Where did the gypsies come from: the opinion of scientists. The secret life and customs of the gypsies: divination, hypnosis and theft of people Gypsies everything connected with them

Gypsies in the press and literature are often presented as shameless or promiscuous, or even a combination of these two qualities. I happened to read about promiscuity in the gypsy environment, and about the right of the first night on the part of the baron, and about the windiness, infidelity and willfulness of gypsy wives, and about prostitution that flourishes among gypsies, and about the experience of gypsy unmarried girls, and that these girls are specially pregnant, to give more. Everyone is familiar with the anecdote “man, give me a ruble, can I show you a pussy?”, And pictures of dark-skinned men shitting on busy sidewalks are roaming the Internet, and I have seen some gypsies frankly breastfeeding on the streets and in other public places, and there are also sources In the 19th century, gypsies and gypsies shamelessly opening their breasts were mentioned (at that time, this was also imputed to men as shamelessness).

What is the point here? Where is the truth, where is fiction, and how do gypsies see chastity and modesty?

The truth is that for different gypsies these concepts are quite different, and the gypsy law is very short here.

It demands that adult hips and knees be hidden from prying eyes, denounces adultery, female prostitution and homosexuality, and leaves no opportunity for gypsies to change wives for the night or give the bride on the first night to anyone.

All gypsies, except for the Magyars, have a very strict attitude towards the behavior of unmarried girls. A girl should either marry innocent or marry the guy who took her virginity. There are two wedding customs associated with this. The first is the removal of the sheets. During the wedding, the groom must retire to a special room and deprive the bride of her virginity (if the family is rich, then the wedding is played longer, and the first, sorry, intercourse happens at night; however, not everywhere). then the mother-in-law takes this sheet and shows it to those present, she can dance with it. In general, just as in best houses Europe... in the Middle Ages ^_^. The second custom: if a guy deflowered a girl before the wedding (they took mercy or he stole her), then the wedding is played not so luxurious, and instead of a ritual with a sheet, the guy bows at the feet of the guests and asks for forgiveness for his sin. Usually guests forgive. It is not customary to say this, but it happens that a guy covers up someone else's sin out of love or pity for his bride. And there is something to regret: in old days A “dishonest” bride could be stoned, or her hair cut off and recognized as desecrated (and therefore kicked out of the camp), and her parents got it this way or that; for example, for an oversight, they could harness their father to a cart and roll all the guests in turn on it, several at a time. Now everything is not so extreme, but poor fame alone can already scare, because the position of a gypsy in gypsy society is actually based on a personal rating, and a simple relationship with a “dishonest” girl can greatly dampen him. The “dishonesty” of the bride especially affects the closest relatives: parents are being chased for oversight and poor upbringing, sisters are suspected that their parents also failed to educate.

Hence the preserved tradition of teenage marriages: either they are afraid not to save, or they have not already saved ^_^ for teenagers, and even so early maturing, it can be difficult to keep track, you know! Being a principled opponent of teenage marriages (damn, it’s kind of dumb - I got married at 17! in my third year at the institute ...), I can’t help but note two features of gypsy teenage marriages that make me happy: a girl will never be given in marriage before the appearance the first menstruation, the young man - before the onset of wet dreams (well, that is, if he is not able to inseminate, what role of the husband can be discussed; gypsy law is very strict regarding the puberty of those entering into marriage), and the difference in age between husband and wife is more three years they look very, very askance (however, from a certain age, the maximum acceptable difference by gypsy society decreases, i.e. if 12 and 18 is an extreme difference, then 22 and 28 are back and forth). These features are so pleasing because the tradition of early marriage does not turn into a pedophile.
In a conversation about this, I was somehow given two cases gleaned from newspapers, according to opponents, which clearly refute the rule of difference. However, I argue and will argue that these are exceptions that emphasize the rule. In the gypsy environment, there is a tradition of teenage marriages, but no tradition of pedophilic relationships.
I must say, fortunately, teenage marriages are becoming less common in countries where gypsies are more or less integrated into society. I heard that if earlier a girl was married to Russian gypsies at the age of 12-14, then in our times this period often falls on 15-19. Here, in general, it is necessary to seriously investigate in order to accurately state something, especially for all the gypsies of the world.


But back to the hips and knees. As we remember, the thighs of an adult are especially unclean - especially women's thighs. The legs are also unclean, but somehow not by themselves, but because they are under the hips - you follow the logic, right? The thighs are so unclean that it is indecent even to show them, and talk about them or something related to them (about defecation, for example, or there about menstruation). So there can be no “give me a rupee, I’ll show you a pussy” or public relief for a gypsy who follows the gypsy law. Gamno, by the way, is also an unclean thing, well, very unclean, so there can be no question of leaving it in sight in the yard either. We will talk more about gamno in one of the following posts.


According to gypsy law, the chest is not a shameful part of the body. The mother's breast is generally a sacred thing! So her discovery for gypsies and gypsies is not at all a sign of shamelessness. However, it is worth remembering that in addition to the gypsy law, the gypsies still observe the norms of their religion, for they are very, very pious. Therefore, for example, Russian and Spanish gypsies will condemn the display of breasts and a skirt that does not cover the entire leg to the ankle. Moreover, religious laws are so deeply rooted in society that those who execute them mix them with the gypsy law, not distinguishing one from the other. I have heard from gypsy girls that baptism and breast closure are prescribed precisely by gypsy law, despite the fact that an analysis of the gypsy rules of different ethnic groups, which made it possible to identify the core of the law, shows that initially there was nothing of the kind in the law.
There is a version that the use of scarves married women also associated with religious motives.

Marriage fidelity is interpreted differently by different gypsies. The fidelity of wives is interpreted in exactly the same way: for treason they can be recognized as defiled and kicked out of, ahem, camp (in wild places, a hubby can beat to death), and even more. But in relation to husbands, marital fidelity is asked differently. For some gypsies, this is real fidelity, on the same level as that of wives. Others may be considered unclean if they walk too actively, or bring a contagious disease. At the third, he can walk, but has no right to leave his family without providing for them, i.e. fidelity is expressed financially. Among the Lovars, the concept of marital fidelity is considered to apply only to a woman, and fso. I heard that not only they have, but I can’t say for sure.

Prostitution is prohibited by gypsy law only for women, and same-sex love - only for men. This is theoretical. But in practice, again, there are variations: among Russian Gypsies, male prostitution is prohibited, and a lesbian / bisexual woman will be looked askance at, if not deleted from the list of Gypsies at all. While I heard stories from Czech and Romanian gypsies that men from the environment of French and Spanish gypsies, without any fear of ostracism, can be sold to rich Gadzhik women. Here for what I bought, for that I sell, but I do not exclude such an option.

Gypsies are people without a state. For a long time they were considered immigrants from Egypt and were called the "Pharaoh tribe", but recent studies refute this. In Russia, the gypsies have created a real cult of their music.

Why are gypsies "gypsies"?

Gypsies don't call themselves that. Their most common self-designation for gypsies is "Roma". Most likely, this is the influence of the life of the gypsies in Byzantium, which received this name only after its fall. Prior to that, it was thought of as part of Roman civilization. The common "Romale" is a vocative case from the ethnonym "Roma".

Gypsies also call themselves Sinti, Kale, Manush ("people").

Other peoples call gypsies very differently. In England they are called gypsies (from Egyptians - "Egyptians"), in Spain - gitanos, in France - bohemiens ("Bohemians", "Czechs" or tsiganes (from Greek - τσιγγάνοι, "tsingani"), Jews call gypsies צוענים (tso 'anim), from the name of the biblical province of Zoan in ancient Egypt.

The word "gypsies", familiar to the Russian ear, conditionally goes back to Greek word"attsingani" (αθίγγανος, ατσίγγανος), which means "untouchable". This term is first encountered in the Life of George Athos, written in the 11th century. “Conditionally”, because in this book one of the heretical sects of that time is called “untouchables”. So, it is impossible to say with certainty that the book is about gypsies.

Where did the gypsies come from

In the Middle Ages, gypsies in Europe were considered Egyptians. The word Gitanes itself is derived from the Egyptian. There were two Egyptians in the Middle Ages: upper and lower. Gypsies were so nicknamed, obviously, by the name of the upper one, which was located in the Peloponnese region, from where their migration came. Belonging to the cults of lower Egypt is visible in the life of even modern gypsies.

Tarot cards, which are considered the last surviving fragment of the cult of the Egyptian god Thoth, were brought to Europe by the gypsies. In addition, the gypsies brought the art of embalming the dead from Egypt.

Of course, the gypsies were in Egypt. The route from upper Egypt was probably the main route of their migration. However, modern genetic research proved that the gypsies did not come from Egypt, but from India.

The Indian tradition has been preserved in the Gypsy culture in the form of mindfulness practices. The mechanisms of meditation and gypsy hypnosis are in many ways similar, gypsies are good animal trainers, like Indians. In addition, the gypsies are characterized by the syncretism of spiritual beliefs - one of the features of the current Indian culture.

The first gypsies in Russia

The first gypsies (serva groups) in the Russian Empire appeared in the 17th century on the territory of Ukraine.

The first mention of gypsies in Russian history is found in 1733, in Anna Ioannovna's document on new taxes in the army:

“In addition to the upkeep of the regiments, these are to determine fees from the gypsies, as in Little Russia they are collected from them, both in the Sloboda regiments and in the Great Russian cities and districts assigned to the Sloboda regiments, and for this collection a special person should be identified, since the gypsies are not written in the census.

The next mention of gypsies in Russian historical documents occurs in the same year. According to this document, the gypsies of Ingermanland were allowed to trade in horses, since they “showed themselves to be local natives” (that is, they had lived here for more than a generation).

A further increase in the gypsy contingent in Russia came with the expansion of its territories. When part of Poland was annexed to the Russian Empire, “Polish Roma” appeared in Russia, when Bessarabia was annexed, Moldavian gypsies, after the annexation of Crimea, Crimean gypsies. You need to understand that the gypsies are not a mono-ethnic community, so the migration of different ethnic groups Roma originated in various ways.

On an equal footing

In the Russian Empire, the gypsies were treated quite friendly. On December 21, 1783, the Decree of Catherine II was issued, classifying the gypsies as peasant class. They were taxed. At the same time, no special measures were taken to forcibly enslave the Roma. Moreover, they were allowed to be assigned to any class, except for the nobility.

Already in the Senate decree of 1800 it is said that in some provinces "gypsies have become merchants and petty bourgeois."

Over time, settled gypsies began to appear in Russia, some of them managed to acquire considerable wealth. So, in Ufa lived a gypsy merchant Sanko Arbuzov, who successfully traded horses and had a solid spacious house. His daughter Masha went to the gymnasium and studied French. And Sanko Arbuzov was not alone.

In Russia, the musical and performing culture of the gypsies was appreciated. Already in 1774, Count Orlov-Chesmensky called the first gypsy chapel to Moscow, which later grew into a choir and laid the foundation for professional gypsy performance in the Russian Empire.

IN early XIX century, serf gypsy choirs were released and continued their independent activities in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Gypsy music was an unusually fashionable genre, and the gypsies themselves often assimilated among the Russian nobility - marriages with gypsy girls were quite famous people. Suffice it to recall Leo Tolstoy's uncle Fyodor Ivanovich Tolstoy-American.

Gypsies also helped Russians during wars. In the war of 1812, the gypsy communities donated large sums money for the maintenance of the army, they supplied the best horses for the cavalry, and the gypsy youth went to serve in the uhlan regiments.

TO late XIX centuries, not only Ukrainian, Moldavian, Polish, Russian and Crimean gypsies lived in the Russian Empire, but also Lyuli, Karachi and Bosch (since the annexation of the Caucasus and Central Asia), and at the beginning of the 20th century, Lovaris and Kolderars migrated from Austria-Hungary and Romania.

Currently, the number of European gypsies, according to various estimates, is determined from 8 million to 10-12 million people. There were officially 175,300 people in the USSR (1970 census). In Russia, according to the 2010 census, there are about 220,000 Roma.

Gypsies are an amazing colorful people. Its representatives can be found in any country in the world. For many centuries, nationality was considered a mystery to science. Their origin still causes controversy in the scientific world. And the gypsies themselves are unlikely to think about this issue. After all, one of the ancient legends says that God fell in love with this people for their cheerful disposition and talent, therefore he gave the whole world for life.

According to the most popular hypothesis, the gypsies are from India. Their ancestors allegedly lived in the north-west of the country and in search of a better life rushed to uncharted lands. But according to another version, their exodus from their native places is associated with the resettlement of Muslims. The main occupations of the gypsies at all times were songs and dances, as well as jewelry and blacksmithing.

It is believed that finally the gypsy people, in the form as we know it in modern world formed in the first century AD. Initially, the tribes roamed in Asia on the outskirts Byzantine Empire, after which they gradually spread throughout Europe, North Africa. And in the nineteenth century, the fact of their appearance in North America and Australia.

There are many other versions about the origin of the gypsies. Scientists are looking for their roots in Egypt, Persia and African countries. But millennia have already passed since the gypsies left their ancient homeland, so it is unlikely that anyone will be able to reliably say where their genus originated.

Gypsies is a complex name for a people consisting of several nationalities. It can be argued that the gypsies in each of the countries are different. In this regard, they are no different, for example, from the "Slavs" or "Scandinavians". All gypsies have in common only a language that belongs to the Indo-European group. But, nevertheless, there are many different dialects and dialects, depending on where you live.

Today, nomadic Gypsy tribes are rare. Since the 18th century, this nation began to prefer a settled way of life, and in the modern world there are no mass migrations of gypsies.

Today, most of the Roma live in the United States - about a million people. In second place in terms of the number of settled representatives of this nationality is Brazil, where approximately 600 thousand people live. In European countries, there are about 10 million Roma according to the censuses.

Gypsies in all ages were enveloped in a mysterious atmosphere. This nationality is unique in that, without having their own state, its representatives managed to preserve their own identity. Around them at all times there were many rumors related to their mystical natural abilities, aimed at attracting wealth and prosperity. Gypsies were prescribed unique abilities to predict the future. Gypsy witchcraft is very popular in the modern high-tech world.

A distinctive natural feature of the Gypsies is a benevolent character, therefore, with a nomadic lifestyle, they easily converged with people of other nationalities. Thus, over the centuries, various knowledge and experience have been accumulated, which have been passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, the gypsies were able to preserve the ancient knowledge of magic, which has always been part of the culture. ancient people. IN magical practice ancient people there are many ancient signs and beliefs.

The most famous in the field of wealth and well-being are the following:

• If, while relaxing in nature, you notice that a red ant has crawled up to you. This means that in the near future we can expect an improvement in well-being;
• You should make a wish related to money, looking at the sky: if the first bird appears on the right side, there will be profit, on the left - losses;
• To receive money, on the full moon, looking at the moon, turn over a silver coin in your own pocket;
• A woman with chest hair will always achieve financial well-being in life;
• A few red hairs in a man's beard testifies to his financial well-being.

In addition to various signs and beliefs, gypsy magic includes a huge number of rituals and ceremonies aimed at bringing to life:

• financial well-being;
• love;
• Good luck.

As a rule, rites and rituals are simple, and their power is associated with hypnosis, which is an innate gift for many gypsies. That is why many representatives of the gypsy people provide magical services. It is noteworthy that only gypsies have natural clairvoyance and a hypnotic gift.

Since gypsy magic includes many curses, many esotericists classify it as dark. In rituals, not only hypnotic influence is often used, but also elements of voodoo. The effectiveness of rituals is enhanced by binding to the lunar cycles.

Very often, professional gypsy witches can curse a person by order, even at a distance. This is done through some kind of charmed object, which is subsequently transferred to the victim. A gypsy can jinx not only by looking into her eyes, but also by uttering curses in the back of a departing person.

You can resist the gypsy curse only without believing in it, in which case you can protect yourself even from the very strong evil eye own energy field. In addition, you should be aware that severe damage only a professional sorceress can bring, so you should hardly be afraid of gypsy beggars who work in crowded places. But it’s better not to talk to gypsies on the street, because the representatives of the ancient nation are almost all excellent psychologists by nature. Therefore, they unmistakably know how to choose those who are most susceptible to hypnotic influence. If you did not stop and noticed that the gypsy began to whisper something after you, it is recommended to get a small mirror and turn it to the gypsy's face. You can also just walk away, clenching your hands tightly into fists.

Gypsies can predict the fate of a person. Basically, for this, they just need to look at a person’s hand. Knowledge in the field of palmistry has been accumulated over the centuries and passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, looking at the small lines in the palm of a person, an experienced fortune teller can immediately see a predisposition to diseases, a state of health, intellectual ability, character traits. But in order to predict fate, it is necessary long time to study and analyze the drawing, so if you are predicted for a few minutes, then you have an ordinary charlatan in front of you. You should know that professional witches and fortune-tellers do not offer their services on the streets with a requirement to gild a pen.

Tarot cards are also often used for divination, which are laid out in a special way. Such fortune-telling is only one of the options for a person's fate. Therefore, this method of gypsy prediction can be considered useful hint but not as a guide to further action.

Maria Bachenina: Hello!

Konstantin Kuksin: Hello!

Daniil Kuznetsov: Good afternoon.

M.B.: When I suggested that you talk about the gypsies, you said that they are your favorite people. In short, why do you love him?

K.K.: I fell in love with the gypsies when I went to them on my first expedition. I prepared seriously, knowing what they were - I put all the money on the card, and sewed the card under my shirt, because I knew that I would be immediately deceived or robbed. And then I became friends with them. And if I had to lead a nomadic life, I would probably live with the gypsies. From the very beginning, this people seemed interesting and close to me, and quite recently I found out that my great-grandfather is a gypsy. All the time I thought that my grandmother was Jewish: dark-haired, Yakovlevna. And dad recently said that his great-grandfather was a gypsy. Gypsy Yakov, violinist, 13 children.

M.B.: How did you agree with them? It's like coming to someone else's house and asking to live.

K.K.: And what is the work of a field anthropologist or ethnographer in general? We arrive, we see a yurt in the steppe, we go in, we say that we came from afar, we study different cultures. It saves that people are almost all hospitable. You are invited, and then, in the process of communication, relationships either develop or they don’t. If they don’t add up, which I didn’t have, I have to go to another yurt, tent, yaranga. But usually the relationship develops, and you stay there to live. They are also interested: came Not a common person from afar. The question always arises who studies whom: we them or they us.

It was difficult with the gypsies, because this is a closed community. They divide everyone into their own and others. Gypsies are " romale", "roma".

M.B.: That's what they call themselves, right?

K.K.: Yes, it's self-titled. And all the rest - "shit". "Gazhi" ("gadzhi") are not gypsies, they treat them badly. If shit is treated badly, then you can deceive them, cheat them, this is not a sin. It is very difficult to understand this line between "gazhi" and "romale". And if this can be done, then the gypsies become your friends and begin to trust you.

D.K.: And how does it 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 on it, the gypsy children came running and dragged me to the camp themselves. The men forge there, I know how to forge. And in the evening we already danced together. Somewhere the gypsies live in poverty, but we bought a car of food, came to them, fed them and it began: songs, dances.

Gypsies are afraid of 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 as it was with fortune-telling: we arrived at the camp and asked to tell fortunes. The gypsies said they would tell fortunes, but later. And then we became friends, sang, danced. In the morning we wake up, again we ask to tell fortunes, and they answer us that they cannot: they don’t guess their own. But they promised, so they got into the car, brought a fortune-teller from a neighboring camp, she told us fortune-telling.

M.B.: That is, they do not guess each other?

K.K.: Gypsies are not allowed to 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 bit of a hoax. As the Russians say, if you don't cheat, you won't sell.

M.B.: Do they participate in the census?

K.K.: Yes but not all. Finding out how many Gypsies exactly is very difficult.

M.B.: How are they treated in the world?

K.K.: Differently. In general, Russians initially treat gypsies well. We are just such a people, we treat everyone in principle well. We may laugh at someone, but we still love. If the Russians were different, there would be no 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 did not even dare to tell him that we were going to them.

D.K.: That is, there are stereotypes everywhere that gypsies are thieves and swindlers?

M.B.: Why didn't they historically organize their 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 a king?” The gypsy scratched his head and said: “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. The Jews are made whole by the religion of the chosen people, and the gypsies are made by the feeling that they are gypsies, not like everyone else. And also the caste system.

M.B.: How is their society organized then? Does it exist - landless, stateless?

K.K.: Yes.

M.B.: What are the laws, rules, procedures?

K.K.: The first is the myth about who the "gypsy baron" is. Nothing to do with title of nobility it doesn't, it's from a 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 agreed. In general, if I take responsibility, then people say that "here he is, our baron." If I did wrong, 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 "Chris"- gathering of gypsies. Solution Chris- the law even for the baron.

D.K.: That is, the gypsies practically have a republic?

K.K.: These are such clans where several families live together and roam together. Sometimes other families join them. AND Chris decides everything. It is, in fact, direct democracy. And the right to vote there have, for example, adult women.

M.B.: Do they go to church? They are also Orthodox.

K.K.: Necessarily. They are Christians. IN Soviet time when the Russian crosses were taken down and the icons were thrown away, the gypsies remained Christians. Gypsies who lived in Ottoman Turkey paid taxes 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 kitsch style, but they are sincere believers: there is a God who loves them very much. "Saint George just stopped by, his golden stirrup was stolen."

M.B.: So this is such a naive belief?

K.K.: A very lively, genuine faith.

M.B.: I wanted to ask about the funeral. Is it a tradition that they bury with property, in the clothes in which a person died, and in order to fit everything, 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.

K.K.: Yes, yes, jeeps and computers are buried. These are remnants of paganism.

M.B.: They then guard these graves, excuse me for the cynicism?

K.K.: No one dares 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 a criminal chronicle about them for 600 years.

M.B.: How do they take revenge? It seemed to me that gypsies do not kill.

K.K.: They don't kill. This has been going on since Indian times: if you kill, you spoil your karma. Religion has changed a long time ago, but it remains. Kills are extremely rare. To deceive, to steal - yes, it's not even very sinful, but to kill - no. But burning down a village is easy.

M.B.:"Not touchy, but I'll burn down the house."

D.K.: It turns out that their religion is syncretic: there are elements of Christianity, Hinduism, paganism.

K.K.: The gypsies came from India, and for a long time people thought what kind of caste it was. They thought that they were the lowest, since they were all persecuted there, and here they are humiliated. 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 black metal, he could not do anything else. If earlier the gypsy bred horses, now he sells cars, and so on.

M.B.: But we live in the 21st century. Can't a man be born who will say that he doesn't want to sell cars?

K.K.: They will say to him: "Well, get out of here, live off the shit, go to university." There are many gypsies higher education, This beautiful people. They are gypsies by blood, but not in their heads.

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. Here I have a great-grandfather - a gypsy, and what do I do? I sing, I dance, I tell you stories.

There are exceptions, but the gypsies are trying to find these niches in the changed world. There were horses, now cars.

M.B.: If a gypsy goes into society, has he already strayed from the camp, is he on his own?

K.K.: Most likely, he will live in the city, will not roam, will leave traditions. As a result, his descendants will dissolve into another ethnic group.

M.B.: Continuing on with traditions, what can you tell us about gypsy weddings? A recent video on the Internet amazed everyone: there was a bride hung with money, gold. This is crazy money, they save 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 am going to you with a birch, the branches of which are made of euros and dollars, and I say: "You have goods, we have a merchant, let's talk." For two weeks you say "no", and I feed your camp these two weeks. When you said okay, let's get married, you already feed my camp, and I give you gold coin, which will hang over the cradle. That is, the girl at birth is already betrothed.

And if I, the father of a 15-year-old boy, lost time and went to the camps, thinking that I would find a clever and beautiful girl for him now, there will be girls with coins everywhere - everyone is betrothed. And I will already think that at least some would be found. 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 given in marriage. They are moved to chastity.

M.B.: Of course, if a girl is married 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 that a gypsy was a prostitute. It is amazing.

M.B.: No rape either?

K.K.: No. At the age of 11, she is still definitely a girl, I give her away, then answer for her.

D.K.: Do divorces happen?

K.K.: No. Sometimes they run away.

M.B.: Adultery?

K.K.: Here is a girl in her cradle, growing up, met a boy, fell in love, and must marry another gypsy, whom she does not even know. And she runs away.

I had a case in Romania. We go to a gypsy, the translator calls her, and she says: "Don't tell your father, I ran away, we are already at the German border." If you escaped, there begins such a commotion, the chase is horror. You need to run to any church, fall at the feet of the priest: "Marry, we love each other." Or in another camp, where they are not known, the baron will marry.

M.B.: Will they ever forgive their own?

D.K.: Or how will they be punished if caught?

K.K.: They won't kill him, but they will beat him seriously. 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 the shackles and shackle her, I’m a blacksmith, for example, so that I don’t bring shame on the family. Here it is, the notorious gypsy freedom.

D.K.: Can another camp accept them?

K.K.: Maybe. It may be that they ran after them, and the baron has already married them, he has the right to do so.

M.B.: With all these gypsy "show-offs", begging is not considered a humiliating occupation?

K.K.: What is humiliating about it?

M.B.: For example, it is difficult for me to say: "Give me money."

K.K.: This is a women's caste job. 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, as it were, steals. Then they change. They follow the 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 cannot break themselves, but in general this is very Christian, this is humility: fall on your knees, cry, pull at your clothes, pity.

M.B.: This is an excellent master class: asking for help must be taught from childhood.

K.K.: And that's not bad. 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: there, everyone was chasing her, she walked barefoot in winter. And, if she begged for something, you don’t need to miss the person: “Oh, a kind person, clear eyes, tender heart, let me tell you a fortune.

M.B.: Is it gratitude? Or to take everything else?

K.K.: See what kind of person. They can just tell fortunes, or they can spin it further.

D.K.: Hypnotize.

K.K.: Yes. We spent a whole budget on the study of gypsy fortune-telling. Everything is very simple: when a gypsy asks for your hair, wraps it in a piece of paper, she does not pull out money from you. Earrings in her ears swing, she mumbles something - it's like a trance. I kept trying to trace the moment when my consciousness changes. This is impossible.

D.K.: Have you been hypnotized?

K.K.: Yes, sure. Class! Twice I met real fortune-tellers. They talk all the time. All the rest are super-psychologists, they absorb it with their mother's milk. They immediately see in a crowd of people 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 many people there.

K.K.: More on the subway.

D.K.: Is the person confused?

K.K.: The man has fallen out of his usual environment. He comes to Moscow from the provinces, he is already shattered. Not far from the museum of the Matrona of Moscow 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 guesses based on? You can guess on the cards, on the hand ...

K.K.: I can guess anything. I can take your phone and tell fortunes on it.

M.B.: So they have different ways?

K.K.: Certainly. We guessed on the shell, on the icon Mother of God, on an old coin. This is psychology. Of course, there are special card layouts. Moreover, gypsies guess, and men rarely guess. I am familiar with one English gypsy - a very strong fortuneteller. One day he predicted the death of a family, and within a year they all died. After that, he picked up this deck, threw it into the river and never guessed again.

D.K.:: Is this a regular deck or tarot?

K.K.: You can guess on the Tarot, you can on the usual ones, the main thing is that they are not played.

M.B.: And how not to succumb or how to get out of a hypnotic state? A doctor friend wrote to me that the vegetative system is malfunctioning, peripheral vision is disappearing, everything is bubbling. I was hypnotized, I can say that you feel that you are doing something wrong, against your will, but you do it anyway. It's hard to believe.

D.K.: Can you describe some tricks?

K.K.: They look into the eyes. They have a special frequency of speech, timbre. It's like hitting a shaman's tambourine. And gradually in this way they are introduced into a trance. There is a method of questions: tell me this, that. If she guessed something, she says: "You see, I see you." If not, then ask for more information. And so you spread everything about your life, then she brings you out of a trance by clapping her hands and says: "I know everything about you!" And tells all about your life. It makes a lasting impression, and you begin to believe.

It's harder for men, of course. If possible, the gypsy will approach the girl, because they are ready to believe her. Although there are young men naive. On my expedition, three girls went to tell fortunes. One sobbed uncontrollably, the other also sobbed, began to take everything off herself. It was our camp, the gypsies, our friends, are laughing. And then one employee went - a student of a shaman. It was the "Battle of Psychics". He put up barriers, the gypsy just shuddered. Grandma was smitten. I say to the girl: "Have pity on the old woman, her blow is enough now." In general, it turned out that these are very similar methods of introducing into a trance.

M.B.: I found instructions on the Internet on how to protect yourself from gypsies: "You will need a pocket mirror. Do not look the fortune tellers in the eyes, when you meet, try to turn away and leave as quickly as possible, speed up your step if she follows you. Do not be rude and do not try to hurt - it will only harm you. If, nevertheless, a gypsy approaches you, take out a mirror and point it at her. It is believed that this will turn all her words and intentions against herself. 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.: Against the Basilisk, the mirror helped Harry Potter, I remember.

M.B.: More Aspen stake helps someone.

K.K.: Yes, and silver bullets. It's very simple: don't look into your eyes. Or, if a gypsy woman came up on the train, you can say: “How cool! Are you gypsies? Where is your camp? I work at the Museum of Nomadic Culture, I write scientific work about your people, let's go to you?" You will not have time to finish, as they will no longer be there. They like to find out everything about others, but he does not want to tell himself. And if you are invited ... Well, go to the camp, get to know the gypsies .

M.B.: And who is the owner of the house?

K.K.: Man. Absolute master.

M.B.: And what is the functionality of a woman, her sacred duties? And the duties of men?

K.K.: First, a ransom is set for the girl, and a dowry must be with the girl. The gypsies try to keep the ransom and dowry at the same price. And this is publicly given away, otherwise the camp will say: "We bought her, who is she?" The position of women among the Gypsies is not high, especially among the young. If she gave birth to children, then the situation is better. But an adult gypsy who raised her sons is a very respected woman. It happens that she even manages the camp.

M.B.: And 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.: This is not only the gypsies say.

K.K.: They adore children, this is their main wealth. They are allowed everything, they are not punished. It happens that the father will give in the ass, and then: "Oh, little one, give me a kiss, why am I like that." Strictness cannot be brought up by children. They can do everything. There is a gypsy baby walking in the train or in the subway, pestering everyone, and mommy smiles: what a fine fellow!

D.K.: Until what age is he considered a child?

K.K.: At 11-12 years old, the boy is already an adult man. He walks with his head held high: he is a gypsy!

M.B.: What are they preparing?

K.K.: Gypsies have always lived inside another people. No gypsy costume, 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, what they ask for is what they eat. Or they would beg for clothes and the man would say: "Switch into gypsy!" Of course not. Usually they bake cakes 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 Can and fruit in tea add.

The gypsies also ate hedgehogs. I haven't tried it myself, but the hedgehogs were baked and eaten.

D.K.: With needles?

K.K.: Yes, they baked with needles, and then somehow removed them. That's exotic, yes.

M.B.: What kind of meat do they prefer?

K.K.: What is. But everything will be at the wedding. When in the old days the gypsies played a wedding, they bought a barrel of moonshine, drove it on horseback and watered all the Russian villages.

D.K.: You mentioned gypsy children, but we've all read Hugo's 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.: And he also has a book "The Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris about the stolen Esmeralda.

D.K.: Is it based on real facts at all?

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 do not steal children. There are many of their 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. It is impossible to find a nobody's 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 drinks. And the gypsy family is childless, and they begged them for children, even offered money. And the children were given 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 they say: "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, my mother is guessing 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" among themselves and there is an accumulation of recessive genes ...

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 we have gypsies for thousands of years.

K.K.: But we take from another camp, from our own it is impossible. That is, this is exogamy - they marry not 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 it?

K.K.: No, he brought her to the camp, the poor one. He loved her madly. They had 13 children. When she died of typhus, he was completely lost, not knowing how to raise them. Part attached to orphanages, part 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 the orphanage and gathered everyone. Gypsies do not abandon their own, this is very important.

M.B.: Do gypsies drink?

K.K.: Can not be. Even the people who in the Middle Ages were given 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 a huge amount of alcohol. They walk, but they know the measure. Two young gypsies are on duty all the time. If someone is dazed, he is led under white hands to a special room. If on gypsy holiday there will be someone drunk - it's a shame. Getting drunk in Russian villages is normal, but they themselves drink moderately.

M.B.: What is your favorite gypsy movie?

K.K.: A lot of.

M.B.: And the most favorite?

K.K.: I like "The Hare Above the Abyss" very much. 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: "Bring me Brezhnev's limousine like a horse, then it's yours." And a film about how he is looking for this car.

M.B.: And they have become less popular compared to Soviet times? "The camp goes to the sky", "My affectionate and gentle beast", "Cruel romance", "Elusive avengers". It was some kind of boom, romance.

K.K.: It was not a boom, but competent work with the population of the Soviet government. Gypsies began to be taken to school, they received citizenship. They worked with them, they were not driven, as in Europe. And, of course, it was necessary popular culture to introduce some positive image of the "new gypsy".

M.B.: And which of the Soviet films is the most truthful?

K.K.:"Tabor Goes to Heaven" is a good movie.

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 wandered with the gypsies, he fell in love with Zemfira. Everyone understood that a Russian nobleman would never marry a tabor gypsy, especially Pushkin. And he followed her, and her father sent her to another camp. But this is Pushkin! He has two pistols in his belt - and in pursuit. And the baron met him: “Oh, what have you done! Why did you chase after my Zemfira? yesterday". Pushkin sobbed for two weeks, and Zemfira successfully married a gypsy.

D.K.: The poet was deceived.

K.K.: They did not deceive, but planted a plot on him. And he poured out all his longing in the poem "Gypsies".

M.B.: Are the names Zemfira, Carmen, Esmeralda still popular?

K.K.: Eat gypsy names which are very popular. Loiko, for example. Or Nasko - derived from Atanas. There are Byzantine names, Slavic. 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 are watching Indian films without translation, everyone understands. 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 it plain language? Is it easy to learn?

K.K.: Not easy, but learnable. I sing songs in gypsy. Sing and learn the words.

D.K.: Everyone has seen the Brad Pitt movie big jackpot", Gypsies appear there. They are also in Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about Sherlock Holmes. But in fact, almost all of them are ethnically Irish. They are called payvies, 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, they lived there for 300 years. They wrote about them that they were useful people, they did all the work, began to lead a sedentary lifestyle. But these gypsies were not upper castes, poorly knew the Vedic religion and adopted Greek Orthodox Christianity. Moreover, while 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 part of the Gypsies decided to go to the West. There were many adventurers there - who are not such people, they will drop everything and leave? And they came to Europe. If all gypsies were honest, their fate might have turned out differently. Because they turned the people against themselves in many ways. The very first were groups that made it to England and Ireland. They sailed there, but where next? There are few gypsies, closely related marriages are prohibited, so they began to mix with the British and Irish. Therefore, their appearance has changed, and the language and traditions have remained gypsy. They were the first settlers from Byzantium to Western Europe- Travellers. Now many 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. Do not offend them, treat them like people, and they will treat you the same way. The main thing is to break the gap between the "gage" and "Roma". I succeeded, you can too!

Gypsies are one of the most, perhaps, incomprehensible and mythologized peoples on our planet, and this has been the case for many centuries. There are rumors around the world that when gypsies come to town, they seduce men and women and then steal everything they see, including children.

There are also many myths about cunning and mysterious gypsy fortune-tellers and gypsy camps. In any case, even if we put all the myths and misconceptions aside, the gypsies remain one of the most interesting ethnic groups in history.

WHERE THEY COME FROM

The origin of the gypsies is shrouded in mystery. Sometimes it seemed that they appeared on the planet in some mysterious way. This in itself may have evoked a sense of fear among the Europeans and contributed to an atmosphere of mystery around the Roma. Modern scholars suggest that the Gypsies originally migrated en masse from India in the fifth century.

This theory suggests that their flight was due to the spread of Islam, which the Roma were desperate to avoid in order to protect their religious freedom. This theory claims that the Gypsies migrated from India to Anatolia and further to Europe, where they split into three separate branches: Domari, Lomavren, and the Gypsies themselves. Another theory suggests that there were as many as three separate migrations over several centuries.

THE NOMADIC LIFESTYLE OF THE GYPSIES

Many stereotypes have been formed around the gypsies for a long time. Who does not know the phrase “gypsy soul” (which is applied to freedom-loving people). According to these stereotypes, gypsies prefer to live, as they say, not in the “mainstream” and shun social norms to be able to lead a nomadic life full of fun and dancing. The truth is much darker.

For many centuries, the Roma were often forcibly expelled from the countries in which they lived. Such forced evictions continue to this day. Many historians have suggested that true reason The nomadic lifestyle of the Gypsies is very simple: survival.

Gypsies have no homeland

Gypsies are people without a specific citizenship. Most countries refuse to grant them citizenship, even if they were born in that country. Centuries of persecution and their closed community have left the Gypsies with no homeland. In 2000, the Roma were officially declared a non-territorial nation. This lack of citizenship renders Roma legally “invisible”.

Although they are not subject to the laws of any country, they cannot access education, health care and other social services. Moreover, the Roma cannot even obtain passports, which makes their travel very difficult or impossible.

Gypsy persecution

It's worth starting with the fact that the gypsies were actually enslaved people in Europe, especially in the 14th - 19th centuries. They were traded and sold like a commodity, and they were considered "subhuman". In the 1700s, Maria Theresa, the Empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, passed a law that outlawed the gypsies. This was done to force the Roma to integrate into society.

Similar laws have been passed in Spain, and many European countries Gypsies were banned from entering their territory. The Nazi regime also persecuted and exterminated Roma by the tens of thousands. Even today, gypsies are persecuted.

NO ONE KNOWS HOW MANY GYPSIES THERE ARE IN THE WORLD

No one knows how many gypsies live all over the world today. Because of the discrimination Roma often face, many of them do not publicly register or identify as Roma. In addition, given their “legal invisibility”, the birth of children without documents and frequent moves, many Roma are listed as missing.

Also problematic is that Roma are not provided with social services, which would help to paint a clearer picture of their numbers. However, The New York Times estimates the number of Roma worldwide at 11 million, a figure often disputed.

Gypsies - an offensive word

For many people, the term "gypsy" means nomad and is not considered a racial slur. But for the “Roma” themselves (or “Romals” - the self-name of the gypsies), this word has ominous overtones. For example, according to the Oxford Dictionary English word“gypped” (derived from “gypsie” - gypsies) means a criminally punishable act.

Roma, often referred to as gypsies, were considered losers and thieves, a word burned into their skin during the Nazi regime. Like many other racial slurs, the word "Gypsy" has been used for centuries to oppress the Roma.

FUTURE, CHEAP…

There are many myths surrounding gypsies. One of these myths says that the gypsies have their own magic, which has been passed down for centuries from generation to generation. The myth is associated with tarot cards, crystal balls and fortune-telling tents, as well as other stereotypes. Literature is replete with references to the gypsy language and the magical arts of this people.

In addition, there are many films that show the curses of gypsies. Even in art, there are many paintings describing Roma as mystical and magical people. However, many scientists believe that all this magic is fiction, derived from the fact that people simply did not know anything about gypsies at all.

NO FORMAL RELIGION

European folklore often claims that the Roma made a temple out of cream cheese. Presumably, they ate it when a period of severe famine set in, so they were left without an official religion. As a rule, gypsies join the church that is the most common in the country in which they live. However, there are many traditional gypsy beliefs. Some scholars believe that there are many links between Roma beliefs and Hinduism.

MODESTY

Although gypsy weddings often accompanied by mass festivities and luxurious attire, one of their main life principles- modesty. Gypsy dances are most often associated with women's belly dancing. However, many gypsy women never performed what is commonly considered belly dancing today.

Instead, they perform traditional dances that use only their bellies for movement, not their hips, as hip movements are considered immodest. In addition, the long, flowing skirts commonly worn by gypsies serve to cover their legs, as exposing the legs is also considered immodest.

THE GYPSY CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD CULTURE IS HUGE

From the very beginning of their existence, the gypsies have been closely associated with singing, dancing and acting. They carried this tradition through the centuries, significantly influenced world art. Many gypsies assimilated into different cultures, influencing them. Many singers, actors, artists, etc. had gypsy roots.