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The Gypsy People Part 6
The Gypsy (Romany, Romani) People. Original Research about the Gypsies, their dance, culture, and life.
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“It is the woman who possesses…the knowledge of spirits and medicinal cures, and ultimately in their ability to pollute men." A woman can make a man mahrime (polluted or ritually unclean) merely by tossing her skirt over her head at him. He must then be made pure again through a hearing of other Romani authority. Until he is made pure again, the other Romani are not allowed to associate with him. “ However, if the woman is postmenopausal, the man would not be contaminated, because they no longer menstruate or bear children (Weyrauch, 31). “Oral sex, sodomy, and homosexuality are considered crimes against nature and are mahrime" (36). Talking and making reference to body parts and bodily functions “brings shame, especially when in mixed company" (36). “Prostitution and infidelity are unusual…Infidelity in marriage…has had serious consequences for the wife, including mutilation or a sentence of marime" (37). The Romani people use their own utensils and avoid sharing them with “gajikane guests", who should provide their own. If the Romani give them a set of dishes and utensils to use, afterwards they are destroyed, in order to avoid pollution by the gadje. The Romani “use the dining table exclusively for eating and keep it immaculately clean."
Large, white aprons that cover their skirt are very Romani, for it shields others from contamination from her skirt (Weyrauch, 37). “These well-defined codes of purity and contamination are the real universal language of the Gypsies, understood if not always rigorously upheld with every district and dialect" (Fonseca, 77). The woman's body is looked upon with reverence and great care. The woman's body is divided into two ritual segments. The upper half of her body is pure, while the lower half, containing the reproductive powers, are considered mahrime, especially when menstruating. Sexual purity is paramount to the worth of the female.
Romani consider it inappropriate and immodest to wear pants or show the knees (they consider knees and elbows to be ugly). Breasts, on the other hand, are not a source of shame or intimacy, but sustenance for babies, who are born pure. It is considered rude for a woman to walk in front of an older man, but if she is holding a baby, she can go wherever she wants (Fonseca, 42). Once the baby becomes a toddler, he is turned over to the responsibility of the older kids in the Romani community to be watched out for. Children are afforded a much greater amount of freedom, for their childhood is shortened by early marriage. Since the life expectancy is one-third that of other nations, it is no wonder that they are married off at such young ages [ages 9-14 years] in comparison (Fonseca, 44).
The importance of the bori or daughter-in-law becomes paramount. Romani culture places great value on virtue, modesty, submissiveness, and hard work for a good wife. Attractiveness of the wife is placed low on the list of virtues. A new mother's job is to feed, to learn the proper care of the newborn, and to heal. The new mother is also taught how to bathe, anoint with specially prepared ointments and powders, and to swaddle (a wrapping process that restricts movement of the arms and legs) the newborn according to tradition. Amulets and charms of protection are often pinned to the swaddling clothes. A red thread is often tied around the infant's ankle to “ward off the evil eye." The new mother is “off limits" to the husband for 40 days, before being considered purified again. The extended family plays an integral role in the care of the household and support as the new family readjusts (Fonseca, 43). The importance of keeping a ritually and physically clean household is taught. There are procedures to washing, for each role-member's clothes must be washed separately (Fonseca, 40, 41).
Stay tuned for more information about the Gypsies!
--Linda.
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