A Historical Survey of the Customs, Habits, & Present State of the GypsiesHoyland, John
History
A Historical Survey of the Customs, Habits, & Present State of the Gypsies
Hoyland, John
Romanies
“These people make use of two languages, one Calabrian, with a foreign
accent and pronunciation; the other a peculiar one of their own, which in
sound, seems to have great affinity to the Oriental tongues; and is
spoken when they have secrets to impart to each other. They sleep like
dogs in a kennel, men, women, and children huddled together.”
The learned Grellmann states, that “Gypsies were universally to be found
in Italy; insomuch, that even Sicily and Sardinia were not free from
them.
“But they were the most numerous in the dominions of the church; probably
because there was the worst police, with much superstition. By the
former they were left undisturbed; and the latter enticed them to deceive
the ignorant, as it afforded them an opportunity of obtaining a plentiful
contribution, by their fortune-telling and enchanted amulets.
“There was a general law throughout Italy, that no Gypsey should remain
more than two nights, in any one place. By this regulation, it is true,
no place retained its guest long; but no sooner was one gone, than
another came in his room. It was a continual circle, and quite as
convenient to them, as a perfect toleration would have been. Italy
rather suffered, than benefited, by this law; as, by keeping those people
in constant motion, they would do more mischief there, than in places
where they were permitted to remain stationary.”
It appears from the Dissertation of Grellmann, that he had examined with
great care and attention, the continental authorities on the subject of
Gypsies. He asserts, that “In Poland and Lithuania, as well as in
Courland, there is an amazing number of Gypsies.
“That they are to be found in Denmark and Sweden, is certain, but how
numerous they are in those countries we cannot pronounce, and therefore
proceed to the south east of Europe.
“The countries in this part seem to be the general rendezvous of the
Gypsies; their number amounts in Hungary, according to a probable
statement, to upwards of 50,000.
“Cantemir says, the Gypsies are dispersed all over Moldavia, where every
Baron has several families of them subject to him.
“In Wallachia and the Sclavonian mountains, they are quite as numerous.
Bessarabia, all Tartary, Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania, swarm with them;
even in Constantinople they are innumerable. In Romania, a large tract
of Mount Hæmus, which they inhabit, has acquired from them the name
_Tschenghe Valkan_, the Gypsey mountain. This district extends from the
city Aydos, quite to Phillipopolis, and contains more Gypsies than any
other province in the Turkish empire.”
Our countryman Edward Daniel Clark, in his travels in Russia, Tartary,
&c. so lately as the year 1800, states, “that after the ceremony of the
resurrection at Moscow, a party of Gypsies were performing the national
dance, called Barina; others were telling fortunes, according to their
universal practice, or begging for presents of oranges or ice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account