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GYPSIES by Helene N. Turkewicz-Sanko In the Encyclopedia of Ukraine published by the Toronto University Press,1 Gypsies are defined as a group of people whose nomadic ancestors "left north ern India toward the end of the first millennium A.D. ... and settled in Persia and Armenia." As early as the 5th century, the king of Persia requested that 10,000 musicians be brought from Northern India to his king dom. These were probably the forefathers of the Gyp sies as we know them today. The article further indi cates that gypsies were "brought to Anatolia by the Byzantines," spreading "in the 13th and 14th centuries into the Balkans and Eastern Europe, and thence into Central and Western Europe." Some gypsies traveled East to Slovakia, Ukraine, and Moldavia. Others went North to Hungary, Austria, Germany or West to Alba nia, France, Spain and the United Kingdom. Gypsies refer to themselves as "Rom," a word that means "man" in Romani, their mother tongue. The Romani language is derived from Sanskrit but contains as many linguistic features as the many countries through which gypsies traveled, including Ukraine. The term "Gypsy" seems to have its origin in the word "Egyptian." It was initially used as a descriptive name by Europeans whose perception of the dark and exotic people was often colored by suspicion, awe of their musical prowess, mysterious knowledge of herbs, and other talents, such as fortune telling. In Europe, they were not always treated well. In the 9th century, in Byzantium, these nomadic musicians were enslaved and sold. Brought to Greece, they were compelled to take up a new craft, and they began to specialize in shoemaking. In the 14th century the presence of the Gypsies is documented in Walachia. A woodcut poster from 1852 advertises a slave auction in Walachia: "For sale, a prime lot of Gypsy slaves, to be sold by auction at the Monastery of St Elias, 8 May 1852, consisting of 18 men, 7 women and 3 girls. In fine condition."2 Historically, however, Gypsies have been rec ognized and sought after as talented musicians and have enjoyed a certain status. In order to travel throughout Europe they had to have written travel permits. Two important documents allowed Gypsies to move from one country to another and earn a living as entertainers or artisans. The first was the 1423 Sauf- conduit de Sisgismond, roi de Boheme, a permit which allowed Gypsies to go West. Renaissance tapestries and the works of French artist Jacques Callot illustrate their passages and their activities. The second docu ment was the Contract Fairs-Magdeburg Rights, issued during the Lithuanian rule of Ukrainian territories. To a great extent extent, Gypsies in Ukraine survived as artisans. They were blacksmiths, carpen ters, and coppersmiths. They were also known as horse-traders, animal trainers, peddlers and entertain ers. Women were dancers, singers, fortune-tellers, healers who knew their herbs, and even beggars, often seen with babies in their arms and surrounded by very young children who at times engaged in petty crimes to supplement the group's income. In the winter they lived in huts, wagons, and tents on the outskirts of vil lages. In summer, they moved from village to village, providing entertainment and doing odd jobs. In his works, Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) pro vides a vivid portrait of the activities of Gypsies at crowded fairs: either concluding a deal with a slap of hands or telling someone’s fortune from cards. Through such fairs, Gypsies seem to have become an integral part of the Ukrainian social structure. This connection to mainstream society can be also traced to the celebration of three major holidays: Christmas, Easter, and Saint John’s Feast of June 21 or the sum mer solstice. At Christmas time, to this very day, Ukraini ans set up a Nativity scene called "Vertep" and per form Nativity plays. The movable Christmas puppet theater is two-tiered: the top level is reserved for the heavenly and religious scenes of the Nativity, and the lower level is reserved for the earthly scenes of a Ukrainian village. Dolls used on the lower level repre sent the various people one is likely to encounter on the village streets. Among the marionette figure are the traditional Cossack, the Ukrainian couple, the "Mos- kal" or Russian, the Jew, and the Gypsy. At Easter time, Gypsies who had semi-settled during the winter took to the road again and this transi tion to nomadic life is illustrated in the Ukrainian tradition of decorating Easter eggs or "pysanky" with a pattern called Gypsy Road. This is one of the most difficult designs to reproduce. Its intricate lines are confusing and provide the best interpretation of the comings and goings of men and women associated with free spirit, wandering, and gathering around campfires. During the night of the Feast of Saint John, one custom among young girls was to go to the river and cast wreaths on the waters to discover the direction
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