Gypsy's travelled on horseback and in wagons, they were frequently richly
dressed and dark in complexion with gold coins woven into their black hair.
dressed and dark in complexion with gold coins woven into their black hair.
Soon they gained a reputation as fortune tellers and magicians and were frequently
described as dukes or princes of Egypt.
described as dukes or princes of Egypt.
The first written records of 'Egyptians' in Britain is in 1505, but there is no way of
knowing how long Gypsy's may already have been here.
knowing how long Gypsy's may already have been here.
Where Gypsy's had originally come from remained a mystery until the 18th century
when an academic in Hungary realised that the language spoken by his local Gypsy's
was similar to one that was spoken in India.
when an academic in Hungary realised that the language spoken by his local Gypsy's
was similar to one that was spoken in India.
Further analysis revealed that Romany was in fact a Sanskrit dialect that originated in
the Indus Valley in Northern India. A tribe of people left North India and travelled through Persia to reach Eastern
Europe about 1000 years ago eventually arriving on British shores a few hundred years later.
the Indus Valley in Northern India. A tribe of people left North India and travelled through Persia to reach Eastern
Europe about 1000 years ago eventually arriving on British shores a few hundred years later.
Today's Gypsy's and Traveller's still speak their own version of Romany, mixed in with the Sanskrit words are others
which derive from Greek, Romanian and Slavic as well as cant, together with other local words and bits of slang.
which derive from Greek, Romanian and Slavic as well as cant, together with other local words and bits of slang.
Versions of the language are spoken by different groups of Roma across Europe from the Kalderash of Hungary to the
Gitanes and Sinti of France and the Mustalainen of Finland.
Gitanes and Sinti of France and the Mustalainen of Finland.
In the UK today we are proud to be Gypsy's but in Europe many people regard the term Gypsy as a term of abuse and
prefer to be called Roma or to be called by the name of their individual group, such as Kalderash or Sinti.
prefer to be called Roma or to be called by the name of their individual group, such as Kalderash or Sinti.
Django
Reinhardt
Reinhardt