Romany Life: Experienced and Observed during many Years of Friendly Intercourse with the GypsiesCuttriss, Frank
History
Romany Life: Experienced and Observed during many Years of Friendly Intercourse with the Gypsies
Cuttriss, Frank
Romanies -- England
Generally speaking, the term “gypsies” in newspaper reports of police
cases is a misnomer, the persons implicated being mostly Chorodies,
who, with very few exceptions, have no blood-relationship with Romany
people, neither have they much in common beside a similarity in
their mode of life. The disparity is especially noticeable in the
respective women, for Romany women have always been noted for their
handsome features, and in instances where the mother has not the
usual regularity and beauty of feature, her children are frequently
exceedingly pretty; we cannot, however, say so much for the Chorodies,
for, to quote the description of them by a well-known writer,—“their
complexion, when not obscured with grime, is rather fair than dark,
evincing that their origin is low, swinish Saxon, and not gentle
Romany.” Written many years ago, this is true to-day, and it is these
people principally who bring discredit to the gypsy name. Occasionally
among these people I have seen families upon whom the unenviable
epithet of Hinditymengre, or Filthy people, has been bestowed,—these
are Irish vagrants, but, like George Borrow, I fail to see that they
are dirtier than Chorodies generally, indeed I can scarcely imagine
it to be possible. There is really no occasion for such dirty habits,
as they have the same opportunities for their ablutions and equal
facilities for general cleanliness as the Romanies.
Gypsies are ardent lovers of music, and have wonderfully retentive
memories; some among them—notably Hungarians—have attained eminence
as composers, and in our own land one may find really good Romany
performers on the violin, harp, cornet, etc., although from lack of
education gypsy music is more frequently of the country ball or dancing
booth order.
A genius for dancing would appear to be inherited by the Romany chi,
as most of the girls, even the veriest children, revel in it, while
many of the young women are most graceful exponents of the “poetry of
motion” and not only cultivate the art as a source of income, but in
their exuberant health and spirits, seemingly indulge in it from sheer
inability to restrain themselves; certainly some of their dances appear
to be such as only a gypsy, with her physique and temperament, can
accomplish, but in this respect the palm would probably be awarded to
the gypsies of Spain.
Pliant of body and lithe of limb is the gypsy, but it is a grave
mistake—and one which many benevolent people have made—to suppose
that he has no strength of mind, and that he will readily accommodate
himself to forms and conditions of life which are diametrically opposed
to those in which he was nurtured, and which for centuries have
characterized his race.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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