Dissertation on the Gipseys: Representing their manner of life, family economy, occupations & trades, marriages & education, sickness, death, & burial, religion, language, sciences & arts, &c. &c. &c.; with an historical enquiry concerning their origin & first appearance in EuropeGrellmann, Heinrich Moritz Gottlieb
History
Dissertation on the Gipseys: Representing their manner of life, family economy, occupations & trades, marriages & education, sickness, death, & burial, religion, language, sciences & arts, &c. &c. &c.; with an historical enquiry concerning their origin & first appearance in Europe
Grellmann, Heinrich Moritz Gottlieb
Romanies
Although, immediately after their coming into Germany, they spread so
rapidly, that in 1418 their names were recorded in the annual
publications of almost every part of the country, yet particular places
seem to have been favoured by them. Thus, in Bavaria they were not
noticed till 1433; and they must have very quickly withdrawn themselves
from these parts, as six years afterwards it was remarked, as somewhat
new and extraordinary, that in this year (1439) the Gipseys, a pack of
scoundrels, a vagrant gang, were come into that country, with their king,
whose name was Zundl.
They did not travel together, but in different hordes, each having its
leader, sometimes called count: at other times their leaders were
dignified with the titles of dukes or kings of Lesser Egypt. One horde
which arrived at Augsburgh in 1419, although it consisted of only seventy
men, had even two of these dukes, beside some counts, with them. But
what sort of creatures these great men among the Gipseys were, has been
explained in another place. (Vide p. 72, _& seq._)
If Stumpf be right, the number of these people must have been very
considerable. Those alone who came into Switzerland in 1718, women and
children included, were estimated at 14000. But here he, or his
authority, seems to have greatly miscounted. It is true, that he
likewise remarks, they did not keep all together, but went about in
separate parties; notwithstanding this, his account is much to be
doubted. By what is to be found concerning particular hordes, there were
none which exceeded one or at most two hundred. That which went to
Augsburgh in 1419 consisted of but seventy men: therefore if they had
been so numerous as Stumpf asserts, there must have been at least a
hundred such hordes dispersed through Switzerland. It was at this time
(1418) that Gipseys were first seen at Zurich; they were a swarm, whose
leader’s name was Michael. Four years had elapsed before they were known
at Basil—part of the very horde of this Michael. Would not some other
tribe have got to Basil before these, if they had been so numerous?
Thomasius adopts this number of 14000 without suspicion, and understands
it to comprehend the whole multitude all over Germany; but then he does
not appear to have quoted Stumpf’s testimony in the sense it was meant.
Many hordes of them must certainly have arrived, as they spread
every-where so prodigiously; but to persist in any nearer investigation
of their numbers, would be only useless trouble.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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