The GypsiesAs a boy of twelve, Jan Yoors fulfilled many an adventurous youth's fantasy when he left his comfortable Belgian home to live and travel with a tribe, or kumpania, of Gypsies. Adopted into the extended family of Pulika, Yoors passed his days with the patriarch's sons and nephews, learning the traditions and participating in the rituals of the Gypsies, or Romani. As the years passed, he divided his life between the world of his birth, where he became a noted tapestry artist, filmmaker, and war hero, and the world of the Romani, where he returned regularly for more than five decades. The nuanced portrait details the rhythms of life among the Romani; the exceptional occurrences of birth, marriage, and death; and the highly codified system of conduct of the Gypsies. Roadside caravans, evening meals, multifamily feasts, village fairs, convocations of the kris (the Romani tribunal of justice), and wedding celebrations: all are powerfully evoked in both word and image. Comprehensive and vivid, expressive and lyrical, this volume is testimony to the author's remarkable facility with language -- both written and visual -- and an unequalled portrait of daily life among the Gypsies. |
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Common terms and phrases
ahead asked became beer Bidshika boys brother brought burning called camp campsite coffee dance dark dead derasha Djidjo Dodo dogs drank drinking eiderdowns encampment eyes father felt fire followed fortune-telling Gaje Gaje's Gajo gave girls gold pieces grew guests Gypsy women hair hand heard horses inside joined Kalderasha Kalia Keja kerchief knew Kore Kris kumpania Laetshi large number lived looked Lowara Luluvo Lyuba marriage Milosh mood morning moved Nanosh nearby never night Paprika patshiv peasants police Putzina remained road Rom's Romani Rupa samovar sang seemed silent singing Sinti sleep small children smell song spoke stayed stood stopped strange suddenly Swatura taliga talked tarpaulins taxicab tent tion told took traveled Troka Trokeshti Tshaya Tshu Tshurara Turkish coffee turned Vadoma village voice wagons waiting walked washed watched wife wild wind woman wore Yayal Yojo young Zurka