What is a gypsy?

Question

I don't know if they are a myth or not but I don't know what it means.

Answer 1

I am coming out of hiding because I am reading so much hooey in this thread that I thought you should hear from a Gypsy... himself.

We are not a lifestyle, we are not even a culture, though we have one. We are a GENETIC ETHNICITY. "Gypsyness" is not determined by lifestyle or desire. It is carried on our DNA. You cannot become one. You are born one or you are not.

Here is a post of mine about the Roma in the Holocaust:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApDOAeBL02vZEtDbjjyGYBXty6IX?qid=20070318183801AAu8Dyz

Living in tents is NOT a prerequisite for a Gypsy. That is not part of the rule book. Ok, there IS no rule book. We live however we wish. I live in a nice home, thankyou.

If you want the baby kindapping story, here it is:

Over the centuries, Gadje wanted us to move on from wherever we were camping. They needed an excuse to kick over our stewpots so our families would starve. They started the "baby stealing" stories so they could justify coming, en masse, into our camps, kick over our stewpots, and, thus, render at least one family hungry for the night. Kicking some Romani *ss usually accompanied this because it was never ONE Gadje. This was fun for them.

Here is the origin of this story from another version: "keep your kids away from the Gypsies, they will steal them and sell them to carnivals". Another version: "if you leave your child ouside a store, a Gypsy is going to come along and swap your child for hers so hers can have a good home/so she can sell yours to a carnival".

Hooey. traditional Romani are very insular and would not have a Gadje baby. Traditionally, Romani will not associate with Gadje. Also, our women are fantatic mothers. We have VERY strong family values.

We have a very rich culture. We are not a subclass that runs from place to place. I discuss our culture here:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhUcdwmgdnj6SIGesTIrO9sAAAAA?qid=20070416234859AAlHOTO

Here is a question I answered about our music:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiqtAVALx1Hyu7uCvScgLZYjzKIX?qid=20070413205541AAKBvZ9

Do not let your head be filled with hooey. I AM Romani. I am a Gypsy. I am probably a little better informed than most Gadje (non-Gypsy).

We are accused of being theifs. Here is a question where I discussed, in depth, Romani crime:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvnEUeXV_iOdo3sgi34FLA_sy6IX?qid=20070425234339AANGrZn&show=7#profile-info-63PCgHbkaa
----I apologize for my horrific spelling. I was very fatigued.

Here is one of my answers, copied and pasted:

Most of us do not live in closed communities in America, though there are some (lucky them). There are single Romani family units or even lone Romani (like me). I can tell you that the family and community ties and desires for the community are such that I wish I had one. And, yes, in Romani communities, Gadje, except for the VERY few, are not trusted.

Our language is called Romanes, Romani, Romany, or Romani Chib and is not standardized due to dialects and that it has only been written down. Unfortunately, I do not remember much of what my father taught me as a youth and I only have recently started relearning any of it.

"Gypsy" is an umbrella term that covers Romani, Sinti, Black Dutch, Irish Travellers, and many more.

It is an incorrect term, originating from the belief that Romani (the largest ethnic group under the umbrella term "Gypsy") were from Egypt. We are orignally from the Punjab region of India, originally, migrating all over the world.

"Gypsy" is considered a generally derogatory term. However, many of us do not mind it if it is used without the connotation of swindler or theif. Frankly, if someone asks me my ethnicity and I say "I am Romani!" I usually get "huh?? Whazzat?" then...."ohhhhhhhhh you're a GYPSY!" I use both... some use one, the other, or both. I wish the word "Gypsy" could be discarded completely but I know it shall not occur in my lifetime.

Most people, when they use the word "Gypsy" are referrencing the Romani. Here is the best site to learn about us:

http://www.geocities.com/~patrin/

If you wish a more specific answer to "What is a Gypsy" you must narrow your field. That would be like me asking "what is a Gadje?" (Gadje = non-Gypsy) There is just too much to answer with such a broad question.

Before the funnyboys come in with "Gypsies are fortune tellers/theives/all live in caravans/are all con artists/are inbred" I wish to state that all of that is hooey.

We are people. We have no greater prediliction to theivery than anyone else, most of us in America live in homes, and we are not inbred. I am a phlebotomist rather than a fortune teller. We work in all fields and live how we wish. Some still are more nomadic, some are not. Some live a more traditional life (that is a whole other question!) some do not. Most of us stick to the traditional family values (there is another question! ;) )

Gypsy persecution is often mentioned. That is a huge facet of our history. Here is an old answer of mine (I am not writing the sucker out twice and taking up the room):

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ao9u6EVaEa8bfBIkYg1m5qHty6IX?qid=20070221214722AASvH7A

Another old answer of mine to a more generalized Gypsy question:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ar6HZpmPgiZy4fxh8lV26pbty6IX?qid=20070218023221AABxLYI

Another old answer where someone was asking about various ethnicities family values. Mine is not the best answer but I covered it nicely (prearranged marriages are not that common in the States):

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjamIHDILlWFzlVHKHn5am7ty6IX?qid=20070207015014AApPFQ6

Here is a hint of what we go through in real life. Bear in mind, I am not telling nearly all of it and not all of it is related to my ethnicity:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ap2iOEbcWHYqg7upFMhnl7gAAAAA?qid=20070420150935AA1yzR1

I did not tell about a old woman left bleeding in a ditch by a policeman because she was beaten because she was a Gypsy. Cop said, "well you ARE a Gypsy" and left her to bleed. I am not telling about the usual way to shut up a Gypsy child at school: "shut up you're just a Gypsy". I am not telling of how our children have to be pulled from school systems because of the abuse, mental and PHYSICAL. And THAT is in America. I am not telling of my own specific childhood stories or that most of our youth have to say they are some other ethnicity to keep from having the snot beaten out of them daily. I am not telling of the mocking of people who stand up for us. I am not telling of my friend who, when jogging outside his home, is routinely stopped and harassed by the police because he "looks like a Gypsy".

I could go on.

Answer 2

They are quite real, I assure you. Hitler sent many of them to the labor camps and the ovens during WW2 so there aren't as may now as before the War.

They were quite numerous in the Balkans and in Hungary and Romania, as well as Spain. The Basques have a Gypsy heritage and they are in Spain even today.

They were a nomadic European people who traveled in horse drawn carretas and made the living by fortune telling, spell casting, stealing and doing odd jobs... OH... and they had a reputation for kidnapping babies, so when they would camp outside a town, the mothers would bring their children inside the house and not let them go back outside until the Gypsies left.

Answer 3

They are very very real. Gypsies, pc term being Rromani, are misunderstood victims of stereotyping and ongoing attempts at genocide. What goes on in parts of Europe against Is a continuation of the persecution they suffered under the Nazis. One reason the Rrom never laid a huge guilt on the planet for that horror is because they prefer their freedom and privacy to the conforming that would be necessary to lay claims. By the time the German government acknowledged the validity of this, the survivors were deceased.

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005219
GENOCIDE OF EUROPEAN ROMA (GYPSIES), 1939-1945

http://www.unionromani.org/articulo_in.htm
Rrom Marriages are ruled invalid to prevent widows from collecting pensions.

http://www.romnews.com/a/THEWARINKOSOVOISNOTOVER.htm
Current Genocide

http://www.historywiz.com/roma.htm
http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/music/detail.php?content=khanci
The Rrom, among the best and most spirited musicians of all times, even managed to make music whilst in the Camps.

Many Rrom have contributed greatly to the world of entertainment. Many still do. They have a skill of picking up the musical best of every culture and pulling all into some of the most passionate music there is. Can anyone deny the beauty of the flamenco guitar?

http://www.imninalu.net/famousGypsies.htm
Famous Rrom in the Arts

Many countries refuse to take the children of Rrom into school for educational purposes and if they DO, even the most brilliant child is put into the classes for the mentally retarded or handicapped. This, despite the fact that the average, well nourished Rrom has an IQ well above average. This is genocide. When mobs attack and kill a hapless innocent Gypsy mother or child, the police turn the other way.

My 3 husbands spoke an amazing 34 languages between them and every one of their many children is a highly educated contributor to society.

There are many foolish myths about the Rromani.

They have a very strong family oriented culture and a very passionate but CONTROLLED nature. I have had 3 Rrom husbands through marriage, a very privileged gadge am I, and I can attest to their extremely high morals and ethics. As with all peoples there are good and bad, but my personal experiences have been life altering and positive.

In the past all Rrom were nomadic. This is why you will find them in every part of the world. Their origins are said to be Northern India, the Punjab area, but to be honest, I feel they have been around much longer than that. These people cloak their past in mystery for a reason, it helps to keep them part of humanity, yet a culture apart. One skill that the Rrom have which is admired universally by all is their way with horses. I am positive this is because of their empathic skills. One of ours trained most of the animals on the set of the LOTR series. The link below are the words of one such man.

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/voices/images/gypsy_horse_2_203.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/voices/gypsy_horse.shtml&h=153&w=203&sz=15&tbnid=PEUqAuHB2g0uiM:&tbnh=74&tbnw=99&hl=en&start=3&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgypsy%2Bhorse%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D

Just a Guy gives an excellent answer to your question which is why I am only giving a short and semi personal answer. I can only say I have never been as happy and fulfilled as I was when my husbands, any of them, were still alive and I would do almost anything to have any one of them back in my life. Anything so long as it is legal.

The depth of soul they bring to love a skill that can not possibly be matched by a gadje. Sadly, I have not remarried because I was spoiled rotten by them and compare all others to them, whether I wish to or not. They all come up lacking on every level alas.

SOOO if anyone knows a good available older Rrom man, send him my way!

Answer 4

I look like a gypsy im short

Answer 5

hi there,
i am a real gypsy woman and i live in Germany and the states, i am called a sintezza, we do not socialize with Roma's who come to Germany, cause they have their own lifestyles, we, the sinti's live in Germany over 200 years, we,learned how to fit in , but the Roma's who come to Germany, are now that what we was called back in time, my ancestors went through a lot over centuries, they encountered hate, rascim and much more, we shared in the past the same as all other minorities in this world,and we have not yet received the privilege to be a normal human, , i could talk about it for hours, cause there is so much what the world has not heard yet, my granny, worked and lived for the human rights, that we receive the same rights, you want to know more, hit me up and we can talk, til than ya'll be blessed, bye

Answer 6

History and Way of Life of Gypsies

Sara Constantakis





As their name suggests, Gypsies were initially believed to have come from Egypt. The Gypsies' true ancestors, however, were a group of people who left India between AD 800 and 950 (Gmelch 52). The best estimates have dated their earliest official appearance in Europe, in modern-day Turkey, to around AD 855. However, it is always possible that there were Gypsies in Europe before they received this official recognition (Clebert 54-55). By tracing the development of their dialect, a linguistic mix referred to as Anglo-Romany, scholars have been able to trace the movement of the Gypsies throughout the entire European continent. By the 1300's, their migration had entered southeastern Europe; by the 1400's, western Europe. Finally, in 1505, the Gypsies reached the British Isles (Gmelch 52). Here is where we pick up their story. Because of their itinerant lifestyle, the Gypsies of England played a unique role in both the economic sphere and the entertainment business of nineteenth-century society.


The Gypsies are a race of nomads. The Gypsies of nineteenth-century England travelled the countryside, carrying all their belongings in covered wagons and pitching tents wherever they stopped. For Gypsies, travelling is not a pastime or leisure activity, but a way of life. In fact, a common belief of the latter part of the nineteenth century suggested that the inclination to travel, called "wanderlust," was a product of genetic determinants. This view was the basis for the claim that "it was as natural for [the Gypsies] to move as it was for the majority of the population to stay in one place" (Mayall, "Gypsy-Travellers" 15). Another argument of this time period was that itinerancy resulted from socialization to a travelling way of life. Therefore, "being raised as a nomad and being accustomed to the rigors of travelling from an early age would undoubtedly have increased the likelihood of inter-generational itinerancy" (Mayall, "Gypsy-Travellers" 15-16). Whatever its source, the Gypsies' itinerant lifestyle naturally made it necessary that their occupations involve mobility (Mayall, "Gypsy-Travellers 16"). It was in the economic sphere, then, that Gypsies interacted with settled society.


Both in the nineteenth century and today, Gypsies have played an important economic role in society. In nineteenth-century England, they made their living primarily by hawking (selling small homemade goods) and tinkering (repairing pots and pans) (Mayall, "Gypsy-Travellers" 42). In this way, Gypsies filled the small-scale and irregular demands for goods and services in the non-Gypsy population (Gmelch 52). Gypsies also met the high demand for seasonal employment on farms. During the late summer and early fall, Gypsies harvested fruits and vegetables. This kind of employment was "plentiful, regular, and temporary" (Mayall, "Gypsy-Travellers" 32) and thus perfectly suited to the Gypsy lifestyle. They also followed a diverse number of other trades, such as chair-bottoming, basket-making, rat-catching, wire-working, grinding, fiddling, selling fruit, fish, and earthenware, and mending bellows (Mayall, "Gypsy-Travellers" 42). However, the Gypsy lifestyle was not all work and no play.


Aside from these labor-oriented functions, another activity in which the Gypsies have participated is entertaining. They danced, sang, and played musical instruments. However, the form of entertainment for which the Gypsies are perhaps the best known is fortune-telling. Taking advantage of the superstitious belief that they possessed magical powers which enabled them to see into the future (Mayall, "Gypsy-Travellers" 49), Gypsy women sold fortunes at fairs and made considerable profits. They read palms and tarot cards, and cast charms and spells. In nineteenth-century England, fortune-telling was the equivalent of the modern-day horoscope (Mayall, "Gypsy-Travellers" 50) and taken as seriously by many. Others who considered fortune-telling foolish and unrealistic dismissed it as an easy way for the Gypsies to make money. However, fortune-telling was an important part of Gypsy tradition. While there were undoubtedly many imposters, some Gypsy women firmly believed in their abilities to see into the future (Mayall, "Gypsy-Travellers" 50). And, as Brian Vesey-Fitzgerald notes, "it must be remembered that deceit and imposture alone would never have built up and supported a practice that has withstood the passage of centuries and the constant attacks of progress. There must also be some truth" (126).




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Answer 7

The one I love is Romani. (Gypsy). I would like to direct your attention to some of his replies on this very question.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgnGL3PYw_fPBcYT5hR7qv7ty6IX?qid=20070416234859AAlHOTO , answer number 4 is one.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AosIcQP7yqdPI8d7.mfCZ6_ty6IX?qid=20070407102855AAntrto , best answer.

and http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aqb2kYy.PvweH5gA6DAgJFrty6IX?qid=20070322154250AAL7vx9 best answer.

I hope this helps.

These are done by Just a Guy. He is currently the focus of a concerted effort to attack and defame him. The trolls are cloning his account right and left. The real thing is level 5, with a better than 50% best answer rate.

He also accepts emails, so if you have any questions, feel free to email him.

Answer 8

I'm a Gypsy what question do you have. Lei

Answer 9

to me gypsy is a wise woman whom we go to on fair grounds...and alot get hassled spat on , beaten up wrongly accussed,even death,, why, i don't know we should leave them alone and let them live there lives as we live ours they are really lovely people once you get to know them over a lot in life we must learn to except change too i hope one day people will.Stop being predjudice ,, against them i think they work hard,, A couple of gypsy's are my friends who actually live in council property , while fore father's remain in caravans until the elder dies and sometimes the caravan is burnt it's a ritual..but give them a chance they are only human like us,,, life is too short and there is too much hate in this world as it is,,,

Answer 10

a shotened and altered form of Egyptian; so called because gypsies were once believed to have come from Egypt

Answer 11

Look to the real Just a Guy's answers. He is the one that is a level 5 with a best answer rate of over 50%. And ignore his stalker that is cyberharassing and stalking him. That is the idiot that has cloned him and has answered just above me. He enjoys commiting crimes.