The Gypsies are the largest ethnic minority in Europe with predominantly Indian roots. These folk groups live among the population of different countries and are divided into six large branches that have their own name.
For this reason, it was not without the influence of European states on cultural characteristics each of them. However, the religion and customs of the Roma still remain common features uniting the ethnic group. Especially it concerns funeral traditions, known for their scope, which is why the answer to the question "how do the gypsies bury their dead" is of keen interest to many.
Law and culture
The cultural customs of some gypsy tribes often lead to disagreements with the laws in the territory where the camp roams or lives. This is due to a strict taboo against damaging the integrity of the body of the deceased, and the roots of such a ban should be sought in magical beliefs.
Russian, Baltic and Scandinavian representatives this ethnic group are of the opinion that a person is not able to find peace without such internal organs as the brain and heart, therefore they oppose forensic medical examination.
This position makes it necessary to obtain a death certificate bypassing law enforcement agencies. If the matter takes too serious a turn, the gypsy baron deals with the problem. In this case, if the latter considers disputes with the law useless, the deceased will go to the FMS, but with the condition that after examination, the internal organs must be returned to the body of the deceased.
Gypsy customs and traditions
There is an opinion that only three offshoots of this ethnic group usually arrange a luxurious funeral. However, isolated cases allow exceptions depending on the traditions formed in a separate camp or community. Of the established ones, only two can be distinguished: a persistent aversion to death and the erection of some kind of cult of the deceased.
Gypsy funerals among the Baltic, Russian and Scandinavian tribes last 2-3 days, and are accompanied by "songs and dances". Such unusual customs are explained by Roma beliefs: it is believed that with death physical body a person becomes free from all worldly problems and sorrows, passing into better world devoid of suffering.
At the same time, the dying of the disease is never left alone. In nomadic tribes, he moves to a special tent - "bender", where his relatives remain with him to the last. At the same time, until the very moment of death, relatives should behave as usual: eat, drink, laugh and even sing.
Not a single gypsy will ever allow himself to be left to die in a common tent or house, because by his death he will make this place dirty, unsuitable for further living. Because of this, the personal belongings of the deceased, also stained with filth, were previously distributed to the poor at churches, and in recent decades lowered underground with the deceased, placing them as if in a room.
In a word, no one does it today the way gypsies bury it. For example, instead of prayers over the deceased, conspiracies are read and, if possible, the body is lowered into the grave without a coffin.
Funeral preparation
Some branches of Roma are notable for their early preparation for burial: it is expressed in the creation of savings from childhood in order to later be able to secure a worthy funeral. For example, there is often a pre-purchase of a place in a cemetery where gypsies are buried.
Otherwise, the process of preparing the body for burial depends on the religion of the tribe itself. The funeral rites of Orthodox Roma mostly consist of observing Christian traditions: the body is also washed and mourned, with the only difference being that herbal decoctions are used for washing, and prayers are replaced by conspiracies.
How do gypsies bury
In many regions, Roma funerals are magnificent, especially if they die. In Moldova, in 1998, the local bulibashi was buried only on the 14th day, so that everyone who wanted to say goodbye to him could arrive, while at the same time building a richly decorated crypt with special niches. They are needed in order to place household items and favorite alcohol with the deceased.
In this, the funerals of Russian, Baltic and Scandinavian branches of Roma are similar. They differ only in the general scope, depending on the status of the deceased, and the number of days allotted for preparation.
Gypsy burials
So, we have already practically considered the question of how the gypsies bury their dead. We also note that the process largely depends on the place of burial.
Nomadic tribes do not have the means to buy a place in the cemetery, therefore, those who have departed to another world are buried in a deserted, uninhabited corner, like a forest thicket or steppe under a blackberry bush. According to legend, this plant protects the grave from defilement by animals. Things of the deceased are often simply burned.
Other sedentary representatives of the ethnic group bury their loved ones, like everyone else: in cemeteries. Large gypsy settlements have their own churchyard on purchased land.
Conclusion
In order to assert with certainty about the burial customs of the gypsies, one should personally attend the funeral or be included in the camp. This is explained by the fact that the Roma carefully protect their traditions, because much that is known today is rumors or stories of witnesses.
Moreover, the spread of even those customs, the meaning of which has been forgotten by the gypsies, is not allowed. Perhaps the reason for this is the strict execution of all the required rituals associated with death and burial.
In life, one thing must be done: to see a gypsy funeral.
- Izya, when you become an adult, you will marry Galya from Ukraine.
- Ma, why do I need Galya?
- It is obvious! Her relatives live in the village, they have their own piglets and fat. You will become plump and rosy-cheeked. And then you file for divorce and take Sarah as your wife, she is Jewish.
- Ma, scarier than Sarah, I have never seen anyone in this life.
- Actually, her parents have connections, but they definitely won’t interfere in life. And after a divorce from a Jewess, you will take Azaza as your wife.
- Mom, what's the use of a gypsy?
- What kind of funeral they arrange, you would know!
And it's true, Gypsy funerals are divine. Comparing with the funeral in Egypt, we can say with certainty that the pharaohs have a lot to learn.
The oldest representatives of the gypsy people, who will die very soon, are most feared in our medical institutions. If it suddenly happens that he dies in the hospital, then an incredible scandal will begin, because all relatives from all over the planet will come and start screaming and yelling at different languages. But this is far from the end. If you pick up a video camera, then you can create a real horror movie in the future: gypsy girls and women, as if insane, tear their hair from their heads, and not only from their own, beat their heads on the floor, lie and roar on concrete (they arrange this “competition” for the reason that whoever sheds the fewest tears and shows the least sorrow will be condemned) . The male part just screams in different languages, it’s not clear who, but when they see one of the doctors, long and meaningless showdowns begin: “How did it happen that our 120-year-old grandfather Janusz died so suddenly and in just a couple of days? I think it was your fault!" It may even come to a fight, in which not only honey workers will suffer. institutions, but also technology. If for some reason the grandfather did not rise even after the fight, then his relatives have nothing left to do but start preparing for the funeral. Funeral at different groups Gypsies, respectively, are different. The Crimeans, as well as Chisinau residents, bury the most beautifully: in a few days, the relatives of the deceased dig a real mansion underground, make repairs in it, which many living people do not have on the surface. Considering the fact that dead person prefers to lie down, they buy him the newest bed and other accessories.
One of the most expensive things is the coffin, the price of which can be more than the cost of your apartment. On the coffin they put on the most expensive fabric that can be found, then carpets are laid everywhere. Naturally, it all also depends on how rich the gypsy was during his lifetime. Also, those things that are necessary for a living person are put in the coffin: a razor, as well as replaceable blades (although during their lifetime, many gypsies have long forgotten what a razor is and how to use it), perfume, slippers, a phone and charging to it (suddenly it will ring when something), dark glasses, money and stuff like that. The deceased in his coffin is more like a grocery cart, in which there are all sorts of little things for the action "each for 100 rubles." It even comes to the point that the deceased gypsy, who loved to eat smoked meat during his lifetime, will rot along with his favorite dish.
If we talk about employees of medical institutions, then normally they dress only gypsies, and the event that happened several years ago is to blame. As you know, dead people are not put on outerwear over their heads, so as not to bother with threading their hands and so on. The clothes are simply cut and envelop the deceased. But one gypsy woman really wanted to say goodbye to her relative and hugged him, so much so that he already sat down in the coffin. Because of this, everyone saw that the jacket was cut. Of course, no one expected this, and the gypsy people were furious to the point of impossibility. The male part gathered their brothers and went to beat the orderlies in the morgue. Although they acted within the instructions, it seems impossible to explain this to such people. After this incident, all the dead are buried in clothes, carefully putting their hands through the sleeves.
After the body of the deceased has safely lain at home for several days, relatives carry it out. Naturally, a priest is also needed for this whole procedure. By the way, the holy father will be very surprised if he sees at least one gypsy who knows how to properly baptize. After the procedure, the priest will be surprised again, as the gypsies pay solidly: large sum money is not all the gratitude of the gypsy people. They will also give the church worker several kilograms of sausage, meat and other products. That is why priests like to hold gypsy funerals.
Let's talk about what's going on in the cemetery itself. It's more like a zombie movie, where millions of undead moans and make strange noises. This is approximately the picture you will see in the cemetery. The lower the coffin with the deceased falls, the more the gypsies will make sounds. Some people even jump after the deceased, however, they are then taken out of there. After the ceremony, carpets are laid at the resting place. Then relatives begin to throw money into the grave. If the family is rich, then the bills will be large. After a few minutes of throwing money into the void, the coffin is buried with earth. I wonder how much archaeologists will be surprised, who in a few hundred years will unearth such cottages, and inside them not only bones, but also razors, Sunglasses, as well as a telephone.
They begin to commemorate the deceased at the moment when he is still at home. Almost at any time of the year, gypsies set up tables on the street. Near the coffin they smoke so heavily that the deceased is almost invisible because of the smoke. But contrary to general delusion, the gypsies do not sing our songs at the wake. After the corpse is kissed on the forehead and said goodbye, people begin to drink, and quite a lot. Considering that there are several tiers of food on the table, no one refuses anything. Similar to gypsy wedding but no champagne.
Several times I came across posts about throwing bones on the ground at funerals. All for the reason that the gypsies bury all the waste from the memorial table. They even put basins in order to throw off waste, for them this is an important part of the commemoration. But on Titovka, everything happens differently. The fact is that our gypsies are not basketball champions, which is why it is rather difficult to get into the basin, it is easier to just throw everything on the ground, and then dig everything underground with an excavator.
Drunkenness, or the so-called gypsy wake, continues for several days. All these days, each of the representatives of the people with swollen faces tells others that today in a dream they saw their deceased relative and communicated with him. Naturally, most of these stories are nothing more than fiction. This is done for the sake of the fact that for our gypsies to communicate with the dead means the elevation of the deceased to the rank of saint.
Each of the memorial days is also celebrated vehemently, whether it be nine days, forty days, or even a year. So they can celebrate 25 years from the date of death, if at least one gypsy remains who will remind.
Let's talk about the monuments: they are 2-3 meters high, some have gold inscriptions, but the most important attribute is a full-length photograph of the deceased. On the background always doing what the gypsies loved: cars, fishing rods, whatever! In our cemetery, one of the monuments depicts a huge syringe, almost the entire length. The funny thing is that the living representatives of the people are also depicted on the monument. Living people on the monument and in the cemetery, they have strange traditions ...
Those gypsies who are richer than the rest always put a gazebo near the grave. Sometimes whole chapels are erected. Well, these are those who have absolutely no problems with money. Naturally, there is nowhere without a table, because every time a group of relatives visits the grave of the deceased, they carry a lot of plates, pots and other cutlery with them. Looks like a cafe in nature. After the commemoration, relatives begin to walk around the cemetery and commemorate other people, which is why the cemetery is slowly turning into a real reserve for drunkards. Sometimes the dead are also poured alcohol into a glass. A cigarette is often set on fire and left next to the monument. After the commemoration, all the half-eaten remains near the grave, as well as a pile of garbage and leftovers.
The Gypsies are the largest ethnic minority in Europe with predominantly Indian roots. These folk groups live among the population of different countries and are divided into six large branches that have their own name.
For this reason, it was not without the influence of European states on the cultural characteristics of each of them. However, in the religion and customs of the Roma, there are still common features that unite the ethnic group. This is especially true of funeral traditions, known for their scope, which is why the answer to the question "how do gypsies bury their dead" is of keen interest to many.
Law and culture
The cultural customs of some gypsy tribes often lead to disagreements with the laws in the territory where the camp roams or lives. This is due to a strict taboo against damaging the integrity of the body of the deceased, and the roots of such a ban should be sought in magical beliefs.
Russian, Baltic and Scandinavian representatives of this ethnic group are of the opinion that a person is not able to find peace without such internal organs as the brain and heart, therefore they oppose forensic medical examination.
This position makes it necessary to obtain a death certificate bypassing law enforcement agencies. If the matter takes too serious a turn, the gypsy baron deals with the problem. In this case, if the latter considers disputes with the law useless, the deceased will go to the FMS, but with the condition that after examination, the internal organs must be returned to the body of the deceased.
Gypsy customs and traditions
There is an opinion that only three offshoots of this ethnic group usually arrange a luxurious funeral. However, isolated cases allow exceptions depending on the traditions formed in a separate camp or community. Of the established ones, only two can be distinguished: a persistent aversion to death and the erection of some kind of cult of the deceased.
Gypsy funerals among the Baltic, Russian and Scandinavian tribes last 2-3 days, and are accompanied by "songs and dances". Such unusual customs are explained by Roma beliefs: it is believed that with the death of the physical body, a person becomes free from all worldly problems and sorrows, moving into a better world, devoid of suffering.
At the same time, the dying of the disease is never left alone. In nomadic tribes, he moves to a special tent - "bender", where his relatives remain with him to the last. At the same time, until the very moment of death, relatives should behave as usual: eat, drink, laugh and even sing.
Not a single gypsy will ever allow himself to be left to die in a common tent or house, because by his death he will make this place dirty, unsuitable for further living. Because of this, the personal belongings of the deceased, also stained with filth, were previously distributed to the poor near churches, and in recent decades they have been lowered underground with the deceased, placing them as if in a room.
In a word, no one does it today the way gypsies bury it. For example, instead of prayers over the deceased, conspiracies are read and, if possible, the body is lowered into the grave without a coffin.
Funeral preparation
Some branches of Roma are notable for their early preparation for burial: it is expressed in the creation of savings from childhood in order to later be able to secure a worthy funeral. For example, there is often a pre-purchase of a place in a cemetery where gypsies are buried.
Otherwise, the process of preparing the body for burial depends on the religion of the tribe itself. The funeral rites of Orthodox Roma mostly consist of observing Christian traditions: the body is also washed and mourned, with the only difference being that herbal decoctions are used for washing, and prayers are replaced by conspiracies.
How do gypsies bury
In many regions Roma funerals are lavish, especially if a gypsy baron dies. In Moldova, in 1998, the local bulibashi was buried only on the 14th day, so that everyone who wanted to say goodbye to him could arrive, while at the same time building a richly decorated crypt with special niches. They are needed in order to place household items and favorite alcohol with the deceased.
In this, the funerals of Russian, Baltic and Scandinavian branches of Roma are similar. They differ only in the general scope, depending on the status of the deceased, and the number of days allotted for preparation.
Gypsy burials
So, we have already practically considered the question of how the gypsies bury their dead. We also note that the process largely depends on the place of burial.
Nomadic tribes do not have the means to buy a place in the cemetery, therefore, those who have departed to another world are buried in a deserted, uninhabited corner, like a forest thicket or steppe under a blackberry bush. According to legend, this plant protects the grave from defilement by animals. Things of the deceased are often simply burned.
Other sedentary representatives of the ethnic group bury their loved ones, like everyone else: in cemeteries. Large gypsy settlements have their own churchyard on purchased land.
Conclusion
In order to assert with certainty about the burial customs of the gypsies, one should personally attend the funeral or be included in the camp. This is explained by the fact that the Roma carefully protect their traditions, because much that is known today is rumors or stories of witnesses. 
Moreover, the spread of even those customs, the meaning of which has been forgotten by the gypsies, is not allowed. Perhaps the reason for this is the strict execution of all the required rituals associated with death and burial.
The gypsy manner of burial often strikes the imagination of non-gypsies. It differs significantly from European funeral rituals.
First of all, it should be understood that many features of gypsy funerals, although they are similar to ancient European pagan funeral, in fact, have a completely different "theoretical base", namely, they directly stem from the "cult of elders-and-ancestors" and the concept of ritual "impurity".
Almost all Romani law revolves around the latter concept (and in this it is somewhat similar to conservative Judaism). Among the events that are "unclean" in the gypsy tradition is death. Accordingly, the dead are also unclean. At different gypsies different ideas about what becomes impure due to the death of a person:
1) all gypsies have the clothes in which he died,
2) very often - what he touched when dying
(because of this, in poor nomadic families, in order not to deprive the family of their only bed, the old people, feeling the approach of death, lay down directly on the ground, avoiding touching the common feather bed; the importance of the feather bed in a nomadic family was very, very significant, because it was believed that not those who have featherbeds and sleep right on the ground die early and get sick a lot ... I think it was thought so not without reason)
3) for some gypsies - in general, things that belonged to the deceased personally (personal, not common, clothes, jewelry, dishes, etc.)
4) sometimes - relatives of the deceased.
In the case of the relatives of the deceased, they ate from separate dishes, did not touch the things that they thought to use in the future, and people. Then, as if by itself, the filth "slid" from them, and they were recognized as "clean."
(does this exist somewhere now, I'm not sure)
It's not the same with things. Get rid of things. Previously, there was a custom to distribute to the beggars near the church (non-gypsies who are not afraid of filth, since the gypsy law does not apply to them) part of the personal belongings of the deceased, as well as burn them or throw them away / bury them. The other part was buried along with the deceased. Now ALL "unclean" things that belonged to the deceased are usually lowered into the grave.
Previously, the dead were simply buried in a coffin or - for some gypsies - burned. But for some time now it has been widely believed that in relation to the ancestors it is disrespectful to allow their ashes to simply disappear, dissolving into the earth or scattering in the wind. The graves were covered with bricks. Over time, the graves became wider, especially since the custom of having personal belongings from the gypsies became widespread in the 20th century (traditionally most of things, incl. clothes, was considered and still is often considered family property), and things that were previously given to the poor began to be put there. One of the reasons for the latter was the consideration that then these things can be accidentally touched by gypsies, out of ignorance.
Another manifestation of respect for the ancestors is the ordering of tombstones with their portraits, possibly more luxurious, on their graves, with which these graves are, as it were, decorated.
(no, I don't think in English, I just read romance novels for three days)
If it seems to you that you understand gypsy respect for ancestors, then you don’t understand anything. Because this is not the respect that is used to be shown in Europe. This is a frantic, childish, "fierce and mad" (c) respect, bordering on - but not reaching - deification.
It comes to the point that the gypsies help their dead ... show off. They buy personal items for the deceased. Deceased, do you understand? To put them in a crypt/grave. So that those who come to the funeral can see how rich the deceased (deceased) was. Images of cars, decorations, houses on tombstones serve the same purpose (thanks for the leading question lubech). All this is given such importance that the gypsy writer Oleg Petrovich mentions in the book "Barons of Taber Saporoni" how one gypsy worked for almost a year solely to put a tombstone commensurate with his respect for his deceased father.
The drawing on the tombstone, as it were, tells us: the house of the deceased was a full bowl; thanks for the photo lubech
And the final touch - in recent decades, a special fashion has appeared, not just putting the things of the deceased in the crypt, but arranging them there, as if in a room. Looks like the deceased was prepared for the afterlife, like Egyptian pharaoh:) although in reality this is not meant. Done just for the sake of beauty.
P.s. Gypsy Christians, in addition to the purely gypsy rituals described above, also observe all Christian ones, such as a funeral service, commemoration, and forty days.
P.p.s. Here in the comments the topic of the post unfolds :)
The funeral rite of the gypsies
Gypsy funeral customs are one of the most interesting in the world. it nomadic people, which does not have common well-established traditions associated with leaving for another world. Living in different countries, these people borrow various, including funeral, rituals.
Gypsy traditions associated with funerals
The attitude of this people to death is peculiar - it is at the same time fear, almost disgust for the "dirty" process of dying and, at the same time, extreme reverence for the dead. It would seem that this is impossible, but this people brought together these two opposites.
The body of the deceased is part of the ancestral cult, so the funerals of the gypsies are traditionally rich, sometimes children save money for the funeral of their parents for several years, who at that time were still alive and well. They believe that such an event should be prepared ahead of time. If death came suddenly, then after the burial, relatives will save money for a decent tombstone (usually expensive and beautiful). A special "chic" is a monument made of expensive stone with a full-length portrait of the deceased.
Previously, these people simply buried their dead in the steppe, but later, the gypsies decided that the ashes of their relatives could not just disappear, and began to bury their loved ones in graves laid with bricks.
The things of the deceased are considered unclean, so they are lowered underground along with the body of the deceased. By what things lie in the grave, they judge the wealth of the departed to another world. Sometimes relatives, wanting to “splurge” their relatives, buy and put new things in the grave that the deceased never had during his lifetime, and they are not just put there, but arranged, as in a room, so that everyone can see how well he lived deceased. This is somewhat reminiscent of the burial of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs.
This people believe that when dying, a person pollutes the house and bed, so the dying person is taken to a tent (bendery) so that he passes away there. To die in one's bed counts for them bad sign, because in this case the bed becomes "unclean".
Gypsy autopsy is taboo. They will never let it be done, even if the doctors or law enforcement insist on it.
The deceased is buried in a coffin, and they are buried in different ways, some gypsies - in a coffin, and others - wrapped in carpets or expensive cloth, then the carpet is laid on the bottom of the crypt.
Funeral and commemoration
A gypsy funeral is a lengthy process; the body of the deceased may not be interred for several days. At this time, everyone who knew him comes to the tent where he died and says goodbye to the deceased, sometimes it can drag on for how many days.
They bury the departed in the other world, in his best clothes, women put on a lot of elegant gypsy skirts.
Some gypsies have a negative attitude towards cremation, others agree, and some ask to be cremated loved one. In this case, the urn with the ashes may not be taken from the crematorium and not interred for quite a long time.
In general, the funerals of this people are quite cheerful, and are more like a birthday or a wedding. The guests dance, sing and rejoice that the deceased went into the world without tears, need and suffering.
Very often, relatives invite an orchestra to the funeral, but instead of mourning funeral marches, folk melodies are performed.
The commemoration sometimes lasts two or three days and also does not look like some kind of mournful sight - the same songs, dances and music. Sometimes relatives stay on the fourth day.
Some representatives of this people also make a commemoration on the ninth and fortieth day, and some do not. Most gypsies do not observe fasts.
This is how Russian gypsies bury dead relatives. In other states, these people profess other religions (for example, there are gypsies - Muslims and even Jews), and then the customs are slightly different, but songs and dances in world of the dead the deceased is almost always escorted.
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