Romani folklore

Folktales, myths, oral traditions, and legends of the Romani people

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Romani folklore encompasses the folktales, myths, oral traditions, and legends of the Romani people. The Romani were nomadic when they departed India during the Middle Ages. They migrated widely, particularly to Europe, while other groups stayed and became sedentary. Some legends (often from non-Romani peoples) say that certain Romani have passive psychic powers such as empathy, precognition, retrocognition, or psychometry. Other legends include the ability to levitate, travel through astral projection by way of meditation, invoke curses or blessings, conjure or channel spirits, and skill with illusion-casting. The belief in vampires originated from the Roma.[1] The Roma from Slavic countries believe in werewolves.[2] Romani chovihanis often use a variety of herbs and amulets for protection. Garlic is a popular herb used by the Roma.[3]

## Romani folktales[edit]

* Bald Pate[4]
* "The Captive's Tale and Circumcision"[5]
* "The Creation of the Violin"[6]
* "Fedor and the Fairy"
* The Foam Maiden
* "Jack and His Golden Snuff-Box"
* "The King of England and his Three Sons"
* "The Little Bull-Calf"
* "Mossycoat"
* "The Red King and the Witch"[7]
* "The Yellow Dragon"[8][9]

## Motifs in Romani folklore[edit]

See also: Motif (folkloristics)

* Bababiljos (male love deity)
* Baba Fingo (the Saviour)
* Baro kari ("big human penis"; see also lingam)
* Bear worship
* Beng (the Devil)
* Bibi (Romani cult)[10]
* Bona ("baptism")
* Biboldo ("unbaptized")
* Crystal ball
* Crystal gazing
* Curse
* Chindo ("circumcised")
* Devla (God)
* Devleski Day (Mother Goddess)
* Dhampir (half-vampire)
* Divination
* Dragon
* Fire worship[11]
* Fortune-telling
* Gana (Queen of Witches)[12]
* Gemstone
* George's Day in Spring
* I Gudli Saybiya (female guardian angel)
* Gypsycraft (Romani magic or witchcraft)
* Hamsa (amulet)
* Horse worship
* Household deity
* Incantation
* Kakava (Turkish spring festival)
* Moon worship[13]
* Mullo (vampire)
* Palmistry
* Phallus worship[14]
* Psychic
* Rat-catcher
* Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
* Saint Sarah
* Shaktism
* Sunet bijav ("circumcision ceremony")
* Tarot card reading
* Tasseography
* Trushul ("cross"; see also trishula)
* Ursitory
* Vampire pumpkins and watermelons
* Werewolves

## See also[edit]

* Gypsy Lore Society
* The Red King and the Witch: Gypsy Folk and Fairy Tales
* Romani society and culture

## References[edit]

1. ^ The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead. p. 315.
2. ^ Buckland, Raymond (1 May 2010). "Buckland's Book of Gypsy Magic: Travelers' Stories, Spells, and Healings". Weiser Books. Retrieved 14 December 2023 - via Google Books.
3. ^ Dunwich, Gerina (1 September 2019). "Herbal Magick: A Guide to Herbal Enchantments, Folklore, and Divination". Weiser Books. Retrieved 14 December 2023 - via Google Books.
4. ^ Baldpate at Gypsy Folk Tales], by Francis Hindes Groome, 1899, at sacred-texts.com
5. ^ Childers, William P. ""The Captive's Tale" and Circumcision".
6. ^ The Creation of the Violin at Gypsy Folk Tales, by Francis Hindes Groome, 1899, at sacred-texts.com
7. ^ The Red King and the Witch at Gypsy Folk Tales, by Francis Hindes Groome, 1899, at sacred-texts.com
8. ^ The Yellow Dragon, Fairrosa Cyber Library for Children
9. ^ The Gypsy Fiddle: and Other Tales Told by the Gypsies \- by John Hampden, World Publishing Company: New York, 1969
10. ^ Ćirković, Svetlana. Bibi and Bibijako Djive in Serbia. Project Education of Roma children in Europe. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
11. ^ "Gypsies – OCCULT WORLD". Retrieved 14 December 2023.
12. ^ Wedeck, Harry E. (8 September 2015). "Dictionary of Gypsy Life and Lore". Open Road Media. Retrieved 14 December 2023 - via Google Books.
13. ^ The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca. p. 151.
14. ^ Rosemary Guiley (2010). The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca. p. 151\. ISBN 9781438126845.

## Further reading[edit]

### Folklore collections[edit]

* Ficowski, Jerzy; Borski, Lucia Merecka; Mikolaycak, Charles. Sister of the birds, and other Gypsy tales. Nashville: Abingdon, [1976].
* Florea, Virgiliu (2018). "Moses Gaster și colecția sa de povești populare ale țiganilor din România" [Moses Gaster and His Collection of Romanian Gypsies' Folk Tales]. Anuarul Muzeului Etnografic al Moldovei [The Yearly Review of the Ethnographic Museum of Moldavia] (in Romanian). 18: 305–324. ISSN 1583-6819.
* Pavelčík, Nina; Pavelčík, Jiří (2001). "Myths of the Czech Gypsies". Asian Folklore Studies. 60 (1): 21–30. doi:10.2307/1178696. JSTOR 1178696.. Accessed August 25, 2021.
* Tong, Diane (1989). Gypsy folk tales. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
* Yates, Dora Esther (1948). A Book of Gypsy folk-tales. London: Phoenix House.

## External links[edit]

* Gypsy Folk Tales by Francis Hindes Groome [1899], at Sacred Texts.com
* Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling by Charles Godfrey Leland [1891], at Sacred Texts.com

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