Romany/Beliefs

Beliefs and Traditions

Romaniya sets the standards and enforces the beliefs most Roma adhere to. This system of acceptable behavior and beliefs is central to Roma society. The beliefs of the Roma are varied from world to world and family to family, and ship to ship, but many beliefs are common to Roma everywhere, varying only in the degree in which they are observed or practiced. The Roma have always enforced a cultural and social separation from gajikane societies to maintain social and cultural strength. They do not want to be part of societies that would involve compromise of their basic beliefs. It is Romaniya that makes such separation possible.

Religion and Superstitions

The Roma cannot be said to have a "religion" of their own. They have usually adopted the faiths of the locations in which they live. Among the Roma can be found Christians, Buddhists, Jews, and even a variety of pagan faiths. Many prefer to carry out religious rituals in their own homes or in the context of folk observances.

Though they have, for practical purposes, adopted the religions of those with whom they have come into contact, formal religion is often supplemented by faith in the supernatural, in omens and curses. This body of superstitions varies among different Roma groups, but it is to some extent a factor in the lives of all of them.

Since Roma feel that illness is an unnatural condition, called prikaza, there are many supernatural ways in which they believe disease can be prevented or cured. One method of lowering a fever has been to shake a young tree. In this way the fever is transferred from the sick person's body to the tree. Another method to bring down fever has been to drink powdered portions of certain animals, dissolved in spirits, to the accompaniment of a chant. Some beliefs include carrying a mole's foot as a cure for rheumatism, and carrying a hedgehog's foot to prevent a toothache. Any number of herbs, called drab, are used for the prevention or cure of various diseases. Herbalism may be practiced by both sexes. Some of these herbs, called sastarimaskodrabaró, actually have medicinal value in addition to their supernatural qualities.

Taboos

Most of Roma society relies heavily on distinctions between behavior that is pure, vujo or wuzho, and polluted, or marimé. Marimé has a dual meaning to the Roma. It refers both to a state of pollution or defilement as well as to the sentence of expulsion imposed for violation of purity rules or any behavior disruptive to the Roma community. Pollution and rejection are thus closely associated with one another. Pollution taboos, and their names, vary from group to group and often among smaller Roma units. Nevertheless, Roma define themselves in part by their adherence to these cleanliness rituals. There may be class distinctions among some Roma, based on how strictly individuals or families maintain distinctions between purity and impurity.

The marimé concept applied to personal hygiene means "dirty" or "polluted."

Many of the traditional laws of hygiene deal with water. For example, Roma must wash only in running water. A shower would be acceptable, but a bath would not be, for the person would be sitting or lying in dirty, stagnant water. Dishes cannot be rinsed in the same sink or basin that is used for washing personal clothing. The kitchen sink is used only for washing dishes, and therefore it cannot ever be used for washing one's hands

Certain Roma families have set specific and very rigid rules for the drawing of water from a river or stream. The water from the farthest point upstream, therefore the purest, is used for drinking and cooking. Working their way downstream, the water is used for washing dishes and bathing. Further down the stream water is used for washing or nourishing horses. Further down washing clothes is appropriate. In order to make certain that there will be no impurities, separate pails are always used for the different uses of water.

There are remedies or punishments for a person who has become infected, or marimé. Minor offenses, clearly unintentional ones, can be forgiven by those present at the time the offense is committed. More serious ones must be dealt with by the community and, in some cases, by the kris.

Clothing

The stereotype of the Roma woman with the long, colorful skirt, the heavy earrings, and often a flower in her hair has some basis in fact. It is probable that long skirts were once thought of as protection against sexual advances. These skirts are generally of bright colors, often consisting of many layers.

Except for color, a woman does not have a varied wardrobe. Among many tribes, if a woman is married she must display that fact by keeping her head covered by a diklo, or head scarf. Women usually allow their hair to grow long. Their hair may then be braided or rolled into a bun on the back of the head. Roma women usually wear jewelry, not only for its beauty, but for its intrinsic value – they feel most secure carrying their valuables on their own persons. Traditionally, acquired wealth has been converted into jewelry or gold coins called galbi, the latter sometimes worn on clothing as adornments, or woven into the hair.

As for men, there is really no characteristic clothing. Since the head is regarded as the body's focal point, many Roma men draw attention to it by wearing large hats and wide mustaches. For festive occasions, they will wear a good suit of clothes and show a preference for bright colors. Most of them own one suit of clothes at a time and wear it until it is frayed. A brightly colored neck scarf may be worn on special occasions. Generally, however, their clothing is indistinguishable from that of the gaje among whom they live or travel.

Food

Traditionally the eating habits of Roma have been conditioned by their nomadic way of life. Their diet has consisted largely of what was readily available. This included wild fruits, berries, leafy plants, mollusks, and small mammals. As the Roma have gradually come into greater contact with people of the cities, their eating habits have conformed more and more to those of the non-Roma.

A day will generally begin with very strong tea, heavily sweetened with sugar. Tea is a staple of Roma existence for many families, and many cups may be taken in the course of a day. There is usually no lunch, and dinner is served at sunset, or, since the food is generally on the stove all afternoon, whenever anyone is hungry. The basic element of this dinner is a thick, fatty vegetable soup, or stew, with any available vegetables or greens put into it. It is usually made even more hearty by the addition of potatoes, rice, or pasta. Sometimes meat is served, generally broiled or cooked on a spit. Game, such as rabbit and game fowl, are enjoyed when possible. Garlic is a very commonly used seasoning. Water and wine are the most often served beverages during the course of a meal.

Ceremonial events such as christenings, marriages, and religious festivals are occasions for community activity and sharing. Enormous quantities of food and drink are consumed during these celebrations, and the preparation is long and enthusiastic. A favorite Roma dish has traditionally been roasted hedgehog. It has a rich and succulent meat with a pork-like flavor, which is also enjoyed by some non-Roma. Ideally, this animal is flavored with garlic and placed skin and all above burning hot coals or stones. In this way, it cooks in its own juices. When the roasting is completed, the animal's prickles are shaved or picked off and the skin is peeled back. The meat is served, sometimes wrapped in aromatic leaves. Chicken and other fowl can also be cooked this way.

Marimé taboos extend to animals as well, from the edibility of certain types of meat to pet ownership. Romaniya prohibits cruelty to animals and they may only be killed for food. The Roma consider eating horse flesh a serious offense. The exclusion of horse meat has more to do with respect than to marime, the horse has been so important to the Roma's mobility and survival in the past.

Dogs and cats are considered polluted because of their unclean living habits. Roma consider cats particularly unclean because they lick their paws after burying their feces. The critical concern, as with dogs licking themselves, is that the uncleanliness of the external world may defile the purity of the inner self if it is permitted to enter the body through the mouth. Cats are also a sign of impending death to many tribes. If a cat sets foot in a home a purification ceremony may be required. Dogs are also unclean, but to a lesser extent. Dogs are tolerated outside the house because of their value as watchdogs. Familiars are always tolerated (though cats and owls are still frowned on), as they are believed to posses the spirits of departed loved ones.

Owls are considered portents of death, just as with many non-Roma groups. In some tribes, the owl's cry is considered very bad luck, or bibaxt. For this reason, owls are avoided as food or pets.

Integration and Assimilation

The Roma are suspicious and afraid of being corrupted by gajikane, or gaje for short, influences. The fear is for their children, that contact with non-Roma will lead to the disintegration of traditionally strong family and community ties. The belief is that this will result in juvenile delinquency. Many Roma also fear that public admission of being Roma in gajikane society will single them out for discrimination and persecution.

Among the Roma there are activists who see the gains made by non-Roma and want to share in these gains. They ask for the respect of the non-Roma world and for equal job opportunities. The first step must be education. However, before education is possible, gaje will have to overcome their long hostility toward and misunderstanding of the Roma, and Roma parents will have to overcome their fear of corruption by non-Roma.

Although the Roma have largely adapted to living surrounded by foreign cultures, their social organization fosters the separation of Roma from non-Roma. This separation places Roma at a great disadvantage – the Roma have tended to stay apart by choice. Many Roma are slowly integrating and participating in the mainstream of modern culture without compromising their identity.