Who are the gypsies? The origin of the "mysterious Egyptians"

In the XIV-XV centuries. In Europe there was a nomadic people known as Gypsies, the origin, way of life and language of which for a long time remained a mystery. Their ancestors did not leave a written history after themselves, so various theories arose about the origin of the people. He seems to be doomed to eternal wanderings and has his own special civilization.

Gypsies are scattered all over the world. They can be found on any continent, but nowhere do they mix with other peoples. Even the number of Roma has not always been established in certain countries. The origin of the gypsies was often tried to be explained by absurd theories, looking through their ancestry from ancient Egyptians, German Jews , mentioning even the inhabitants of the legendary Atlantis.

The emergence of a mass of other theories sprang from the undeveloped complex issues of ethnography and the history of the largest minority group in Europe, which was the Roma. The origin of the people was reduced to three main versions. The theory of Asian roots was supported by Henri de Spond, who connected the Roma with the medieval sect Attignan. Many scholars linked this people to the Asiatic tribe of the Siggins, mentioned by the ancient authors of Strabo, Herodotus and others. The theory of Egyptian origin was one of the earliest, it originated in the 15th century. And the first Roma who arrived in Europe themselves spread these legends. This version was supported by English scientists who claimed that the Roma on the way to Europe visited the country of the pyramids, where they acquired their unlimited knowledge and skills in the field of sleight of hand, fortune telling and astrology.

The theory of Indian origin arose in the XVIII century. The basis for this version was the similarity of the language of India to the language spoken by Roma. The origin of the people according to this version is now almost universally accepted. The problem of localizing the ancestors of the Roma in India and the exact time of their exit from the country remains difficult.

The ambivalence of the origin of this people has always been intertwined with the definition of the very concept of "gypsies", the origin of this name was often considered not as an ethnic, but as a social phenomenon. In various sources, the term "gypsies" is applied to social groups that lead a stray lifestyle, which are characterized by similar features of material culture and specific methods of obtaining livelihoods, such as fortune telling, small crafts, songs and dances, begging and others.

Indeed, the gypsies, mosaic scattered throughout the world, are heterogeneous in composition, and it is not always easy to understand how great the differences are between them. They are divided into a number of ethnic groups that distinguish between occupation, dialects and other local ethno-cultural characteristics. Their traditional nomad camp can not be regarded as a kind of romantic attraction to change places or chaotic aimless wanderings. At the heart of the way of life of the people were economic reasons. It was necessary to constantly search for markets for products of tabor artisans, a new audience for their speeches.

Ethno-cultural contacts of a certain group of Roma with the surrounding population led to a number of borrowings. An interesting fact is that the Roma did not hurry to leave their habitable territories, even if they were in rather unfavorable conditions. It is known that in many countries they were subjected to severe persecution. And yet, even in the very center of organized violence, entire ethnic groups emerged that managed to survive. It's feces in Spain, synthies in Germany, travelers in England.

While in the Catholic West the appearance of the Roma resulted in the adoption of laws on their expulsion, no similar law was adopted in Byzantium. Here, artisans, metalworkers, people with occult sciences, animal trainers were very appreciated.

In Russia, the emergence of new ethnic groups of Roma was associated with the expansion of the territory. In 1783, according to the decree of Catherine II, the Roma of Russia were assigned to the peasant class, they were ordered to levy the appropriate taxes and taxes. At will, they were also allowed to ascribe themselves to other estates, except the nobility. Thus, by the end of the nineteenth century, among the merchant class and the middle class, there were many Russian gypsies.

In the XIX century in, there was a steady process of integration of the Roma, their settling in permanent places, which was explained by the improvement of the financial well-being of their families. Natural artistry, which absorbed a lot of cultures from different countries, attracted genuine attention to this people. Russian romances, performed by Gypsies, acquired a different color. There was a genre of Roma romance, founded by Russian composers and poets, who are keen on this culture. A layer of professional artists began to appear.