The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-09-11
THE BELIEF OF THE GYPSY.
A RESUME OF RoMANY ETHICS.
DIR. wakeman's Further Observations of
the vagabond Raoe-The Baurie Rom
Antiquity of the NOmad Creed-Its
PecuIiarities-Home Life, Etc.


years old-exactly ninety-six in the sum-
mer of 1877, when I was favored with his
wise companionship among the beautiful
hills and valleys of western Pennsylvania.
His great age and certain amount of
book knowledge he had somehow acquired,
made him sort OF seer among his race.
/ always approached him with real veneer
alton, and when one day l asked him why
Gvpsies were wanderers he instantly an
swered in Romany
Because they are Gods chosen peo-
plep
am pretty sure the old rascal did not
believe what he said, because there was a
merry, half-wicked twinkle in his eyes;
and besides we were at that very moment
occupied in dressing some plump chick
ems, over whose manner of getting into
camp l thought best to throw the mautle
OF silent charity. But he gravely pro-
ceeded 10 draw host of similitudes be-
tween modes OF Gypsy life and those of
the ancient patriarchs, laying great en-
phasis upon the statement that Gypsies
were the true descendants of the house OF
Rechabites, 30 loved of the Lord for its
peoples faithful observance OF divine
commands. Then he glibly quoted from
jeremiah Neither shall ye build
houses, nor SOW seed, nor plant vineyard,
nor have any; but all your days ye shall
dwell in tents that We may live many
days in the land where ye be strangers
II Gypsies may be said topossess ethical
or religious principles whatever they will
all be found underlying and sustaining
their own as against all other modes OF
life. Innumerable times have / made the
direct inquiry OF my Gypsy companions
and friends regarding this matter, and on
every occasion have been met with n
similar answer. The Gypsyis mind Is an
utter blank on all matters which tho
Christian world regard as sacred. Re-
veaed religion Is 10 him rs extraordinary
tissue OF chicanery M are his black arts
10 us. lie will quote you yards of bible 20
prove his plgrimng life the only correct
one. But he does that merely TO confuse
YOU not because no himself respects the
authority TO which lac has recourse. I'M
questionably he believes with his whole
soul his Is the only right way Of living.
Whatever you and / may believe about
that, have had too many and
indubitable proofs OF his integrity
Of conviction 10 doubt IL. And 40 what Is
his belief, what his heredty of sacred To-
gend, what the principles and incentives
upon which his life and effort are planted
and what his hope for and faith in the iu-
ture state, have been for twenty-five years
my most earnest and interesting, and
must confess most futile and barren, sub
jects OF study among these tawny wander
ers Of the tent and road,
IL is noteworthy fact that the Romany
Gypsy Language contains no exact equiva-
lent for God. Indeed IL Is almost barren
OF words designating the Creator. The
nearest expression that my most studious
and persistent researches and inquiries
have been able to discover is that Of
Baurie Rom, or Great Head and yet this
literally means q powerful man, a chief
potentate, and does not mean spiritual
being with omniscient powers. Nor is this
term applied 10 a supreme being save IN
one instance. That one is in q singularlv
universal and always secret sacred legend
OF the Gypsies; their sole lore pertaining
10 the infinite mysteries. This story, ira
dition or legend relates in picturesque,
brief and almost poetic manner the con-
test OF the great good spirit and the great
bad spirit. as follows
One day the Baurie Rom (Great Head,
whose shining tent was the sky, went out
10 seek a wild boar for dinner As no
good being will steal from an open tent,
the Baurio Rom drew not the curtain
about the door literally, MOUTH Soon
along came the Baurie Bing (chief evil
spirit, the great devil), who saw the de-
serted tent and cried out with great glee !:
Now the Baurie Rom is gone. | will
destroy his beautiful habitation and leave
him desolatep
Then the Baurie Bing drank up the
rivers, ate all the pomegranates between
the rims OF the sky, and licked up all the
eaTth's honey. After feasting, he blew
flame on the world, and split the mount
aims with his fiery tail. Then he arose to
90, but had sweled so broad and high
that he could not get out OF the tent-door,
and his horns got fast in the woody tent
curve cover, the sky. The Baurie Bing
struggled and beloved, and ten black
devils (dasa kala bing) came TO help the
Baurie Bing away. Just then the Baurie
Rom came back The ten black devils
ran away, when the Baurie Rom took the
Baurie Bing in his hand, as though light
as dust and hurled him beyond the edge
of the sky, into a place where he ever
burns, but there never is light. From
that day the Baurie Rom placed great
chief to guard his tent-dOor.
In passing it is interesting TO find in the
three words dasa kala bina item black
devils remarkable proof of the extreme
antiquity of the Gypsy race. They are re-
specIively Sanscrit, Hindostanee and Ro-
many; and their preservation by these
people, independent of any written OF
printed language, seems almost beyond be-
lief.
But in the tale Of the Baurie Rom and
the Baurie Bing are found many symbols
of Gypsy thought and feeling. 1t is thou
sands of years older than the bible, and il
is curious example of the earliest formu
lative thought as 10 a supreme being. He
is typiied as benign, good, all-powerful
but awful in just wrath. The devil, too
as the type OF greed, envy and malicious
destructiveness, was not bad notion fol-
1900 or 1000 years ago; while many oil
the material instincts of these strange folk
the sky as a semblance of the tent; the
hunting of the wild boar for dinner, once
n perfection OF attainment among Gypsies
the feasting and gorging of the intruder
his final discomfOrture and almost Milton
ic casting out into an eternal dark, which
Gypsies dread in color, symbol, and in all
places at night, when they say they fee
it hurt :" stand out clearly in these tropet
and SMILES.
But the most singular feat of the matter
is that this notion of a supreme being anC
an antithesis, the temptation, the fall, the
expulsion from state OF privilege, the