Throughout history, gypsies have been stereotyped as being nomadic people with a savage, flamboyant lifestyle. The oppression and rejection of gypsies has made its way into stories, plays, and even movies. Though gypsies are more widely accepted now, their persecution has spanned many years with many horrifying details. They have struggled to overcome the prejudice and to maintain their customs in an ever-changing world. The cultural integration of gypsies in society has been strenuous and painful, but the long years of suffering have been worth the victory of freedom.Gypsies are clannish communal people who share a common heritage. They are widely scattered in small groups throughout the world. Some people do not even consider them to be a genuine group and view them as uncivilized primitive beggars and theives. Another mistaken belief about gypsies is the idea that they came from Egypt. The term gypsy stemmed from this belief. There is an increased effort to recognize the gypsies as an ethnic group, and to replace the stereotypical word gypsy with the word Rom,which means the people.
Gypsies have been in Europe for over five hundred years, but only in the late eighteenth century was their original homeland identified. Through the discovery of the relationship between the gypsy language, Romany, and the Indo-European dialects, it was found that their homeland was actually northwestern India.
Gypsies were accepted when they first appeared in Europe, but as time went by, there began to be friction between the gypsies and other Europeans. The opposition was provoked by what was considered to be their outlandish appearance, eccentric way of living, and exclusive organization. This was only the beginning of an increasing line of oppression for the gypsies.
The gypsies enjoyed freedom in Spain under Muslim rule until the Christian reconquest in 1492. Between the years of 1499 and 1783, over a dozen laws were made banning all forms of gypsy dress, language, and customs. The government did this in an effort to force assimilation. In France, the first official repression of gypsies occurred with the authorized command for their banishment from Paris in 1539. In 1563, the gypsies were expelled from England under the threat of death. Many gypsies were forced to become slaves in Hungary and Romania during the 17th century. In Romania, their final liberation did not take place until 1855.
However, the gypsies were not treated harshly universally in Europe. In the Balkans many gypsies gained unusual advantages and freedoms, uncommon to their group, by converting to Islam. In Russia, their lifestyle was similar to the multitude of poverty-stricken peasantry. Unfortunately, discrimination against gypsies continued. In the 20th century, about 400,000 gypsies were killed in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Today their situation is not unlike those of ethnic minorities in many other countries.
Many stories have been told about the gypsies. One such story is the Hunchback of Notre Dame which has been read by millions and performed in theaters and movies. The story tells the tale of a ridiculed hunchback who spends his life locked inside a tower of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris until he is freed by a beautiful gypsy named Esmerelda. The fictional story depicts many real life situations abut the gypsies in France.
The widespread groups of gypsies are separated into clans. A clan is made up of a group of families who are related either by historic association or common ancestry. Clans are led by honorary leaders. These leaders often choose the title king or queen although the title has no significant political meaning. The title is given in honor as a sign of respect and is also used to dazzle outsiders.The culture and organization of the various clans of gypsies vary greatly. This is due to the fact that they are widely scattered. Despite this fact, they maintain a strong sense of group unity. Their traditions are considered sacred although they have adopted some traditions of the outside world. Contact with non-gypsies is regarded as potentially "polluting" and harmful to the society.
One similar trait which adds to the unity between the various clans is the influence of the gypsy language, Romany. Romany is made up of a mixture of various dialects native to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. While the majority of gypsies use some type of the Romany language, others speak the local languages with hints of Romany mixed in them.
One of the greatest differences between the groups of gypsies is their religion. They generally adopt the faith of the area in which they live. Though they like to maintain religious ceremonies in their own homes and shun the regulations of church doctrine, gypsies can be found to be Roman Catholics, Protestants, Eastern Orthodox, and Muslims.
The gypsies are extremely family oriented. They have tremendous admiration for their ancestors and their heritage, and the elderly of the clan occupy positions of great respect and authority. Instead of basing marriage on personal attraction and affection, gypsy marriages portray the hope to create alliances between families or clans and are usually arranged. Gypsies are very strict on sexual morality, and most unmarried girls are usually chaperoned. The Rom, and other various groups, continue the tradition of bride-price. Bride-price is a payment made by the family of the groom to that of the bride to compensate for the loss of their daughter. It also ensures that she will be well treated by her husband.
The conventional cultural organizations of the communities in the countries in which they live are of little importance to gypsies. They have little need of those functions because they are reproduced within their own communities. However, the kris, an informal court that settles controversy and affairs of common law and gypsy custom, is an extremely important institution to the gypsies.
The struggle to blend with the modern society and yet to maintain the strength and power of their culture is particularly difficult. Gypsies usually attempt to find employment in traditional occupations. These include entertainment, blacksmithing, horse and stock trading, crafts, and small scale commerce. Although their effort to integrate has grown in recent years, gypsies tend to be the most united economically and culturally in the smaller and less commercial sections of southern Europe, the Balkans, and the Middle East.
Gypsies are still persecuted today, though the prejudicial oppression is much more subtle. They are still under intense pressure to assimilate and abandon their traditional way of life. However, their close knit society and increasing appreciation of their common origins, language, and culture proves that gypsy society will never disappear.
Paper by
Christy Boudreaux
Brandon High School
April, 1999Return to
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