M.B.: It turns out that if he enters the university, he enters according to caste?
K.K.: No. He must live in a camp and do what his ancestors did. My great-grandfather is a gypsy, and what am I doing? I sing, I dance, I tell you stories.
There are exceptions, but gypsies are trying to find these niches in a changed world. There were horses, now there are cars.
M.B.: If a gypsy goes into society, has he already broken away from the camp, is he on his own?
K.K.: Most likely, he will live in the city, will not wander, and will leave traditions behind. As a result, his descendants will dissolve into another ethnic group.
M.B.: If we continue about traditions, what can you tell us about gypsy weddings? A recent video on the Internet amazed everyone: there was a bride hung with money and gold. That's a lot of money, they've been saving up for a wedding all their lives, or what?
K.K.: Yes, all my life. It happens that after a wedding a rich family becomes poor, but no one will say that they had a poorer wedding than their neighbors. It all starts with the fact that you have a girl, I have a boy, I’m coming to you with a birch tree, the branches of which are made of euros and dollars, and I say: “You have a product, we have a merchant, let’s talk.” You say “no” for two weeks, and I feed your camp for these two weeks. When you said okay, let's get married, you are already feeding my camp, and I give you gold coin, which will hang above the cradle. That is, the girl is already matched at birth.
And if I, the father of a 15-year-old boy, wasted time and went to the camps, thinking that I would find him a smart and beautiful girl, there would be girls everywhere with coins - everyone was matched. And I will already think that I would find at least one. You need to do this in advance.
D.K.: Is 15 years too late?
K.K.: I saw a 13-year-old mother. At the age of 11, a gypsy can be married off. They are advanced in chastity.
M.B.: Of course, if a girl is married off at the age of 11, it is unlikely that she could lose her “chastity” before the wedding.
K.K.: This is the most chaste people. There is not a single case in history where a gypsy woman was a prostitute. It is amazing.
M.B.: No rape either?
K.K.: No. At 11 years old, she’s definitely still a girl, I’m giving her away, then you’ll be responsible for her.
D.K.: Do divorces happen?
K.K.: No. Sometimes they run away.
M.B.: Adultery?
K.K.: Here is a girl in a cradle, growing up, meeting a boy, falling in love, and having to marry another gypsy whom she doesn’t even know. And she runs away.
I had an incident in Romania. We are going to the gypsy woman, the translator calls her, and she says: “Just don’t tell your father, I ran away, we are already at the German border.” If you escaped, there would be such a commotion, the chase would be terrifying. You need to run to any church and fall at the priest’s feet: “Get married, we love each other.” Or the baron will marry them in another camp, where they are not known.
M.B.: Will they ever forgive their own?
D.K.: Or how will they be punished if they are caught?
K.K.: They won't kill him, but they will seriously beat him. And the daughters will say: “Take the icon, kiss it and say that you will not run away.” She says she won’t, she’ll run away anyway. Then I myself will forge shackles and chain her, I’m a blacksmith, for example, so that I don’t bring shame on my family. Here it is, the notorious gypsy freedom.
D.K.: Can another camp accept them?
K.K.: Maybe. It may be that they came running for them, and the baron has already married them, he has the right to do this.
M.B.: With all these gypsy "show-offs", begging is not considered a humiliating activity?
K.K.: What's humiliating about it?
M.B.: For example, it’s difficult for me to say: “Give me money.”
K.K.: This is women's caste work. A gypsy can leave a five-story mansion with a Lexus at the entrance and go barefoot to the market to beg. In India there is a caste of thieves, although they can be very rich. One rich thief comes to another and deliberately leaves something valuable - he seems to be stealing. Then they change. They follow caste tradition. So are the gypsies. In general, the work of a gypsy consists of two parts. The first is begging. Oh, how they beg! Some people cannot overcome themselves, but in general this is very Christian, this is humility: fall on your knees, cry, tug at your clothes, feel pity.
M.B.: This is an excellent master class: asking for help should be taught from childhood.
K.K.: And that's not a bad thing. After all, gypsy beggars before the revolution softened social tension in Russian society, because the peasant thought that there was someone who lived worse than him: look, everyone is chasing her, she walks barefoot in winter. And, if she asked for something, there is no need to let the person go: “Oh, a kind person“, clear eyes, gentle heart, let me tell you my fortune.”
M.B.: Is this gratitude? Or to take everything else?
K.K.: It depends on what kind of person. They can just tell fortunes, or they can further promote it.
D.K.: Hypnotize.
K.K.: Yes. We spent a whole budget on research gypsy fortune telling. It's very simple: when a gypsy asks for your hair, wraps it in a piece of paper, she does not take money from you. The earrings sway in her ears, she mutters something - it’s like a trance. I kept trying to track the moment when my consciousness changed. This is impossible.
D.K.: Have you been hypnotized?
K.K.: Yes, sure. Class! Twice I met real fortune tellers. They talk straight through their whole lives. All the rest are super psychologists, they absorb this with their mother's milk. In a crowd of people, they immediately see who will give, who will not, who to approach, who is not needed. Why do you think gypsies work at train stations?
M.B.: There are a lot of people there.
K.K.: There are even more in the metro.
D.K.: Is the person confused?
K.K.: The man fell out of his usual environment. He comes to Moscow from the provinces, he is already shaken. Not far from the Matrona of Moscow Museum on Taganka, gypsies work all the time. Women with their problems go to Matrona, and then the gypsies are nearby - what if it works out?
M.B.: What are their fortune telling based on? You can tell fortunes by cards, by hand...
K.K.: I can guess on anything. I can take your phone and tell fortunes on it.
M.B.: So they have different methods?
K.K.: Certainly. We told fortunes on a shell, on an icon Mother of God, on an old coin. This is psychology. Of course, there are special card layouts. Moreover, gypsies tell fortunes, but men rarely tell fortunes. I know an English gypsy who is a very strong fortune teller. One day he predicted death for a family, and within a year they all died. After that, he picked up this deck, threw it into the river and never told fortunes again.
D.K.:: Is this a regular deck or Tarot?
K.K.: You can tell fortunes on the Tarot, you can use regular ones, the main thing is that you don’t play them.
M.B.: How not to give in or how to get out of a hypnotic state? A doctor friend wrote to me that the autonomic system is malfunctioning, peripheral vision disappears, everything is bubbling. I was hypnotized, I can say that you feel that you are doing something wrong, not of your own free will, but you do it anyway. It's hard to believe.
D.K.: Can you describe some techniques?
K.K.: They look into the eyes. They have a special speech frequency and timbre. It's like hitting a shaman's drum. And gradually in this way they are introduced into a trance. There is a method of asking questions: tell me this, that. If she guessed something, she says: “See, I see you.” If not, then he asks to tell you more. And so you lay out everything about your life, then she brings you out of the trance, clapping her hands, and says: “I know everything about you!” And it tells everything about your life. It makes a lasting impression and you begin to believe.
It’s more difficult with men, of course. If possible, the gypsy will approach the girl because they are ready to believe her. Although there are also naive young men. On my expedition, three girls went to tell their fortunes. One sobbed bitterly, the other also began to sob, and began to take everything off herself. This was our camp, the gypsies, our friends, were standing there laughing. And then one employee went - a student of a shaman. It was the "Battle of Psychics". He put up barriers, the gypsy actually flinched. Grandma was already sick. I tell the girl: “Have pity on the old lady, her blow will be enough now.” In general, it turned out that these are very similar techniques for inducing trance.
M.B.: I found instructions on the Internet on how to protect yourself from gypsies: “You will need a pocket mirror. Don’t look fortune tellers in the eyes, when you meet them, try to turn away and leave as quickly as possible, speed up your step if she follows you. Don’t be rude or try to hurt - it will only harm you. If a gypsy does approach you, take out a mirror and point it at her. It is believed that this will turn all her words and intentions against her. Take advantage of the confusion and leave. Also, do not show jewelry and a wallet." . About the mirror - this is bullshit, in my opinion. Or are they afraid of it?
K.K.: The mirror helped Harry Potter against the Basilisk, I remember.
M.B.: An aspen stake also helps someone.
K.K.: Yes, and silver bullets. It's very simple: don't make eye contact. Or, if a gypsy woman came up on the train, you can say: “How great! Are you gypsies? Where is your camp? I work at the Museum of Nomadic Culture, I’m writing a scientific paper about your people, let’s go see you?” Before you have time to finish, they will no longer be there. They love to learn everything about others, but they don’t want to tell themselves. And if you are invited... Well, you will go to the camp and meet the gypsies.
M.B.: Who's the boss of the house?
K.K.: Man. Absolute master.
M.B.: What is the functionality of a woman, her sacred duties? And the responsibilities of men?
K.K.: First, there is a ransom for the girl, and there must be a dowry with the girl. Gypsies try to ensure that the ransom and dowry are the same price. And this is shared publicly, otherwise the camp will say: “We bought her, who is she?” The position of women among the Roma is low, especially among the young. If she gave birth to children, then the situation is better. But the adult gypsy woman who raised her sons is a very respected woman. It happens that she even runs the camp.
M.B.: And the sons obey and honor her?
K.K.: Certainly.
M.B.: Why are their children so dirty?
K.K.: Gypsies say: "A dirty child is a happy child."
M.B.: It's not just the gypsies who say this.
K.K.: They adore children, this is their main wealth. They are allowed everything, they are not punished. It happens that the father will slap you on the ass, and then: “Oh, little one, give me a kiss, why did I do this to you?” You cannot raise children with strictness. They can do everything. There’s a little gypsy kid walking around on the train or in the subway, pestering everyone, and mommy smiles: what a great guy!
D.K.: Until what age is he considered a child?
K.K.: At 11–12 years old, a boy is already a grown man. He walks with his head held high: he is a gypsy!
M.B.: What are they cooking?
K.K.: Gypsies have always lived within another people. There are no gypsy costumes, music, cuisine. Well, they begged for a little flour, cucumbers, tomatoes, grapes, and what, the man will say: “Come on, wife, prepare something gypsy for me”? No, they eat what they beg for. Or they would beg for clothes and the man would say: “Change to gypsy clothes!” Of course not. They usually bake flatbreads right next to the tent in the ashes of the fire. This is a very dense and nutritious bread. They love tea. Russian gypsies drank with samovars, from a saucer, like merchants. And in Eastern Europe they can add fruit to tea.
The gypsies also ate hedgehogs. I haven’t tried it myself, but hedgehogs have been baked and eaten.
D.K.: With needles?
K.K.: Yes, they baked them with needles, and then somehow removed them. This is exotic, yes.
M.B.: In general, what kind of meat do they prefer?
K.K.: Which is. But everything will happen at the wedding. When in the old days gypsies had a wedding, they bought a barrel of moonshine, carried it on horseback and watered it to all Russian villages.
D.K.: You said about gypsy children, but we all read Hugo's book "The Man Who Laughs." It describes how gypsies steal babies, put them in vats so that they turn into tumblers, make scars on their faces, and so on.
K.K.: He also has a book “Notre Dame Cathedral” about the stolen Esmeralda.
D.K.: Is this even based on real facts?
K.K.: Certainly. Fair-haired people appear among the gypsies, Russians, for example. In general, this myth was debunked by the Vedomosti newspaper back in the 19th century. Gypsies don't steal children. There are many of our own, why an extra mouth? But it happens that a gypsy family is childless, this is a tragedy for any family, and especially for a gypsy one. It is impossible to find a single gypsy child; they are all attached. There were cases when gypsies wandered around the villages, found a family in which the mother died in childbirth, the man was drinking. But the gypsy family was childless, and they begged them for children, even offering money. And they gave the children away. "Vedomosti" described a case: a boy grew up with an earring in his ear - fair-haired, blue-eyed Vanya. Journalists found him in the camp and said: “You are Russian, your mother died, the gypsies took you.” And he told them with an accent: “Why are you telling me this? I’m a gypsy, over there my mother is telling fortunes in the tent.” That's where all these myths come from.
D.K.: But since they have a clan system, it is clear that they “cross” with each other and an accumulation of recessive genes occurs...
M.B.: Errors.
K.K.: For this accumulation to work, millennia must pass, even if you marry your sisters. Egypt has been dying out for a long time.
D.K.: But our gypsies are thousands of years old.
K.K.: But we take from another camp, we cannot take from our own. That is, this is exogamy - they marry someone other than their own, no degeneration can be traced among the gypsies. Well, and then, the blood is refreshed all the time. My great-grandfather, for example, had a Russian wife.
M.B.: Was he kicked out for this?
K.K.: No, he brought her to the camp, poor thing. He loved her madly. They had 13 children. When she died of typhus, he was completely lost, he did not know how to raise them. Some were placed in orphanages, others wandered with him. And he himself died of grief a year later from longing for his wife. It's good that the older brother was the first to leave orphanage and gathered everyone. The gypsies do not abandon their own people, this is very important.
M.B.: Do gypsies drink?
K.K.: Can not be. Even people who in the Middle Ages received the task of discrediting the gypsies said: “This vile people have one trait - they don’t drink.” Although at the gypsy festival you will see great amount alcohol. They play around, but they know when to stop. Two young gypsies are on duty all the time. If someone becomes sleepy, they lead him under white hands to a special room. If someone is drunk at a gypsy festival, it’s a shame. Getting Russian villages drunk is normal, but they themselves drink in moderation.
M.B.: What's your favorite gypsy movie?
K.K.: A lot of.
M.B.: And your favorite?
K.K.: I really like "The Hare over the Abyss". He is very funny - about how in the Brezhnev era a gypsy cannot get married, there is no money for a ransom. And the girl’s father says: “Drive me Brezhnev’s limousine like a horse, then she’s yours.” And the film is about how he searches for this car.
M.B.: And they have become less popular compared to Soviet times? “The camp goes to heaven”, “My affectionate and gentle beast", "Cruel romance", "Elusive Avengers". It was some kind of boom, romance.
K.K.: It wasn't a boom, it was competent work with the population of the Soviet government. Gypsies began to be accepted into school and received citizenship. They worked with them, they were not driven around like in Europe. And, naturally, it was necessary to introduce some kind of positive image of the “new gypsy” into popular culture.
M.B.: Which one Soviet films the most truthful?
K.K.:"The Camp Goes to Heaven" is a good film.
M.B.: Zemfira is there.
K.K.: Zemfira is the prototype of all gypsy women, Pushkin's love. When Pushkin was exiled to Bessarabia and he was wandering with the gypsies, he fell in love with Zemfira. Everyone understood that a Russian nobleman would never take a camp gypsy as his wife, especially Pushkin. And he chased after her, and her father sent her to another camp. But this is Pushkin! He has two pistols in his belt and is off in pursuit. And the baron came towards me: “Oh, what have you done! Why did you chase after my Zemfira? She had a lover in that camp, he found out that you were coming - he took out a knife and stabbed her, and then drove the knife into his own heart. We buried them.” yesterday". Pushkin cried for two weeks, and Zemfira successfully married a gypsy.
D.K.: The poet was deceived.
K.K.: They didn’t deceive him, but planted a plot on him. And he poured out all his melancholy in the poem "Gypsies."
M.B.: Are the names Zemfira, Carmen, Esmeralda still popular?
K.K.: There are gypsy names that are very popular. Loiko, for example. Or Nasko - a derivative of Atanas. There are Byzantine names and Slavic ones. And there are ordinary ones.
M.B.: Masha, Sasha, Seryozha?
K.K.: Yes, sure. It all depends on what country the gypsies live in.
D.K.: Is their language Indo-European?
K.K.: Yes. My Romanian gypsy friends watch Indian films without translation, they understand everything. But there are dialects: Russian Roma, Hungarian Roma, Polish Roma. This gypsy language, where the words of the language of the people among whom they live are interspersed.
M.B.: Is this simple language? Is it easy to learn?
K.K.: It's not easy, but you can learn it. I sing songs in Gypsy. You sing and learn the words.
D.K.: Everyone has seen the film Snatch with Brad Pitt, where gypsies appear. They also appear in Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about Sherlock Holmes. But in fact, almost all of them are ethnically Irish. They are called paveys, or Irish travelers, - Irish travelers. But at the same time, all their customs and language are gypsy. Why?
K.K.: When the gypsies left India, they came to Byzantium. They were very well received there and lived there for 300 years. They wrote about them that they were useful people, they did all the work, and began to lead a sedentary lifestyle. But these gypsies were not of the highest castes, they knew little about the Vedic religion and adopted Greek Orthodox Christianity. Moreover, living in Byzantium, they began to call themselves “Roma” - Romans. Now these are the last Byzantines on the planet. But Byzantium was dying under the onslaught of the Turks, and some of the Roma decided to go to the West. There were a lot of adventurers there - who wouldn’t be the kind of people who would drop everything and leave? And they came to Europe. If all gypsies were honest, their fate might have turned out differently. Because in many ways they turned the people against themselves. The very first groups were those that reached England and Ireland. They sailed there, but where next? There are few gypsies, consanguineous marriages are prohibited, so they began to mix with the British and Irish. Therefore, their appearance changed, but their language and traditions remained gypsy. These were the first settlers from Byzantium to Western Europe- Travelers. Now many people live very richly, but do not forget that they are gypsies. I won't say that Snatch is a very truthful film...
M.B.: But interesting.
K.K.: In general, it is better not to mess with gypsies. Don't offend them, treat them like people, and they will treat you the same. The main thing is to break the gap between “Gazhi” and “Roma”. I succeeded, and you can too!
There are many myths about the gypsies, including attempts to present them as a completely uncivilized nation, mired in crime and debauchery... Meanwhile, among these people there are quite a complex system cultural, moral and ethical values. Significant place it is occupied by various taboos.
The concept of defilement
First of all, the concept of “filth” is associated with the lower part female body. Moreover, we are talking only about married or sexually mature women. It is believed that from the waist down a woman is “unclean” and any contact with her can defile. Even if she just walks over something or someone. The only exception is the performance of marital duties.
Under no circumstances should you touch the clothes that the gypsy wears below the waist or her shoes. If the family lives in two-story house, then women are not allowed to go up to the second floor - only girls and women are allowed there. If a gypsy woman has been on the top floor of a house, male gypsies are not allowed to enter this house so as not to be defiled.
For men, everything below the waist is also considered “unclean,” but the area of spread of “filth” is less than for women.
“Desecrated” are things that women use during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. They are subsequently destroyed. They try not to contact pregnant women and women in labor.
If a person dies, then all the things he touched are also declared “unclean.” They are buried with their owner.
A priori, the meat of dogs and cats is considered unclean, since these animals have the habit of licking their genitals. Gypsies are not allowed to eat horse meat, as they consider horses to be their “brothers”. But no one forbids eating beef, pork, lamb, or chicken.
“Desecrated” gypsies become outcasts. You cannot touch them or eat at the same table with them. After some time, they decide that the “filth” has left such a person and he has been cleansed. But not in all cases things end so well. If one Gypsy "desecrated" another intentionally or tried to hide his "desecration", he could be expelled from the community forever.
Sometimes they are sentenced to “desecration” for some offense. Most often this concerns men. Such a gypsy has his hair, mustache and beard cut off, and then one of the gypsies hits him on the head or face with a specially brought skirt. He becomes "defiled" until he is forgiven. Sentences are passed by a “gypsy court” consisting of the most respected people in the community.
Such punishment can follow for theft from one’s own (this, as a rule, does not apply to theft from non-Gypsies), rape, murder, betrayal of the interests of one’s clan.
Marriage and sex life
Attitudes towards marriage and sexuality vary among different Roma communities. Some people allow their husbands to cheat, but their wives do not. For others, infidelity is not encouraged at all. In some places prostitution is not allowed at all, in others it is only for men or only for women. Somewhere same-sex relationships are prohibited, and somewhere they turn a blind eye...
Gypsy law requires adult Gypsy women to cover their thighs and knees (which is why they wear long, wide skirts). But showing breasts by nursing mothers is usually not prohibited.
In most gypsy communities, a girl must marry chaste. The morning after the first wedding night It is customary to show guests a nightgown or sheet with blood stains. Then the young woman is dressed in a red dress. By the way, although marriages between gypsies are quite common early age(14-16 years old), prerequisite is that both the bride and groom have reached puberty by this time.
Table traditions
Special etiquette is associated with feasts and receiving guests. Women usually sit separately from men - according to different sides table, at another table or in another room altogether. At the same time, women are not recommended to pass in front of a sitting man; they are instructed to walk around him from behind or stand with their backs to him.
Younger family members (even if they are already adults) are prohibited from drinking alcohol in front of their elders, or they must ask their permission.
It is considered extremely impolite to refuse a treat. If a child likes something while visiting, it is given as a gift, with the exception of expensive items such as Appliances or jewelry.
For various situations certain speech formulas are used. They must be used, and certainly in the Roma language, even in conversation with people of a different nationality.
More than 200 thousand Roma live in Russia. Nevertheless, there is hardly another people about whom there are more myths and legends. The sources of some of them are the gypsies themselves, others have developed
as a result of generalizations of the population, others are the imagination of specific authors, and others are simply stupidity. Our task is to try to change these
largely based on misconceptions.
Myth one: gypsies are united people. The myth is based on the fact that the gypsies have a single language. But there are a huge number of very diverse ethnic groups of Roma, which can differ in almost everything, primarily in dialects and traditions.
Myth two: The gypsies do not have their own language; the gypsies adopt the language of the peoples in whose territory they live. But the Gypsy language exists.
It is genetically related to Indian languages; during the gypsy migration
From India to Europe, the language was subject to many influences, then various dialect groups appeared.
Myth three: all gypsies are nomadic. Apparently, historically the gypsies
were not nomadic people: the movements of the gypsies date back to the era of their migration to Europe. In addition, the nomadic lifestyle of the Gypsies is highly dependent on region and time.
Myth four: Gypsy communities are led by barons. The thing is,
that in the Gypsy language there is a word “baro”, which literally means “big” and in the phrase “baro manush” or “rai baro” can mean big man, an important person. In fact, most ethnic groups do not have a direct leader who would lead the main affairs of the community.
Myth five: Gypsies are a criminal people and trade exclusively in criminal acts. In reality, there are a huge number of gypsy professions, and in some communities there are taboos against certain occupations, such as drug dealing.
Myth six: Gypsies kidnap children. The myth is connected, apparently, with the fact that
that gypsies always have many children and among them there are children with a light, “non-gypsy” appearance.
Abstract
In the Russian tradition, for the name of the people about whom we're talking about, the word “Gypsies” has taken root, but now the term “Roma” or “Roma” is increasingly used.
In Europe, the use of the word "gypsy" is considered undesirable.
In the 19th century, ethnographers of the Voronezh province recorded the following fact: when peasants want to offend gypsies, they call them “pharaohs.” All names - “gypsy”, “pharaoh”, “rum” - refer us to one version or another
about the origin of the gypsies.
Rum. This word is taken from the gypsy language and is a self-name.
Apparently, the name "Rum" goes back to the caste, which in modern India called "vom". Over time the word has taken on different forms
in different dialects of Indian languages: in particular, in the Middle East and the Caucasus there live a people who are usually called “doms”, and their language is “domari”; On the territory of Armenia live a people called “Lomovs”, and their language is “Lomovren”. Apparently, they go back to a single Indian ancestor.
The name “pharaoh” could have appeared thanks to a legend, which, apparently, the gypsies themselves invented and used during their movements
in Europe. According to this legend, they come from Lesser Egypt
and are serving a sentence of pilgrimage across Europe for backsliding
from the Christian faith. The gypsies told this story to the population and even received letters of safe conduct from local rulers, allowing them to move freely across European lands. So, in Hungary, the gypsies were called “the pharaoh’s tribe” for some time, and English word"gypsy" is a corruption of "Egypt" - "Egypt".
“Gypsy,” a word used in Russian, refers
to the so-called Atsingani: a certain Byzantine sect of apostates
from the Christian faith (first mentioned in the 11th century), possibly using witchcraft. This word has taken root in many European languages, and from here we have Russian name"gypsy", German "gypsy"
and so on.
There are several legends about the origin of the gypsies, in fact
they came from India: the German scientist Johann Rüdiger in 1782,
based on linguistic data, was the first to prove Indian
origin of the gypsies.
One way or another, when they arrived in Europe in the 15th century, they were initially accepted
with great honor: first of all - because they were pilgrims, secondly - because they generously paid for their stay. But already from the second half of the 15th century, accusations have been increasingly heard that the Gypsies are Turkish spies; women who practice fortune telling are declared apostates from the faith.
Gradually, laws against gypsies appeared - in some countries it was even allowed to kill any gypsy encountered on the street. So, on the one hand, a negative attitude towards this people took root, and on the other, attempts were made to assimilate them, and quite successful ones: the gypsies were forbidden to use their language, the children were selected and given away
V Christian families, marriages between gypsies were prohibited, exams were held on knowledge of Christian dogmas, all young men were drafted into the army, gypsies were forbidden to live in certain territories, and in the territory of Moldova and Wallachia the gypsies were actually slaves for a long time.
Abstract
The first mention that we know of gypsies in the territory Russian state, dates back to 1721. In 1733, a decree appeared - to begin collecting taxes from the gypsies, as is done in Little Russia(from which it follows that the gypsies ended up in Little Russia earlier). Those gypsies who appeared in Russia in the first third of the 18th century came from Poland.
Quite quickly, these gypsies find their main occupation - music. Gypsy choirs, as a rule, were organized at estates; gradually the choirs gained independence, and gypsy singing, dancing, and the ability to have fun became the leitmotif in Russian XIX literature- started
XX century.
Some groups of gypsies in to a greater extent join the traditions of the state where they live, others preserve to a greater extent traditional way of life life. This is how various ethnic groups of Roma are formed. In the modern scientific tradition, there is a division into four main European groups: the northeastern group (Russian Roma, gypsies of Poland and the Baltic countries); central group (Gypsies of Germany - Sinti, the Gypsy population of the modern Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as partially Western Ukraine and Southern Poland); Vlach group formed
under the influence of the Romanian language and Romanian culture (Kelderars, Lovars, Vlachs, Servas and many others); Balkan group (Crimean gypsies professing Islam).
The Gypsy language has practically disappeared in many communities in Hungary and Slovakia, and is rapidly disappearing in Finland, among the Spanish Gypsies. In some countries, a specific phenomenon occurred, which in the gypsy tradition is usually called the emergence of para-gypsy languages, when the language practically loses its grammar and morphology, but is preserved in the form of individual lexemes that can be used to make speech incomprehensible to the surrounding population.
Abstract
The two most large groups Gypsies on the territory of Russia - Russian Roma
and Kalderars. What is the history of these names? In the Baltic countries, Russian Gypsies are often called “Kladytko Roma”. In the language of these gypsies, the word “cold” means soldier. This is how Russian gypsies turn out to be “soldier gypsies.”
The word "kelderary" has more complicated story: Romanian root meaning "cauldron". This name is practically not used in Russia
and unknown to the Kalderars themselves. In Russia, this group is usually called “kotlyars,” which is most likely a translation from Romanian. It also contains information about the main profession that this ethnic group was engaged in: the Kelderars were primarily known as blacksmiths
and tinkers, and to this day their occupations are connected in one way or another
with metal. Russian gypsies, as a rule, were engaged in horse trading.
And now their specialization is mainly related to trade.
Among the Russian gypsies, nomadism happened like this: they came to a new place, a camp was located, the women went to the nearest village to ask for food and tell fortunes, and the men went to fairs, exchanged or sold horses.
Earlier hallmark Pants, boots, beard were considered a gypsy
And long hair. Now men have practically no special costume preserved, but women still have some mandatory elements. Mainly for kitties: they can’t wear trousers,
Until recently, there was a strict rule about wearing a headdress. In addition, catfish have a characteristic hairstyle in the form of two braids braided around the ear.
As for customs, the concept of female uncleanliness and desecration still remains an important feature. For example, a skirt that comes into contact with the lower part of a woman’s body is considered unclean; for the same reasons, a woman cannot be taller than a man, step over a wire or other things on the floor, and so on (in case of desecration, some groups of gypsies have a ritual of defilement).
Other important thing, uniting Russian Gypsies and Kotlyars, is a Gypsy court that meets to resolve any conflicts, financial issues, or issues of honor. His decisions are carried out unquestioningly. It is important that although these groups have much in common, the differences in customs and rituals are sometimes quite strong; There are almost no weddings between Kotlyars and Russian gypsies.
Abstract
In the language and culture of the Roma there is a clear opposition between the Roma and the non-Roma. If “gypsy” in gypsy is “rum” or “gom”,
then a person of non-Roma nationality will be called “gadzho”
or “I’m shitting.” There are actions that can only be performed in relation to
to the gypsies: for example, there is a ban on marrying non-gypsies. Now this prohibition is increasingly violated among Russian gypsies, but almost never among the Kotlyars.
Another important point concerns religion. Many believe that gypsies accept the faith that turns out to be more profitable. This is partly true -
many profess the dominant faith in a particular region, but there are
and exceptions, as in the case of Muslim Roma in the Balkans.
History knows of many attempts to create a literary Gypsy language, one of the most interesting, but unsuccessful, in the Soviet Union in the 1920s.
The Gypsy Union was formed, textbooks began to be published in the Gypsy language, Gypsy schools were opened, original literature was created, and translations of classics into the Gypsy language were made. This initiative practically failed, in particular because by 1938 the national policy in the USSR: a course was taken to introduce the Roma to the culture of the main population. In Russia there are still quite a few Roma schools and Roma classes, where Roma children are educated separately from Russian children. However, there are no courses, let alone lessons, in native speech.
A unique culture, despite repression and assimilation policies,
or otherwise stored. And I would like to see attempts to recreate the Gypsy culture made more often and give future generations the opportunity to know and see who the Gypsies are, what their language and culture are
and traditions.
I decided to figure out how real gypsies live, what traditions and codes they adhere to, what laws they obey.
The customs of the Gypsies largely depend on their environment and religion. But there are still basic laws that have not changed for centuries. These are the foundations on which gypsy society is built. We'll talk about them today.
Modern gypsies:
And the gypsies: 
Lifestyle
It is generally accepted that gypsies do not stay in any one place for long and constantly roam. Currently, this is not the case; for example, of all Russian gypsies, only 1% are nomadic. A sedentary lifestyle allowed the gypsies to settle in ordinary houses with all the amenities. The gypsy house is distinguished by a pompous design and “rich” decoration with sloping under luxury mansion or some famous building. This is especially clear in the example of Romanian gypsies. But this, of course, if the owner has money.
Houses of wealthy gypsies from outside: 
And inside: 
And the houses of poor Romanian gypsies are, as a rule, one-story tiny shacks.
By the way, the one-story building is directly related to the gypsy concept of “filth” coming from a woman, or more precisely, from the lower part of her body. It is believed that “filth” flows down and is capable of staining everything that is “underneath”. Therefore, many gypsies preferred to rebuild one-story houses so that women do not rise higher.
Currently, of all Russian Gypsies, only 1% are nomadic
In modern houses of rich gypsies, of course, there are more than one floor, and only men and little girls who do not yet have the “ability” to “defile” are allowed to go higher. By the way, no precise definition, at what point does this “filth” appear in a woman: either when she becomes sexually mature, or when she loses her innocence.
Gypsies, early 20th century: 
Gypsies take marriage very seriously. It is believed that it is customary for them to remain faithful to their soulmate, but, of course, this applies to women to a greater extent. Gypsy men take care of their family and do not leave their children without attention and care. For children in gypsy settlements life is better everyone: they are the object of attention of all the surrounding women, it is customary to pamper them and generally treat them very affectionately.
The one-story building is directly related to the gypsy concept of “filth” coming from a woman
There are legends about gypsy weddings. It is believed that this is a large-scale celebration, with songs and dances, which will not leave anyone behind. The bride must be “pure” and innocent before marriage. According to customs, it used to be customary to show the guests the veil from the marital bed after the first wedding night. A man could “walk” with non-gypsy women even before marriage.
The life of today's gypsies, of course, has become “modernized” in many ways. So, now it is difficult to name any dietary features and taste preferences of gypsies. However, among the “traditional” dishes, one exotic one can be distinguished - hedgehog. The gypsies roamed and caught the living creatures that were found in the surrounding area - birds, animals, and, among other things, hedgehogs. They were used to cook stew or stew meat.
Good and bad
Roma laws are aimed at regulating relations both within the Roma society and at relations between Roma and non-Roma. In the latter case, it is considered correct and reasonable to adhere to the norms and rules of the non-Gypsy society with whom the Gypsies interact. By the way, marriages between gypsies and non-gypsies are not prohibited, but they are not very encouraged either.
Within the gypsy society, many things are regulated: the form of communication, the choice of clothing, the traditions of major holidays and much more.
The most terrible punishment for any gypsy has always been considered expulsion and isolation. Such punishment can follow for committing a serious crime, from the point of view of the Gypsy code: murder, rape, and sometimes theft. For a gypsy, after the ritual of exile, returning back to his native society will be very, very difficult. It is believed that outcasts from the gypsies lead a predatory and extremely marginal lifestyle, because in their understanding the worst has already happened and there is nowhere to fall lower.
The most terrible punishment for any gypsy has always been considered expulsion
By the way, cut hair among gypsies is a symbol of dishonor. Usually the outcasts just had their hair cut off.
Historically, gypsies had a certain set of professions that they engaged in: crafts, trade, acting, show business, and the famous begging and “fortune telling.” In addition, gypsies do not shun working with animals, in particular horse breeding. But there are some works that are considered “non-gypsy” and therefore shameful. These include factory work, street cleaning and journalism. If a gypsy has one of these professions, then, as a rule, he tries not to advertise it.
Gypsy Baron: 
There is a cliché about " gypsy baron“, that is, the main person in the camp, to whom they go for advice, give all sorts of honors, send “outsiders” to him and ask him to administer justice. In fact, the gypsies have a very strong cult of seniority; respect and honors are due to older members of society. But, as a rule, there is no one “leader” - this is a collection of respected older people. By the way, it is considered a serious offense to express disrespect towards those who are older.
Culture
The famous gypsy outfits, in which they are usually depicted in illustrations, appeared not so long ago. Previously, the gypsies dressed in what they could beg from the local population. Accordingly, their costume depended on their habitat. The famous women's skirts with frills were invented by Romanian gypsies, looking at the style of Spanish women. A frilled skirt is a practical thing: as soon as the hem wears out, rags and ribbons attach to it, and the outfit looks renewed.
Men often prefer to wear a jacket or vest with large buttons, boots and a hat.
Journalism was considered a shameful profession for a gypsy
The gypsies have their own folklore, songs, music, and poetry. TO literary heritage include stories, myths, proverbs and sayings that are passed down from generation to generation.
Among the gypsies there are many famous figures culture: musicians Alyosha Dmitrievich, Mikhail, Nikolay and Sergey Erdenko, Janos Bihari, Gianni Linkach, Petr Demeter. Gypsy roots also existed famous actor Charlie Chaplin. Gypsies also became famous as actors, writers and athletes.
Gina Lollobrigida as Esmeralda: 
Gypsy culture inspired and still inspires artists: who hasn’t read Pushkin’s poem “The Gypsies” or hasn’t remembered the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda from Hugo? And, of course, when it comes to gypsy culture, it is impossible not to recall the work of director Emir Kusturica.
The Roma people have their own standards of behavior for members of the community; the law also regulates the relationships between Roma and representatives of other nationalities. The most important rule from this list - the need to behave appropriately when communicating with non-gypsies and observe the customs accepted among other peoples. And here's to interethnic marriages gypsy law disapproves, although they are not officially prohibited.
Gypsy law
In general, the set of rules of behavior is the same for all subethnic groups of Russian Roma, despite their huge number and differences in views.
There is a strict ban on rape, murder, severe physical harm, and so on.
This also includes the rules of decency when receiving guests: you need to make sure that they feel comfortable, treat them with respect and take care of their comfort.
The most big amount laws and restrictions are imposed on relations within the Roma community. Almost all areas of life are regulated here: starting with the right choice clothes and ending with how exactly it is necessary to communicate with other representatives Roma There is a standard for holding weddings and religious holidays and a list of professional areas that are not shameful for a gypsy or gypsy.
Gypsy society is equal because it adheres to the rule: “no gypsy should stand above another.” The term "baron" has no relation to reality and is used mainly in films and TV series.
The gypsies themselves regard people who believe in a strict hierarchy in their society with irony.
If there is a generally recognized leader in the camp, non-Gypsies (mostly police officers or journalists) are immediately sent to him. If there is no such person, his role is filled by one of the respected members of the community. Especially for individuals unfamiliar with the life of gypsies, he is called “baron” in order to avoid confusing explanations. Barons in the classical sense of the word in Russia exist only among Kotlyarov, but even there they bear little resemblance to the heroes of the series “Carmelita”.
Traditional gypsy culture
Folklore. Gypsies have never lived in isolation, so their folklore was largely influenced by neighboring cultures. At the same time, it did not assimilate and retained its flavor and some unique features.
The culture of the gypsies is most developed folk songs. They have largely influenced the music of other peoples of the world. The performing art of Russian Roma has gained great popularity.
Gypsy literary folklore includes myths, both related to religion and not related to it, tales carefully preserved family legends, proverbs, sayings and fairy tales.
Philosophical songs reflecting on how the gypsies live, their culture and spirit are extremely popular. They sing a lot and with soul about love, and often perform chanson. Songs performed during a dance rarely carry any meaning.
Of the fairy tales, the most common are “horror stories”. Through the images of ghouls and the living dead, storytellers address folk art Hindu ancestors. Often in fairy tales, goblins and brownies, familiar to any Russian, appear.
Not all stories have a happy ending: sad tales are very common and popular. Some stories are meant to teach children, in game form they tell us what is good and what is bad, they explain how to live and what not to do. There are also short fairy tales and anecdotes.
Cloth. The main feature of gypsy costumes around the world is that the cut must hide the hips and knees. Women wear long skirt, a shirt with a small collar and a shawl with flowers and fringe that is draped around the body. Young girls wear another smaller shawl on their hips. Married or adult women wear a headscarf and an apron. The latter refers to national clothes It is no coincidence: it is believed that every sexually mature woman is “defiled”; to touch her clothing that covers the body below the waist means to defile oneself. In addition to cutting off their hair and beard, guilty gypsies were punished by hitting them in the face with a skirt, so that the apron became a kind of barrier preventing them from accidentally touching the skirt.
Gypsy men preferred bright shirts, similar in cut to traditional Russian ones, short vests, loose trousers, boots and a cap. In general, their clothing resembles that worn Russian merchants in the 19th century. While trading horses, the gypsies actively communicated with merchants, as a result of which, apparently, they adopted some habits from them. Unfortunately, nowadays traditional costume Almost no one wears it anymore and something similar can only be seen on singers or dancers.
House. Among the Russian Roma and Evangelical Gypsies, it is believed that the second floor of the house is a place free from filth due to the ceilings, so their women are allowed to move freely around the house. Families are not afraid to desecrate themselves and live peacefully in apartment buildings. The views of the Kotlyars are much harsher: they believe that the ceilings are not reliable enough, do not allow women to go upstairs and do not live in high-rise buildings. Those gypsies who are not inclined to preserve traditions do not have any hard and fast rules: they live the same way as other Russians.
The main feature of private gypsy house– the presence of a spacious “public” room, a “hall”, which is used when many guests come to the house for a special occasion, for example, a wedding or someone’s birthday. Gypsies celebrate on a grand scale: all relatives who live nearby or are physically able to get to the designated place are invited. This way they maintain close ties within big family and avoid possible quarrels with offended relatives who were not invited.
Gypsy fortune telling. One of the first images that comes to mind when talking about the Romanesque people is a fortune teller. It is believed that the famous soothsayer Madame Lenormand, who predicted the future of such iconic figures as Napoleon and Robespierre, learned fortune telling from the gypsies.
The most famous and popular are fortune telling by hand and cards, however, the skills of gypsies are not limited to them. They are also skilled with needles, knives and even beans.
Particular respect, of course, is due to experienced fortune tellers who have earned accurate predictions authority both in the eyes of the Roma community and among the people living in the neighborhood. The notorious "station" gypsies have nothing to do with divination.
It is known that it was the gypsy woman who at one time predicted A.S. Pushkin's death at the hands of a "white man", who later turned out to be the blond Georges Dantes. Also, the representative of the novel has a stunningly accurate interpretation of the future of V.I. Lenin: she promised her mother that her son would become powerful and famous and win the hearts of many people, but his death would be difficult and painful.
In addition to the usual playing cards Gypsies use Tarot cards. Nowadays, it is not a problem to buy any deck, and even with detailed instructions, but earlier the issue was resolved differently: fortune tellers drew the cards themselves. Homemade tarots were especially valued, since it was believed that when making a deck, a gypsy woman puts a piece of her energy into it, and therefore fortune telling will be much more accurate and detailed.
When telling fortunes with beans, the soothsayer asks the person to whom she is telling fortunes to place a coin in a handful of nine beans in her hand, and then throws them on the table or any other horizontal surface. The coin symbolizes the person, the beans symbolize what will happen to him in the future. Beans lying close to the coin indicate its strength, a straight line of them indicates the road. If the line looks crooked, it denotes future doubts or troubles. The triangle and square, respectively, indicate a woman and a man.
Gypsy holidays
International Roma Day, recognized by the UN in 1991, is celebrated on April 8th.
On the fourth of May and on the night of the twenty-fifth of May, the Romani Catholic saints are venerated: Blessed Seferino and Sara Kali.
On August 2, we remember Kali Thrash, the genocide of the Roma.
Gypsy festivals take place all over the world. " Khamoro" held in Prague, " Romani Yag" celebrate in Montreal, at the festival" Amala" Gypsy musical groups gather in Kyiv. There are several such festivals in Russia: “Tumbleweeds”, “Gypsies under the Russian Sky”, etc.
