GYPSIES - Bi kheresco, bi limoresco ("without house, without grave") Hiding the truth to the gadge Gypsies are very secretive people. They always hide their true nature from our societies, and little is actually known about them. For Gypsies, knowledge and persecution were always closely associated. From the military operations at the end of 19th century "to keep track of them" (in France), to the "anthropometric notebook" in the beginning of the 20th century in western europe, they remarked that gadje knowledge only result in more efficient persecution techniques. This culminated in nazi period, when well informed and well organized police included them into the holocaust. This is the reason why studies about them are so difficult: Gypsies are often defiant with anthropologists, as they generally don't want to be studied at all. So, either you don't want to write anything about them, and they eventually speak to you; or you want study them and you'll never get any useful data (nothing which is exactely true). For gadge, knowledge brings control, and they don't want to be controlled by gadge. Very often, historical studies about Gypsies begin in police archive, which contains largest data about them. But there, you can only find biased informations (as most governemts don't search true knowledge, but only alibis to justify their persecutions). For us, gadje, it seems obvious that better knowledge brings better understanding. To them, it seems obvious that secret is the best way to retain some security and some freedom. So, they carefully maintain the haze of legend that surrounds them; and disseminate a lot of inexact informations about them. Romany and nomadism Romani culture is very complex, very flexible and very adaptative. They are so flexible that Romanies never formed a single culture, but rather a wide family of related cultures. Although they are in perpetual adaptation, they respect their tradition and their past. A long time ago, reject from other people (and economic necessity) made them nomads, and they made their traditions from that nomadism. They generally moved on a fixed circuit annually (or, at least, on a few different circuits) to exploit small economic opportunities left over by the sedentary people. They forged their culture in the small cracks and gaps from our own; and, as our culture organize and manage everything, places left for them reduces every day, but they continue to adapt themselves to the new conditions. They can still blur their tracks, but today, they cannot remain totally uncontrolled anymore. Lately, occidental societies tried to assimilate gypsies. This was seldom successful. Gypsies know most things about us, they now have an opportunity to join our way of life, but they still choose the hard way most of the time, refusing integration, keeping their traditions, despite persecutions, poverty and lack of material comfort. They always feel they are different; and they often present themselves as a society opposed to ours in everything. Gypsies almost never mix with other people from the countries where they live or travel. Through a growing sense of order and organization, occidental countries could force them to settle. But, even then, they seldom mix with gaje society, retaining all their specificities, all their culture. Even sedentary, they never became slaves from their material possessions. So, when condition changes, from time to time, "settled" roms abandon everything and revert to their nomadic life, as soon as they find an advantage to do this (or even if they just have an occasion to do so). They never have a fixed place in our society, with a steady work, and constant possessions. They constantly change everything, as often as they can. They are fast to escape all official status whenever they can. A Rom is always a "traveller" in the society, even when he or she cannot move everyday over the land... EUROPEAN ROM FIRST NAMES Female: Aniki Choomia Danitza Djodji Dori Feri Gizella Judi Kefa Keja Lali Leena Liouba/Lyuba Lisa Loiza Mala Martyia Mossia Moussa Nonoka Ola Oulia Pika Rupa Sizma Sounya Tokaya Tshaya Ursula Uva Zita Male: Boboko Gabor Gyula Jal Janfri Janosh Jorska Joska Kerio Kore Luluvo Nanosh Marko Mate Melalo Mihali Milosh Moshto Pulika Pulitza Punka Romano Stevo Tibo Tshukurka Yayal Yojo LANGUAGE NOTES arakav tut: beware, be careful. ashen Devlesa: may god stay with you. bater: so it will be. baXt: good luck. o Beng: something like the devil, the ultimate evil bi kashtesco merel i yag: without wood, fire dies. bi kheresco, bi limoresco: without house, without grave boshbaro: (nm m) large violin. boshengro: violonist bostaris: bastard, unpleasant people bozur: rom game, where money circulate fast from hand to hand. chal: (nm m) man chao: green tea, boiled with sugar, and consummed with fresh fruits che chorobia!: it's weird; "what a stupid thing!" chi: (nm f) woman czardas: musical finale, fast and shiny; pure musical feeling. darana swatura: story just for fun Devlesa: God (not always christian God). Devlesa arakam tume: we found you with God's help diklo: traditionnal Rom scarf dilo: (nm m) fool; dile (nm. pl.); dili (nm. f.) Dook: abbreviation for Dukkerin (the "Sight") draba: rom magic (talismans, amulets, oils and potions) drabarne: (plural) wizards (male: drabarno, female: drabarni) droboy tume Romale: traditionnal expression meaning "welcome" Dukkerin: the "Sight". feri ando payi sisholpe le nayuas: it's within water that you learn to swim gadje: (nm/adj pl.) not roms; gadji (nm f); gadjo (nm m) gadje si dilo: people who are not roms are fools. Grast: Horse kesali: faerie, spirit of the woods khanamik: father of a young married man or woman. Martyia: spirit of the night; angel of Death. Kris: gathering of elders, making universal decisions among the roms; Rom special court; law of the Roms. kumpania: group of roms, travelling together (or living together). khelimaski djili: slow song/experience song. This kind of song is based on a personnal experi- ence of the singer. Before siging, he or she announces the subject with a small introduction. After the song, there is often a debate about the subject in the kumpania. Never sung in pres- ence of a gadje. loki djili: fast song. song for dance. Thats the only rom music known by gadje. Lowe: Money marhime: (adj.) ritually dishonored; tarnished; sullyed Mas: Meat misto kedast tute: you did well mobile: car Moshto: God of Life, with 3 sons. mulengri dori: string of the dead. This is the string which fasten the shroud of a dead. Before burning the dead, it is given to the closest relative of the dead. This string has 3 knots. When the possessor of a mulengro dori is in great need of help, he or she unties a knot. The dead is summoned and will help is relative. mule: (nm.pl.) ghosts (nm m. mulo; nm. f. muli) spirits of dead roms. na may kharunde kai tshi khal tut: you don't have to scratch where it doesn't itch nano: (nm.m.) uncle natsia (pl. natsyi): tribe nivasi: (nm.f.) faerie (pl. nivase), spirits of the water pools and springs. paramitsha: fairy tale. pattrin (nm.n.)(pl. patteran): (I found inadequate the definition given in the White Wolf's book). Patteran are small signs that a Romany leaves along a road, on a gaje house, or on other supports to give a piece of information to others Romanies which will follow the same path. It could be a nick on a tree, a sign on a wall, or some piled stones. Phuri Dae are able to read signs that no other Romany left: this `mystic' signs come from the nature herself. They need kin eyes to see them, and smart brain to interpret them. pen: (pl. pene) sister perdal l paya: country beyond the water (America) phral Rom: true rom, pure rom. phuri dae: wise woman. phuvus: faerie of the underground pivli: widow pliashka: traditionnal cognac drank by the father of the bride, the night of the wedding. pomana: evening gatherings around a fire. prala: frere prikaza: bad luck, misfortune rom baro (f. rom bari; pl. rom bare): chief of a kumpania (means something like "big rom"). san tu Rom?: Are you gypsy? sarishan: How are you? (traditionnal rom welcome) shanglo (nm. m.) (f. shangli; pl. shangle): cop, policeman swato: history of the roms. Set of stories constituting Rom oral tradition. te aves yertime mander tai te yertil tut o Del: I forgive you; may god forgive you too. te merav ...: let me die if ... te xal o rako lengo gortinao: may cancer eat their throat. tsera: tent tshatshimo romano: truth is said in romani urme: spirits (either benevolent or malevolent) responsible for the fate of men. also: gypsies with faerie origins. Vadni Ratsa: wild goose of the romani folklore. vardo/vurdon: caravan, trailer yekka buliasa nashti beshes pe done grastende: with only one arse, you cannot ride two horses at the same time.