The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-12-12
TRAITS OF THE GyPs,Es.
Archduke Joseph says They Came Orig
inally from Hindostsni.

Archduke Joseph says They Came Orig
inalIy from Hindostsni.
Archduke Joseph belongs to tho royal
family OF Austria. Is Commander Of the
Hungarian Honved army, and is known
for his writings upon anthropologieal
topics. He has long made the languages.
traditions and habits OF the gypsies his
special study. The literature relating to
this strange and interesting people is al
ready extensive, but Archduke Joseph
has brought TO light several unknown
features, and has corrected many existing
errors in regard to the gypsies He has
had unusual opportunities for making a
study OF the people. No fewer than 50, 600
gypsies live in Hungary and about 300
600 OF them are found In Roumania. The
archduke has spent many months visit
ing their settlements one after another.
IL Is we'll known that the gypsies have
deliberately deceived not few savants,
but owing TO the fact that Archduke
Joseph is thoroughly acquainted with
their language. and also, perhaps. on ac-
count of his high rank, they have re-
vealed some Of their secrets to him with
out hesitation.
Sometime ago he published the first re-
suits OF his studies. IL was the most
gypsy language that has yet appeared.
Later he wrote paper which was read
before the Photographed Society Of
Budapest on the origin and habits Of the
gypsies.
The Archduke supports the theory OF
Grellman. that all gypsies are OF Hindo-
stani origin lie bases his theory upon
a comparison OF the two languages. As
instances OF the remarkably large number
OF resemblances between these languages
may be mentioned the word for snow,
which in Hindostani is hima," and in the
gypsy language Is him." the word for car
rier in the one language Is "Laya," and In
the other is :" lei " and "leva." So that in
both languages Hlmalaya means the
bearer Of snow. He gives many other In
stances OF the same sort, and 1t is no
longer doubted that the slopes OF the
Himalaya Mountains were the homes OF
all the gypsies at present in Europe,
where their first appearance Is traced TO
the year 14l7.
In their opinion the earth has existed
from eternity, and is the origin OF every
thing that Is good God they call Devil"
and the devil they call Beng" The
archduke says they fear both and curse
both when they are in bad luck, or In the
case OF the death OF one OF their number.
They believe also In evil spirits which
can be chased away by throwing brandy
or water upon the body or upon the grave
whenever they pass It. They do not be-
lieve In a life after death. They have no
word for paradise and none for heaven.
They often profess religion either for
convenience sake or under compulsion,
but IL has no real hold upon them. They
embrace the religion OF the people who al
low them to settle among them, and they
call themselves Christians, though they
remain In reality heather, cherlshing
the traditions OF the fire worshippers
which they seem once to have been.
The archduke says that the baptism Of
a child, as performed by the priest. has no
real value for them till the eldest OF the
clan has held the babe over q large open
fire. This is the ba5y's real reception into
tho community, whatever outward reli-
gion they may profess. The archduke
says that OF the Gypsies in Hungary
there are $4,000 orthodox. $4,000 Greek
Catholics, 10000 Roman Catholics. and
1000 Protestants Of the Hevetian Confess
sion, which corresponds pretty we'll with
the proportion of creeds in the districts
which tolerate them. The Protestants are
least disposed to permit them to re-
main In their vicinity.