A History of the Gipsies: with Specimens of the Gipsy LanguageSimson, Walter
History
A History of the Gipsies: with Specimens of the Gipsy Language
Simson, Walter
Romanies; Romanies -- Languages
I shall conclude the notices of the continental Gipsies by some extracts
from an article published in a French periodical work, for September,
1802, on the Gipsies of the Pyrenees; who resemble, in many points, the
inferior class of our Scottish Tinklers, about the beginning of the
French war, more, perhaps, than those of any other country in Europe.
"There exists, in the department of the Eastern Pyrenees, a people
distinct from the rest of the inhabitants, of a foreign origin, and
without any settled habits. It seems to have fixed its residence there
for a considerable time. It changes its situation, multiplies there, and
never connects itself by marriage with the other inhabitants. This
people are called Gitanos, a Spanish word which signifies Egyptians.
There are many Gitanos in Catalonia, who have similar habits to the
above-mentioned, but who are very strictly watched. They have all the
vices of those Egyptians, or Bohemians, who formerly used to wander over
the world, telling fortunes, and living at the expense of superstition
and credulity. These Gitanos, less idle and less wanderers than their
predecessors, are afraid of publicly professing the art of
fortune-tellers; but their manner of life is scarcely different.
"They scatter themselves among villages, and lonesome farms, where they
steal fruit, poultry, and often even cattle; in short, everything that
is portable. They are almost always abroad, incessantly watching an
opportunity to practise their thievery; they hide themselves with much
dexterity from the search of the police. Their women, in particular,
have an uncommon dexterity in pilfering. When they enter a shop, they
are watched with the utmost care; but with every precaution they are not
free from their rapines. They excel, above all, in hiding the pieces of
silver which are given in exchange for gold, which they never fail to
offer in payment, and they are so well hidden that they are often
obliged to be undressed before restitution can be obtained.
"The Gitanos affect, externally, a great attachment to the Catholic
religion; and if one was to judge from the number of reliques they carry
about with them, one would believe them exceedingly devout; but all who
have well observed them assure us they are as ignorant as hypocritical,
and that they practise secretly a religion of their own. It is not rare
to see their women, who have been lately brought to bed, have their
children baptized several times, in different places, in order to obtain
money from persons at their ease, whom they choose for godfathers.
Everything announces among them that moral degradation which must
necessarily attach to a miserable, insulated caste, as strangers to
society, which only suffers it through an excess of contempt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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