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{{Short description|Folktales, myths, oral traditions, and legends of the Romani people}}
'''] (Gypsy) mythology''' is the myth, folklore, religion, traditions, and legends of the ].The Gypsies, who call themselves Rom or Romany, are a nomadic culture which originated in India during the Middle Ages. They migrated widely, particularly to Europe. Rom have a long tradition of magic and shamanism. It is said that Rom are able to read the stars and the alignment of the planets which is used in times of confusion. This is one of there clairovoyent the other divination and Tarot. More powerful gypsies are said to have passive ] powers such as, ], ], ], or ]. Some have even been known to have the ability to ] and/or ] through ]. The Romani are highly credited for their skills in invoking curses or blessings, conjuring/channeling spirits, and their skill with ]-casting.
{{More citations needed|date=November 2021}}
{{Romani people}}
'''Romani folklore''' encompasses the ], ], ]s, and ]s of the ]. The Romani were ]ic when they departed ] during the ]. They migrated widely, particularly ], while other groups stayed and became sedentary. Some legends (often from non-Romani peoples) say that certain Romani have passive ] powers such as ], ], ], or ]. For example Wlislocki was known for being a self taught gypseologist, and many of his writings are seen as authentic Romani stories, but the myths published by Wlislocki have no connection to authentic Romani traditions; this causes a misinterpretation about the Romani people as a whole. Other legends include the ability to ], travel through ] by way of ], invoke ]s or ]s, ] or ] ], and skill with ]-casting. The Roma from Slavic countries believe in ].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LusZMgBAJZQC&pg=PA148|title=Buckland's Book of Gypsy Magic: Travelers' Stories, Spells, and Healings|first=Raymond|last=Buckland|date=1 May 2010|publisher=Weiser Books|isbn=978-1-60925-165-9 |accessdate=14 December 2023|via=Google Books}}</ref> Romani chovihanis often use a variety of herbs and amulets for protection. ] is a popular herb used by the Roma.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KpWMDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA79|title=Herbal Magick: A Guide to Herbal Enchantments, Folklore, and Divination|first=Gerina|last=Dunwich|date=1 September 2019|publisher=Weiser Books|isbn=978-1-63341-158-6 |accessdate=14 December 2023|via=Google Books}}</ref>


== Romani folktales ==
'''Origins'''
* Bald Pate<ref> at Gypsy Folk Tales], by Francis Hindes Groome, 1899, at sacred-texts.com</ref>
The Romani originated not too distant from the four countries. Like the four countries mirroring in ways ancient China, the Romani mirror their real world counterparts the gypsies(one tribe of which, RL fact, is known as the Rom), which happened to originate in India. So, the birthplace of the Romani is a country not extremely far from the four countries, to the south west. The country in question was going through a social 'restructuring,' and adopting the strict social hierarchy system of castes. Various groups, for political and other reasons, were not included in these newly formed castes, and were casteless, and thus below anyone else on the social totem pole. Three groups made up the majority of the casteless: Thieves, musicians/actors(RL fact time, historically performing arts have had a negative social conotation... take a look at eastern theatre's history, for example...), and magicians whose magic was deemed 'heretic' by the local religion. With life in their once native land now unbearable, these casteless grouped together forming bands which migrated originally to the west. Over many many years, their language and culture developed into something entirely foreign from their roots, and they were truly gypsies, or the Romani as they call themselves.
* "The Captive's Tale and Circumcision"<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.academia.edu/24953614 | title="The Captive's Tale" and Circumcision | last1=Childers | first1=William P. }}</ref>
* "]"<ref> at Gypsy Folk Tales, by Francis Hindes Groome, 1899, at sacred-texts.com</ref>
* "Fedor and the Fairy"
* The Foam Maiden
* "]"
* "]"
* "]"
* "]"
* "The Red King and the Witch"<ref> at Gypsy Folk Tales, by Francis Hindes Groome, 1899, at sacred-texts.com</ref>
* "The Yellow Dragon"<ref>, Fairrosa Cyber Library for Children</ref><ref>''The Gypsy Fiddle: and Other Tales Told by the Gypsies'' - by John Hampden, World Publishing Company: New York, 1969</ref>


== Motifs in Romani folklore ==
{{see also|Motif (folkloristics)}}
* Bababiljos (male love deity)
* Baba Fingo (the Saviour)
* ''Baro kar'' ("big human penis"; see also '']'')
* ]
* Beng (the Devil)
* ]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ćirković |first1=Svetlana |title=Bibi and Bibijako Djive in Serbia |publisher=Project Education of Roma children in Europe |url=https://www.academia.edu/42176038 |accessdate=17 March 2020}}</ref>
* ''Bona'' ("baptism")
* ''Biboldo'' ("unbaptized")
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ''Chindo'' ("circumcised")
* ] (God)
* Devleski Day (Mother Goddess)
* '']'' (half-vampire)
* Dispater (god of death)
* ]
* ]
* ]<ref>{{cite book | last=Bane | first=T. | title=Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology | publisher=McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers| year=2013 | isbn=978-1-4766-1242-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nSuXAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA199 |location=Jefferson, NC; London| page=199}}</ref>
* ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://occult-world.com/gypsies/|title=Gypsies – OCCULT WORLD|accessdate=14 December 2023}}</ref>
* ]
* Gana (Queen of Witches)<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OTdwCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT192|title=Dictionary of Gypsy Life and Lore|first=Harry E.|last=Wedeck|date=8 September 2015|publisher=Open Road Media|isbn=978-1-5040-2274-3 |accessdate=14 December 2023|via=Google Books}}</ref>
* ]
* ]
* I Gudli Saybiya (female guardian angel)
* Gypsycraft (Romani ] or ])
* '']'' (amulet)
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rm.coe.int/factsheets-on-romani-culture-2-3-the-evil-eye-jakhendar/1680aac373|title=The evil eye - Jakhendar}}</ref>
* '']'' (Turkish spring festival)
* ]<ref>{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca|page=151}}</ref>
* '']'' (])
* ]
* ]<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=nDdcVt9-jnMC&pg=PA151|title= The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca|page=151|year=2010|author=
Rosemary Guiley|publisher= Infobase|isbn= 9781438126845}}</ref>
* Pharaun<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5soL2qxSBDgC&dq=gypsies+animal+worship+donkeys&pg=PA141|title=The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters|isbn=978-1-4381-3001-9 |last1=Guiley |first1=Rosemary |date=2004 |publisher=Infobase }}</ref>
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ''Sunet bijav'' ("circumcision ceremony")
* ]
* ]
* ''Trishul'' ("cross"; see also '']'')
* ]
* ]
* ]s


==See also==
'''Lifestyle'''
*]
The Romani lifestyle at first appears innately contradictory. On the one hand, they seem to be very carefree, living life for the moment in a carnival like atmosphere. Yet they also appear incredibly paranoid and distrustful of outsiders. This seems to be rooted in the fact they're constantly surrounded by death. Romani die young, frequently ending by violent means. Compared to most cultures, the Romani tend towards being extremely short lived. Their magic frequently centers around invoking the spirits of the dead. Whevere they travel they aren't truly welcome, and it's extremely common to find themselves in a land where the natives want nothing more than to wipe out the gypsy race from the face of the world. Given this life, the Romani seek to make the most out of it. They're acutely aware of the temerity of their stay in this world, so they seek to prolong it as best they can, and make the most out of what they have. Thus, their paranoid distrust of strangers is an attempt to prolong their lives, and the carefree lifestyle is an attempt to make the most out of their life, by enjoying every second they can.
*'']''
The Romani are a nomadic people, having no true home they continuously travel, rarely stopping for more than a few days time at any town, before packing up and their caravans of covered wagons heading out in search of the next town. At a town, the troup will set up camp, brightly colored tents, and proceed to earn their bread. Throwing an impromptu carnival, the Romani band provides many amusements, from music to fortune telling to dancing. Gypsy metalwork, among the finest extant, is traded for supplies. Pickpocketing and similar of the locals as they gawk at the Romani provides supplemental supplies as well.
*]
In addition to helping provide food for their stomachs, music and dancing are an extremely important part of the Romani lifestyle. Music and dance play major roles in all Romani ceremonies, from the feeding of the grave of a loved one, to a wedding ceremony, to the birth of a child. When not singing for their supper, or performing a ceremonial dance, they still frequently sing, dance and make merry simply for the sheer enjoyment they take in these performances. So steeped and surrounded in music from birth, they tend to be much more proficient at the subject than outsiders.


==References==
{{Reflist}}


==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}


===Folklore collections===
* Ficowski, Jerzy; Borski, Lucia Merecka; Mikolaycak, Charles. ''Sister of the birds, and other Gypsy tales''. Nashville: Abingdon, .
* {{cite journal |last=Florea |first=Virgiliu |title=Moses Gaster și colecția sa de povești populare ale țiganilor din România |trans-title=Moses Gaster and His Collection of Romanian Gypsies' Folk Tales |url=https://biblioteca-digitala.ro/?volum=5100-anuarul-muzeului-etnografic-al-moldovei--xviii-2019 |journal=Anuarul Muzeului Etnografic al Moldovei |trans-journal=The Yearly Review of the Ethnographic Museum of Moldavia |volume=18 |date=2018 |pages=305–324 |issn=1583-6819 |language=ro}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Pavelčík |first1=Nina |first2=Jiří |last2=Pavelčík |title=Myths of the Czech Gypsies |journal=Asian Folklore Studies |volume=60 |issue=1 |date=2001 |pages=21–30 |doi=10.2307/1178696|jstor=1178696 }}. Accessed August 25, 2021.
* {{cite book |title=Gypsy folk tales |last=Tong |first=Diane |date=1989 |location=San Diego |publisher=Harcourt Brace Jovanovich}}
* {{cite book |last=Yates |first=Dora Esther |title=A Book of Gypsy folk-tales |location=London |publisher=Phoenix House |date=1948}}
{{refend}}


==External links==
'''Magic and superstitions'''
*'''' by Francis Hindes Groome , at Sacred Texts.com
Magic is a fairly common practice amongst the Romani. Among the ancestors of the Romani, those casteless ones(see Origins) there were magicians that the church had considered 'heretical' or against the religion. Well, magicians specializing in divinary magic and magic pertaining to the spirits of the dead were especially common amongst these 'heretical magicians.' This facet of their origin shaped some details of how the Romani came out. For one thing, they don't get along well with religion, and though superstitious tend to never follow any faith. The second is that among the three primary kinds of magic practiced by the Romani, divinary and spirit related are found. Romani magic's first branch is divinary, the art of prognostication or predicting the future. Though their are many variations upon this, the most commonly practiced form of divination is with tarot cards, which Romani magicians also invoke for more physical magic. The second branch is spiritual, and relates to communicating with the shades(or spirits) of the dead, and similar shade related magic. The final branch of Romani magic is simply fire, general manipulations and such of fire(RL fact: Romani being fire related magicians was based off a documented 'folklore' that was held in the middle ages. It was believed gypsies were somehow 'immune' to fire, and held some mysterious power over it)
*'''' by Charles Godfrey Leland , at Sacred Texts.com
Romani, despite lacking any religion or faith in a higher power, are extremely superstitious. Though they don't believe in an organized afterlife of any form per se, they do believe in the shade, or spirit, which survives the body, and must be placated by a proper burial(which, for them, implies cremation, and 'feeding the grave'). They also tend to take fortune telling, and other 'portents' or 'omens' very seriously.
*https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/10.3828/rost.2023.12 by Yaroslav Vassilkov , at Liverpool University


{{Romani topics}}


{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Romani folklore}}
Roma myth topics include the following:
]
<references/>* ]
]
* Baldpate
]
* Beng
* Butyakengo
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* Gitto Bach
* ]
* ]
* Moshto
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* Suyolak
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* Urmen
* ]
* ]
* Spirit Invocation
* ]
* ]
* ]


==Also See==
*]
*]
*]
*]


{{Romani-stub}}
==External Links==
{{Folklore-stub}}
*Encyclopedia Mythica
*''Gypsy Folk Tales''
*''Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling'' by Charles Godfrey Leland

Latest revision as of 04:12, 26 December 2024

Folktales, myths, oral traditions, and legends of the Romani people
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Romani folklore encompasses the folktales, myths, oral traditions, and legends of the Romani people. The Romani were nomadic when they departed India during the Middle Ages. They migrated widely, particularly to Europe, while other groups stayed and became sedentary. Some legends (often from non-Romani peoples) say that certain Romani have passive psychic powers such as empathy, precognition, retrocognition, or psychometry. For example Wlislocki was known for being a self taught gypseologist, and many of his writings are seen as authentic Romani stories, but the myths published by Wlislocki have no connection to authentic Romani traditions; this causes a misinterpretation about the Romani people as a whole. Other legends include the ability to levitate, travel through astral projection by way of meditation, invoke curses or blessings, conjure or channel spirits, and skill with illusion-casting. The Roma from Slavic countries believe in werewolves. Romani chovihanis often use a variety of herbs and amulets for protection. Garlic is a popular herb used by the Roma.

Romani folktales

Motifs in Romani folklore

See also: Motif (folkloristics)

See also

References

  1. Buckland, Raymond (1 May 2010). Buckland's Book of Gypsy Magic: Travelers' Stories, Spells, and Healings. Weiser Books. ISBN 978-1-60925-165-9. Retrieved 14 December 2023 – via Google Books.
  2. Dunwich, Gerina (1 September 2019). Herbal Magick: A Guide to Herbal Enchantments, Folklore, and Divination. Weiser Books. ISBN 978-1-63341-158-6. Retrieved 14 December 2023 – via Google Books.
  3. Baldpate at Gypsy Folk Tales], by Francis Hindes Groome, 1899, at sacred-texts.com
  4. Childers, William P. ""The Captive's Tale" and Circumcision".
  5. The Creation of the Violin at Gypsy Folk Tales, by Francis Hindes Groome, 1899, at sacred-texts.com
  6. The Red King and the Witch at Gypsy Folk Tales, by Francis Hindes Groome, 1899, at sacred-texts.com
  7. The Yellow Dragon, Fairrosa Cyber Library for Children
  8. The Gypsy Fiddle: and Other Tales Told by the Gypsies - by John Hampden, World Publishing Company: New York, 1969
  9. Ćirković, Svetlana. Bibi and Bibijako Djive in Serbia. Project Education of Roma children in Europe. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  10. Bane, T. (2013). Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology. Jefferson, NC; London: McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 199. ISBN 978-1-4766-1242-3.
  11. "Gypsies – OCCULT WORLD". Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  12. Wedeck, Harry E. (8 September 2015). Dictionary of Gypsy Life and Lore. Open Road Media. ISBN 978-1-5040-2274-3. Retrieved 14 December 2023 – via Google Books.
  13. "The evil eye - Jakhendar".
  14. The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca. p. 151.
  15. Rosemary Guiley (2010). The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca. Infobase. p. 151. ISBN 9781438126845.
  16. Guiley, Rosemary (2004). The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters. Infobase. ISBN 978-1-4381-3001-9.

Further reading

Folklore collections

  • Ficowski, Jerzy; Borski, Lucia Merecka; Mikolaycak, Charles. Sister of the birds, and other Gypsy tales. Nashville: Abingdon, .
  • Florea, Virgiliu (2018). "Moses Gaster și colecția sa de povești populare ale țiganilor din România" [Moses Gaster and His Collection of Romanian Gypsies' Folk Tales]. Anuarul Muzeului Etnografic al Moldovei [The Yearly Review of the Ethnographic Museum of Moldavia] (in Romanian). 18: 305–324. ISSN 1583-6819.
  • Pavelčík, Nina; Pavelčík, Jiří (2001). "Myths of the Czech Gypsies". Asian Folklore Studies. 60 (1): 21–30. doi:10.2307/1178696. JSTOR 1178696.. Accessed August 25, 2021.
  • Tong, Diane (1989). Gypsy folk tales. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
  • Yates, Dora Esther (1948). A Book of Gypsy folk-tales. London: Phoenix House.

External links

Romani topics
History
Population
Society and culture
Politics and advocacy
Studies


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