The Romanys (or Roma) are a nomadic Caucasoid people, also called Gypsy or Gypsies in English countries as they were once thought to originate from Egypt. They were called by the French Bohemiens, from the belief that they were Hussites driven from Bohemia; in Germany the general name was Zigeuner, which is not unlike the Italian Zingari. They are believed to have originated in north west India, and live throughout the world. The Romany language (spoken in different dialects in every country where Gypsies live) is a member of the Indo-European family.
Romanys are remarkable for the yellow brown, or rather olive colour, of their skin; the jet-black of their hair and eyes, the extreme whiteness of their teeth, and generally for the symmetry of their limbs. The typical Romanys rarely settle permanently anywhere, but lived in tents or caravans, traditionally wandering about working in wood and iron, making domestic utensils, telling fortunes, practising tricks, etc. Their talent for music is remarkable, and some of their melodies have become the much-valued property of other nations, or are incorporated in some of our favourite operas. They have no peculiar religion.
The Romanys first appeared in Germany and Italy about the beginning of the 15th century. At that time they wandered about in hordes with a commander at their head. In the Austrian States, where they were very numerous, Maria Theresa formed the plan of converting them into orderly citizens. But her ordinances that they should dwell in settled habitations, practise some trade, and send their children to school remained to a large extent ineffectual. In England the Romanys first appeared about the beginning of the 16th century, and notwithstanding severely repressive enactments on the part of the government continued to maintain themselves as tinkers, mat and basket-makers, etc. In Scotland they were more favourably received, and frequently intermarried with the natives. The town of Yetholm, in Roxburghshire, was once a sort of headquarters for the race, and almost exclusively inhabited by Romanys. Considerable numbers of the British Romanys emigrated to America, where they settled amongst the people and lost their distinctive characteristics.
Romanys have suffered widespread persecution throughout their history in almost every country they have visited. During the Second World War Romanies were also exterminated by the Nazi regime and in Switzerland, Romany babies were forcibly removed from the parents and adopted by non-Romany families until 1973, in an effort to prevent the spread of the Romany population. The Romany tradition has many taboos (for example, when bathing separate towels must be used for drying the upper and lower parts of the body) which, not being understood by non-Romanies lead almost all Romanies to consider non-Romanies as unclean and as such marriage between Romanys and non-Romanys has always been very strongly discouraged by Romanys. Research Romany
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People
Research Romany