The Gypsies As A Stateless Nation In The World - Report Example

OF SCHOOL LESS NATION: The Gypsies as a less Nation in the World and What is a less Nation? A stateless nation is a group of people who are not defined by any particular country, yet have a definite cross-cultural style all their own. One of the best examples would be the gypsies, who have existed for many centuries, yet do not claim any one country as their own heritage. Every country has gypsies, although they are not citizens, per se, of the country they live in. Instead, they live as immigrants, retaining their centuries-old individual culture rather than adopting to their current resident country (Hoyland, 2011). The Jews had also been a stateless nation until the official formation of Israel as a nation in 1948. For centuries before that date, the Jewish people basically lived as a religious group rather than one with a national homeland (Johnson, P., 2009). In Russia, the Dagestani homeland is the highland area of the Caucasus Mountains and occupies 70 percent of the Caspian Sea coastline. The Dagestan Republic has 31 official ethnic groups with over 80 nationalities. This area operates primarily on isolated clans, including its own language, cultural heritage and clan loyalties as the central focus, rather than considering itself a nation or a state (Minahan, 2002). Thesis This report covers the gypsies in several areas of the world. As a group unto themselves, there is no nation for the gypsies as they are group wanderers, settling down only for a short time before moving on. Information on the gypsies will be related to the following disciplines: physical, cultural and historical. The physical discipline will relate to places in different countries where they settled for any length of time. The cultural discipline will give an overview of how the gypsies lived their daily lives and what interactions they might have had with local populations. Finally, the historical discipline will outline how gypsies have affected national history and events while living in various countries, and how they, as an identified group, were viewed by the general population. Gypsies have always been regarded by nationals as being vagrants and somewhat unsavory because they moved around so much and did not interact with the public. Keeping to themselves and pretty much relying on the land was a principle they followed almost religiously. Townspeople were not inclined to reach out and attempt to make friends because of this negative view towards gypsies, perhaps fearing some thievery, or the possibility of catching diseases (Hoyland, 2011). Alternatively, gypsies avoided contact except in cases of great need in purchasing goods and supplies for their troop. Most fears, on their part, came from the possibility of legal authorities trying to put some of them in jail for suspected or even fabricated crimes (Hoyland, 2011). As there was no traceable history relating to gypsies, people could only place gypsies as from the place they were before. There are accounts, however, that they may have come originally from Egypt, so, in Hungary, gypsies were given the name Pharaohites, meaning Pharaoh’s people. In France, they were given the name Bohemians, while in Holland, they received the name Heydens, or Heathens. Today, the peoples of Germany, Italy and Hungary, call them Tziganys; those in Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldavia call them Cyganis. The gypsies’ first known appearance in Europe was about 500 years ago during the 1400s (Hoyland, 2011). According to records, gypsies were considered to be pilgrims, and while person in any one group would have the name “Count,” others had the name of Dukes or Lords of Lesser Egypt. It is also said that papal permissions were given to them to travel free through Christian lands for seven years. Yet, when that time was up, they were to go back home. Nobody knew where home was, and furthermore, the gypsies claimed they couldn’t get home because soldiers were blockading their exits (Hoyland, 2011). Culturally, it is noted that gypsies had their own language sounding somewhat oriental, buried their dead in water and practiced fortune telling and other odd tricks. While they would learn the language of where they settled down, they would always revert back to their own language when they were telling secrets to each other. Their style of dress was flamboyant, certainly for the women who wore large earrings and colorful dresses, yet they did not keep sanitary conditions with their bodies, clothes and living conditions (Hoyland). Over time, the doings of the gypsies, such as palmistry, exorcisms, claims of bewitchment against the women, that governments began issuing orders of banishment and, in some cases, extermination. While this never really was enforced, we can look at Hitler’s Germany during the war, where extermination became a real fear for the gypsies. Lumped together with the Jews, various nationalities, and other so-called undesirables, being detained and deported to a Nazi death camp became a real fear during World War II (Hoyland, 2011). The frequency of movement to different countries was directly affected by the different seasons in Europe and also changing weather conditions during those seasons. As a transient group, many gypsies headed south each year to take advantage of warmer weather during the harsh winters of the European northern countries, particularly in Russia, unless they were of the wealthy few in Moscow who had settled to a civilized life with good housing and living standards. Another group of gypsies, who settled down were those in Spain called the Zincali. They congregated in several areas: Valencia, Murcia (because of local wealth and opportunities), La Mancha and horse-heaven Andalusia (Borrow, 2011). Geography, as well as the weather changes, has had a great deal to do with the spread of gypsies throughout Europe. In countries with mountain ranges, like the Swiss Alps, the Pyrenees of Spain’s border, Carpathian, Transylvanian and Tarea Mountains in Romania, West Russia and Slovakia, traveling often would be hindered, particularly in the winter months. Once a journey was made past those mountains, going in either direction, gypsy groups would either keep going or travel in a more localized area (Slater, Hobbs, Wheeler, & Kostbade 1998). World War II also had a great effect on gypsies, especially in Poland, Germany and any other nearby countries adjacent to Germany. There was a great cleansing of the gypsies, along with the Jews, most of who were put into concentration camps and eventually murdered in gas chambers. Many also died from malnutrition and overall lack of decent living conditions within the camps’ confined areas (Fonseca, 1996). Today’s gypsies have modernized to a better living situation, residing in towns, taking jobs, and getting an education. However, gypsies in any nation, still maintain their independence and cultural heritages, even if it is not from any one country’s background. It is a unique group of people all to itself, with its own language, lifestyles, and viewpoint of the rest of the world around them. Indeed, the clan group is more important than the nation it resides in. Governments have realized the importance of making education, jobs, living quarters and other social advantages available to gypsies to help integrate their value to society into the mainstream populace. Gypsies, however integrated, will always still maintain that special culture that sets them apart from every other nation. They are a stateless nation. Bibliography and References Fonseca, I. Bury Me Standing: The Gypsies and Their Journey. (1996). Vintage Press: New York City, New York. Slater, C. L., Hobbs, J. J., Wheeler, J. H., & Kostbade, J. T. Essentials of World Geography, 2 Ed. (1998) Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Minahan, J. Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups Around the World II (D-K). (2002). Greenwood Publishing Group. Santa Barbara, California. Johnson, P. A History of the Jews. (2009). HarperCollins: New York City, New York. Borrow, G. The Zincali: An Account of the Gypsies of Spain. (2011). Kindle Publications Hoyland, J. A Historical Survey of the Customs, Habits, & Present State of the Gypsies. (2011). (Originally published with W. Alexander as author, edited by David Price). (1816)) Kindle Publications Whittier, J. G. Yankee Gypsies. (2006). Kindle Publications Armstrong, A. G. History of Gypsies. (2012). Kindle Publications Read More