A comprehensive A-to-Z reconstruction of the oral tradition of the
Rom--gypsies--based on sources never before available in English
- Presents the origin myths and magical traditions of the gypsies,
including their legendary ties to Egypt, animal ancestors, and tree
spirits
- Examines the three major settings of gypsy folktales--the forest, the
waters, and the mountain--and shows how their world is full of spirits
- Shows how the religious concepts of the Rom testify to a profound
syncretism of the pagan traditions and Christianity
Although their own myths and their common name point to Egyptian origins
for the gypsies, the Rom, as they call themselves, originated in India,
as evidenced by studies of their language. They arrived in Europe in the
ninth century and spread across the continent from East to West,
reaching England in the 15th century and Scandinavia by the end of the
16th century. A nomadic people, these wanderers were reviled by local
populaces wherever they went and regarded as misfits, intruders,
foreigners, and thieves.
Drawing on a number of sources never before available outside of Eastern
Europe, Claude Lecouteux reconstructs the gypsy oral tradition to
provide a comprehensive A-to-Z look at gypsy mythology, including their
folktales, rites, songs, nursery rhymes, jokes, and magical traditions.
His main source is material collected by Heinrich Adalbert von Wlislocki
(1856-1907), an ethnologist who lived with gypsies in Romania,
Transylvania, and Hungary in the latter half of the 19th century. He
presents the origin myths of the gypsies, legends which form the
ancestral memory of the gypsy tribes and often closely touch on their
daily life.
Lecouteux explores the full range of supernatural beings that inhabit
the gypsy world, including fairies, undines, ogres, giants, dog-people,
and demons, and he examines the three major settings of gypsy
folktales--the forest, the waters, and the mountain, which they
worshiped as a sacred being in its own right. He also reveals how
coexisting with peoples of different religions led the gypsies to adapt
or borrow stories and figures from these groups, and he shows how the
religious concepts and sacred stories of the Rom testify to a profound
syncretism of pagan traditions and Christianity.
Complete with rare illustrations and information from obscure sources
appearing for the first time in English, this detailed reference work
represents an excellent resource for scholars and those seeking to
reconnect to their forgotten gypsy heritage.
