Gypsies: Roma and spirituality - KS3/4

Resources

• Leader and two readers
• For the enclosed and further information on Romani religion, society and culture, see Wikipedia 
• PowerPoint presentation provided (PP)

PP1
Engagement

Leader: This assembly is one of three about the Romani-Gypsy people and their beliefs and culture. They are sometimes called Travellers because they like to move on with their communities rather than settling for too long in one place. Today, let's hear from Jonny*, a 62 year old Gypsy from Ireland.

Reader 1: When I was 7, I went to school in one village we stayed in for a while. I was the only Romani in my class. We'd been in the village a few months and some of the kids there had seen my auntie telling fortunes at the summer fete. The teacher told them I was a Traveller. They were always teasing me and calling me names like ‘dirty Gypsy'. I hated it.

Reader 2: They started saying that Auntie Rose was stealing money from people and telling them lies by telling their fortunes. I didn't say anything but it upset me. One day I said that she could cure all sorts of things with her herbs and potions.

Reader 1: They went mad then and I got into lots of fights because some of them said that we worshipped the devil. Sometimes they looked frightened of me. I couldn't understand it.

Reader 2: How could I explain that my auntie had a lot of knowledge about plants and she just knew which ones to use? It's a Gypsy thing. The knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation over hundreds of years.
Reflection

PP2
Leader: Many people think of magic and fortune-telling when they think of Gypsies. We think of an archetypal lady dressed up in colourful shawls, with a scarf on her head and gold rings in her ears, telling fortunes with a crystal ball in return for ‘crossing her palm with silver'! In the past, there were rumours about people being ‘cursed' by Gypsies. People were nervous of this image. Jonny was the victim of this fear at his school.

People thought that herbalism and fortune-telling were practices that meant they had no religious beliefs. Some even thought that Gypsies worshipped the devil and that they didn't believe in God at all. The truth is that most Gypsies have strong religious beliefs that are usually based on the beliefs of the country in which they live. Most British Gypsies are either Protestant or Catholic Christians.

Gypsy art and music is energetic and colourful but the fact is that there is no one single Gypsy culture. Different Romani groups throughout the world hold different traditions, customs and beliefs. Here are some of them. You might like to think how these beliefs compare to your own as they are read out:

Reader 1: They believe God and Satan both exist.

Reader 2: They also believe in bad luck and ghosts.

Reader 1: They believe in both the power of good luck charms and the power of curses.

Reader 2: Children are always baptised - this was traditionally done outside and not in a church. A child was traditionally given three names, one known only by the mother, one given at the baptism and another if the child was re-baptised in church.

Reader 1: They practise natural healing techniques such as herbalism. They believe that running water is a very powerful cleanser both of the body and the spirit. So showers are more popular than baths.

Reader 2: Some practise fortune-telling - but only for people who are not Gypsies!

Leader: The Gypsy culture and customs are often misunderstood by non-Gypsies. In some recent programmes on television about Gypsies, they showed young girls being ‘grabbed' by boys at gatherings. The girls were not allowed to leave unless they gave the boy a kiss! This all seemed to be done with good humour on both sides but it seemed similar to the rumours about an old Romani practice of ‘bride-knapping', where prospective brides of 12 years old were kidnapped by the boy's tribe and taken away from their families for forced marriage. However, this practice has almost completely died out.

PP3
Jonny's story pinpoints the mistrust that some people feel towards Romani beliefs and culture even though most Romanies in this country are Christian. But Romanies are usually deeply spiritual and believe in the healing power of natural things such as plants and water. Jonny's aunt was what would now be called a herbalist. Recently there is more acceptance of the practice of using herbs like chamomile in teas and aloe vera in creams to help people with various conditions. Manufacturers of medicines use some plant compounds that are natural chemicals. You will find lots of natural remedies in health food shops today. Travellers have always used them, as have many people throughout history.

Response

Leader: Although few Gypsies today live in the old-fashioned horse-driven caravans, their culture and beliefs still seem to be strong. True Romanies still stick to what they call ‘The Romani Code'. If a Gypsy lives by these rules, they are said to have ‘Romanipen' - which means they are seen to be a true Romani. This set of rules for living is never written down but is passed from parents to children by the spoken word.

We all need beliefs and guidelines to help us to lead good and productive lives. Many of us have spiritual or religious ‘codes' that we believe in. It might be a good idea sometime to write down your own ideas for rules and guidelines for living. If you had a chance to make your own ‘Code for Living', your own Romanipen, I wonder what it would be? [Pause]
Think about the following ideas:

PP4
Reader 1: Listen to the advice of other people but make up your own mind.

Reader 2: Work hard to make the world a better place.

PP5
Reader 1: Show respect to people who are different to you by finding out about their beliefs and cultures.

PP6
Reader 2: Be loyal and supportive to your friends and families.

Reader 1: Respect the natural world of plants and animals.

* Jonny's words were written by the author.