Roma (Gypsy) mythology

Roma (Gypsy) mythology is the myth, folklore, religion, traditions, and legends of the Roma people. 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. Some legends (particularly from non-Roma peoples) say that certain gypsies are said to have passive psychic powers such as, empathy, precognition, retrocognition, or psychometry. Other legends include the ability to levitate, travel through astral projection by way of meditation, invoke curses or blessings, conjure/channel spirits, and skill with illusion-casting.

Burial: Roma (Gypsies) pushed steel or iron needles into the body's heart and put pieces of steel in the mouth, over the eyes, ears, and between the fingers. Hawthorn was placed on the legs, or driven through the legs. They would also drive stakes, pour boiling water on the grave, and behead or burn the body. All this preparation was to ward off vampires. Afterlife: The Roma (Gypsy) had a concept of Good and Evil forces. Dead relatives were looked after loyally. The soul enters a world like the world of the living, except that death does not exist. The soul lingers near the body and sometimes wants to live again.

Origins

The Romani originated in India. According to mythology, the country was going through a social restructuring and adopting the strict social hierarchy system of castes. Various groups were not included in these newly formed castes for political and religious reasons, and left at the bottom of the caste system. Three groups made up the majority of the casteless: Thieves, musicians/actors (historically performing arts have had a negative social connotation; take a look at eastern theatre's history, for example), and magicians whose magic was deemed 'heretical' by the local religion. With life in their once native land now unbearable, these casteless people 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.

Roma folklore topics

* Arnold Paole
* Astrology
* Astronomy
* Baldpate [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/roma/gft/gft062.htm]
* bats: The Gypsies believed bats were lucky. They wore charms made of bat bones.
* Beng
* Butyakengo
* The Creation of the Violin [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/roma/gft/gft097.htm]
* curse
* Devla
* Dhampir
* divination
* dragon
* Đurđevdan
* Fedor and the Fairy (Gypsy), from A Book of Charms and Changelings
* The Foam Maiden, from A Book of Sorcerers and Spells
* fortune teller
* Gitto Bach
* The Golden Stag (fairy tale)
* Jack and His Golden Snuff-Box
* The King of England and his Three Sons
* The Little Bull-Calf
* Moshto
* Mossycoat
* Mullo
* O Del
* Palmistry
* Psychic
* Ratcatcher
* The Red King and the Witch [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/roma/gft/gft074.htm]
* Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
* Saint Sarah
* Seance
* Spirit Invocation
* Suyolak
* tarot
* trushul: The Romany word for "cross". It is likely from Trishul, Shiva's trident.
* Urmen
* vampire
* Vampire pumpkins and watermelons
* witch
* The Yellow Dragon [http://www.fairrosa.info/dragon/yellow.html] ["The Gypsy Fiddle: and Other Tales Told by the Gypsies" - by John Hampden, World Publishing Company: New York, 1969]

ee also

*Dance in mythology and religion
*Gypsy Lore Society
*

External links

*Encyclopedia Mythica [http://www.pantheon.org/]
*"Gypsy Folk Tales" by Francis Hindes Groome [1899] [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/roma/gft/index.htm]
*"Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling" by Charles Godfrey Leland [1891] [http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/gsft/index.htm]

References